LETTER: Republicans and abortion

In his April 12 column, Victor Joecks quoted President Joe Biden’s comment on the recent Arizona abortion ruling and then wrote, “Good luck figuring out how today’s Republicans enacted a law in 1864.” Very amusing, but perhaps he didn’t read the Biden quote. Mr. Biden said the ruling was a result of Republican officials who are committed to ripping away women’s freedom. No mention of enacting the law.

Let me connect the dots for him. At the end of the Obama presidency, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to move on Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court. That put Neil Gorsuch on the court. At the end of the Trump presidency, Sen. McConnell rammed Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination through the Senate, even though her nomination was under similar circumstances to Mr. Garland’s. That gave the court enough votes to overturn Roe v. Wade.

In 2022, Arizona passed a law banning abortion after 15 weeks. The majority of Arizona’s Supreme Court ruled that, because this bill did not repeal the 1864 law or create a right to abortion, the 1864 law could be enforced. All of Arizona’s justices were appointed by Republican governors.

Mr. Joecks, moreover, omits important information about the proposed amendment in Nevada. The text gives a right to an abortion until fetal viability, defined as significant likelihood of survival without extraordinary medical measures. Mr. Joecks gives the impression that healthy fetuses will be aborted late in pregnancy. The truth is that only fetuses who will most likely have short, painful lives and die horrific deaths will be aborted.

He says that “GOP candidates should hold up a picture of a 7-month-old preborn baby missing part of her skull or one ripped apart limb by limb.” Why doesn’t he give us the details about why those fetuses were aborted? Show me that they were viable.

Let me ask Mr. Joecks: What does he want to be done when a 7-month-old fetus dies in utero?