The Largest Minority

July 19th, 2006 by Manila Ryce

In the latest development to the abortion debate, it appears that abortion opponents have adopted a new strategy in their fight against the practice. Pro-life citizens are electing to purchase abortion clinics- either shutting them down or converting them into pregnancy centers. Clinics in Kansas, Florida, Tennessee and Nebraska have been among the states in which this has happened, and the new tendency shows no sign of slowing.

Julie Unruh, who opened a crisis pregnancy center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, knows the advantages of having a pregnancy center where an abortion business was once located. She says women still come to the Alpha Center looking for an abortion and, instead, get real pregnancy help and support.

“Those women, very rarely did they leave and get an abortion,” she told ABC News. “And if they did, they knew that they can come back for post-abortion counseling.”

According to one clinic owner, “That goes on fairly frequently. It certainly is common.” Some owners are filing suit after discovering their clinics are being purchased for this reason, and at least in one instance the original owner won a lawsuit to repurchase his facility.

Say what you will, but it’s my opinion that people are free to do what they want with their property regardless of their personal beliefs. If pro-lifers want to purchase an abortion clinic then they have the right to do so, as I’m sure anyone who owns the property has the right to sell it at a high price and open another. Though rather than simply shutting down the clinics, converting them into pregnancy centers is a much more desirable option. Pregnancy centers give STD testing along with contraceptive information and medical services. It seems these pro-life activists might’ve actually stumbled upon a successful way to curb the number of abortions: through sex education. That must be a bittersweet victory to the ultra-conservatives who don’t believe in either.
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May 14th, 2006 by Manila Ryce

Tammy Skinner was shot in the stomach, resulting in the death of her unborn baby on the day she was suppose to give birth. And although the assailant is currently in custody, they are unable to be convicted for the crime. Why? Because the assailant is Tammy Skinner herself. In Virginia, the fetal homicide law is as follows:

“‘Any person who unlawfully, willfully, deliberately, maliciously and with premeditation kills the fetus of another’ may be imprisoned from 20 years to life; and any person who does so without premeditation may be imprisoned for not less than five nor more than 40 years”

Skinner can not be convicted because the law states the assailant must kill the “the fetus of another” to be prosecuted. If there is no third party there is no conviction. Tammy originally stated that the shooter was the father of the baby. She is currently serving 30 days for filing a false police report. “It was clear to me, and clear to the judge, that you cannot convict when an expectant mother does this,” Skinner’s lawyer said.
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