Whether protections – like those of New York or Vermont – or restrictions – like the bans in Alabama and Georgia – it seems that one abortion law quickly begets another. Once Louisiana’s heartbeat bill became law, the people of Waskom, TX – a small city of about 2,200 on the border between the two states – feared that the abortion clinic just 20 or so miles away in Shreveport, LA would try to move in. So the council voted unanimously to become the first sanctuary city for the unborn, outlawing abortion in most cases within the city limits regardless of what might be allowed by state or federal law.
Texas already prohibits abortions beyond the 20-week point, and there’s a bill awaiting the governor’s signature that requires doctors to treat any baby born alive after an abortion. But the new Waskom city ordinance bans abortion at any point outside of cases of rape and incest or if terminating the pregnancy is deemed medically necessary to save the mother’s life.
“Abortion at all times and at all stage of pregnancy is declared to be an act of murder with malice aforethought,” the ordinance states. It goes on to declare any organization that performs or assists with abortions “criminal organizations” that are prohibited from renting space, buying property, or offering services of any kind in the city.
Pastor Mark Dickenson, co-director of Right to Life East Texas, told Christian News Network that, so far as he knows, no other city has actually banned abortion. Roswell, NM has passed a resolution declaring human life precious to God – which served as the model for this resolution and ordinance – but without any change to the laws on the books to go with it, such a measure is merely an official opinion.
The leftist media, including The Washington Post and BBC News, were quick to point out that the city council is made up of five men – and white ones, at that. Presumably, explaining that each lawmaker present was a man serves – in the progressive mind, at least – as evidence that it only passed because of the patriarchy. Clearly, such an attack on women’s rights would never fly had any female voices been heard. Of course, they fail to mention that there were women present – cheering and clapping right alongside the men as the ordinance passed.
Then there’s the racism. It matters that the council members were white because only people of color kill their own babies? That is, perhaps, a different can of worms entirely, but it certainly should raise some eyebrows when two mainstream media giants focus their coverage of the vote primarily on the fact that the council is “all-male, all-white.”
According to Shreveport reporter Blane Skiles, the clinic in his city isn’t planning to move. This is, of course, a preemptive action. There isn’t an abortion provider in Waskom, TX, and unless this ordinance is overturned, there never will be.
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