Ireland Votes To Legalize Abortion

Bob Dylan once said,

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Come senators, congressmen

Please heed the call

Don't stand in the doorway

Don't block up the hall

For he that gets hurt

Will be he who has stalled

There's a battle outside

And it is ragin'.

It'll soon shake your windows

And rattle your walls

For the times they are a-changin'.

~~

And in the summer of 2018, the times are certainly changing in Ireland.

Life

Flashback to 2012 and 2013.

In late 2012, Savita Halappanavar , an Indian dentist in Ireland passed away due to complications arising out of pregnancy. Very unfortunately, she was denied an abortion, which was not allowed in Ireland, due to local laws. 

The Irish Government took note of the unfortunate circumstances and put up a new law for approval, which would legalize abortion. This was in 2015. Back then, in Mar 2015, I wrote on this topic - Abortion - The Bridge To Life.

It was an irony that in the modern 21st century, people in an advanced nation like Ireland took an constricted view of the subject. Adding to the moral dilemna faced by the people was the view taken by the Church.

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A strong collision seems inevitable between the government and the Church of Ireland with the Catholic Church on Saturday threatening to excommunicate members who vote for the abortion legislation in its current format. 

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An anti-abortion vigil saw Cardinal Sean Brady urging 5,500 people at the rally to lobby their politicians over a draft abortion bill.

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Catholic bishops have branded changes to Ireland's strict abortion regime as morally unacceptable saying "if approved it would make the direct and intentional killing of unborn children lawful in Ireland."

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A few months later, Ireland crowned itself in irony, be legalizing gay marriages. It was flabbergasting to note that gay marriages were ok but abortionw as not. I discussed the matter in The Irony of Ireland.

But then, as they say, nothing in life is permanent.

When the politicians are circumspect about the changes in law, owing to the negative perceptions it would create in their voter constituencies ; when the Church is still taking a contrary position on this important topic impacting public health; when the general public is caught between what is good for them and what is deemed good by their religion , a referendum comes to the rescue.

A nationwide referendum held in Ireland on 25th May 2018 resolved the matter once and for all.

Ireland voted overwhelmingly to overturn the abortion ban by 66.4% to 33.6%.

This victory promises new and safe times for Ireland and its woman. The Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who campaigned in favor of liberalization, said it was "a historic day for Ireland," and that a "quiet revolution" had taken place.

And yes, its purely incidental that the changes have come under the oversight of Leo, who is of Indian descent and a gay.

Certainly, its boils down to what Dylan said :- For the times they are a-changin'.

And here's the lady who changed it all.

Savita