Abortion

Anti-Choice “Scholar” Explains How to Regulate Abortion Out of Existence

Speaking at the Value Voters Summit, Michael New describes how to tighten regulations until abortion is inaccessible.

Michael New. Photo: Issues, Etc.™

When abortion is restricted, only rich people will get abortions. That’s the theory put forth by anti-choice scholar Michael New, who, when speaking at the Value Voters Summit explained how the increased regulations for women before they obtain an abortion serve to raise costs enough that more women can’t afford them.

Via The American Independent:

“The best thing you can do when you get home is support a variety of state pro-life bills, and essentially, if your state has them, they can be strengthened,” New, a University of Michigan-Dearborn professor who is an adjunct scholar for the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute, said during a September 15 presentation at the summit. “You can defund abortion by stopping Medicaid funding or by defunding Planned Parenthood. You can strengthen parental-involvement laws, by requiring both parents to be involved. You can strengthen informed-consent laws: Require the woman to see an ultrasound, or require two trips to the clinic. That raises the costs; that stops the abortion from happening. You can lengthen the waiting period. Don’t be like the other states that do 24, 48, 72 hours. Do it for nine months—that’ll stop abortions in your state. I guarantee it.”

New’s comments are part of his “demand side” method to limiting a woman’s right to a legal abortion—creating so many barriers that the pregnant woman cannot access the procedure. New also believes that “supply side” action is the new approach to eliminating abortion, and that TRAP laws are the way to make that occur. As he wrote in Lifenews in July:

One interesting development is that there has been a subtle shift in pro-life legal strategies in recent years. In the years since Roe v. Wade, pro-lifers have mostly focused on what could be called “demand side” legislation. In short, legislation that was designed to make it more difficult for women to obtain abortions by either imposing legal barriers or increasing the economic costs of abortion. However, in recent years, pro-lifers have pursued what could be termed “supply side” strategies.

These are strategies that are designed to make it more difficult for abortion providers to either stay open or perform abortions.

Overall this has been a wise strategy for pro-lifers. The deplorable conditions found in Kermit Gosnell’s abortion clinic and the LiveAction videos documenting Planned Parenthood employees engaging is misconduct have created a compelling case for stronger regulation of abortion clinics. Better yet, good research shows that fewer clinics results in fewer abortions.

And to think, people argue that women’s reproductive rights aren’t an economic issue?  Here are the most basic economic principles at work.