Abortion On Demand

AT Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, virtually all of the Indian women patients give birth to boys.It is not coincidence -- and there's nothing in the drinking water. The Indian women, along with uncounted others around the nation, are using prenatal testing and abortion as a way to select the sex of their children.Abortion on demand has given birth to boys on demand.Abortion for sex selection has been made possible by medical tests -- amniocentesis and C.V.S. (chorionic villus sampling)

I read with interest Del. Samuel I. "Sandy" Rosenberg's critique of Marta Mossburg's interpretation of abortion law ("Mossburg wrong on Md. abortion law," May 9). Though the lawyer-politician has great knowledge and experience in many areas of Maryland law, his interpretation is not accurate here. In objecting to Ms. Mossburg's statement, "Abortion is virtually available on demand throughout a pregnancy," Mr. Rosenberg cites the specific abortion statute, noting that abortion is legally permissible when "necessary to protect the life or health of the woman or if the fetus is affected by genetic defect or severe deformity or abnormality.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- For Republicans, Social Security has been the untouchable third rail, at least until President Bush promised reformation by transformation. For Democrats, the third rail has been abortion -- no exceptions, no restrictions, no compromise. Now some Democrats sound as if they might be willing to alter their fundamentalist position on abortion in order to stop their electoral hemorrhaging and start winning elections again. Could they be serious? In a Dec. 23 New York Times story headlined "Democrats Weigh De-emphasizing Abortion as an Issue," several prominent Democrats suggest their party should at least open its doors to abortion opponents and make abortion less central in future party campaigns.

CHICAGO -- For 33 years, opponents of abortion have followed the advice of St. Vincent de Paul, who said that if you must hurry, "hasten slowly." Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court made abortion on demand the law of the land, pro-lifers have worked tirelessly to move the court and the country toward allowing greater protection for the unborn. But today, some people in the anti-abortion movement are running low on patience. They are hastening quickly, oblivious to the risks to those they want to protect.

It used to be, in the abortion debate, that abortion opponents centered their argument on the rights of the unborn.But in Maryland this year, anti-abortion campaigners have chosen a theme the other side thought it owned: the rights of women.A new abortion law up for referendum in November would restrict women's rights, not protect them, say the leaders of the Vote kNOw Coalition, which is working to defeat the statute at the polls."I come from a feminist perspective," says Frederica Mathewes-Green, a Vote kNOw spokeswoman.

WASHINGTON -- Former Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, a conservative jurist who for 17 years led a fractured and at times surprisingly liberal Supreme Court, died yesterday. He was 87.Chief Justice Burger died of congestive heart failure after a lengthy illness. He served from 1969 to 1985 -- the longest tenure this century -- as the nation's 15th chief justice.President Clinton praised Chief Justice Burger as a visionary chief justice. "His expansive view of the constitution and his tireless service will leave a lasting imprint on the court and our nation," Mr. Clinton said in a statement from Little Rock, Ark.Although the late chief justice was appointed as a law-and-order judge, the "Burger court" of the 1970s and early 1980s is best remembered for rulings that established a woman's right to abortion, ordered cross-town busing for school desegregation, outlawed sex discrimination by the government, upheld affirmative action for minorities and -- at least for a time -- struck down the death penalty.

Alan Keyes, Maryland Republican Senate candidate: "If there were any people in the pro-life movement who thought the battle was over, that the Supreme Court was going to be on our side, they have to think again. This court is still clearly in the process of coming to real justice on this issue. The majority in this case failed in the courage that's required to really grasp the nettle."Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-MD.: "America now is a battleground on this topic and Maryland will be the focal point.

Patrick J. Buchanan's presidential campaign gained momentum on Tuesday when he edged out Sen. Bob Dole in New Hampshire's GOP primary. Buchanan opposes abortion, affirmative action, immigration and imports. His message is aimed at the religious right and angry white working-class voters. Mainstream Republicans are worried that Buchanan's campaign will split the party and ensure a victory for Bill Clinton. Buchanan -- a former syndicated columnist, TV commentator and unsuccessful 1992 GOP presidential candidate -- has earned a reputation for making inflammatory comments.

Abortions now limited in MarylandIt seems many Marylanders believe that "abortion on demand" is a right of women in this state and that only a negative vote on Question 6 will limit this easy access to abortion services.As a counselor who has struggled to find abortion appointments for many low-income women, I would like to point out this right already is severely limited in Maryland.Most private clinics that offer general anesthesia and second trimester abortions do not accept Medical Assistance.

