Kermit Gosnell Found Guilty

"After 10 days of deliberations, a Philadelphia, Pa., jury convicted abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell on Monday of three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of three infants born alive at his medical clinic. He was also pronounced guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Karnamaya Mongar, a 41-year-old refugee from Bhutan who died after having an abortion at his clinic.

Gosnell was also pronounced guilty of 16 counts of violating the state's informed consent requirements, and guilty of 21 counts of performing abortions after 24 weeks of gestation, the legal limit in Pennsylvania.
Gosnell, 72, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder for allegedly cutting the spinal cords of third-term babies he delivered alive. He also faced one count of third-degree murder in the death of Mongar, and more than 200 other charges related to racketeering, performing illegal late-term abortions, and failing to comply with Pennsylvania's 24-hour waiting period requirement for abortions.

Abortion rights advocates applauded the verdict and said the Gosnell case highlights the need for access to safe, high quality, and legal abortion. Gosnell ran a medical clinic in West Philadelphia that catered mostly to poor, minority women. The clinic was shuttered after authorities raided it and discovered what the prosecution in the case characterized as a 'house of horrors'


'Justice was served to Kermit Gosnell today, and he will pay the price for the atrocities he committed,' said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. 'We hope that the lessons of the trial do not fade with the verdict. Anti-choice politicians, and their unrelenting efforts to deny women access to safe and legal abortion care, will only drive more women to back-alley butchers like Kermit Gosnell. From the lack of funding available for low-income women to access abortion services, to the sharp decline of reputable providers in Pennsylvania, to the gross negligence of authorities to enforce the law after complaints were filed against Gosnell, each aspect of this case must be a teachable moment for lawmakers: Until we reject the politicization of women's medical care and leave these decisions where they belong -- between a woman and her family and her doctor -- women will never be safe.'"

via The Huffington Post 

Let me up on my Soapbox

Arizona has passed a bill, that is on its way to the House for vote, that allows doctors to withhold relevant medical information about a woman and her fetus for the purpose of eliminating the desire for an abortion. This includes women whose lives are potentially at risk, women who are carrying an ectopic pregnancy, and just plain women- women who have a say with their bodies, women who have a right to know what is happening to them, women who have the right to chose to live.

Women who chose not to take advantage of preventative measures at the risk of losing their own life expect that right to be given to them; why can't I expect the right to chose to live? At what point does the interest of a potential life overpower the interests of someone who is already living?

Conservatives are literally creating and passing bills that allow doctors to withhold accurate information about a woman's body/prenatal health based on their personal beliefs; and if that woman dies due to the doctor's biased negligence, they are protected by the government from being held accountable. Do they seriously still want us to believe there's no war on women? That may have worked in the 50's, but women are paying attention today.

If you're interested in filling your mind with a little extra knowledge today, read this article about what happens to college sex when you stop subsidizing birth control.