Trump's statement yesterday was a kick in the gut.

[Shoonra]

16. This talk about 9th month abortions overlooks a fact.

All the bleating about very late term abortions completely miss a couple of facts:

First, a very late term abortion means the woman has put up with the first 8 months of pregnancy - the bloating, the nausea, the weight gain, the stretch marks, the internal stretching, etc. etc., and then opted for an abortion only after going through all of that. It ought to be obvious that she decided (more or less) AGAINST an abortion much earlier and now seeks a very late abortion only because some desperate situation has developed late in the pregnancy. In other words, this is not a wanted abortion, it's not an optional abortion. It is essentially being forced upon the woman because of some exigency such as real danger to herself or real defect in the fetus. Blocking such an abortion is about as sensible as slashing the tires of an ambulance.

Second, one of the necessary ingredients of a very late term abortion is a doctor. Yes, a real MD. He or she has to perform the abortion; the pregnant woman can't do it by herself. Presumably the doctor, certainly this applies to most doctors, has a sense of professionalism and would not perform such a complex and risky (and, let's face it, ugly) procedure for anything less than compelling reasons. As a generality, if the doctor is willing to perform a very late term abortion then presumably the abortion is justifiable under the circumstances.

A very late term abortion is not a source of amusement, it's not a form of birth control, it's not a decision made lightly (especially after enduring several months of pregnancy) -- it is a medical emergency occurring in dire circumstances. And politicians and preachers are not invited to join the medical consult.