Virginia Rep: Disabled Kids are Punishment from God (Or Not)

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House Representative Bob Marshall (R-Virginia), speaking at a press conference on February 18 to oppose funding for Planned Parenthood, said that disabled children are God's punishment for women who have aborted their first pregnancy. Marshall said,

"Looking at it from a cultural, historical perspective, this organization should be called 'Planned Barrenhood' because they have nothing to do with families, they have nothing to do with responsibility ... 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. In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There's a special punishment, Christians would suggest."

But the following week, Marshall disputed the accuracy of his statements, claiming they were taken out of context and that the complete opposite was true: "I don't believe that disabled kids are God's punishments, period, end of discussion. I have defended disabled kids." He also put out a press release insisting that he is a champion of disabled children, and saying he "regrets any misimpression my poorly chosen words may have created."