The Journal

Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: Opinion/Editorial

Few people will argue a low rate of abortions are a bad thing. Achieving those results is a much more complex matter. Contrary to what the Missouri Legislature and the governor's office believe, the best way to limit abortions is to provide rational, comprehensive sex education and to provide cheap, reliable contraception to anyone that wants it.

Planned Parenthood filed a federal lawsuit to prevent legislation from closing abortion services in much of Missouri. The legislation would have required any facility that performs more than five first-trimester abortions, or any second or third-trimester abortions to meet the same requirements as an "ambulatory surgical center," according to the Southeast Missourian. The Columbia and Kansas City clinics fall under these new requirements, but were not previously considered abortion clinics.

The "ambulatory surgical center" requirements deal with door and hall dimensions, separate changing rooms for male and female personnel and a recovery room with space for four beds.

Missouri already regulates abortion clinics. In the past, half of the clinic's revenue or the its patients had to be from abortion services to be considered an abortion clinic. This new legislation only targets the Columbia and Kansas City Planned Parenthood clinics. Because of the new legislation standards these two clinics are now abortion clinics. In fact, surgical abortions have never been performed at the Kansas City clinic.

Another part of this bill outlaws people affiliated with abortion from teaching or supplying materials for sex education, and allows schools to offer abstinence-only education, according to the Southeast Missourian.

"We're doing our young people a disservice" by providing an abstinence-only sex education, said Susan Daily, director of Health Services. "The people that want this are burying their heads in the sand."

Abstinence is part of sex education, but not the only part. There is a disconnect between what parents believe and the reality behind their children's sexuality that needs to be addressed, said Daily.

What may be worse is that the legislature virtually admits this is political. Sen. Delbert Scott, R-Lowry City and one of the bill's lead sponsors, told the Associated Press that "abortion is our target here and we're trying to save the lives of our children."

Some may be skeptical of his sincerity, coming from the party that cut thousands of children from Medicaid at the request of Gov. Blunt. It seems many Republicans only care about children from conception to delivery.

Continued...

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