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Albuquerque Initiative to Protect Pain Capable Unborn Children First in Nation at City Level
July 3, 2013
By Cheryl Sullenger
 Albuquerque,
New Mexico - A first-in-the-nation effort has been launched by an
Albuquerque pro-life group that could ban late-term abortions within the
city limits of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the largest late-term
abortion clinic in the nation operates.
"On
June 28th, 2013, concerned citizens of Albuquerque, New Mexico, filed a
petition for direct legislation by voter initiative with the
Albuquerque City Clerk. The 'Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection
Ordinance' if put into law in the city of Albuquerque will undoubtedly
protect women and children from abortion," stated Tara Shaver of Project
Defending Life, who announced the initiative at a press conference
today.
Frustrated
by the state's legislature, which is controlled by pro-abortion
Democrats, the group launched the city-wide legislative petition to
enact a city ordinance that would protect pain capable unborn children
after 20 weeks gestation. The city ordinance would be similar in
language to the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which
recently cleared the House of Representatives, and a bill known as HB2
in Texas that is the subject of a second special legislative session
that has attracted thousands on both sides of the issue to the Texas
Capitol.
Eight
states have passed late-term abortion bans based on the ability of the
pre-born baby to feel pain. If the legislative petition is
successful, Albuquerque could become the first city to independently
enact a ban on the local level.
Interest
in protecting pre-born babies that can feel pain has increased
dramatically after horrific details of babies being born alive then
brutally murdered surfaced during the Kermit Gosnell murder trial,
followed by similar accusations supported by photographic evidence made
by three former employees of Houston abortionist Douglas Karpen.
Recent
polls show that 64% of Americans oppose abortions in the second
trimester while over 80% oppose third trimester abortions such as the
kind done in Albuquerque at a clinic, Southwestern Women's Options,
owned by Texas abortionist Curtis Boyd.
"The
citizens of Albuquerque are deeply concerned about the safety of women
seeking abortions beyond 20 weeks, which according to late term
abortionist Curtis Boyd's, owner of Southwestern Women's Options,
informed consent paperwork are more dangerous than carrying the
pregnancy to term," said Tara Shaver of Project Defending Life.
No
guarantee or assurance has been made to me as to the results that may
be obtained [as a result of the abortion]. The risk of terminating a
pregnancy gradually increases throughout the course of the pregnancy.
These comparative risks become approximately equal at 16-18 weeks of
pregnancy and increases so that pregnancy termination at 18 weeks and
above involves a greater risk than carrying the pregnancy to term.
Project Defending Life and Operation Rescue worked together to expose over a dozen documented medical emergencies
at Albuquerque abortion clinics, the majority of which occurred at
Southwestern Women's Options. One incident documented a woman who
suffered a ruptured uterus during a 35 week abortion
and nearly died. Shelley Sella was charged with gross negligence for
that abortion by the New Mexico Medical Board, which inexplicably
cleared her of wrongdoing after an expensive prosecution.
The
proposed new ordinance acknowledges the fact that as early as 8 weeks
gestation a developing baby can respond to touch. This fact was
confirmed by testimony given in during a House Judiciary Committee
meeting by Dr. Maureen Condic, who is Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine.
Part
of the findings and authorities contained in the ordinance language
states, "The position, asserted by some commentators, that the unborn
child remains in a coma-like sleep state that precludes the unborn
child experiencing pain is inconsistent with the documented reaction of
unborn children to painful stimuli and with the experience of fetal
surgeons who had found it necessary to sedate the unborn child with
anesthesia to prevent the unborn child from engaging in vigorous
movement in reaction to invasive surgery."
"We
fully support this citizen's petition effort in Albuquerque and
congratulate Project Defending Life for side-stepping the
obstructionists in the state legislature who are busy protecting
abortionists when they should be protecting viable babies during the
most vulnerable times in their lives," said Troy Newman, President of
Operation Rescue.
View the Petition
View the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance text
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At Southwestern Women's Options, three abortionists 
