Fundamental Rights

January marked the celebration of the federal holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. who was instrumental in moving our country toward civil rights for all its citizens.  Although our country had abolished slavery 100 years earlier, in 1963 when Martin Luther King made his famous speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial, basic civil rights were being denied to blacks and others who were not welcome in society.  The Civil Rights act rightly corrected this situation, which is now seen in retrospect as a gross violation of fundamental rights. 

Now there are many who seek to define fundamental rights even more broadly.  Governor Cuomo in New York has proposed a bill he refers to as “progressive,” in which abortion is defined as a fundamental human right which cannot be limited in any way.  The new law would preclude any restrictions on abortion and reverse existing limitations on late-term abortions, as well as parental notification.  Moreover, the new law would empower the State of New York to require every licensed health care provider, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and hospitals to provide abortion services, or risk losing their license to practice in that state, effectively removing any conscience protections.

New York’s abortion rate (33% of all pregnancies) is already twice the national average.  Add in miscarriages (14%) and only 53% of all New York pregnancies result in a birth.  In New York City the abortion rate is 41% (and even higher in minority neighborhoods).  Does anyone seriously think that there’s a problem with access to abortion in New York?  This redefinition of “fundamental rights” is worth remembering when you hear the second reading at mass this coming Sunday:

Their end is destruction.  Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their “shame.”
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.
But our citizenship is in heaven,  (Phil 3:19)

It’s no wonder that the U.S. Census in 2010 resulted in the loss of two congressional seats in New York.  In 1920, Russia became the first nation to legalize abortion, but 16 years later Stalin outlawed it again because he was so concerned about the lack of babies to support their economy.  He even offered stipends to mothers for having 3 or more children.  Abortion was legalized again in 1955 and Russia had one of the highest abortion rates in the world, once again slowing population growth significantly.  In response to the low birthrate, in 2011 Russia implemented restrictions on abortion, limiting it to the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and requiring a 7 day waiting period, “for women to reconsider their decision.”   President Medvedev explained that this was done out of concern for “a falling birthrate and plunging population.”  The new law also requires abortionists to spend 10% of their advertising budget on literature describing the dangers of abortion to women’s health, and made it illegal to describe abortion as a safe medical procedure.

Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo is determined to promote abortion as a fundamental right, while abrogating the conscience rights of health care providers, not to mention the babies’ right to life.  Is it really “progressive” to kill 33% of all babies and turn a blind eye to the consequences?