Fetal pain during abortion is an ethical problem

Fetal pain during an abortion is a real thing. Recently I listened to an interview from Johnathon Van Maren with John C Bockmann, about his new research on fetal pain: Reconsidering fetal pain.

Three things of note about this research.

First, is that the two authors (Stuart WG Derbyshire and John C Bockmann) are on different sides of the abortion debate:

The two authors of this paper have very different views on the morality of abortion. One of us believes that abortion is necessary for women’s health and autonomy, while the other believes that abortion violates the ethical principle of non-maleficence and ought to be restricted and discouraged.

I'd say it's unusual to hear of a pro-choice person willing to collaborate with a pro-life person on abortion.

Second, is that most previous research on fetal pain believed that that the cortex was necessary for pain experience. There is new evidence to the contrary, and pain could be felt as early as 13 weeks gestation.

"Reports often suggest that the cortex and intact thalamocortical tracts are necessary for pain experience. Given that the cortex only becomes functional and the tracts only develop after 24 weeks, many reports rule out fetal pain until the final trimester. Here, more recent evidence calling into question the necessity of the cortex for pain and demonstrating functional thalamic connectivity into the subplate is used to argue that the neuroscience cannot definitively rule out fetal pain before 24 weeks."

"The most common surgical technique is dilatation and evacuation (D&E). In a D&E, the cervix is dilated, the amniotic fluid drained, and the fetus is removed in pieces via several surgical manoeuvres using grasping forceps. Again fetal death follows either direct feticide performed before the D&E or the trauma of the D&E results in the death of the fetus. We consider the possibility of fetal pain during these two procedures post-13 weeks’ gestation."

Canada performs D&E abortions. Thousands of them. Every year.

In 2018 Canadian doctors performed at least 2,076 D&E abortions according to CIHI. I say at least because CIHI only reports D&E abortions for those performed in hospitals. We do not know the numbers of these abortions performed in clinics. We also know that CIHI reported at least 3,002 hospital abortions done between 13 and 21+weeks gestation, with an additional 3,818 of unknown gestational ages. How many of those unknown gestational age abortions were done? We don't know.

(Once again the gestational ages of the clinic abortions are also not reported. Also the "gestational age" abortions are not in addition to the "type" of abortion; they are different ways of categorizing the same hospital abortions. But since D&E abortions are done from 13-24 weeks gestation, we must ask ourselves exactly what type of abortion this difference of 926 is made up of?

Third, regardless of the sheer number of how many D&E abortions are performed each year in Canada (and one is too many), shouldn't we also be concerned about the morality of the pain inflicted on the fetus? It is refreshing to see a pro-choice person care enough about fetal pain, as well as the morality of causing fetal pain, to undertake such research.

"We also agree that if fetal pain is likely then that has ethical and clinical significance independent of any views on the morality of abortion per se. That said, it is also clear to us that the issue of fetal pain has ethical significance because of abortion practices and not because of other surgical or therapeutic fetal procedures."

Thousands of Canadian children in the womb are pulled apart every year, limb by limb, without anesthesia, when it is very probable that they feel those limbs being crunched and ripped. Just imagine someone doing the same to you. That would be called barbaric.

More on fetal pain here.

When children are jealous

This is disgusting.

Johnathon Van Maren details some of the hateful abuse spoken (on social media of course) about 19 year old Sam Oosterhoff's recent win in Niagara West-Glanbrook.

From Johnathon's column:

"Here’s just a few of the comments, out of hundreds, that I could actually post:

This is why I am pro-bullying. Weiners like this would never have the confidence to express their views if we shattered their spirit early on.

That comment was liked 311 times.

Don’t even have to click the article to know he’s likely a bible thumping conservative. The world doesn’t need any more of those.

This is one of the typical ones, but without the routine f-bombs and death wishes for social conservatives. Diversity and inclusion have their limits, folks.

Just look at him and try to resist the urge to punch his face … Hes just got one of those faces. I dont know him, i dont know anything about him, but i know his face makes me want to punch it.

Right. So respond with violence to those you disagree with.

I don’t say this often, but that is an infinitely punchable face.

Violence again.

Who the f**** voted for this turd? Pro life ??? Im pro him getting hit by a greyhound

Oh, here’s the death wish. Less profanity than most of them.

His face just looks so punchable

This, again, is one of the dozens of comments saying the same thing, but without the accompanying curses."

Oosterhoff deserves our praise for running a politically astute campaigning, and winning. The morons who spouted this hate speech are probably just jealous of Oosterhoff. That he did what they are probably incapable of doing. Winning a seat in Parliament.

Eat your hearts out children.

Patrick Brown and his under the bus philosophy

It's people like Patrick Brown who give politicians a bad name:

“Frankly, I’m very comfortable with the fact there’s been a falling out. I don’t lose any sleep over the fact that  and Campaign Life are upset,” the PC leader said, adding he now regrets voting against same-sex marriage and abortion when he was a Conservative MP. 

“If Charles McVety wants his ten bucks back for membership, he can have it. If he wants to vote for someone else, he can vote for someone else, so be it,” he said. 

“Frankly, I think they take more credit for any part of my leadership campaign than is merited. I went out and signed up 45,000 members.”

Back in December 2014, I sent an email to a couple of politicians expressing my concern over the Liberals sex-ed curriculum. Almost immediately after I sent the email, Patrick Brown emailed me back from his personal email address (like he did to CLC) asking me for my phone number. I gave it to him and he called me back. He told me in no uncertain terms that he was against the sex-ed curriculum. I asked him at the time if he was also concerned about the Liberals decision to hide abortion information. He told me he was for open access to information, although any further emails I sent him on this subject, remained unanswered (that should have been my first clue to PB's philosophy).

I subsequently bought a membership for myself and my husband and we voted for him for the leadership, which he won. I know many many others who did the same.

It's pretty easy to tell people what they want to hear if you if you don't need to worry about keeping your promises. Because once you've won, well there isn't much they can do about it is there?

Did Patrick Brown sign up 45,000 members? Or did we do it for him?

And Patrick? Johnathon Van Maren has some good advice for you:

"Social conservatives, as I’ve written before, are not numerous enough to single-handedly put someone in office. However, we are numerous enough to ruin the career of someone like Patrick Brown, who has managed to lie to us, betray us, call us intolerant bigots, and then shruggingly suggest we vote for someone else in the confidence that we won’t. If we keep letting politicians like Patrick Brown treat us like that, we are simply ensuring that no politician will ever take us seriously, because they can have their cake and eat it too—they can get so-con votes while telling the Toronto downtown elites that they think we’re kind of repulsive. I think it’s time for social conservatives to show that we care more about putting someone Conservative in power. We have real concerns that need to be addressed, and if Patrick Brown is an impediment to that, then we should treat him as such."

Good luck Patrick in trying to get anyone to believe you ever again. I think you're going to need it.