That's the provocative (but fair) opening of Daniel Allott's Wall Street Journal article exploring Barack Obama's record on not only abortion, but also on what surgical room procedures are proper following the abortion. As in "Uh oh. We tried to terminate this pregnancy but here is the baby, alive and kicking! What on earth do we do now?"That's exactly the question which draws Gianna Jessen into Mr. Allott's excellent article. For Gianna, a delightful woman who I was honored to have as a guest on "Vital Signs" radio a couple of times, is a vivacious, pretty, talented, smart, tough and highly principled young lady...a blessing to everyone around her.
But the scene of her birthday created in the minds of a medical team the very question mentioned earlier because Gianna was an abortion survivor. Targeted by an abortionist utilizing a poisonous saline, Gianna yet "made it out alive" where the nurse on hand had her rushed to a hospital. Gianna weighed only a couple of pounds and had been severely hurt by the deadly chemicals, but she was alive. And because of proper medical attention ("Physician, Do No Harm!"), she stayed alive, thrived and grew into the lovely young woman whose personality, talent and spirituality now graces the world.
Remarkably, there are many others like Gianna who have somehow survived abortion and, like any healthy full-term newborn, need immediate and comprehensive medical care. But Barack Obama has voted not once, but twice to deny abortion-surviving babies their right to such medical care. In effect, he has voted against their very right to life.
Writes Mr. Allott:
As an Illinois state senator, Barack Obama twice opposed legislation to define as "persons" babies who survive late-term abortions. Babies like Gianna. Mr. Obama said in a speech on the Illinois Senate floor that he could not accept that babies wholly emerged from their mother's wombs are "persons," and thus deserving of equal protection under the Constitution's 14th Amendment.
A federal version on the same legislation passed the Senate unanimously and with the support of all but 15 members of the House. Gianna was present when President Bush signed the Born Alive Infants Protection Act in 2002.
When I asked Gianna to reflect on Mr. Obama's candidacy, she paused, then said, "I really hope the American people will have their eyes wide open and choose to be discerning. . . . He is extreme, extreme, extreme."
The rest of this enlightening, challenging piece is right here.
