Rep. Warren Groen compares abortion to slavery: 'It's about ownership'
Wednesday, the New Hampshire House rejected an attempt to defund Planned Parenthood and other health care providers who provide abortion services. 76 Republicans voted with Democrats to defeat the measure, 216-142.
The prime sponsor, Rep. Warren Groen (R-Rochester), defended the legislation on the House floor by recounting the story of 18th century English abolitionist William Wilberforce. “Why would I bring slavery into this discussion?” Groen asked:
Because this is about ownership. If you’re the father of a child and you refuse to take part in the care and maintenance of that child, what are you called? You’re called a deadbeat dad, and it’s probably a decent term. Now if you’re the mother of that child and you decide that you’re not interested in the maintenance and care of that child and you decide to dispose of that child, what are you called? Well, you’re called pro-choice and you’re exercising your constitutional rights.
If the father decides he’s not interested, the full weight of the legal system is brought to bear on him to say, ‘you will provide.’ If the woman decides not to provide, the full weight of the legal system is brought to bear to make sure she gets to make that choice and dispose of that child. It’s not about responsibility, it’s about ownership.
That woman owns that child and she can dispose of it as she sees fit. Now there are some conditions. She can’t kill it when it’s in kindergarten. She has to do it before anybody’s seen the face. She has to do it before it has a name, before it has an address, before it has relationships. Then it’s legal and proper.
Though Groen had criticized the news media’s focus on Planned Parenthood, he singled out the group’s Manchester Health Center in his speech. “Every Thursday, at 24 Pennacook Street in Manchester, about 25 pre-born children die,” he said. “So I have a solution.”
“If there are lives that we just can’t be bothered with, let’s apply it to everyone, not just little babies,” Groen said. He suggested murdering substance abusers, prison inmates, parole violators and those on a waitlist for mental health services would be equivalent.
Are you repulsed by the ugliness of my suggestion? Are you horrified by the brutishness of this suggestion? I am. I’m simply taking the skeleton that has been built by the quality of life ethic and putting flesh on it. Should we support this? Because as ugly as my suggestions are, abortion is even uglier and we subsidize it with our taxpayer dollars. I say shame on us. God help us, Mr. Speaker. God help the State of New Hampshire.