And as far as "safe," well, Kermit Gosnell put the lie to that one. The West Philadelphia abortion doc has just been indicted in the deaths of eight people, including seven babies. Over three decades, Gosnell performed late-term abortions on low-income women, inducing labor in the sixth, seventh and even eighth months, and then allegedly stabbing the babies in the neck to sever their spinal cords.
There is no word to adequately describe what Gosnell is accused of. But the grand jury came up with a good approximation: murder.
That might make the choice crowd a bit uncomfortable as they celebrate Roe v. Wade, possibly the most specious Supreme Court decision of our lifetime.
After all, they're not used to such blunt talk when it comes to their treasured "fundamental right." Years of linguistic gymnastics used by abortion-rights supporters have made us opponents cautious when throwing around the word "murder."
We in the pro-life camp have been told to adopt a more conciliatory tone if we want to persuade people that abortion is wrong. And most of us got the message to be more civil.
But the indictment handed up by the grand jury this week shows that the emperor lost his clothes a long time ago, that abortion in the 21st century may be legal - but it's certainly neither as safe nor as rare as many of its proponents frequently claim.
Clearly, groups that care about women's health are just as horrified by his acts as pro-lifers. But I suspect they're upset for a different reason. They're unhappy that the mothers' lives were placed in jeopardy, but probably don't have as much sympathy for the tiny carcasses thrown into jars lining the shelves of Gosnell's office or filling his freezer.
