Tim Walz Repeats Lie Blaming Pro-Lifers For Woman Killed By Abortion Pills
The pro-life protections passed by GOP states do not criminalize treatments for spontaneous loss or complications.
Allie Beth Stuckey, an outspoken Christian and pro-life advocate who hosts "Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey" on BlazeTV, took to social media, asking for the opportunity to honor parents who made the brave choice to give their unborn babies life despite devastating prenatal diagnoses.
Stuckey's tweet came in response to the story of Kate Cox, a 31-year-old Texas woman going to great lengths for the chance to kill her unborn child via abortion. Cox's unborn child has been diagnosed with full trisomy 18, or Edwards' syndrome, a genetic condition which, though survivable, leads to death within one year in 90% of cases.
New pro-life laws in Texas protecting the unborn do not permit abortion in cases of fetal anomaly. The lone exception to the heartbeat bill is "a life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or arising from a pregnancy that places the [mother] at risk of death or poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function unless the abortion is performed or induced." Cox has argued that carrying her child to term may threaten her future fertility.
On Monday, the state supreme court determined that Cox could not legally obtain an abortion in Texas. Pro-life laws there "reflect the policy choice that the Legislature has made, and the courts must respect that choice," the court said in its decision. Cox has reportedly decided to head out of state to have an abortion elsewhere.
While the court's ruling focused mainly on the nuances of the statute, Stuckey decided to focus on the importance of valuing all human life, including unborn babies, such as Kate Cox's child, who may have a traumatic condition.
"It is possible to treat bab[ies] with fatal diagnoses with dignity," Stuckey tweeted on Wednesday. "Parents do it every day. They deliver them, hold them, and tell them that they love them, allowing the baby to die in their arms. "
Stuckey then invited parents with such stories to share them with her on X, "[w]ith a photo if you're willing."
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Users did not disappoint. Stuckey's post has been flooded with stories of all sorts, some of hopeful perseverance, others of heartbreaking loss, all with the joy and love that comes with the gift of life:
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As of Wednesday afternoon, Stuckey's post has 1,700 likes and over 100 comments, many of which agree with Stuckey's call to treat fatally ill babies "with dignity" by allowing them to pass away naturally, surrounded by loved ones, not at the hands of an abortionist.
Stuckey also directed users to Abel Speaks, an organization dedicated to assisting "parents who have chosen to carry a child with a life-limiting diagnosis."
"Every child’s life can be beautiful and meaningful, no matter the length," the organization's website reads. "On this road where you never thought you’d find yourself, you are not alone. We are here to walk with you."
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An Iowa-based volunteer organization calling itself the Iowa Jane Collective recently held "abortion doula" training and instructed participants on how to perform do-it-yourself abortions at home and support women seeking to terminate their pregnancies as states move to restrict the procedure.
In a special report for "The Steve Deace Show" on BlazeTV, host Steve Deace's daughter Anastasia Deace signed up for the training seminar, which was held virtually on July 9, and described how the group is seeking to provide underground abortion services to women after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its Roe v. Wade decision and permitted states to pass laws limiting or banning abortion.
The training was offered for free and advertised how participants would "Learn how to offer physical, emotional, and spiritual support to someone during their abortion process."
The group also provided "logistical information about different types of abortion procedures, where to get abortion care in Iowa, and payment options."
The Iowa Jane Collective encouraged participants to donate between $5 and $50 and suggested that "white folks who register for this training to donate at the higher end of this scale."
\u201cI couldn't hardly believe this the first time I saw it.\n\nMy daughter, Ana, recently uncovered an underground effort in Iowa to maintain the practice of baby killing through so-called "abortion doulas."\n\nWatch the rest of the segment: https://t.co/ihyRO4IfY2\u201d— Steve Deace (@Steve Deace) 1658259975
The name "Jane Collective" was adopted by various pro-abortion groups in the pre-Roe era when abortion was illegal in several states. Activists in the 1960s would assist women in obtaining secret abortions, often in unsafe conditions for fear of being discovered by law enforcement.
Groups like the Iowa Jane Collective have reorganized in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision to provide women with free contraception, pregnancy tests, and to assist them in obtaining abortion services should they wish to end their pregnancies.
"They cannot and will not stop us from protecting one another and providing each other with access to safe abortion. This court is illegitimate, our human rights are innate and NO MATTER WHAT WE PROTECT US!" the group declared on June 24 after the Supreme Court issued its abortion opinion.
\u201cThey cannot and will not stop us from protecting one another and providing each other with access to safe abortion. This court is illegitimate, our human rights are innate and NO MATTER WHAT WE PROTECT US!\u201d— The Iowa Jane Collective (@The Iowa Jane Collective) 1656080702
An "abortion doula" is "a person who provides compassionate and nonjudgmental support throughout an abortion experience," according to a slideshow presentation by the group that was recorded by Deace.
A CNN report published Wednesday explained that abortion doulas are not midwives or medical practitioners. Rather, they provide emotional support and information for women seeking abortion services. Examples may be holding a patient's hand during the procedure or providing advice and helping a woman schedule appointments with abortion centers.
