The case of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell shocked the entire nation, but it especially stirred the consciences of Pennsylvanians. The case pulled back the curtain on the reality of abortion and the abortion industry. Yet, some politicians refuse to look and heed its lessons. Pennsylvania Democrat Tom Wolf, who is challenging pro-life Gov. Tom Corbett in the 2014 elections, has taken policy positions in his campaign that could re-open the door to future tragedies like those seen in the Gosnell case.
Wolf’s campaign website states, “Tom Wolf is proud to stand with women in Pennsylvania who are fighting backwards legislation signed into law by Governor Corbett that restricts a woman’s right to make her own personal health care decisions.”
Which pieces of legislation does Wolf believe are “backwards”? Presumably he is referring to one of two pro-life bills (or both) signed by Gov. Corbett. One upholds Pennsylvania’s longstanding policy that state taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortions and applies that principle to the new healthcare exchanges in Obamacare. The other is a law aimed at preventing future Gosnell-type abuses by the abortion industry.
Neither of these can be considered “backwards.” The first merely holds the status quo on abortion funding in Pennsylvania. The other constitutes a legislative response to the Gosnell tragedy following major governmental failures. The real backward shift would be Wolf rolling back regulations on abortion facilities to those pre-Gosnell.
As if anyone could forget, abortionist Kermit Gosnell was convicted of three counts of murder for “snipping” the spinal cords of babies he deliberately delivered alive. The Grand Jury report estimated that hundreds of babies lost their lives in this horrific way at Gosnell’s abortion facility.
The Grand Jury report also included detailed recommendations to prevent Gosnell-type crimes from ever happening again, noting “the regulations, which have stood essentially unchanged since 1988, should also be updated to reflect changes in abortion practices and medical advances.” The Pennsylvania General Assembly and Governor Corbett took action on the report. The result was the bipartisan Act 122, legislation aimed at safeguarding Pennsylvania women and children.
Click here to sign up for daily pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com
In the Grand Jury report, Department of Health official Janice Staloski noted pro-abortion politics were partly to blame for Pennsylvania turning a blind eye to what was occurring at Gosnell’s facility. According to Staloski, the Department of Health during the administration of pro-life Gov. Bob Casey regularly inspected abortion facilities but those inspections ceased upon the inauguration of pro-abortion Gov. Tom Ridge. Staloski told the Grand Jury that the Ridge Administration was motivated by a desire not be “putting up a barrier to women” seeking abortions.
Despite all the coverage of the Gosnell case and the clear recommendations of the Grand Jury, Tom Wolf appears to take the same position as Gov. Ridge, clearing the way for similar types of abuse. Pennsylvania cannot afford to have the lives of women and unborn children again treated so recklessly.
