Read on Twitter
1. In Defense of Dr. Torres’ Cord-cutting:
Here’s an unpopular opinion: abortion doc Leah Torres didn’t imply that she cuts babies’ vocal cords. She cuts their umbilical cords. And in the context of dismemberment abortion, this speaks better of her, not worse
Here’s an unpopular opinion: abortion doc Leah Torres didn’t imply that she cuts babies’ vocal cords. She cuts their umbilical cords. And in the context of dismemberment abortion, this speaks better of her, not worse
2. For those of you who are still reading, here’s some background. Abortionist Leah Torres, M.D. is widely loathed and even feared within the pro-life community.
3. In fact, undercover journalist @daviddaleiden has said he declined to investigate her Utah clinic in 2015 because “their abortion doctors were the only ones who actually scared me.” https://bit.ly/39auRUk
4. Pro-life activist @AbbyJohnson, upon learning that Torres’ Alabama medical license had been suspended, tweeted: “I don’t know that there is a more vile abortionist than Leah Torres…and I have known many.” https://bit.ly/2XlzIw6
5. The common reference, in this case, was Torres’ March 2018 response to a heckler on Twitter, who had asked if she hears the screams of the babies she’s aborted.
6. “You know fetuses can’t scream, right?” Torres replied. “I transect the cord 1st so there’s really no opportunity, if they’re even far enough along to have a larynx.”
7. As an aside: fetuses can scream at some point in gestation--it's called "vagitus uterinus"
8. Also see this video and paper on fetal crying: https://twitter.com/realBockmann/status/1315258083745071104?s=20
9. Though Torres removed the tweet shortly thereafter, so as not to inhibit pro-life and pro-choice dialog, pro-life Twitter and media had already begun convulsing with outrage at the inhumanity. https://bit.ly/3q2a8sx
10. She cuts the babies’ vocal cords so they can’t scream?
Somehow, even knowing late abortion entails ripping the unborn child apart in her mother’s womb, cutting her vocal cords seemed especially personal and gruesome, and pro-lifers have never forgotten that horrible tweet.
Somehow, even knowing late abortion entails ripping the unborn child apart in her mother’s womb, cutting her vocal cords seemed especially personal and gruesome, and pro-lifers have never forgotten that horrible tweet.
11. So in September, when Torres’ medical license application was denied, many headlines identified her as some version of, “Abortionist Who Bragged/Gloated/Boasted Babies Can’t Scream Because She Cuts Their Cord/Cords/Vocal Cords.” And the revulsion began again:
12. “Leah Torres is a bottom feeder and a stain on our society,” said one.
“I don’t think you can interpret what she said any other way besides she wanted the reader to picture her severing the vocal cords,” said another.
“I don’t think you can interpret what she said any other way besides she wanted the reader to picture her severing the vocal cords,” said another.
13. To which I say, sure, Torres may be a “bottom feeder”, but people can change. I want her on our team.
And yes, you can interpret what she said in a way other than “severing the vocal cords”. I did.
And yes, you can interpret what she said in a way other than “severing the vocal cords”. I did.
14. I probably alienated some of our pro-life allies in expressing this, and I understand why.
Abortion is an emotional, obscure topic; Torres was being flippant about a lesser-known method of killing, and I was defending her. Misunderstanding and outrage were inevitable.
Abortion is an emotional, obscure topic; Torres was being flippant about a lesser-known method of killing, and I was defending her. Misunderstanding and outrage were inevitable.
15. Even so, we need to be clear about our purpose: ending abortion.
Yes, she trolls us. But we must ask ourselves what Martin Luther King, Jr. asked those in his nonviolence workshops: “Are you able to endure blows without retaliating?” https://bit.ly/3jt8AnM
Yes, she trolls us. But we must ask ourselves what Martin Luther King, Jr. asked those in his nonviolence workshops: “Are you able to endure blows without retaliating?” https://bit.ly/3jt8AnM
16. If we want to end abortion, as MLK helped end segregation, then our answer and our actions must be, “Yes.”
We should let the horror of abortion be Torres' problem instead of becoming the problem ourselves.
We should let the horror of abortion be Torres' problem instead of becoming the problem ourselves.
17. On that note: I think many people desperately want to have their minds expanded or even changed, but they will not submit to someone they loathe. Nor should they.
18. What now? We need facts so we can put this behind us.
The fact is, Torres didn’t mean that she cuts the vocal cords. She meant that she cuts the umbilical cord, which exsanguinates—bleeds the child to death—before she’s delivered in pieces. Here are the clues:
The fact is, Torres didn’t mean that she cuts the vocal cords. She meant that she cuts the umbilical cord, which exsanguinates—bleeds the child to death—before she’s delivered in pieces. Here are the clues:
19.
Unless it was a typo, “transect the cord”, singular, could not refer to transecting the vocal cords, plural.
Unless it was a typo, “transect the cord”, singular, could not refer to transecting the vocal cords, plural.
20.
Among abortionists, pre-abortion umbilical cord transection is a well-known procedure http://bit.ly/32uBLBu
Among abortionists, pre-abortion umbilical cord transection is a well-known procedure http://bit.ly/32uBLBu
21.
On Twitter, Torres confirmed she was referring to “the umbilical cord” https://bit.ly/3s9ngxE —although in the second tweet https://bit.ly/2LvVaMn , she incorrectly added that fetuses don’t scream because “their lungs aren’t present”.
On Twitter, Torres confirmed she was referring to “the umbilical cord” https://bit.ly/3s9ngxE —although in the second tweet https://bit.ly/2LvVaMn , she incorrectly added that fetuses don’t scream because “their lungs aren’t present”.
22. In fact, their lungs are present—the fetus begins breathing movements at 10 weeks’ gestation—but that’s another topic. https://bit.ly/3bXkQd2
23. Torres also confirmed her meaning to Australian pro-lifer Dave Pellowe shortly after the tweet. If you haven’t seen his interview with her, I recommend it. https://goodsauce.news/i-spent-an-hour-discussing-the-meaning-of-life-with-the-abortion-provider-and-activist-dr-leah-torres/
24. So what about her preventing babies from screaming?
Torres was implying that umbilical cord transection rendered the “screaming” question moot by killing the baby.
Torres was implying that umbilical cord transection rendered the “screaming” question moot by killing the baby.
25. As I mentioned above, some abortionists transect the cord to exsanguinate the fetus before D&E (dismemberment) abortion. Even a 12-week fetus may feel pain. Though exsanguination takes minutes, it would be less painful for her than dismemberment alone. http://bit.ly/38stp0h
26. Oddly enough: if we believe that fetal pain matters, then transecting the cord is a tiny act of humanity in a cold-blooded murder.
27. And even though Torres would certainly deny that she transects the cord out of concern for the fetus, it’s still a step in the right direction.
28. No matter what you think of Leah Torres, though, thanks for reading, and thanks for your patience as we learn together. Let’s put that tweet behind us.
