Abortion and the Death Penalty

[Rakesh Bhandari]

Murray and Herrnstein advocated that "the extensive network of cash and
services for low income women to have babies be ended." The State of New
Jersey acted accordingly. The family cap which cut off extra benefits to
welfare recepients who have additional children may have caused some women
to abort their pregnancies, as reported in the NYT today (Jun 8, p. A10).
The Roman Catholic Church and conservative Christian groups have joined
with advocates of the poor to argue against family caps. There are serious
methodological difficulties in establishing a cause and effect
relationship between the cap and abortion; it seems that there would be a
much clearer relatoinship between the caps and the poverty of children
women decide to have. At any rate, here in this dreadful case are many of
things we have been talking about: abortion, religion and race
(implicitly, I would argue).
best, rakesh