Column: The Continuing War against Women by Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum — “Prenatal testing, particularly amniocentesis, I’m not talking about general prenatal care...We’re talking about specifically prenatal testing, and specifically amniocentesis, which is a procedure that actually creates a risk of having a miscarriage when you have it, and is done for the purposes of identifying maladies in the womb. And which in many cases, in fact most cases, physicians recommend, particularly if there’s a problem, recommend abortion. The bottom line is that a lot of prenatal tests are done to identify deformities in utero, and the customary procedure is to encourage abortions.”

As a classical conservative, there are only two words that can express my complete disgust and detestation for Rick Santorum!

And those two words are bovine excrement!

From the Mayo Clinic: (With additional comments by this writer)

“Genetic amniocentesis is usually done after week 15 of pregnancy, when the two layers of fetal membranes have fused enough that a sample of amniotic fluid can be safely withdrawn. Rarely, genetic amniocentesis may be done as early as week 11 of pregnancy.

Women may consider genetic amniocentesis if:

—You had abnormal results from a prenatal screening test. If the results of a screening test, such as the first trimester screen, are positive or worrisome, you may opt for amniocentesis to confirm or rule out a diagnosis. There is no mention of abortion as a solution!

—You had a chromosomal abnormality or a neural tube defect in a previous pregnancy. If a previous pregnancy was affected by Down syndrome or a neural tube defect, a serious abnormality of the brain or spinal cord this pregnancy is at higher risk, too. The woman may be at risk. Once again, there is no mention of an abortion as a solution!

—You're age 35 or older. Babies born to women age 35 and older have a higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome. Once again there is no mention of an abortion as a solution. Many couples who have been informed that they may have a Down’s syndrome baby, continue with the pregnancy, and love and embrace their “Downs” baby. This is exactly what Sara Palin did!

—You have a family history of a specific genetic disorder, or you or your partner is a known carrier of a genetic disorder. In addition to identifying Down’s syndrome and spina bifida, amniocentesis can be used to diagnose many other conditions, such as cystic fibrosis. This requires specialized testing of the amniotic fluid, however, so there must be a reason to test for these conditions. There is no mention of abortion as a solution, and Santorum cannot prove that all doctors automatically advise abortion as a solution!.

—Maturity amniocentesis- Maturity amniocentesis can determine whether a baby's lungs are ready for birth. This type of amniocentesis is done only if early delivery, either through induction or C-section is being considered to prevent pregnancy complications for the mother. It's usually done between 32 and 39 weeks of pregnancy. Earlier than 32 weeks, a baby's lungs are unlikely to be fully developed. No mention of abortion as a solution!

Other reasons for amniocentesis: amniocentesis is used to:

• Evaluate a baby for infection or other illness
• Decrease the volume of amniotic fluid
• Diagnose a uterine infection
• Evaluate the severity of anemia in babies who have Rh disease, an uncommon condition in which a mother's immune system produces antibodies against a specific protein on the surface of the baby's blood cells”

Abortion is not mentioned as a solution.

Pre-natal testing does not lead to abortions; it is a way for doctors to monitor the mother and to evaluate the fetus, and to provide the women, or couples, with information. And, Santorum cannot substantiate his claim that pre-natal care for women directly leads to abortion. Indeed, extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof and the burden of proof is on the person making the claim, which Santorum has failed to do.

Once again, as a classical conservative, I am at odds with the “modern conservative” movement. For a political party that has always stressed that they want government out of the personal lives of the American people, it appears all of the Republican candidates for president are obsessed with what goes into a women’s vagina, and are continually trying to dictate what goes on in a women’s womb, and if elected would pass laws against a women’s “conscience” life decisions. Damn it, if the “conscience “defense is good enough for the Catholic Bishops, and all lay Catholics, then every women should be able to use the same defense!

What goes on between a women and her doctor should stay between the two, and for all ignorant, hateful, cheap Bible thumping politicians like Santorum need to know is that they should step aside on this issue. If Rick Santorum or any another Republican continues this war against women, as a classical conservative, I will, as will my entire family, vote for Obama. Warning to all “modern conservatives”, stay the hell out of the lives of the American people, and get back on message:

It’s the economy, stupid! It’s the high rate of unemployment, stupid! It’s people losing their life savings and their homes, stupid! It’s the 16 trillion dollar debt that both political parties have placed on the backs of the American people, stupid! It’s the taking care of our veterans whose bodies and minds will forever be changed by the horrors of two needless wars, stupid! It’s the decline of the middle class, and our country, stupid. If you are elected, fix these damn problems, or get the hell out of the game!

I want a leader, not a preacher or a moralist!