It’s time for some good news, and I consider this very good news. As of today, there are 20 abortion clinics open in the entire state of Texas, down from 44 nearly three years ago, and it is estimated that by September that number will be reduced to six. SIX. Now, while that is still six too many, in a state the size of Texas that is cause for some modest celebration. Coming on the heels of Wendy Davis’s relatively pathetic performance in Tuesday’s primary in which she managed to attract fewer voters than the previous guy who lost the general election to Rick Perry, and the fact that early polls show that Davis is cruising to a crushing defeat in November, it is clear that voters in the state are very happy with the law that has helped shut down these murder abortion clinics.
The National Journal article is worth a read for a couple of reasons. First of all, the clear undercurrent of lament in the author’s tone is palpable (“leaving low-income women in rural Texas without nearby access to abortion”). More importantly, it emphasizes the vital role that culture plays with regards to abortion. While we can never discount the role of laws and regulations within the abortion debate, especially since it was the enactment of a law that helped drive these numbers down, the social stigma in the state against abortion also has played a critical role.
Neither clinic has an [ambulatory surgical center] and Hagstrom Miller says she doesn’t have the budget or patients to build a multimillion-dollar center. The Beaumont clinic does currently have a physician that has hospital admitting privileges, but he is 75 years old and trying to retire. Attempting to get hospital admitting privileges has proven a fruitless process; the stigma against abortion is too great in Texas, and Hagstrom Miller has not been able to get responses from any doctors or hospitals, despite calling them all.
“I have trouble getting a vendor for bottled water,” she says.
As though I needed another excuse to love the state of Texas.
While the overall number of abortion mills in Texas has declined– and that’s
wonderful news– my state still has the largest PP “clinic” in the nation. The
new Planned Parenthood ‘superstore’ in Houston was opened a couple of years
ago. At 78,000 square feet, it’s enormous. Naturally, it’s located in a minority
neighborhood. The local Democrat party has taken to holding their Christmas
parties there (I am not making this up).
Oh, and Cecile Richards, the current president of Worse than Murder, Inc., is the
daughter of our former governor, Ann Richards.
We still have a long way to go down here in Texas– but yes, the likely upcoming
defeat of ‘Abortion Barbie’ Wendy Davis in the governor’s race and the closing of
so many abortion franchises is good news indeed.
[…] Jn. M. Heimann Criteria the Church Uses for Discerning Private Revelation – Mk. P. Shea Abortion Clinics on the Endangered Species List in Texas – Paul Zummo You Are Not Being a True Catholic If You – Richard Collins, LOTH The Proof […]
I have always believed that a change in the law, without a corresponding cultural and moral change, would do little to curb abortion
Anyone who remembers France in the 1960s & 1970s, before the Veil Law of 1975 (Law No. 75-17 of 18 January 1975), will know that pretty well every village seemed to have its « faiseuse d’anges » or “angel-maker.” Everyone knew about it, nobody talked about it and the police regarded it as “women’s business” and turned a blind eye. Occasionally a woman died and, then, the Parquet, like Captain Renault in “Casablanca” would be shocked, shocked to discover that such things went on and there would be a brief flurry of prosecutions of unqualified women, quickly rounded up and, so, obviously known to police. Medical practitioners, doctors and midwives were never, ever, prosecuted.
Many of you will recall « le manifeste des 343 salopes » on 5 April 1971, when 343 mostly prominent women admitted to having had an abortion and challenging the authorities to prosecute them. This, needless to say, did not happen. Perhaps even more significant was the publication of a similar manifesto on 2 February 1973 by 331 doctors, including clinical professors in the leading teaching hospitals, admitting to performing abortions and, again, challenging the authorities to prosecute them. The Procurator of the Republic excused himself on the grounds of “lack of evidence.”
Texas has its pockets of left wing activity – the cities of Austin and Houston, for example. However, Houston’s suburbs more than counter the city politically.
As the Democrats have become more and more a Euro style leftist party, Texas has moved away from that. While other states hike taxes and lose jobs, Texas has grown. The culture of most of Texas is that the leftists have little short term hope of taking over the state.
While the election is Greg Abbott’s to lose, Texans are crazy(I’m born and bred), and could elect Wendy for sheer cussedness. It’s not likely, I’ll grant, although the local TV coverage is slanted toward Wendy.
I hope this election turns on Abbott’s clearly superior record of achievement. He’s a keeper.
If the number of abortion clinics has reduced, that would mean the number of abortions have declined.
I would pray that the remaining ones are not working overtime, to make up “numbers” for this disgraceful business.
Would you have the stats on the current number of abortions as opposed to the number 3 years ago?
FW Ken, I worked in Washington, DC for five years. Texas is the epitome of sanity compared to that city. Wendy Davis has no chance. she lied about her past and dumped her kids on her ex husband who paid for her law school. This would make Davis a hero in San Francisco, Chicago or the Eastern Seaboard. Davis’ big political mistake was not to move to one of those areas.