Massachusetts Election Day

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Light

She is thanking God that a pro choice republican was elected. Thanking God for a man that believes in ABORTION

The sticky thing about the abortion law is that you are dealing with women who have no strong religious observation. You cannot make them moral. So, the politician has a dilemma and it's not always about political favor. It's about forcing someone's freedom.

Some have posted that we need to live in a secular world and not involve religion. Well, what do they say about this issue on that stance?

2005: Conscience-based opt out of post-rape contraception

Coakley's campaign ad says Brown "favors letting hospitals deny emergency contraception to rape victims."

It's true that in 2005, when the MA state Legislature was considering a bill to require hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims, Brown introduced an amendment that would have let doctors and nurses opt out based on "a sincerely held religious belief" and refer patients elsewhere. It was similar to "conscience" provisions in federal legislation that would avoid forcing Catholic hospitals to provide abortion or contraception against the teachings of the church. Here's the language:

Brown amendment, Apr. 2005: "Nothing in this section shall impose any requirements upon any employee, physician or nurse of any facility t the extent that administering the contraception conflicts with a sincerely held religious belief. Said treating facility shall have in place a validated referral procedure policy for referring patients for administration of the emergency contraception."

Provide info about emergency contraception to rape victims

Brown voted for a 2005 amendment to deny emergency contraception to rape victims, but Coakley's ad [on that subject] doesn't mention that when the amendment failed, Brown voted for the underlying bill anyway.

The most misleading part of the ad, though is not what the narrator says, but what appears on screen. As the contraception amendment is mentioned, viewers see the words, "Deny rape victims care." Emergency contraception is certainly a type of care. But the language on screen implies that Brown would support denial of even, say, treatment of injuries sustained in a rape.

That's far from the truth. The bill required that rape victims be provided with accurate information about emergency contraception and that they be offered it. Brown voted for the bill after unsuccessfully trying to carve out a religion exception. And there is nothing in the record that we are aware of to suggest that Brown ever supported denying any other type of care to victims of sexual assault.

Support legalized abortion, but not partial-birth abortion

"Martha", Brown said, "with all due respect, you wrote an editorial that anyone can go online and find where you actually criticized partial-birth abortion, the fact that it's in fact not allowed. And we also have have a difference in that I don't believe that federal funding of abortion should be allowed, and I believe in a very strong parental consent notification law."

Supported by right-to-life groups for stem cell stance

Brown picked up the support of the Massachusetts Citizens for Life in this race, based on his position on issues including abortion, stem cells, and federal health legislation. He also opposes federal funding for abortion, supports strong parental consent rules for minors, and supports the ban on what opponents call partial-birth abortion.

Authored bill for 24-hour waiting period for abortion

Brown has angered abortion-rights groups with acts like his cosponsorship of the Women's Right to Know Act, which would require a woman to wait 24 hours before having an abortion and to review pictures and information detailing the developmental progress of her fetus.

Abortions should always be legally available

* Rep. Brown indicated he supports the following principles concerning abortion:Abortions should always be legally available.
* Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
* Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Sc...n_Abortion.htm