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Sunday, June 7, 2009
Zmirak on Tiller
Here is a fine piece by John Zmirak on why (a) Tiller was a murderous monster and (b) killing abortionists nevertheless cannot be morally justified. No doubt the Leiters of the world will soon be telling us what Zmirak "really" thinks...
Kansas law--and Roe vs Wade-- allowed for Tiller's late term abortions. You might not care for his biz--and I agree there are moral issues involved in late term abortions, especially when it's more or less birth control--but he did not break the law. Ergo, your condemnation should include all the judges and legislators who made Doc Tiller's aborto-mart possible, if not the women who themselves decided on late term A's with the help of Tiller.
Actually, it's extremely likely (one might even say "morally certain") that many of Tiller's procedures were illegal under the law. Kansas law is rather strict about the circumstances under which post-viability abortions can be performed: post viability abortions are legal in Kansas if "a second licensed Kansas physician certifies that abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the mother or if the fetus has a severe, life-threatening deformity or abnormality." It has been well documented that Tiller performed abortions for any reason at any point in pregnancy. Dr. Paul McHugh, a Harvard trained psychiatrist, examined some of Tiller's medical records where the reason given for the abortion was a psychiatric one and concluded that there was no plausible psychiatric reason for the abortion - leaving aside the fact that Tiller had no psychiatric training whatsoever and was utterly unqualified to make such a diagnosis in the first place.
Additionally, Tiller has been credibly accused by former employees of falsifying sonogram records and many other egregious violations of medical ethics which are de regueur in any area of medical practice outside of the abortion industry. One former employee even alleges that one of Tiller's associates, Dr. Shelley Sella, stabbed a live born infant to death after a failed abortion procedure.
No, it's beyond morally certain that Tiller and his clinic broke the law in Kansas. You can thank the corruption of former Governor Kathleen Sebelius and her cronies in the state Justice department, Supreme Court, and State Medical Board (one Sebelius appointee to that body, which is charged with regulating the practice of medicine in the state, is Dr. Howard Ellis. Dr. Ellis lost his Missouri medical license over abortion related malpractice issues).
Had Kansas officials been doing their jobs correctly, Tiller would have lost his medical license long ago.
Kansas law--and Roe vs Wade-- allowed for Tiller's late term abortions. You might not care for his biz--and I agree there are moral issues involved in late term abortions, especially when it's more or less birth control--but he did not break the law. Ergo, your condemnation should include all the judges and legislators who made Doc Tiller's aborto-mart possible, if not the women who themselves decided on late term A's with the help of Tiller.
ReplyDeleteActually, it's extremely likely (one might even say "morally certain") that many of Tiller's procedures were illegal under the law. Kansas law is rather strict about the circumstances under which post-viability abortions can be performed: post viability abortions are legal in Kansas if "a second licensed Kansas physician certifies that abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the mother or if the fetus has a severe, life-threatening deformity or abnormality." It has been well documented that Tiller performed abortions for any reason at any point in pregnancy. Dr. Paul McHugh, a Harvard trained psychiatrist, examined some of Tiller's medical records where the reason given for the abortion was a psychiatric one and concluded that there was no plausible psychiatric reason for the abortion - leaving aside the fact that Tiller had no psychiatric training whatsoever and was utterly unqualified to make such a diagnosis in the first place.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, Tiller has been credibly accused by former employees of falsifying sonogram records and many other egregious violations of medical ethics which are de regueur in any area of medical practice outside of the abortion industry. One former employee even alleges that one of Tiller's associates, Dr. Shelley Sella, stabbed a live born infant to death after a failed abortion procedure.
No, it's beyond morally certain that Tiller and his clinic broke the law in Kansas. You can thank the corruption of former Governor Kathleen Sebelius and her cronies in the state Justice department, Supreme Court, and State Medical Board (one Sebelius appointee to that body, which is charged with regulating the practice of medicine in the state, is Dr. Howard Ellis. Dr. Ellis lost his Missouri medical license over abortion related malpractice issues).
Had Kansas officials been doing their jobs correctly, Tiller would have lost his medical license long ago.