In an interview with TPM, state Del. Bob Marshall (R-VA) disputed the full accuracy and context of a local news article that quoted him as saying that an increase of disabled children was a punishment from nature for abortion.
“I don’t believe that disabled kids are God’s punishments, period, end of discussion,” said Marshall. “I have defended disabled kids. I was almost kicked out of the Republican caucus because I forced a vote on a bill, because autism parents did not get a vote in a subcommittee.”
Marshall insisted that his comments had been taken out of context. (Here’s the exact quote, which I read to him, and he said sounded accurate: “The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children.”) However, he said, he was discussing an increased rate of birth defects, not all birth defects in and of themselves.
Marshall cited articles in medical journals, which he claimed showed an increased rate of cerebral palsy, low birth weights and premature births among women who have had prior induced abortions.
“This is nature. It’s the same thing if you’re talking about getting drunk. If God made nature, and made alcohol with certain characteristics, He’s not to blame for me getting drunk and getting in a car and killing someone,” said Marshall, also adding: “This is the order of nature. You do these things, you pay consequences. That’s not controversial.”
“These are both peer-reviewed medical journals,” said Marshall. “This is not Pat Robertson, this is not the Pope, this is not some yahoo preachers in a right-wing fever swamp.”
Could Marshall understand, I asked, how his comments might offend disabled people or their family members, many of whom never had anything to do with abortions? “I never said every low birth weight problem stems from induced abortion,” Marshall responded. “What it has done is increased the low birth weight, pre-term births. Because the normal numbers occur, because we’re human. Now, with induced abortions, it has increased that number.”
Late Update: Marshall has put out a press release: “I regret any misimpression my poorly chosen words may have created as to my deep commitment to fighting for these vulnerable children and their families.”
