{"id":164877,"date":"2017-04-14T12:06:16","date_gmt":"2017-04-14T16:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=164877"},"modified":"2017-04-14T01:13:20","modified_gmt":"2017-04-14T05:13:20","slug":"why-virginia-womans-third-trimester-self-abortion-should-make-us-question-abortion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/why-virginia-womans-third-trimester-self-abortion-should-make-us-question-abortion\/","title":{"rendered":"Why a Virginia woman’s third trimester self-abortion should make us question abortion"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

In early 2016, the remains of a baby aborted in the third trimester were found buried in the backyard of Richmond, Virginia, resident Michelle Frances Roberts. Since that time, an investigation into the child’s death has determined that the baby\u00a0died from “penetrating injuries to the head and maternal use of methadone, alprazolam and amphetamines,” an administrator at\u00a0the Chief Medical Examiner’s office in Richmond told the Richmond Times-Dispatch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Roberts has been indicted on the charge of “producing an abortion ‘with intent to destroy her child,’ a Class 4 felony.”<\/p>\n

According to an earlier article<\/a> by the Times-Dispatch, Roberts’ boyfriend’s mother informed police that “Roberts admitted in July 2015 that she was five months pregnant at the time and… Roberts was due to deliver in September or October 2015.” Then, in mid-October of 2015, the boyfriend’s mother “noticed that Roberts no longer appeared to be pregnant but Roberts did not directly confirm it.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This case is absolutely horrific. Surely, there are cries of outrage\u00a0from some segments of the public as is typical in a tragic case like this, calling for this woman\u00a0—\u00a0who self-aborted a baby who could have survived on his or her own — to be thrown in prison, or worse, for killing her baby.<\/p>\n

But while “intending to destroy a child” should certainly warrant serious charges, I must ask\u00a0the obvious here: isn’t every single abortion<\/em> intended to destroy a child? Or are we going to continue pretending that the idea of ‘terminating a pregnancy’ is\u00a0something shrouded in mystery?<\/p>\n

Abortion ends the life of a\u00a0human being<\/a>.\u00a0Perhaps the public cries out for justice in cases like this because no matter how steeped in pro-abortion propaganda our society becomes, somewhere, buried deep inside our psyches, lurks this truth. And\u00a0as pregnancy progresses, the public seems to become more and more uncomfortable with the idea of abortion<\/a>, regardless of political leanings.<\/p>\n

Some social media reactions to this particular story are below, and they seem to run the gamut of what you’d expect: one says, “Hey, what this woman did\u00a0is no different than abortion.” One cries out for justice (and mercy for the child). One says, “Hey, this isn’t like an abortion because abortion clinics can’t do them in the third trimester, and this was a\u00a0baby that felt pain!”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The third comment\u00a0here requires a response. Abortion clinics most certainly CAN commit\u00a0abortions in the third trimester, and they do. Meet Warren Hern<\/a>. Meet Shelley Sella<\/a>. Meet Curtis Boyd<\/a>. Meet LeRoy Carhart<\/a>. Meet Susan Robinson<\/a>. All of these abortionists commit abortions in the third trimester. Some have even<\/a> killed patients<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As to the statement that this baby “felt intense pain,” yes, that’s certainly likely, as most studies have shown that by 20 weeks gestation, if not sooner<\/a>, babies can feel pain.<\/p>\n

Abortion isn’t an insignificant surgical procedure. Women die from legal abortion<\/a>. Women are hospitalized<\/a> because of legal abortion<\/a>. Abortion itself is absolutely brutal. Former abortionist Dr. Anthony Levatino explains a common second trimester procedure, below. Such a procedure could certainly cause far more than “penetrating injuries to the head” of the child being aborted. This procedure is done up to 24 weeks of pregnancy:<\/p>\n