This November 5, Virginia voters across the state have the opportunity to let Delegate Kathy Tran and Governor Ralph Northam know that they reject their abortion extremism, as exemplified by her disgusting comments in January in favor of abortion up until the moment of birth, and Northam seemingly endorsing infanticide, by saying a “discussion would ensue” about what to do with a baby born with fetal abnormalities. Their comments embarrassed the state of Virginia and should be taken heavily into consideration when voters go to the polls.
Although Northam is not on the ballot this Fall, and Tran’s race is only one district, every candidate in Virginia should be held accountable for whether they support the Repeal Act and Northam’s comments about making a baby born during an abortion comfortable as the infant dies, which adds up to support for infanticide.
Shockingly, his comments were then echoed by other pro-choice politicians who likely want the Democratic Party to officially support infanticide in 2020 and led to Students for Life Action teaming with pro-life groups across the country to hold “Resist Infanticide” rallies.
Twenty-two elected officials, 20 House members, and two Senate members signed on to endorse the Repeal Act, and each must be held accountable for what they endorsed. The views endorsed in the Repeal Act and by the now disgraced Governor Ralph Northam are far outside the mainstream of political thought. Furthermore, they represent a slide toward the further debasement of human life, by endorsing the idea that possible special needs in a human being justify killing it.
Consider that a poll by the Institute for Pro-Life Advancement, the research arm of Students for Life of America, found that only 7% of Millennials support the aims of the Repeal Act, which would allow for abortion up until the moment of birth. A 2018 Gallup poll found that only 13% supported third-trimester abortions, and we can assume that even fewer people would support dilation-abortions, like the kind Kathy Tran embarrassingly endorsed during questioning by Delegate Todd Gilbert.
People across the political spectrum can hold differing views on abortion and how best to help women in need. As a pro-life organization, Students for Life Action wants to protect preborn babies and create a post-Roe society that supports women, babies, and families in need, while also ending the horrific violence of abortion.
But even pro-choice voters or those who are not sure where they stand should stand against the disgusting and embarrassing comments and ideas pushed by Tran and Northam and reject the abortion extremism inherent in their agenda.
The debasement of human life and callousness towards human dignity is why groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL proudly boast of trying to get the courts to allow for targeted abortions, such as abortions when a child could be born with Down syndrome or spina bifida. Groups like this even oppose basic dignity laws, such as requiring a proper burial of aborted babies, which would be conducted by churches and other non-profits and not have to involve the mother of the child.
In the Fall, there will be a lot of issues that will be central in campaign ads, op-eds, and candidate platforms. We know there are issues that matter to Virginians like transportation and congestion, gun violence and gun rights, and education policy. But this election, we must focus on the importance of protecting Virginia and human decency by opposing the Tran-Northam infanticide agenda, which embarrassed the Old Dominion and made us the laughingstock of the country. This election, oppose abortion extremism and hold our politicians accountable for the dangerous abortion ideas that they tried to force on the state of Virginia.