Children of the Corn(huskers)

from Family Research Council

After two years of the most pro-abortion administration in history, more states are taking pains to relieve the unborn of theirs. Yesterday, Nebraska made good on its promise to drive a stake directly into the heart of the state's abortion business. With the overwhelming support of his legislature, Gov. Dave Heineman (R) signed two bills into law that could revolutionize the pro-life debate nationwide.

The first law requires women to undergo a mental health screening before they abort their babies. The second, which even the Associated Press called "groundbreaking," is an outright ban on abortion from 20 weeks on. Based on nine scientific studies, pro-life leaders argued that late-term babies can feel pain and, as such, should not be victims of abortion violence. Interestingly enough, the idea came about as a strategy for driving Dr. LeRoy Carhart, an ally of the late George Tiller, out of Nebraska. Carhart, one of the few who still perform barbaric late-term abortions, promised to carry on Tiller's gruesome legacy. Pro-lifers saw this as one way to force him to pack up and relocate.

Both laws are the first of their kind--but, given the interest of other states, probably not the last. Several governors have been eyeing Nebraska's debate to see if they should follow suit--or, more accurately, lawsuit. Irate at the prospect of losing business, national organizations like NARAL and Planned Parenthood have hunkered down to plot a major legal challenge. No matter how the courtroom drama unfolds, this is a sweeping victory in the court of public opinion. Even if judges manage to overturn the law, Nebraska has succeeded in sparking a national dialogue about fetal pain in a country that's reached a pro-life tipping point.

Whether by ultrasounds or the science of sensory development, the Cornhuskers are helping to tug on the sensibilities of more Americans. In a country where even criminals are executed humanely, this should trigger some key questions. If we spare these offenders the pain of their deaths, how much more should we be concerned about the suffering of these innocent and viable human beings? Barring some judicial intervention, the law is scheduled to go into effect this October.