Trent Lott: “the debate we are going to hear today on this partial-birth abortion issue is certainly not an easy one. It is a…”

“the debate we are going to hear today on this partial-birth abortion issue is certainly not an easy one. It is a discussion of matters that we really should not even have to talk about and should not have to deal with, not in this country, not in this day in age, not among people who profess regard for human rights. I cannot imagine a more blatant disregard of the most fundamental human right, the right to life, than this partial-birth abortion procedure. I will spare the Senate another graphic description of the procedure. I know the Senators know it by now. And more and more Americans are becoming familiar with this procedure. Without regard to religion, race, sex, philosophy, or party, people have to be horrified that this procedure is actually used as often as it is. All of us who have followed this debate over the past year must have by now permanent memories of what we have heard and seen. The almost-born baby, the surgical scissors, the dehumanizing terminology that transforms the killing into a medical procedure. I think there has, in the process, been a tremendous amount of misinformation--some might say disinformation. There are some facts we need to be made aware of. We were told that partial-birth abortions sometimes are necessary to protect the mother's health or fertility. I do not believe that is so. I think the facts do not bear that out.”