The Born-Alive Act: Why Not?

Common Law, Common Sense in a Complex situation

Approach to the Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act passed by the House involves a complex of simple common sense questions, for none of which I have an answer.

The Born Alive Survivors Protection Act passed by our House has been attacked as an infringement on choice of women and an endangerment to the products of conception. Putting aside the more complicated issue of the minority of pregnancies that are induced by rape or incest, or with unsupportable fetal deformity, some aspects of this controversy are subject to questions of common sense, the basis of our traditions of common law.

The underlying event is an abortion, the intended ending of a potential human life. Most of these are due to a woman's decision not to have a child due to economic incapacity or inconvenience or perceived lack of options for support. Outside of the examples noted above, the pregnancy occurred as a conse…