REFERENDUM DEBATE

SLIGO’S MAURA MCCAUGHEY IS A PRO-LIFE CAMPAIGNER

THOSE pushing a “yes” vote in the abortion referendum are happy to talk about anything and everything except what a “yes” vote will lead to.

They will talk about Facebook ads, and about referendum posters, and about “compassion”. But they won’t talk about the proposed abortion law that the referendum is designed to allow.

There’s good reason for their reluctance. The proposed law is horrific. It allows for completely unrestricted abortion throughout the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

This is even more unrestricted than in Britain, where 92% of the 185,000 abortions a year take place in the first 12 weeks. The law goes further though. It allows for broadly accessible abortion up to 24 weeks in pregnancy, and even abortion up to birth.

It’s incredible to think that the Government has put this proposal forward. But this is its actual proposal. It has been published and it’s available for everyone to see.

Because it’s so extreme Government Ministers and abortion campaigners are trying to misrepresent it. They are trying to claim that after 12 weeks abortion will be restrictive. But the proposed law allows abortion past 12 weeks on the grounds of “mental health”. This is the same ground that accounts for 98% of all British abortions.

One baby is aborted in Britain for every four that are born. 90% of children diagnosed with Down syndrome in Britain are aborted. That’s the sort of “healthcare” system a passed referendum will lead to.

This referendum is not about the hard cases. The Government could have had that type of referendum but it chose instead a referendum on abortion on demand.

Its proposal is that we completely delete all trace of unborn children’s right to life, right throughout pregnancy.

If we pass this referendum we will be the first country in the world to take a right out of its constitution.

The referendum needs to be this radical in order to allow the extreme abortion law the Government wants to pass.

There’s absolutely no justification for what the Government is proposing. Abortion is not healthcare. Without abortion Ireland ranks as the sixth safest country in the world for women to give birth in. Even “yes” campaigners acknowledge that we have an outstanding track record in this regard.

The 8th Amendment, which protects the right to life of unborn babies, has helped saved thousands of lives in this country.

We have shown that it is possible to care for both mothers and babies. What’s wrong with protecting both?

Ultimately abortion campaigners try to deny the humanity of babies in the womb. But by 10 weeks an unborn child already has a beating heart, a developing brain, a mouth, eyes, and fingerprints. She deserves at least some rights. But she won’t have any if the referendum passes.

For authentic compassion and genuine care, we must vote “No” to the Government’s extreme proposals. Sometimes “no” is the most positive thing to say.