tdaxp

"Where's that religious fanatic we elected?," by Ann Coulter, World Net Daily, http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42574, 26 January 2005 (from Sibby Online).

I'm a fan of many of Steve Sibson's comments over at CCK, but I disagree with him here. He quotes approvingly from a Coulter article

The only thing we need to do now is to start "changing laws." A culture of life cannot even begin – much less be sustained – until we change the law and repeal Roe v. Wade. Only then can we tally up how many hearts have been changed.

If, right now, pro-lifers had already succeeded in changing the hearts of every last person in America – including Hillary Clinton! – abortion would still be legal in every state of the union. It's a "constitutional right" – taking its place alongside all those other "sad," "tragic" rights guaranteed by the Constitution, such as religious expression, free speech, freedom of assembly and so on. Who was it who said, "Free speech should be safe, legal and rare"?

After a certain point, abortion is infanticide. And if we call infanticide "murder" the moment after birth, then it is murder the moment before birth. But Coulter's wrong on two related counts.

She lampons the argument that there is a Constitutional right to abortion, noting how other rights aren't "sad," "tragic" or should be "rare."

But Article I, Section 8, Clause 4 of the U.S. Constitution mandates that Congress protect a right that in a better world would never be needed

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States

Even those who felt the Bill of Rights was superfluous insisted that Bankruptcy be protected by the U.S. government. Under British law, not paying debts meant one would be treated like a thief. Madison wanted to create a society in which bankruptcy was safe, legal, and rare.

Likewise, a culture of life can clearly begin without changing the laws, just as a culture of fiscal prudence can exist without the repeal of a certain clause in the Constitution.

Late term abortion is infanticide. Coulter is a demagogue. Both were true yesterday, and true today, and will be true tomorrow.