In the Iowa Jane Collective training video, an instructor who uses "they/them" pronouns describes how using terms like "zygote, embryo, or fetus" is preferred when discussing abortions because the words "baby" or "child" carry connotations of personhood.
"It's not wrong for somebody to use the words 'baby' or 'child' when they're talking about a pregnancy, but, like, you don't necessarily want to using language that your client might be uncomfortable with," the instructor says.
The slideshow also covers "alternative methods of abortion" that women may pursue at home without the assistance of a licensed physician. It includes instruction on popular methods such as medication abortions — the two-drug regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol, which taken together cause miscarriage — as well as other techniques such as "herbal abortion" or "manual vacuum aspiration at home."
A manual vacuum aspiration is "a simple procedure done early in pregnancy, which uses the suction of a syringe to remove the pregnancy tissue from the uterus," according to Women's College Hospital. It is performed within the first seven to eight weeks after a woman's last period and involves using a thin tube "guided through the cervical opening into the uterus." A syringe is attached to the tube and used to remove the developing baby through suction.
Another slide describes how women may used "induced hyperthermia" to induce abortion — intentionally overheating their bodies with "hot baths, sauna, steam, a hot day, untreated fever, or vigorous exercise" to cause the baby to die. The slide mentions this technique "is most effective before 12 weeks, and often done in conjunction with other methods."
The role of an abortion doula is to talk through these options and assist women in obtaining abortions, which, depending on state laws, may be aiding and abetting illegal procedures. The instructor contrasted this work with pro-life pregnancy centers, which she accused of harboring an "agenda" to dissuade pregnant mothers from seeking an abortion.
Deace reported that 130 people joined the training session on July 9.
"That is 130 people who are not qualified, who do not have certificates, but who are bringing abortions and performing abortions to a neighbor near you," she said.
EVIL: Iowa Group Seeks to Train "Abortion Doulas" | Steve Deace Show youtu.be
The Iowa Jane Collective will host another training session sometime in August.
\u201cThank you so much to everyone who joined us for the abortion doula training! Stay tuned, we are scheduling another one for August \u2764\ufe0f\u201d— The Iowa Jane Collective (@The Iowa Jane Collective) 1657401132
Abortion is currently legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, after which it is only permitted in medical emergencies. However, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is seeking to have a court injunction against the state's fetal heartbeat law lifted, which would ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The governor has also successfully fought for law that establishes a 24-hour waiting period before a woman may obtain an abortion.
Dozens of locally elected prosecutors from all over the country, many from Democratic areas within red states, are refusing to enforce abortion restrictions that have now been legalized following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
After the court overturned its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision Friday — permitting pro-life state legislatures to enact abortion restrictions — 90 elected prosecutors collectively representing more than 91.5 million people from 31 states and territories and the District of Columbia declared their intention to ignore pro-life laws restricting abortion, calling them "a mockery of justice."
"We stand together in our firm belief that prosecutors have a responsibility to refrain from using limited criminal legal system resources to criminalize personal medical decisions," the prosecutors said in a joint statement organized by Fair and Just Prosecution, a left-leaning legal nonprofit.
"As such, we decline to use our offices' resources to criminalize reproductive heath decisions and commit to exercise our well-settled discretion and refrain from prosecuting those who seek, provide, or support abortions," the statement reads.
The actions of these pro-abortion attorneys will escalate a growing conflict between liberal prosecutors who support abortion rights and pro-life state attorneys general and legislatures who, in accordance with the will of voters, enact restrictions on abortion.
Many of the prosecutors who signed on to the joint statement are from 12 states where abortion is now banned or likely to be banned, including Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and others. They argue that prosecutorial discretion permits them to prioritize other crimes instead of pursuing cases against abortion providers.
Pro-life advocates harshly criticized their position. James Bopp Jr., the general counsel of the National Right to Life Committee, said the prosecutors' statement was "anti-democratic" in a statement to CNN. His organization has published model legislation for pro-life lawmakers that would enable state attorneys general to take up abortion cases when local prosecutors refuse to do so.
"They were not elected to decide what the law was," Bopp told CNN. "If they don't want to enforce these laws, then we'll have somebody else do it."
Some state attorneys general already possess the power to override local prosecutors. Alabama and Arizona are two states, among others, where the attorney general holds the power to supersede local prosecutors for any reason, according to Emory Law Journal. They each have elected Republican attorneys general and have laws banning abortion that may take effect after the Supreme Court's decision.
Florida, Michigan, and several other states give broad powers to state officials to override local prosecutors when they deem it to be in the public interest, Politico reported.
Republicans have criticized the abuse of prosecutorial discretion by Democratic prosecutors.
"We have no doubt they are sincere in their pledge to not do their jobs," a spokeswoman for Georgia attorney general Chris Carr told the Center Square after local district attorneys said they would not enforce the state's heartbeat bill.
"It's a dereliction of duty for district attorneys and solicitors to pre-emptively pick and choose which laws they will enforce," Carr spokeswoman Kara Richardson said. "It undermines the rule of law and erodes our system of self-governance."