CHICAGO -- For 33 years, opponents of abortion have followed the advice of St. Vincent de Paul, who said that if you must hurry, "hasten slowly." Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court made abortion on demand the law of the land, pro-lifers have worked tirelessly to move the court and the country toward allowing greater protection for the unborn. But today, some people in the anti-abortion movement are running low on patience. They are hastening quickly, oblivious to the risks to those they want to protect.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- For Republicans, Social Security has been the untouchable third rail, at least until President Bush promised reformation by transformation. For Democrats, the third rail has been abortion -- no exceptions, no restrictions, no compromise. Now some Democrats sound as if they might be willing to alter their fundamentalist position on abortion in order to stop their electoral hemorrhaging and start winning elections again. Could they be serious? In a Dec. 23 New York Times story headlined "Democrats Weigh De-emphasizing Abortion as an Issue," several prominent Democrats suggest their party should at least open its doors to abortion opponents and make abortion less central in future party campaigns.

WASHINGTON - The voices of compassion have again been raised in alarm against the Bush administration. Its offense this time is a desire to increase the access that low-income pregnant women have to prenatal care. The problem began when the Department of Health and Human Services sent a letter to health officials of the states, notifying them of "a new opportunity to provide health care coverage to low-income children through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)." The letter said the administration would propose that "an unborn child may be considered a `targeted low-income child.

Patrick J. Buchanan's presidential campaign gained momentum on Tuesday when he edged out Sen. Bob Dole in New Hampshire's GOP primary. Buchanan opposes abortion, affirmative action, immigration and imports. His message is aimed at the religious right and angry white working-class voters. Mainstream Republicans are worried that Buchanan's campaign will split the party and ensure a victory for Bill Clinton. Buchanan -- a former syndicated columnist, TV commentator and unsuccessful 1992 GOP presidential candidate -- has earned a reputation for making inflammatory comments.

WASHINGTON -- Former Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, a conservative jurist who for 17 years led a fractured and at times surprisingly liberal Supreme Court, died yesterday. He was 87.Chief Justice Burger died of congestive heart failure after a lengthy illness. He served from 1969 to 1985 -- the longest tenure this century -- as the nation's 15th chief justice.President Clinton praised Chief Justice Burger as a visionary chief justice. "His expansive view of the constitution and his tireless service will leave a lasting imprint on the court and our nation," Mr. Clinton said in a statement from Little Rock, Ark.Although the late chief justice was appointed as a law-and-order judge, the "Burger court" of the 1970s and early 1980s is best remembered for rulings that established a woman's right to abortion, ordered cross-town busing for school desegregation, outlawed sex discrimination by the government, upheld affirmative action for minorities and -- at least for a time -- struck down the death penalty.

WASHINGTON -- For years, abortion rights advocates framed the debate on whether women or the government should be able decide to terminate pregnancies. Now abortion opponents are trying to shift attention to whether the procedure is so vile that it should not be done at all.Because the Supreme Court has said the legislature cannot ban abortion outright, leaders of the new anti-abortion majority in Congress are aiming their fire at a rare, and particularly unsettling, new method used to end late-term pregnancies.

Voters should not trust Republican Ellen R. Sauerbrey to leave the abortion issue alone if she is elected governor, a group of women representing abortion rights organizations warned yesterday."

Voters should not trust Republican Ellen R. Sauerbrey to leave the abortion issue alone if she is elected governor, a group of women representing abortion rights organizations warned yesterday."

The touchy issue in the Pennsylvania primary campaign over the next two weeks will be abortion rights. The front-running Democrat, Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas, may have some tricky currents to negotiate.The abortion issue has moved to center stage in recent weeks as Pennsylvania Gov. Robert P. Casey, a conventionally liberal Democrat on most issues, has run what amounts to a crusade to wean the national party away from its hard commitment tochoice.He contends that the issue has been a principal reason for widespread defections among working-class Democrats who oppose abortion.

AT Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, virtually all of the Indian women patients give birth to boys.It is not coincidence -- and there's nothing in the drinking water. The Indian women, along with uncounted others around the nation, are using prenatal testing and abortion as a way to select the sex of their children.Abortion on demand has given birth to boys on demand.Abortion for sex selection has been made possible by medical tests -- amniocentesis and C.V.S. (chorionic villus sampling)

It used to be, in the abortion debate, that abortion opponents centered their argument on the rights of the unborn.But in Maryland this year, anti-abortion campaigners have chosen a theme the other side thought it owned: the rights of women.A new abortion law up for referendum in November would restrict women's rights, not protect them, say the leaders of the Vote kNOw Coalition, which is working to defeat the statute at the polls."I come from a feminist perspective," says Frederica Mathewes-Green, a Vote kNOw spokeswoman.