Update first, then replies:
The Jury seems to be talking about the charges against Gosnell now, and have asked for clarification of which baby was which. I do hope this doesn’t mean they’re trying to find the
least number of babies (ie, reasoning that just because one saw a baby breathe, another heard a baby cry, and another saw a baby move, doesn’t mean there’s three babies).
abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=9089192
cnn.com/2013/05/03/justice/pennsylvania-abortion-doctor-trial/
philly.com/philly/news/20130504_Jury_now_considering_charges_against_Gosnell.html
Losh re your previous post, anyone see a statement by former Gov Ridge as to why he stopped inspections?
I’d imagine some political pressure, though I cannot find anything discrete. If it’s internal politics, ie as opposed to an outside complaint (as in the case of Catholic universities who are often threatened with suit by a government entity to cover contraceptives for students), there’s not likely a paper trail.
The inspections seemed to be cursory to begin with, and I think that administrative incompetence played a major role before politics even set in. Insightful history from the Grand Jury report, pages 8 and 9 (report link
phila.gov/districtattorney//PDFs/GrandJuryWomensMedical.pdf
“The department had contact with the Women’s Medical Society dating back to 1979, when it first issued approval to open an abortion clinic. It did not conduct another site review until 1989, ten years later. Numerous violations were already apparent, but Gosnell got a pass when he promised to fix them. Site reviews in 1992 and 1993 also noted various violations, but again failed to ensure they were corrected.
But at least the department had been doing something up to that point, however ineffectual. After 1993, even that pro forma effort came to an end. Not because of
administrative ennui, although there had been plenty. Instead, the Pennsylvania
Department of Health abruptly decided, for political reasons, to stop inspecting abortion
clinics at all. The politics in question were not anti-abortion, but pro. With the change of
administration from Governor Casey to Governor Ridge, officials concluded that
inspections would be “putting a barrier up to women” seeking abortions. Better to leave
clinics to do as they pleased, even though, as Gosnell proved, that meant both women and
babies would pay.
The only exception to this live-and-let-die policy was supposed to be for
complaints dumped directly on the department’s doorstep. Those, at least, would be
investigated. Except that there were complaints about Gosnell, repeatedly. Several
different attorneys, representing women injured by Gosnell, contacted the department. A
doctor from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia hand-delivered a complaint, advising the
department that numerous patients he had referred for abortions came back from Gosnell
with the same venereal disease. The medical examiner of Delaware County informed the department that Gosnell had performed an illegal abortion on a 14-year-old girl carrying
a 30-week-old baby. And the department received official notice that a woman named
Karnamaya Mongar had died at Gosnell’s hands.
Yet not one of these alarm bells – not even Mrs. Mongar’s death – prompted the
department to look at Gosnell or the Women’s Medical Society. Only after the raid
occurred, and the story hit the press, did the department choose to act.”
Isn’t it sad and strange that a black doctor who COULD be such a role model, Dr Ben Carson, is attacked by the Left because he is a Christian and doesn’t believe in gay marriage or fornication. But a black doctor who kills his own people is ignored or worse, given some kind of justification by the defenders of abortion.
We struggle against the ruler of the darkness of this age (Eph 6:12). The minds of those who oppose us are darkened by him (Eph 4:18).
At my high school reunion, my classmates told me they really appreciated my posts. Turns out one of the started Our Lady’s Inn where I volunteer.
One of my favorite local charities. I ought to send a donation. When I was in grad school, our newman center would volunteer there once in a while, to clean rooms, beautify landscaping, etc. God blesses so many mothers through OLI.
wonderful! We never know what seeds planted will bloom! Sometimes I get a little nervous about sharing but hey if they don’t like it they can unfriend me I guess! It could make a difference in a positive way so I keep that in mind.
That would be an impossible standard. But maybe they are not unanimous about one of the charges and thus taking a lot of time? One one renegade juror who thinks real court is like CSI and everything is proved beyond ANY doubt…I think that’s why Casey Anthony got off. The bar is too high.