Putting an End to a Barbaric, Infanticidal Practice.

"I am pleased that the Supreme Court upheld a law that prohibits the abhorrent procedure of partial-birth abortion. Today's decision affirms that the Constitution does not stand in the way of the people's representatives enacting laws reflecting the compassion and humanity of America. The partial-birth abortion ban, which an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress passed and I signed into law, represents a commitment to building a culture of life in America.

"The Supreme Court's decision is an affirmation of the progress we have made over the past six years in protecting human dignity and upholding the sanctity of life. We will continue to work for the day when every child is welcomed in life and protected in law." -- President Bush, responding to the Supreme Court's decision upholding the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act

"Simply describing partial-birth abortion is enough to revolt a majority of Americans, who have asked time and again for the barbaric, infanticidal practice to end. Yesterday, the Supreme Court acknowledged them." -- From an editorial in the April 19 Washington Times

"If you have to dress something up to obfuscate the truth of what's in play, you can probably assume it's wrong." -- Columnist Kathleen Parker

Fourteen years is a long, long time to wait, but victory makes it all worthwhile. So many, many people, some of whom have passed on, were responsible for winning Gonzales v. Carhart. That includes, it is fascinating to note, those whose opinion on abortion is unknown to me.

I think, for example, of Judge Richard Conway Casey, who died in late March. For us the symbolism of the AP's lead sentence is hard to miss: "Richard Conway Casey, who was the nation's first blind federal trial judge and presided over high-profile cases including an abortion-law challenge and the Peter Gotti trial, has died at 74." Gotti, of course, was the boss of the Gambino crime family.

As the AP reported, "Casey had to overcome skeptics when he took on a load of 300 to 400 cases beginning in late 1997, using computer and audio technology while studying documents and preparing to speak in court." Some questioned, according to the AP, "whether a blind judge could accurately assess the credibility of a witness he could not see."