President George W. Bush took an incredible step for the pro-life movement last week by signing a bill banning partial-birth abortions, according to Students for Life co-president Emily Clancy.
The law prohibits any physician or other individual from knowingly performing a partial-birth abortion, except when it is necessary to save the mother’s life from physical disorder, illness or injury.
The law defines partial-birth abortion as a procedure in which a doctor “deliberately and intentionally vaginally delivers a living fetus until, the entire fetal head is outside the mother’s body, or, in the case of a breech presentation, any part of the fetal trunk past the navel is outside the mother’s body.”
Doctors who perform the procedure could be sentenced to up to two years in prison.
“I just think it’s cruel,” said Kathryn Jones, a psychology freshman. “I don’t like the thought of killing babies.”
As the body takes shape, it is not just cells – it has character, said Austin Benton, a psychology sophomore.
“At that point, it seems inhumane,” he said.
Ian Jones, a business freshman, said he does not see himself as pro-life or pro-choice, but tries to look at the circumstances of the situation.
However, he believes by the time a female is that far into a pregnancy, she should not be allowed to have an abortion.
“When you get past the first three months, it’s already become a child,” he said. “If you can’t decide by the first three months, you have an obligation to let the child live.”
Jessica Exkano, an English junior, said she believes signing the ban into law is one of Pres. Bush’s wisest decisions.
But other students disagree with the ban, and not necessarily because they agree with the abortion procedure.
Jason Avant, a basic sciences junior, said he sees the law as an invasion of personal liberty and freedom.
“Banning partial-birth abortion seems like it takes away the rights of a woman,” Avant said. “I don’t agree with putting the rights of a fetus above the rights of the mother.”
It is not a decision the government should make, said Dennis Castleberry, a physics and computer science freshman.
“For people who don’t want to do it, they don’t have to,” he said. “I don’t think a decision like that – that I would want to make – should be made for me.”
The fight for pro-life groups is not over yet, Clancy said.
Federal judges doubt the law’s constitutionality. According to the Associated Press, judges in New York and California blocked the law a day after it was signed and the rulings likely will prevent nationwide enforcement of the ban until a challenge to its constitutionality is heard.
“Our job has just begun as people who think abortion is wrong,” she said.
But Clancy said she does hope the attention the ban is receiving will give the pro-life movement strength and presence.
“It’s not just a small group of small-minded people,” Clancy said.
Students for Choice, a pro-choice student group, was not listed as an active organization through the Office of Student Organizations, and members could not be reached for this story.