The criminal code of the District of Columbia, Section 22-1001, prohibits cruelty to animals…..
This statute explicitly covers “all living and sentient creatures, human beings excepted,” if a prosecutor can prove “serious bodily injury,” or if a prosecutor can prove “to an animal or indifference to animal life, that a single offense can be punished by up to five years in prison or a fine not to exceed $25,000 or both.”
A serious bodily injury includes among other things the infliction of “extreme physical pain or mutilation or broken bones or severe lacerations.”
Now I heard your vivid description of the D&E abortion method, which I’m told is the most frequent method used for abortion after 20 weeks, and it seems clear that it follows this description of mutilating, breaking bones, lacerating, and worse, and we’ve heard very convincing evidence pain that it would inflict “extreme physical pain.
Now that fits all the criteria. I find it tremendous – I don’t even want to use the word irony – just a break from human compassion, that while we would do the right thing and prevent those things from happening… to animals, but not to human babies.
(Thanks to Jill Stanek & Live Action for the text of the Congressman's remarks.)
