Georgia Abortion Laws: Quotes From Heated Debate

Abortion laws continue to prompt debate from both sides of the issue in Georgia.

Here are some quotes from the debate.

“Whether abortion is legal, available or criminalized, women will continue to have abortions. As it becomes less and less available, as a result of laws like Georgia’s, it will not stop women from having those abortions. It will make them more dangerous for some women.”
— Lynn Paltrow, founder of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, WABE-FM, in response to a study about Georgia’s law reducing the amount of time a woman can get a legal abortion to 20 weeks from fertilization

Vote Now: Do You Support Tougher Regulations on Abortion Clinics?

"I think ultimately if the goal here is that we want to prevent children from being killed in very painful abortion procedures, then any reduction in abortions is a win."
— Joshua Edmonds, education director for Georgia Right to Life, WABE-FM, regarding the state’s law limiting abortion to within 20 weeks from fertilization

In June 2015, an Albany, Georgia, woman was jailed and charged with murder after she was accused of taking medication to terminate her pregnancy. She gave birth in her car and the baby died about 30 minutes later, according to The Washington Post. Those charges were later dropped.

"Although third parties could be criminally prosecuted for their actions relating to an illegal abortion, as the law currently stands in Georgia, criminal prosecution of a pregnant woman for her own actions against her unborn child does not seem permitted."
— Dougherty County District Attorney Greg Edwards, The Washington Post.

“The family is poor, so there’s not a lot of funds and everything. She felt like she didn’t have any money to get an abortion the legal way, and so as a result of not having money and being in a position of no resources, she ended up doing it the illegal way to not bring another child in the world … to not burden anyone else or burden herself.”
— Ricco Riggins, whose sister was charged with murder before the charges were dropped, The Washington Post

Vote Here: Should Abortion Clinics Be Subject to Tougher Regulations?

Related Stories:

• Abortion: 5 Pro-Choice Arguments Made by Christians
• Abortion: 5 Pro-Life Arguments Made by Christians