Coronavirus Pandemic Continues to Shine a Light on Evil

The following blog post is by Family Council’s Director of Governmental Affairs Ken Yang.

Throughout the last few weeks Little Rock Family Planning Services, the surgical abortion clinic in Arkansas, has continually attempted to defy the health directives set forth by the Arkansas Department of Health and the Governor. Arkansas Attorney General and her staff have successfully defended the health directives in court and won at the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. However, a new directive goes into effect today (April 27th) to allow elective procedures to occur in Arkansas. This of course comes with certain guidelines to protect the well-being of health care providers and patients around the state. One of the guidelines is that any patient that is a candidate for a procedure has to have at least one negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours prior to the beginning of the procedure. Seems reasonable right?

Not to the ACLU and the surgical abortion clinic.  Protecting the health and safety of their patients and staff has taken a backseat. They believe testing patients for COVID-19 will prevent them from performing abortions. Once again they believe they should operate above the directives set forth for all clinics in the State of Arkansas. On Friday, the ACLU issued one of the most horrendous statements one can imagine about the new directives.

“Arkansas is the only state in the nation that is barring a pregnant person from getting an abortion even if their time to do so is about to expire. Forcing people to stay pregnant and have a child against their will is always unconscionable and unconstitutional. But doing so now, when people are already struggling just to keep their families safe and to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads – is just unimaginable.”

This statement makes my stomach turn. Can you imagine if your child told someone that mom was “forced” to keep me? My family struggled, my parents at times could only put food on the table enough for their children and not for themselves too. But never did I feel like my life was a regretful decision to them. The main basis of the pro-abortion movement is based on “choice,” but now that taking the life of an unborn child is being inconvenienced, it is no longer a “choice” but a necessity. So which one is it? To me what is truly unconscionable is that any human being or organization would insinuate that you should abort your child because it is inconvenient to your lifestyle. The true colors are once again shown to the public that the abortion industry and the ACLU do not care about women’s “choice,” but only about how convenient they can offer abortion to women. Well, at least in their statement they call the human life a “child.”

Federal Court Lets Arkansas Restrict Surgical Abortions For Now

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 22, 2020

On Wednesday a three-judge panel from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decided to let the State of Arkansas restrict surgical abortions while a lawsuit against the state progresses. The ruling removes a restraining order U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker in Little Rock had imposed on the state.

Family Council President Jerry Cox issued a statement, saying, “This is a very good decision. It is irresponsible to let abortionists keep performing surgical abortions at a time when other doctors and surgeons have been forced to postpone their operations. Why should abortion clinics be open for business as usual when so many other clinics are closed?”

Cox said it is only fair to make abortionists play by the same rules as other health clinics. “Abortion providers have said for years that abortion is just like any other procedure. Now they are saying that abortion is different. They want it both ways. Abortion clinics should have to operate by the same health and safety rules as everyone else during the pandemic.”

Cox said restricting surgical abortions will help slow the spread of coronavirus. “Elective surgical abortions waste precious medical resources, and we have ample evidence that women from neighboring states, including COVID-19 hotspots, have been coming to Arkansas for abortions. If we want to slow the spread of coronavirus, we need to put a stop to surgical abortions for the time being.”

Cox pointed out that the state’s directive concerning abortion is very specific. “This is a public health directive that applies to all elective surgeries, including surgical abortions. It does not apply to abortions performed using abortion drugs like RU-486. It does not apply to surgical abortions performed to save the life of the mother. It doesn’t stop abortion facilities from offering other healthcare services besides abortion. Arkansas’ health directive is very reasonable.”

Cox applauded the state’s leaders for addressing elective surgical abortions during the COVID-19 outbreak. “This is the right thing to do, if we want to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Governor Hutchinson and Secretary of Health Dr. Nathanial Smith have done an excellent job issuing these health directives. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has done a phenomenal job enforcing and defending the directives, and I am confident her team will win future pro-life victories in federal court as this legal battle continues.”

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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