By M.H. Cavanaugh
Christian Action League
October 2, 2015
RALEIGH – Monday, the North Carolina House passed one of the most significant pieces of pro-life legislation in the state’s history. HB 297 – End Marketing/Sale of Unborn Children Body Parts was approved by a 79-29 vote. The Senate had passed the measure last Thursday.
The legislation essentially does two things. It prevents the use of state taxpayer monies being granted to groups like Planned Parenthood that perform abortions, and it prohibits the sale of baby body parts taken from an abortion or miscarriage.
The legislation was first taken up in the state Senate not long after undercover videos were released by the Center for Medical Progress that clearly show representatives of Planned Parenthood negotiating the sale of body parts from aborted babies.
Last week, Dr. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, referred to the practice as “Frankensteinian” and “butcherous.” A similar sentiment was echoed during debate of the measure on the House floor when one lawmaker referred to the practice as “ghoulish.”
Still, twenty-nine Democrats voted against the bill. Those Democrats include the following:
Kelly Alexander, Bobbie Richardson, Nathan Baskerville, Cecil Brockman, Becky Carney, Tricia Cotham, Carla D. Cunningham, Duane Hall, Beverly Earle, Jean Farmer-Butterfield, Susan Fisher, George Graham, Grier Martin, Rosa Gill, Susi Hamilton, Edward Hanes, Pricey Harrison, Yvonne Holley, Verla Insko, Darren Jackson, Larry Bell, Larry Hall, Marvin Lucas, Paul Luebke, Greig Meyer, Ralph Johnson, Rodney Moore, Evelyn Terry, and Shelly Willingham.
Democrats argued against the authenticity of the videos and defended Planned Parenthood for its many alleged good services to women.
One interesting exchange took place when Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry) asked Rep. Susan Fisher (D-Buncombe), “Would you like to look at some documents where Planned Parenthood in fact sold organs?” Fisher declined.
That prompted a response from Rep. Jeff Collins (R-Nash) who said, “”I noticed that one of the first speakers claimed that the tapes were edited and therefore false, but when offered the evidence that the videos are not false, she did what any good person without the truth on their side does, and said that she didn’t want to see the evidence.”
Rep. John Blust (R-Guilford) compared the logic of saying the videos were edited, and, therefore not real, to that of a person looking at the highlights of a football game from a video, not liking the score, and then declaring the video to be fraudulent.
Blust said, “I saw a woman say that they will maneuver the fetus – the favored term of the politically correct crowd – so that it can be brought out so that we don’t damage any of the parts we want to sell. That kind of thing is abhorrent. There’s enough abhorrent in there that should move us to action…I don’t think it’s wrong for this body to say we aren’t going to allow that in North Carolina.”
Some Democrats said that they’re vote against the measure was based more on its prohibition of state funds for contracts with any abortion provider.
“Although I rejoice in the passage of this legislation for the protection of life, the fact that anyone can justify a vote for ripping a child’s body to pieces at its most vulnerable and innocent stage of life proves too much for me,” said Dr. Creech. “Think of it, whether the body parts are sold or not – which is certainly demonstrative proof of mankind’s depravity and his ability to justify any wicked act – every day little babies are torn from the safety of their mother’s wombs and split asunder in a bloody mass. There is no way in God’s economy we can excuse this as decent, good and right – no way!”
“Since the Roe v. Wade decision, we have compounded our sin nearly ten times as much as the Jewish Holocaust during World War II. Our times are just as bad as then, even more so, because now we’ve given such heinous crimes against nature and heaven itself respectability” he added.
Only three Democrats voted against the bill in the Senate, as compared to the twenty-nine in the House. Senate Democrats voting against the measure were the following:
Erica Smith-Ingram, Terry Van Duyn, and Mike Woodard
The bill was presented to the Governor for his signature on Wednesday.