with Stephen Meyler

#RepealThe8th

#LondonPride

NATIONAL SHAME IS PERSONAL

There’s nothing like an unfair law imposing itself on the life of someone you know to bring home how amazingly cruel a constitution based on republican ideals can be. It’s easy as a man to make up your mind about the 8th Amendment – whatever you think, it’s not ever going to be you in the horrible, incredible situation of the State demanding you remain pregnant against your will, even if the outcome is not going to be a living child.

This is what the Eighth Amendment has done to an acquaintance. She was happy with the news that her second child was on the way, until nature intervened and the doctor told her the foetus had a genetic abnormality that meant it would stop developing at some point in the pregnancy and she would miscarry. They couldn’t tell her when this would be, however, and the risk – to her physical and mental health – would grow the further along the pregnancy went.