OPINION:
Maryland Democrats just got caught with their diapers down. They had sought to pass Senate Bill 669 with a provision against newborn babies that, if applied to puppies or kittens, would be a crime.
Introduced by Senator William C. Smith Jr., a progressive Democrat, the Pregnant Person’s Freedom Act of 2022 would have eliminated a mother’s duty to care for her baby throughout the perinatal period, which is commonly considered to extend for up to four weeks after birth. No longer would Mommy have to drop her unwanted baby off on the church steps. Under this bill, she could just park the newborn infant in a crib, head off on a 28-day cruise and call the maid to go clean out the corpse as the ship docks. Under the measure, any criminal penalty for failing to care for the child is prohibited. In fact, if a neighbor hears the wails of the dying baby and the police investigate, each could be sued by the “pregnant person” perpetrator for money damages.
Public outrage made Democrats drop “perinatal” from their bill, but voters in Maryland should note that while Democrats crow all day long may about cradle-to-grave care for all, they just tried to make it legal under state law to deny any and all medical care to Maryland’s babies, from womb to cradle.
JOHN A. LANZETTA
Sarasota, Florida
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