I wasn't there, Julie, and I certain can't speak for Delegate Tran, but I would tell you, one, the first thing I would say is this is why decisions s… - Ralph Northam
" "I wasn't there, Julie, and I certain can't speak for Delegate Tran, but I would tell you, one, the first thing I would say is this is why decisions such as this should be made by providers, physicians, and the mothers and the fathers that are involved. When we talk about third-trimester abortions, these are done with the consent of obviously the mother, with the consent of the physicians, more than one physician, by the way. And it's done in cases where there may be severe deformities, there may be a fetus that's non-viable. So in this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother. So I think this was really blown out of proportion. But again, we want the government not to be involved in these kinds of decisions. We want the decisions to be made by the mothers and the providers and this is why, Julie, that legislators, most of whom are men by the way, shouldn't be telling a woman what she should and shouldn't be doing with her body. His spokesman later released a statement saying "No woman seeks a third trimester abortion except in the case of tragic or difficult circumstances, such as a nonviable pregnancy or in the event of severe fetal abnormalities, and the governor’s comments were limited to the actions physicians would take in the event that a woman in those circumstances went into labor.
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About Ralph Northam
Ralph Shearer Northam (born September 13, 1959) is an American politician and physician who served as the 73rd Governor of Virginia from January 13, 2018 to January 15, 2022. The second Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and the second Governor of Virginia to graduate from the Virginia Military Institute, Northam graduated from VMI with the Class of 1981. Northam's time at VMI and his time at medical school would create controversy during his tenure as Governor of Virginia, due to the racially-charged nature of some images depicting or attributed to Northam.
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Ralph Shearer Northam
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Additional quotes by Ralph Northam
The McAuliffe administration has been about putting the needs of the people you serve first. Those values defined my upbringing from the earliest days I can remember. My mother taught children who were learning English as their second language how to read. She worked in health care, nursing sick people back to health on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. She volunteered with the hospice, comforting people in their final hours. She taught me that, no matter who we are or where we come from, we are all equal in the beginning — and in the end. My father, who grew up on a farm on the Eastern Shore, served in the Navy during World War II, a member of America’s greatest generation. He became a Commonwealth’s Attorney and a judge just as his father had before him. Before my brother joined the Navy and I joined the Army, my father always encouraged us to play sports. I think he knew we would learn the importance of teamwork and the fundamental truth that success isn’t about one person’s individual contributions, it’s about the team. Watching the things my parents did, for our family and for our community, taught me a lot growing up. But the greatest lesson I learned came from watching how they did those things. Their humble and steady service to the people around them taught me what strength looks like. It taught me that you don’t have to be loud to lead.
As I got older and took various jobs on the water, working on a deep sea fishing boat and as the captain of a ferry to Tangier Island, I came to trust that compass to guide me when the way ahead was not clear. My dad’s advice stayed with me when I reached the Virginia Military Institute and was given a different kind of compass, in the simple words of the VMI honor code: “A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do.” Those words have stuck with me all these years because they’re so clear. They have become a kind of moral compass for me. They always call me back home safely. Virginia and this country need that more than ever these days.
This country is once again looking to Virginia to lead the way. Let us lead with humility and optimism, telling the truth, learning from history and removing every obstacle to progress for all Virginians. Let us rely on the compass we all carry to show us the way ahead. I ask you to join me. Let’s get to work.
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