The Patriot Post® · New York Expands Culture of Death

Thanks to legislative approval of the deceptively titled Reproductive Health Act, Tuesday marked another dark period for children in New York, some of whom will be legally terminated days, hours, or even minutes before they would otherwise experience life outside the womb. Given that Tuesday was the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the day was already doleful. But that didn’t stop state lawmakers from imposing an even grimmer reality.

According to National Review, the Reproductive Health Act had already cleared the state assembly, where 92 members voted to approve it and just 47 voted against it. The legislation was then voted on by the state senate on Tuesday. The vote there was 38-24. Unsurprisingly, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — a Democrat and a Catholic — will sign it with glee.

CBS New York reports, “Provisions in the bill include dropping most restrictions on abortions after 24 weeks, allowing midwives and nurse practitioners to perform abortions and ending criminal charges for harming children in the womb.”

Stacey Lennox at The Resurgent underscores an extremely important point: “The impact … is two-fold. First, nearly all criminal penalties are removed for killing a baby inside the womb. A mother who is 30 weeks pregnant and stabbed in the abdomen, killing her unborn child, will see no prosecution for the death of her baby. Next, because of definitions in previous court rulings … those factors that relate to the health of a woman are broadly defined… So in New York, no one can be prosecuted for the deliberate or accidental killing of an unborn child and health is so broadly defined as to make almost any issue sufficient for a woman to request an abortion. … New York just legalized Kermit Gosnell.”

Cuomo, for his part, asserted, “The Reproductive Health Act is a historic victory for New Yorkers and for our progressive values. In the face of a federal government intent on rolling back Roe v. Wade and women’s reproductive rights, I promised that we would enact this critical legislation within the first 30 days of the new session — and we got it done. I am directing that New York’s landmarks be lit in pink to celebrate this achievement and shine a bright light forward for the rest of the nation to follow.”

That last part isn’t a farce; it’s sick. As The Daily Signal reports, the governor instructed “that the spire at One World Trade Center, the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, the Kosciuszko Bridge and the Alfred E. Smith Building in Albany all be lit in pink on Tuesday night.” Blood red would have been a more appropriate color.

“It’s bittersweet,” Cuomo fretted. “There is a bitterness because we shouldn’t be here in the first place. We should not have a federal government that is trying to roll back women’s rights. … This administration defies American evolution.” Sadly, the Left cares more about “American evolution” than God’s creation.

Ironically, this new legislation was enacted during a time of dwindling abortion figures. As The Daily Wire notes, “According to the New York State Department of Health, 87,325 abortions took place in New York state during 2016. According to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there were 93,096 abortions in New York during 2015. The Guttmacher Institute reported that there were roughly 119,940 abortions in New York during 2014.”

All this goes to show that for the Left, abortion really is a religion. And the Left is willing to sacrifice as many children — with as much ease — as possible to foster it. For those trying to understand today’s terrible political and cultural climate, start with deciphering the breadth and acceptance of such blatant evil.