Quick News Roundup 07/23/10

Domestic News: The story of the day appears to be judges intercepting State legislation. In Oklahoma, a judge extended in injunction blocking the enactment of new legislation regarding abortions. The new law would require an ultrasound and have a detailed description of the fetus delivered to the would-be mother. What specifically is included in this detailed description? According to the AP, this includes, “…fetus’ dimensions, age and whether a heartbeat, limbs and organs are present.” The argument against this requirement, according to the abortion rights group fighting it, is that this infringes upon the freedom of speech of the people at these abortion clinics. In Nebraska, new regulations requiring mental health screenings prior to an abortion were also blocked by a judge. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland sought and received a temporary injunction blocking the legislation which was supposed to go into effect yesterday.

International News: In Argentina, the abortion debate has been intensified recently. Argentina recently became one of the first Latin American nations to legalize same-sex marriage. Liberals in Argentina now feel that the next logical step is to legalize abortion. Currently, abortion is only legal in Argentina in the cases of rape, “feeble-minded” mother, or the woman’s life is in jeopardy. The problem with this argument is that it fails to take into account pro-life homosexuals or those like Meghan McCain who support legalizing same-sex marriage, but remain pro-life. But, that’s an argument for another day. In the United Kingdom, the number of women traveling to get an abortion has decreased. In 2001, 6,500 women traveled to the UK to receive an abortion. This past year, that number was down to 4,500.

Discussion Topic: According to recent polling, more and more Americans are becoming willing to admit that they’re pro-life. Groups like SecularProLife are a great way to reach out to these Americans. What do you think needs to be specifically done to help continue to change the hearts and minds of the American people on this topic? Be as creative as you want.