Death Certificates On Abortions Proposed

[Urib2007]

[size=3]Death Certificates on Abortions Proposed[/size]

By ERIK SCHELZIG
Associated Press Writer


[color="#000000"]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Legislation introduced in Tennessee would require death certificates for aborted fetuses, which likely would create public records identifying women who have abortions.
Rep. Stacey Campfield, a Republican, said his bill would provide a way to track how many abortions are performed. He predicted it would pass in the Republican-controlled Senate but would have a hard time making it through the Democratic House.

"All these people who say they are pro-life _ at least we would see how many lives are being ended out there by abortions," said Campfield.

The number of abortions reported to the state Office of Vital Records is already publicly available. The office collects records _ but not death certificates _ on abortions and the deaths of fetuses after 22 weeks gestation or weighing about 1 pound.

The identities of the women who have abortions are not included in those records, but death certificates include identifying information such as Social Security numbers.

Campfield's bill, introduced Monday, would give abortion providers 10 days following an "induced termination of a pregnancy" to file a death certificate.

House Judiciary Chairman Rob Briley, a Democrat, called Campfield's proposal "the most preposterous bill I've seen" in an eight-year legislative career.

"It is totally inconsistent with everything the law contemplates as it relates to anything close to that subject," he said.

The anti-abortion group Tennessee Right to Life has not yet taken a position on the death certificate bill, said spokeswoman Myra Simons. But she said the organization applauds the sponsors' efforts to "draw attention to the way abortion is handled in Tennessee."

Keri Adams, vice president of Planned Parenthood in Tennessee, on Wednesday called the proposal an attempt to terrorize frightened and vulnerable women who are seeking abortion.

"We certainly hope the Tennessee Legislature doesn't invest too much energy in this bill," she said. "We think it's clearly a violation of privacy, and potentially illegal concerning HIPAA regulations."[/color]

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On the Net:

General Assembly: [url="http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/"]http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/[/url]

[thessalonian]

Interesting. It could well force the issue of when life begins. How can it be a privacy issue any more than when the woman has had a baby. Once it's outside the womb it is no longer private it seems to me. Another interesting thing they could look in to passing laws for is some assurance that when the baby is extracted from the womb that there is proof that the baby is dead. If it is not then the state laws need to protect it. Even if it is very early in the developement stage. This would help force the issue of when life begins as well.

[Sojourner]

I too think this is an interesting idea. Could be eye-opening, that is for sure.

And thess, along the lines of "when life begins," I think it's interesting that we treat an unborn child's personhood differently in different areas of the law. For example in the area of property rights, an unborn child is a person who can potentially inherit property from the moment of conception.

[prose]

I think it would cost millions. Therefore it would never happen.

[homeschoolmom]

I was reading something in a magazine... an article about parents of stillborns working for legislation that would provide birth certificates in addition to death certificates. They were arguing that how can you have a death without a life?

Not sure if that has anything to do with this thread... (I've just spend the last three hours building a T-Rex out of legos with HSson)

[goldenchild17]

Needs to happen. Hope it goes through but we'll see. They're people. Their deaths should be recorded just like any other person.

[Urib2007]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1195283' date='Feb 14 2007, 04:21 PM']
I was reading something in a magazine... an article about parents of stillborns working for legislation that would provide birth certificates in addition to death certificates. They were arguing that how can you have a death without a life?

Not sure if that has anything to do with this thread... (I've just spend the last three hours building a T-Rex out of legos with HSson)
[/quote]

Your last quote about you playing legos with your son made me smile. I admire women who choose to teach their children at home. :-)

[Didacus]

A person has died; a death certificate is only logical.

It will put a face to abortion sort to speak.

I agree, once its outside the womb - its private. Interesting legal dilemma but I don't think it has much of a chance of passing however if you consider it a plow to force the issue of when life begins its brilliant.

I would encourage this any day.

Edited February 15, 2007 by Didacus

[matthew1618]

I would rather they pass a bill for ending abortion. Maybe this will allow legistators to open their eyes and see he/she's a baby.

[goldenchild17]

I don't suspect an all-out end of legal abortion will come at once, if it comes at all. Preparatory laws (whether they recognize them as such or not) are necessary to show them the illogical position they put themselves in. A parasite is not given a death certificate. People are. A parasite does not inherit stuff from family as the family passes away. People do. And yet this last law is in effect, at least in some states. If this new law is put into effect it will put the country's law against abortion in a much tighter spot legally.

[XIX]

I noticed this is in the debate board. Is anybody here to actually debate against this idea?

for this to pass...that would be a good step forward.

[KnightofChrist]

I pray it passes. It would be good, they are human they should have death certificates just as any American.

[MissScripture]

This is an interesting idea, but what would keep them from lying? I mean, there's the whole "privacy" issue.
Sort of off topic, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, that wouldn't automatically ban abortion, correct? There would still need to be laws created (or re-created) to explicitly out-law it, right?

[SJRod55]

[quote]They were arguing that how can you have a death without a life? [/quote]
THis is the crux of the matter as with aborted life. Until people (non Catholics) accept that the moment life is created is conception then they will never accept a death certificate for stillborn or aborted life.

I think the Death Certificate should be like those for whom the state provides an execution where it is listed basically as 'murder.' (At least I believe I read that somewhere - it is not recorded as 'heart failure' or 'heart attack' but something to the effect that the death was cause by another person.

[SJRod55]

After a little research it appears that:

[quote]The official cause of death listed on the death certificate of a person who has been executed reads homicide.[/quote]

According to web site sources.