What You Should Know

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz

32nd Senatorial District, Bronx County, New York

Tel. 718-991-3161

Governor Cuomo's Abortion Expansion Plans

You should know that although Governor Andrew Cuomo's Women's Equality Agenda contains nine provisions that are very good, there is one provision that will expand abortion practice in New York State. Governor Cuomo's bill will immediately permit abortion up to nine months; it will permit non-doctors to perform abortion; it will eliminate laws that would jail abortionists like Kermit Gosnell.

You should know that much to our disgrace, New York is already known as the abortion capital of our nation. One in every three pregnancies in New York already ends in abortion. In Black and Hispanic communities, abortion rates are close to 60 percent! Since most New Yorkers want abortion to be rare, I cannot understand why Governor Cuomo would highlight this sort of legislation to increase abortion in a package of bills that would promote equality for women.

I completely agree with my dear friend, Cardinal Dolan, who stressed: "The direct taking of the life of a child in the womb in no way enhances a woman’s dignity."

There is no legitimate excuse why the nine good provisions of the Women's Equality Agenda, which include gender-based discrimination and pay inequity cannot be voted on as separate legislation.

There is no reason at all why the nine good provisions of the Women's Equality Agenda should be tied to legislation that would decriminalize violence against the unborn - as when abusive men beat up their pregnant wives or girlfriends so they can miscarry. Under Cuomo's bill, those crimes could go unpunished!

There is no excuse whatsoever for victims of domestic violence or sex trafficking to be held hostage to Governor Cuomo's need to expand abortion in New York State.

Many pregnancies after 24 weeks result in live births where preemies are nourished in intensive-care-units and sent home as cherished newborns. Governor Cuomo's law would not equally protect these young lives.

Ladies and gentlemen, I want to be very clear and say that the dignity of women in New York deserves to be promoted, and any legislation that will help to build equality should be supported. I also want to be very clear that our children are our treasures and their lives deserve to be protected.

Most New Yorkers do not support late-term abortion, and most New Yorkers want abortion to be rare. Any effort by Governor Cuomo or any elected official to promote, expand, or sanction abortion to drive the already staggering abortion rates even higher must be opposed.

We cannot let Governor Cuomo present this agenda as a "take-it-or-leave-it" package so that nine good provisions are sacrificed because they are joined with one heinous piece of legislation to expand abortion.

These government-sanctioned acts of killing innocent babies remind me of the orders given by Egyptian Pharaohs in the Old Testament and of King Herod of Judea in the New Testament. I am also afraid that through this legislation, by allowing non-physicians and just about any health practitioners to perform abortions, Governor Cuomo will put women's lives at risk instead of actually protecting them.

This is Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.