During the months I spent in the pro-life movement (which you can read about in this week's feature, "A Day in the Right to Life"), I heard a lot of complaining about conservative politicians lacking the courage of their pro-life convictions. But Missouri's Democrat Gov. Jay Nixon just proved liberals can be equally gutless when it comes to fetuses.
Missouri lawmakers passed a bill that requires
clinics to offer women a chance to see an ultrasound image of the fetus as well as listen to
the heartbeat. The consultation must take place in-person, not over-the-phone. Presumably because conservatives believe this decision isn't hard enough. Women will also be required to receive a physical description of the fetus, but, at that point, it's pretty much a ball of protoplasm shaped like a sea monkey. So maybe the plan won't work.
Nixon could have signed this into law or vetoed it. But he decided it was better to not get involved. So he announced that he wasn't going to touch the bill, allowing it to become law all on its own. He didn't want to lose all those pro-lifers who vote for Democrats, after all. Leadership!
The law goes into effect August 28.
Now that pro-lifers know that they can ram through whatever they want, we're sure they are already dreaming up laws for next session. Why stop with the physical descriptions and pictures of the fetus? By 2011, they'll make it a rule that women will be given one of those mall-kiosk cartoon portraits where everyone has an over-sized head. Here's what your kid would look like rollerskating at age 10. They'll be required to hang it on their refrigerator for the first trimester. Only then can they make an informed decision.
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