It is appropriate to acknowledge her contributions. Elaine Godrey explicitly identifies late-term abortionists such as Warren Hern as they truly are. “The Abortion Absolutist.” In her profile of the 84-year-old Hern in the Atlantic, she is unambiguous in her condemnation of his actions, yet at a deeper level, she admires what he does for women.
In her analysis, the author notes that Hern is reluctant to acknowledge any limit or red line. He extends the argument for women’s autonomy to its logical conclusion.
In his writings, Godrey notes that these later abortions represent a relatively uncommon subset of cases, and that they present the most challenging ethical and moral dilemmas. “These cases are those that even the most ardent advocates of abortion rights would typically prefer to avoid discussing.”
Indeed, even Frances Kissling, the founding president of the National Abortion Federation, the professional association for abortion providers, will draw a line. She expressed admiration for Hern and his dedication to women’s rights. However, she has reservations about the ethical implications of his work.
“Later abortions are ethically more serious than earlier abortions,” Kissling, who left NAF after a few years to head Catholics for Choice, told me – and only more so in cases involving women who have not received a serious fetal diagnosis. “My ethics are such that I would say to them, ‘I’m terribly sorry, but I cannot perform an abortion for you. I will do everything I can to help you get through the next two or three months, but I can’t do it,'” she said.
In the majority of cases, profiles of Hern discuss the termination of pregnancies in which the foetus exhibits severe abnormalities. Similarly, Godrey also engages in this practice. However, he differs from Hern in that he also performs abortions on women who have already given birth.
Abortions that follow devastating medical diagnoses may be easier for some people to understand. But Hern estimates that at least half, and sometimes more, of the women who come to the clinic do not have these diagnoses.
The proportion of cases in which the outcome was at least half and sometimes more was not quantified. In these other cases, the mothers and babies were both healthy.
Those who are pro-abortion are aware that even the indirect acknowledgement of Hern’s actions and their recipients carries a significant risk. The following paragraph elucidates the rationale behind this assertion.
During the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, when about 90 percent of abortions in America are performed, the appearance of the fetus ranges from a small clot of mucus to an alien-like ball of flesh. By 22 weeks, however, a human fetus has grown to about the size of a small cantaloupe. The procedures that Hern performs result in the removal of a body that, if seen, would cause a sharp pain of recognition. These are the abortions that provide fodder for the gruesome images on protest signs and billboards along Midwestern highways, images that can be difficult to look at for long.
The phrase “a sharp pang of recognition” is used to describe a sudden and intense feeling of familiarity. What other explanation could there be? This individual can be identified as one of the group in question.
Finally, a quotation from his early days as an abortionist provides evidence that Hern did not always have a heart three times too small.
He also had bad dreams. In the 1970s, doctors did not induce fetal demise during abortions, and once or twice, during a procedure at 15 or 16 weeks, he used forceps to remove a fetus with a still-beating heart. The heart beat for only a few seconds before stopping. But for a long time after that, a vision of that foetus would wake Hern from sleep. He could see it in his mind, the centimetre-long body and its heart: beating, beating, beating. In one dream, Hern bent his own body to shield his staff from a glimpse.
We will resume this discussion at a later date.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
