Is Savita's death being used to advance a pro-abortion agenda in Ireland?

Interesting and very sad. I apprecaite the way the journalists for Irish Central are being much more careful about dividing opinion and fact in their reporting this week.

Eschetic--"Christ, as depicted in the Bible". Listen, buddy, we don't need your Bible thumping here.

Spin much? The way this reads, the woman died of septicemia as if it's a separate issue and had nothing to do with the fetus. But any responsible and OBJECTIVE journalist should then have asked whether the miscarriage caused the septicaemia or the septicaemia the miscarriage, or if the infection was a separate issue, which is possible, but the odds are very low. If a woman develops an infection in her womb, it can cause a miscarriage. The infection stimulates contractions and the waters break. In that case it can be imperative to remove the contents of the womb by inducing delivery of the non-viable fetus to protect the mother. Back in the '60's, my mother was in a Catholic hospital here in NY. She already had 5 kids and was carrying a 6th, Bottom line: My Father was given the choice to either try to save his wife (and mother of his 5 children), which required that they terminate the pregnancy, or they could try to save the 'baby.' But if they tried that, odds were slim for the "baby" and they would probably lose both. A Bishop was called in. He told my Father that only the fetus mattered. My Father disagreed. The fetus was lost, my Mother was saved, my Father was excommunicated. I'm just glad that there was a choice. So I guess that makes my father pro-abortion. To my way of thinking he made a Pro-life decision for his family. And I submit that no one had any right to butt in. Especially unmarried, and childless (well, mostly), men, whose opinions are based on their interpretation of a 6,000 year old book. Bottom line: These decisions are complex and deeply personal, while people should be encouraged to council with those closest to them, and weigh the decision they will have to live with, one way or the other, carefully, no one ultimately has the right to make it for them--nobody.

Bravo to those who are pointing out that it is not only natural but right that the tragic death of Savita Halappanava be the basis for a positive change in the laws of Ireland. The only GENUINE "Pro-Life" position is not anti-abortion but pro-choice. Even the TRADITIONAL church position agrees with the current standard of access to abortion (during the first trimester before the ganglia of the brain start to form - the "quickening"). It is only the superstitious bias of those who want to push the radical agenda of life beginning at conception (or before) rather than the mere *potential* for life who want to maintain the conditions which led to this woman's death - and that position Christ, as depicted in the Bible, would NEVER have condoned.

Good to see Mark Coleman writing here. I heard his radio show in Ireland a while back, way to go.

Nonsense, Colman! Pro-choice critics would urge precisely the same arguments even if all Catholics suddenly went silent on the matter. If you examine these arguments dispassionately (without your own "prejudice" and "political motivation"), you will find a concept of justice motivating them, secular justice for women, which also happens to be justice from a Christian perspective. The question you should be asking is "How can any Christian oppose moral autonomy for women?" As I wrote in response to one such person, "No doubt there are many blogs on which you can voice your opinion on Indian atrocities and criticisms of the Catholic Church, but this particular set of articles is not about that. I will not apologize for caring deeply, as many women do, about the legal disadvantages of women under Irish law. You seem unable to deal with the fact that such disadvantages exist." So you try, duplicitously, to shift discussion to anti-Catholicism. Savita's case is not about Catholicism pro or con. It's about the human rights of women! Why can't you deal with that?

There is no such thing as "pro-abortion" and the term is as stupid and annoying to us pro-choicers as I'm sure people calling you an "anti-choicer" instead of "pro-life" is to you. This entire article loses its validity due to the derogatory title.

And important information from culchiewoman, very well presented!

Well said, Tom Swinford, thank you!

The headline of this article is pro-stupid. As Vincent Browne said on his Irish TV programme, "No one is pro-abortion." To say otherwise is to redefine stupid. Abortion is never a happy decision. I believe that, without exception, it is wrenching and painful but sometimes necessary. What is far more repugnant to me is that we men - and we are mostly men - presume to exercise complete control over womens' bodies and womens' plumbing. In so doing we deny women that most basic of all human rights, the right of ownership of her own body. This is an insidious form of slavery. We must accept that women are capable of making rational decisions - they have been doing very well at this throughout human history, far better, I would argue than men. Is it more desirable to have between 30,000 and 40,000 babies die every single day day because they are not wanted or cannot be cared for? To the zealots it is. Down through the generations women have been denied many basic human rights. It is time to fix this. The world's population is in no danger of diminishing. Over population is one of the greatest challenges we face.

Culchiewoman....I do have a uterus so I do have a dog in this fight. I became pregnant 40 years ago in an inopportune time. There was no question...I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who has recently given me a beautiful grandson! So I know of what I speak! And if you think the pro-abortion groups are not using this sad situation for their benefit you are naive. As I have said numerous times and is stated in this article...the Catholic Church allows termination of the pregnancy if the mother's life is in danger. And hello, Portia! I see you have your usual vitriolic statements on the subject. Praying for you, dear.

"culchiewoman" - My God!!! That really IS some venom. I trust you feel much better now. If you are blowing into Dublin for a day trip any time in the future, will you please be good enough to let me know - I think I might go to Langton's in Kilkenny for lunch. Ooops, you are NOT from around there are you - just in case!

That is a given that they would use this incident to try and bring in the abortion law. It wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t help to create the circumstances of this young girl’s death so that there could be this very reaction into play! Problem, Reaction, Solution! Better known as the Heligan Dialectic! They create the problem, await public reaction and offer the solution that they always intended us to swallow!

Thank you Marc Coleman for your balanced honest approach to this very sad story. The exploitation by pro abortion advocates regarding this tragedy is sickening. In NYC a huge rally was held at Barnard College condemning this woman's doctors with no regard to the actual facts, par for the course for all the Universities in the U.S where it's all about a pro abortion, anti family, anti religious agenda. There is no freedom of speech tolerated on U.S. campuses, just progressive poison.

What people need to realize is that sadly women all over the world still die during childbirth – sometimes even in the best hospitals in the world – I have seen it. Uterine rupture, blood clots, DIC – and yes sepsis (plus tons of other reasons!!) - these are indiscriminant and horrible situations – effecting people of all socioeconomic status’ and races. The women die in pain and fear – and there is little even the best physician in the world can do for it. Physicians are not miracle workers. Unfortunately people don’t realize this and don’t seem to be educating themselves on this fact. If you decide to become pregnant and carry a child – yes – you might actually die. I knew it before delivering both of mine and guess what – I feel lucky every day to be alive after it – because as I KNOW what can happen with pregnancies. So everyone who is pushing their pro-abortion agenda – it does not fit with this situation. As I said above – abortion does NOT cure sepsis! Women all over the world die after abortions by the way – one of the main reasons is actually post-surgical sepsis. Once again – sometimes just a horrible luck of the draw - the pregnancy process itself or the termination can kill women either way. So I would never see the option for an abortion as saving a life in any way shape or form (especially for the innocent unborn). I mean seriously people , and I say this all the time , birth-control (all types) are readily available out there and if you don’t want a pregnancy – don’t do something that would get you pregnant – use prevention before you need to go under the knife and kill an innocent heartbeat. A little prevention goes a long way.