Is America Now Proudly a Nation of Death?

Some may remember the legal proceedings brought against former physician Kermit Barron Gosnell in 2011 when he was charged with illegally performing abortions beyond the state’s 24-week time limit and for the murder of babies born alive during the procedure. He was also charged with involuntary manslaughter of Karnamava Mongar, one of the mothers he gave an abortion to that died afterwards.

Even before this, he had legal troubles surrounding his medical practices. In 2000, he was sued on behalf of a woman he performed an abortion on who experienced abnormal bleeding after the procedure when she had returned home. She called and reported the problem but was ever advised to return for treatment and she subsequently died 3 days later of a perforated uterus and a bloodstream infection. Gosnell settled out of court in 2002 for $900,000.

In the 2011 case, Gosnell and his staff members were subsequently arrested and charged with 8 counts of murder, (7 of the infants had their spinal cord cut with scissors to facilitate their deaths after they were born alive during the abortion procedure), 24 felony counts of performing abortion beyond Pennsylvania’s set time restraints of 24-weeks, and 227 misdemeanor counts of violating the 24-hour consent law.

His 2013 convictions varied slightly as he was finally convicted of 21 felony counts of illegal late-term abortions, 211 counts of violating the 24-hour informed consent law, first degree murder in the deaths of 3 of the infants and involuntary manslaughter of Mongar. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole when he waved his right to appeal in exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table.

Last week, with much fanfare, New York state passed the “Reproductive Health Act” and it was celebrated in the chamber with a standing ovation. The RHA removes abortion from the criminal code making it no longer illegal, and established the legality of killing a baby right up until the time of its birth.

The convicted doctor Gosnell always declared he was innocent and “just ahead of his time.” Sadly, and shamefully, New York state just proved him right.

It is not clear who originally stated, “Any society, any nation, is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members – the last, the least, the littlest.” The sentiment is attributed to both Pearl S. Buck and Cardinal Roger Mahoney but is true nevertheless.

Nelson Mandela once said, “The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.” In another version he was credited as having said, “A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but it’s lowest ones.”

Jesus said concerning those who harm children in Luke 17:2, “It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” What more grievous offense could be done to a child than to murder it?

History will indeed judge America for the way it has defended and tolerated, and currently promotes, the murder of our most innocent ones, and God will too.