Rolling Stone's article
What's Killing the Babies of Vernal, Utah? by Paul Solotaroff covers the story of Donna Young, the primary midwife in Vernal, Utah, that noticed a recent rise in stillborns in her rural town. The town, state, oil companies and many residents don't want to know the reason for the uptick in birth defects, stillborns and general rise in respiratory issues.
In most places, detecting a grave risk to children would inspire people to name a street for you. But in Vernal, a town literally built by oil, raising questions about the safety of fracking will brand you a traitor and a target.
Which is exactly what has happened to Young. She has been made a villain and the town continues to celebrate oil at every major holiday. And while reading the incredible
article—which clearly outlines the real villains: W, Cheney, legislation written by oil barrens, and the giddy-because-US-oil-production-is-higher-than-oil-imports Obama administration—all I could think was where are all the pro-life rallies? This is Utah!
Where are the hell-bent on redemption preachers and bible thumpin', baby lovin' soldiers for Christ, with their signs equipped with high-resolution pictures of the fetuses that are being exposed to life-threatening pollution, the stillborn babies that are resulting. ...
So this is my formal request of the pro-life crowd: Could you start fighting for regulations on the corporations that are killing expectant mothers' babies instead of standing in the way of women making healthcare decisions for themselves?