Northhampton News

Although the decision will not be final until June and the leaking of a Supreme Court document is unprecedented, it is a good sign that most of the U.S. Supreme Court justices at this time are inclined to follow the science.

Jan. 22, 1973 was one of the darkest days in American history. On that day, seven justices of the Supreme Court ruled that the right to life could merely be reduced to a decision of convenience.

The white supremist patron of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, used “family planning” to deliberately target minorities. That plan certainly came to fruition in Pennsylvania. According to recent statistics from the Department of Health, the African American and Latino populations of Pennsylvania suffer nearly 60 percent of all abortions in the commonwealth despite accounting for only about 18% of our populace.

Sanger was an outspoken proponent of eugenics throughout her entire life. She wrote a book entitled The Pivot of Civilization. In it she states, “Birth Control is the pivot of civilization… As a matter of fact, birth control has been accepted by the clearest thinking Eugenists as the most constructive and necessary means to racial health.”

Sanger didn’t stop there. She also advocated for abortions as a way to control the populations of those with special needs. “The most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective,” she wrote in one of her works. “Possible drastic and even Spartan methods may be forced upon American society if it continues complacently to encourage the chance and chaotic breeding that has resulted from our stupid, cruel sentimentalism.” 

Sanger would have been ecstatic if she were alive to see the Roe v. Wade decision. She would be even more ecstatic to see the evolution of talking points from Democratic Party leaders. Those talking points devolved from “safe, legal, and rare” to “taxpayer funded, anytime, for any reason.”

Another common talking point we hear is “My body. My choice.” But an abortion is not a decision that effects just one body. It ends the life of a body that doesn’t get a say in the matter. 

Thanks to President Trump, a conservative majority on the Supreme Court is set to right this historic wrong. 

Throughout my time as Pennsylvania lawmaker, there has been no more important issue to me than the right to life. 

The Heartbeat Bill was one of the first pieces of legislation that I introduced as a state senator in 2019. The legislation will require physicians to determine whether the baby has a heartbeat before proceeding with an abortion. If the baby has a heartbeat, then the abortion cannot be performed. This will eliminate the need to establish a gestational age in legislation and will reflect the science showing that more than 90 percent of pregnancies in which a heartbeat is detected are viable.

Current Pennsylvania law permits abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, regardless of whether a heartbeat is detected. The legislation retains current exceptions for the health of the mother.

Last year, I re-introduced the Heartbeat Bill in the state Senate. Rep. Stephanie Borowitz also introduced mirror legislation in the House. Heartbeat legislation has already been passed in 11 other states around the nation. 

If a person is pronounced dead when their heartbeat stops, why are they not considered alive when their heartbeat begins? 

Of course, in order to protect the unborn, Pennsylvania will also need a governor who understands the importance of safeguarding innocent life. As governor, I pledge to do everything in my power to support pro-life legislation and to ensure that Pennsylvanian children have the right to be born. 

Roe v. Wade is on the verge of being relegated to the ash heap of history. As the abortion debate rightfully returns to the states, Pennsylvania must be prepared to lead the nation in being a voice for the voiceless. 

Doug Mastriano serves as the Senator for Pennsylvania's 33rd District and is currently running for governor.