The ACLU and the Center for Reproductive Rights are trying to keep Arizona safe for late-term abortionists. But they must not be labeled as liberal, or even in the usual argot (as AP showed) as “abortion-rights groups.” The Reuters headline (repeated by Yahoo and other online aggregators) is “Rights groups file suit challenging Arizona abortion ban.”
The story by David Schwartz repeated that line: “Rights groups challenged a controversial Arizona law banning most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy on Thursday, seeking to block the measure before takes effect in early August.” The ban is controversial, not the killing babies that would be viable outside the womb. Once again, liberals are fighting Jan Brewer:
The law was signed by Republican Governor Jan Brewer in April, handing Republicans a win in an ongoing national drive to impose greater restrictions on abortion in a presidential election year.
The law, due to take effect August 2, would bar healthcare professionals from performing abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, except in a medical emergency. Only a small number of these abortions are performed in the state. [They estimate a little more than 100.]
A lawsuit lodged by the Center for Reproductive Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union in Phoenix, asked a federal judge to put the ban on an immediate hold, arguing that it represents a "cruel and unconstitutional" affront to women.
Nancy Northup, the center's chief executive, said the new law risked women's lives and "displays a callous disregard for the complicated and very difficult circumstances many pregnant women face."
The Center also described abortionists as "women's reproductive health specialists." That really should have been employed by Reuters as well if they're going to enable the Left with positive euphemisms. But "healthcare professionals" is awfully close. One of the abortionists represented has a practice called "Family Planning Associates." Orwell would be proud.
Arizona follows other states with Republican legislatures. Nebraska passed a ban on abortions after 20 weeks in 2010, followed by Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina and Oklahoma in 2011.
