This initially seems well-intentioned, as the required information on fetal pain would force mothers to seriously consider the fact that they are ending a life, and, for those who choose to go ahead, it aims to prevent suffering for the tiny victim. The law quickly falls apart, however, in the small print. It is unclear to doctors what will be considered adequate pain relief for the pre-born child. Some suggest Motrin for mom will suffice, to be minimally absorbed by the soon-to-be-aborted child, while others think the intention is an injection through the mother’s abdomen directly to her child.

In addition to this lack of clarity is the odd exemption of this requirement in cases of rape, incest, or serious risk to the mother’s health. So it seems they only care whether the pre-born child feels pain as long as it is a healthy child who is simply an inconvenience or mistake. Either we care about the pain a pre-born child feels during abortion, or we don’t. This exemption says the pre-born child’s life is still not as valuable as the life of the mother, and their rights end where difficult circumstances are involved.

A law that recognizes the ability of a pre-born child to feel pain would be a step in the right direction. This would not only show an ability to care about those much weaker than ourselves, it would also be a law reflective of scientific advances. Such a law, however, needs to recognize pain equally regardless of what the mother’s circumstance may be. Just as we would not make exceptions for which mothers deserve pain medication during an abortion, or which born babies should receive pain medication before surgery, so we should strive for a law that makes no exceptions for the pre-born baby either.

We can be thankful for courageous politicians who recognize that tearing human beings apart is a gross human rights violation. Legislators in Kansas just passed a law banning the dismemberment of fetuses.

From LifeNews.com:

The state of Kansas has been a haven for late-term abortions for decades and pro-life advocates there successfully lobbied the legislature to approve new legislation that would help put an end to some of them.

“Dismemberment abortion kills a baby by tearing her apart limb from limb,” said National Right to Life Director of State Legislation Mary Spaulding Balch, J.D. “Before the first trimester ends, the unborn child has a beating heart, brain waves, and every organ system in place. Dismemberment abortions occur after the baby has reached these milestones.”

Here in Canada we have yet to see such boldness from our elected lawmakers and while we desire them to show more courage the pro-life movement can learn from our American counterparts as well. By working incrementally the pro-life movement in the United States continues to effectively advance pre-born human rights. The law passed in Kansas is not a perfect law; it doesn’t stop all abortions or save all pre-born children. But it saves some and saving some is better than saving none.