Pro-Life Women In History

Floor Speech

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Mr. FLEMING. I want to thank the gentlelady, Mrs. Schmidt, for giving me the opportunity to speak on this subject.

Of course, for those who are in the audience, in the gallery, the question is probably, What does this guy know about National Women's History Month? Certainly, what does he know about women in general?

Well, what I can tell you is that a very important woman in my life gave me life, itself--my mother. She passed away many years ago, but, obviously, she is someone I can never forget. I have a wife of almost 32 years, and I also have two daughters, one of whom has gifted to me two grandsons. So I think I know something about the appreciation of women when it comes to National Women's History Month. Let me just mention about abortion and about my pro-life stance.

Mr. Speaker, I really oppose abortion for four reasons. Number one, I am a Christian. I believe that only God can give or can take away innocent life. That is within his prerogative and within his power and his only.

Number two, as a physician, practicing for over 30 years, I believe in the protection of life. I don't see any way that abortion could be considered health care. Health care and abortion are totally different things.

Number three, as a scientist, I understand that, at the moment of conception, the unique DNA combination that results remains unique into history. That unique person can never be replicated by anyone else.

Number four, as a person, I believe that the only way that one can accept abortion is through something we call dehumanization. What do I mean by that? We human beings have the distinct ability to think of other human beings in a less than human way. What are some examples of this? Well, oftentimes, those who were pro-slavery gave certain explanations which would suggest that slaves were somehow less than human beings. Certainly, during the pre-World War II period and during World War II, we know that the Nazis used a similar characterization in order to justify what they did to the Jewish people and to many others.

I think that we have to deal with that today, that to accept taking innocent life, even if it is preborn, requires dehumanization, and I think we need to come to that recognition.

If we accept that the unborn child is indeed a human, then I don't see any way we can justify taking that innocent life.

I also stand today, Mr. Speaker, to just briefly mention that I think abortion is exploitive of women. There are a lot of reasons for this, and I will just speak to the area of health care.

Today, there are more than 3,000 American mothers who are victimized by a procedure, abortion, that ends the lives of small children, the small children they carry. The harm to women is real and the physical ramifications are significant.

As a physician, I can tell you that women who have abortions are more likely to experience more infertility, ectopic pregnancies, stillbirths, miscarriages, and premature births than other women who have not had abortions.

Studies have shown that women having had abortions are 3.5 times more likely to die in the following year; six times more likely to die of suicide; 7 to 15-fold more likely to have placenta previa in a subsequent pregnancy, which is a life-threatening condition for the mother and the baby, and which increases, of course, the chance of death or stillbirth; and twice as likely to have preterm or postterm deliveries--and pre-term delivery increases the risk of neonatal death and certainly handicaps.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the gentlelady giving me an opportunity to speak on this subject. I think that anytime we think about women, we have to think about moms, and anytime we think about moms, we have to think about children, and those children, of course, are children, in my opinion, from the moment of conception. That is when life begins. And anything that disrupts that deliberately that is not of the nature of God is indeed the taking of innocent life and is not health care.

So I thank the gentlelady, and appreciate the time you have given me today.

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