True Freedom Is Common Ground

Last Thursday (2-9-17), the Senate Agriculture committee heard testimony for nearly four hours in consideration of two “social issue” bills. I drove to Cheyenne for the occasion, and what I saw and heard is worth noting.

The very fact that they were heard at all is a testament to the Senate President, Eli Bebout’s integrity. He found a way to schedule these important bills in the middle of an otherwise hectic legislative season. It seems I owe him a public apology. In hindsight, last week’s article on social issues was less charitable than it should have been. Thank you, President Bebout.

The committee first dealt with HB 116 “Abortion Amendments.” This bill seeks to amend Wyoming Statute 35-6-115 which says:

“Whoever sells, transfers, distributes or gives away any live or viable aborted child for any form of experimentation is guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars and by imprisonment in the penitentiary for not less than one year nor more than fourteen years. Any person consenting, aiding or abetting such sale, transfer, distribution or other unlawful disposition of an aborted child is guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars and by imprisonment in the penitentiary for not less than one year nor more than fourteen years or both, and shall also be subject to prosecution for violation of any other criminal statute.”

Let me emphasize, the above paragraph already exists in Wyoming law, and has for quite a while. Nothing in HB 116 suggested any new or increased fines, nor change in prison time, nor does it broaden the people to whom this may apply. In fact, it narrows the people who can be charged with this crime.

Currently, nobody at all is allowed to sell, transfer, distribute, or give away an aborted child. HB 116 adds exemptions which would give the child’s parents the right to do so. I’m not sure why anybody would oppose that change, but many did.

The only other change to the existing statute is that, where the current law applies to a “aborted child,” HB 116 would add the phrase, “or any tissue or cells from an aborted child.” When this Wyoming law was written decades ago, who could have imagined that body parts would be trafficked instead of an intact body. But such is the world we live in.

That’s it. There are only two changes suggested: one clarifying that if an aborted child cannot be experimented on whole, it shouldn’t be parted out either. Second, the granting of additional rights to the child’s parents. I naively thought that this bill would be simple to consider. It was not.

Rather, over the course of two and a half hours, many spoke for and against the existing statute, but few spoke to the two actual amendments. More than anything, the evening revealed how unsettled and sensitive is the subject of abortion. Forty-four years after the Supreme Court attempted to settle the abortion debate once and for all, we are no closer to unity now than we were in 1973.

Worse than that, there is pain. You could hear it in brittle voices, stifled tears, choked words. We need to find a path toward health and healing. The raw exercise of judicial power has not delivered what it promised. Let us come together in tenderness and love to care for those who have been broken. Mutual accusations are not the remedy. Understanding, forgiveness and care are.

For the next hour, the committee heard comments on HB 182 Abortion Ultrasound. This bill does not amend existing laws, but proposes a new one. It creates a new right for women. If HB 182 passes, every woman in the state of Wyoming would have the right to be informed by an abortion provider that she may see an active ultrasound if she so desires. Currently, this right does not exist.

But why should it be necessary for the government to make a law about it? This is a legitimate question and deserves a plain answer. After all, isn’t it already common practice among physicians to give every and all pertinent details before any medical procedure?

Before I could get a flu shot, I had to sign a paper that I was informed of my HIPAA rights, and before my two-year-old had work in his baby teeth, we were meticulously informed of the tiny chance that he could die.

Examples like those above could be multiplied ad infinitum. But, while it may be common practice in every other medical procedure, it is not in the case of abortion. Even where an ultrasound machine is used in the course of an abortion, standard operating procedure is to prevent the patient from seeing the screen.

It is argued that this is because of an agreement between an abortionist and his patient. But unless she is actually consulted about the decision, how can there be an agreement? In HB 182, if she is consulted, she can say so by a simple signature.

In order to check into my hotel room, I have to sign a piece of paper saying that I have been informed of the no-smoking and no-pets policy. Is a medical procedure less important than a night at the Super-8?

Yet, there are numerous documented cases where abortionists failed even to ask this basic question. Once or twice might be an oversight. But uncountable reports from women who were never given this basic medical courtesy, compels the government to step in and assure her rights.

Yes. I am in favor of granting women their rights -- all women, all their rights. If we are going to talk about the right to choose, we must also talk about the right to a fully informed choice – and not withhold pertinent information out of fear that she may not choose as I would. If we want to talk about the right to life, we must also talk about the right to have help and support in caring for that life.

I’m willing to have this conversation. Let’s work together to take away all ignorance and every coercion from women by taking responsibility as individuals and as a society. Let’s give women real choices and help them to take care of their children after they are born. Let’s get together and work together to support her in the long term.

First, let us strengthen her protections against rape. Then, let us strengthen laws which support marriage. Where these fail, let us let’s work together to take away this coercion. Let’s come together to learn what makes these women think they have no choice. Let’s come together to take away these fears and impossible circumstances and give her back her real choice.

Freedom is not just the ability to do what your fears forced you to do. Freedom is only free when fear and ignorance are chased away and you are free to live up to your highest ideals. That’s human flourishing.



See Also:
Wyoming Tribune Eagle: shortened version