Abortion and the Sanctity of LIfe...or Not

People who oppose a woman's right to have an abortion typically invoke the idea of the sanctity of life, despite the fact that they often oppose an abortion even if the woman's life is in danger. I don't really get the logic of that argument, but I do get the fervor with which people supported Wendy Davis, a state senator in Texas, as she filibustered to stop the passage of a very restrictive abortion law in that state. Indeed, the bill was not passed--at least not last night, although Texas Republicans say it will come up for a vote again in the near future. In the meantime, of all the news coverage of this story, the one that really hit it on the head for me was from The Onion:

AUSTIN, TX—Following state senator Wendy Davis’ successful filibuster of sweeping abortion restrictions last night, disappointed Texans told reporters they are looking forward to tonight’s scheduled execution of convicted murderer Kimberly McCarthy to cheer them back up. “I was completely devastated after learning that abortion providers throughout the state would remain open, but thankfully, there’s nothing better to lift up our spirits than an old-fashioned execution,” said Fort Worth anti-abortion activist Caroline Hinton, who added that the impending lethal injection of McCarthy was “more than enough” to put a smile back on her face. “And as soon as I remembered that the state of Texas is preparing to take a woman’s life this evening by strapping her onto a gurney and shooting a cocktail of deadly chemicals into her arteries, I just perked right up and put those failed abortion restrictions out of my mind. And it’s our 500th execution, too, so it’s going to be a real celebration! I guess this week won’t turn out all bad after all.” At press time, Hinton reported feeling “even better” after learning that Governor Rick Perry is expected to call a special session to reintroduce the anti-abortion legislation and that political analysts say it will likely pass.

You don't really know whether to laugh or cry at this.