July 17, 2013 (HLI) – “Something special is happening in Austin tonight,” President Obama tweeted two weeks ago, referring to Senator Wendy Davis’ now-famous, or infamous, filibuster of a pro-life bill in the Texas Senate. Although I don’t agree with him that Davis’ filibuster is something to be lauded, I agree that something special did happen in Austin over these past few weeks.
What is praiseworthy in Austin is that Texas lawmakers took steps to protect women and children by passing a bill restricting abortions after 20 weeks and regulating abortion clinics. What’s more, over the past few weeks, hundreds of people poured into the Texas capital to show their support for the bill, and I was blessed to be a part of that crowd.
I joined the Students for Life #Stand4Life bus tour to Austin to be a pro-life witness at the Capitol as the Texas legislators worked to pass the bill. We joined many other pro-lifers who had already been working tirelessly to support this bill long before it became a national story. During our week in Austin, we peacefully demonstrated at several Planned Parenthood and pro-abortion rallies, attended our own pro-life rallies, showed support in the House and Senate chambers for pro-life legislators, and gave peaceful and prayerful witness in the Capitol amid the chaos encompassing this bill.
As I watched the abortion advocates who swamped the Capitol Building chanting and shouting, threatening legislators and pro-lifers, and becoming more angry and agitated as the week went on, I was struck by how desperately they clung to their unpopular and immoral cause. Based on the way the pro-abortion activists were protesting, one would think that Roe v. Wade was about to be overturned. In reality, this was not a “radical” bill (not that overturning Roe would be radical in the least either); it was written simply to prevent future Kermit Gosnells from taking advantage of women and children.
The Texas law requires abortion clinics to meet the heath and safely regulations of ambulatory surgical centers, which is truly not unreasonable since many abortions are surgical procedures. Abortion facilities also must have admitting rights at a hospital within a 30 mile radius of the clinic so that women can receive emergency care after an abortion if necessary. It also requires that a doctor administer the abortion drug RU-486 to a woman in person rather than having women perform dangerous at-home chemical abortions on their own. And finally, the law prohibits abortions after 20 weeks, in recognition of the overwhelming scientific evidence that tells us that the unborn child can feel pain. There is no reasonable opposition to this bill, even based on the false notion of “reproductive rights.” It was written to protect women, not oppress them.
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That being said, there was plenty of unreasonable and desperate opposition to the bill which resulted in shameful and aggressive protests and arrests under the Capitol dome. The abortion activists were willing to throw anything they could (quite literally) at the opposition to show their disapproval of this bill. Women held up signs about their “lady parts” challenging the government and pro-lifers to “come and take them,” decorated their posters and persons with tampons and feminine pads, and covered themselves with red paint to represent blood. They even went so far as to prepare to disrupt the Senate debate by throwing bricks, paint, jars filled with urine and feces, confetti and glitter, and an assortment of feminine products at the pro-life legislators. Fortunately, these attempts were thwarted by the police who were searching bags as people entered the gallery. Even so, several abortion advocates managed to chain themselves to the railing in the gallery and cause a disruption until they were carried out by officers. Indeed, chaos and violence ruled the pro-abortion protesters simply because they had nothing else to work with. They clearly demonstrated that those who angrily oppose truth and reason forfeit the ability to make sensible arguments, and can do nothing but be a disruption to those attempting to proceed with reason.
Abortion advocates have shown their true colors by protesting a law that is beneficial to a woman’s health with violence, chaos, and disrespect for authority. Perhaps this public display of unruliness will cause people to question what abortions advocates are really fighting for.
The bill is far from perfect; it is a minimal proposal based on the popular agreement that women and viable children should not be harmed or killed. But this law does not challenge the legality of abortion before 20 weeks, which is every bit as unjust as an abortion after this point. The fact that many clinics do not meet basic health standards and will end up closing will save lives, but the drive to see that every conceived child is welcomed into life will obviously continue in Texas and throughout the country, and the world.
Texas lawmakers deserve praise for refusing to be intimidated by the pro-abortion protestors. Because of their bravery, democracy prevailed against mob-rule and passed into a law a bill that was supported by a majority of Texans. There are already indications that other states will follow Texas’ lead to pass similar laws.
I do believe something special happened in Texas these past few weeks. Texas boldly stood for life in passing this bill, and hopefully many other states will follow Texas’ lead.
Reprinted with permission from HLI