{"id":183171,"date":"2018-05-26T08:25:30","date_gmt":"2018-05-26T13:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=183171"},"modified":"2025-06-20T00:06:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T05:06:37","slug":"newsbreak-ireland-votes-to-legalize-abortion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/newsbreak-ireland-votes-to-legalize-abortion\/","title":{"rendered":"Ireland votes to legalize abortion, repeal the Eighth Amendment"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Yesterday, Irish citizens voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, legalizing abortion in Ireland. The Eighth Amendment, adopted in 1983, recognized the equal right to life of a preborn child and his or her mother. The vote to repeal these pro-life protections means that legislators in Ireland can now legalize abortions up to birth for any reason. Following the decision, children in Ireland tragically now do not have the right to life until birth. Estimates are that 10,000 more preborn babies will die<\/a> in abortions each year.<\/p>\n

The Save the 8th campaign issued the following statement today:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 8th amendment did not create a right to life for the unborn child \u2013 it merely acknowledged that such a right exists, has always existed, and will always exist.<\/p>\n

What Irish voters did yesterday is a tragedy of historic proportions. However, a wrong does not become right simply because a majority support it.<\/p>\n

We are so proud of all of those who stood with us in this campaign \u2013 our supporters, our donors, our families, and our loved ones. This campaign took a huge personal toll on all of us who were involved, and we have been so grateful for their support.<\/p>\n

The unborn child no longer has a right to life recognised by the Irish state. Shortly, legislation will be introduced that will allow babies to be killed in our country. We will oppose that legislation. If and when abortion clinics are opened in Ireland, because of the inability of the Government to keep their promise about a GP led service, we will oppose that as well. Every time an unborn child has his or her life ended in Ireland, we will oppose that, and make our voices known. Abortion was wrong yesterday. It remains wrong today. The constitution has changed, but the facts have not.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Under the Eighth Amendment, Ireland\u2019s recognition of the right to life of the preborn did not prohibit in any way doctors\u2019 interventions to treat life-threatening complications that can arise during pregnancy. Without resorting to violently killing the preborn baby through abortion, doctors have been able to effectively treat potentially life-threatening pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia, septicemia, and cancer, leading the United Nations\u00a0to rank<\/a>\u00a0Ireland as \u201cone of the safest places in the world for a mother to have a baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

As former abortionist Dr. Anthony Levatino explains, abortion is never necessary to save the life of the mother:<\/p>\n