The pro-statehood party of Puerto Rico, the New Progressive Party (PNP), seems to be operating from a position of convenience. When it demands the fact that Puerto Rico should become the 51st state of the Union, it rallies behind American flags and the US Constitution. But when it disagrees with US law in order to please their own conservative and predominantly Catholic base, in the end the PNP will do whatever it wants, even to the point of rejecting federal laws that they will so quickly defend.
The latest version of this Puerto Rican paradox is the issue of abortion. Last week, the Puerto Rican Senate approved a penal code that would prohibit abortions on the island. Yes, you read that right. If a woman in Puerto Rico has an abortion that does not harm her health or life, she should go to jail.
Here is the report from The Catholic News Agency:
San Juan, Puerto Rico, Oct 26, 2011 / 06:10 pm (CNA).- The Puerto Rico Senate passed a new penal code on Oct. 24 that keeps in place the territory’s prohibition against abortion.
The code will now be sent to the House of Representatives for debate.
Article 99 of the penal code stipulates that “any woman who procures and consumes any medicine, drug or substance, or who undergoes any operation, surgery or any other procedure for the purpose of causing an abortion, except in order to save her health or her life, shall be punished with a fixed prison sentence of two years.”
Abortion supporters argue the new code would be unconstitutional because it would violate the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade (1973) and the Puerto Rico Supreme Court’s ruling in Pueblo v. Duarte (1980), which legalized abortion.
If passed by the House, the code would be sent to Governor Luis Fortuño to be signed into law.
Cuidadanos cuando les conviene!
Exactamente.
No me interesa la Estadidad por que no me gusta que un vecino quiera mandar en mi casa y que diga que mantiene a mi familia,no me gusta el estatus actual por que da las herramientas para que eso suceda,no me siento culpable de la situacion en PR por que mi voto siempre se a perdido,yo creo en la libertad de los pueblos como los estados del norte creen en la de ellos, y me alegra saber que aun los PNP entienden que la Soberania es importante!(aunque estan acabando con ella)Attencion catolicos , religiosos y pueblo en general esa soberania esta en juego con con el estatus actual y recuerden que la Patria es Valor y Sacrificio y conlleva Moral! y que no somos tan ineptos como nos quieren hacer creer!!!
Exacto, Teodoro, si la isla quiere pasar esta ley, se puede hacer pero la relación complicada con EE UU trae otro nivel al debate. Gracias por tu apoyo y to comentario.
I’m so sick of this. Hey government Keep your laws off my body!!
Why do people allow masochistic cave man mentality to still exist and exert its ignorance on the masses?
Typical of the island
I am a Puertorrican woman, and I declare WAR! I am responsible for what i say and what my body does. My expression is true and sincere. I don’t care about men’s political, religious, cultural or constitutional opinion’s. In this context more tan any other, the voice of us woman shall be the most or only that matters. This decision shall be included primary by those who own a female reproductive body. I already made a decision. Yes, I wan’t abortion to be a decision for those whom need it without being penalized.
“El poder de decidir sobre el cuerpo y sobre la salud es un derecho que deben tener todas las mujeres, incluyendo el derecho al aborto. Cuando se habla públicamente del derecho al aborto se pide que aquella mujer que lo necesite tenga acceso gratuito, seguro y salubre a él, y que no se le criminalice por ejercerlo. De la mano con el derecho al aborto, reclamamos una educación sexual responsable que incluya formas de prevención de embarazos que no se limiten a la desastrosa campaña por la abstinencia”.
-Nahomi Galindo-Malavé