Gutsy Move

As luck would have it, the lobbyist for one of the most staunch pro-aborts, The American Association of University Women, works in the office suite next door to mine. She is an elderly woman. In fact, she looks like my grandma. (No offense, grandma!) She always smiles at me when we meet in the hallway. And I always smile back at her. We speak in the same committee rooms (on different sides of the issue, of course) and we use the same toilet. So, I figure I might as well take time to be extra nice to her. The lobbyist for Planned Parenthood also works somewhere in the building. Her name is Katy and she looks like she’s about the same age as me. I’d love to get to know her better. Maybe have lunch. It’s not that I think I can influence her to work for National Right to Life instead. (I’m pretty dang sure they don’t have the same posh benefits as PP.) It’s just that I don’t really know anyone at a personal level who is that committed to killing babies. It would be interesting to learn more about what kind of person she is and why she is the way she is. You know?

Speaking of which . . . this brings up the topic of Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy (R, very R). Mountjoy is the epitome of a "loose canon." But he has a lot of guts when it comes to the life issue. (Not a lot of tact. Just a lot of guts.) Yesterday, interestingly enough, I watched him on the assembly floor as he punched a guy in the stomach three times. (It’s not what you think though - the "victim" was a martial arts demonstrator and the punching was mutually consensual. Don’t ask me why the California legislature brings in a bunch of martial arts people on Monday morning. I have no clue.)

Anyway, here is an excerpt from a press release I recently wrote about a 2004 Mountjoy bill: "As technology progresses, and we better understand fetal development, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to mask the horror of abortion. Medical science clearly shows that life begins at conception. By 21 days, the pre-born child’s heart beats regularly. At 56 days, all body systems are present and the pre-born child reacts to pain. In the spirit of this new technology, Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy has introduced AB 2331. This bill will require that doctors performing abortions for women in the third trimester of pregnancy provide them with information and counseling on fetal pain and offer to the pregnant woman anesthesia for the fetus."

Isn’t that great? Mountjoy has such guts! I love it. The California legislature spent a lot of time last year discussing a bill that would ban cat-declawing. Why? Because the de-clawing procedure is painful for cats. And, if we knowingly inflict pain on animals, that is, obviously, cruel and unusual punishment. (See Amy’s duckling story, below.) ;)

If we care that much about mere animals, we can at least extend the same compassion to pre-born children. We can offer them anesthetics to eliminate the bulk of the pain before we kill them.

Of course, it’s California . . . so that means that this worthy bill will die in committee. But at least it forces the issue. The other side will be compelled to come out and argue that the pain felt by the fetus is "irrelevant." They will be forced to go to the capitol and declare that the only germane principle is [the smoke-screen of] "women’s rights."

And I will have the chance to once again smile at "grandma" and say "hi" to Katy.