She’s well used to causing a stir – having been impeached from her post of UCD SU President last year.
And Katie Ascough cropped up again on Tuesday evening, appearing on screens during the Prime Time debate on the 8th amendment.
Hey, Katie Ascough, two of my grand aunts were two of the first women in the world to have heart transplants, have you ever watched one? They’re horrific, they literally crack your chest open, and back in the day it was even worse. Medicine is sometimes unpleasant. #rtept.
— Féasógcrann (@johndavidoc) May 22, 2018
She was sitting the audience in-studio and was approached by c0-presenter David McCullagh with the question:
“There’s a lot of attention being paid to young people in this referendum and a lot of people getting on to the supplementary register and so on and so forth.”
https://twitter.com/GilroysWorld/status/999044067664257024
He added: “The fact that so many young people are getting registered, does that mean they’re all going to be voting Yes?”
In response, 21-year-old Katie stated:
“Absolutely not. I don’t think anyone’s vote should be assumed for them, I think anyone can change their mind when they’re presented with the facts.”
Okay but Katie Ascough’s “abortion’s are gruesome” argument is redundant, the majority of medical procedures aren’t pleasant to watch but people still get appendectomies and tonsillectomies everyday, with no one advising them to watch the procedure beforehand
— Courtney 🥸 (@courtney_j_75) May 23, 2018
She continued: “A couple of weeks ago, I felt I owed it to myself to know what I’m voting on this Friday.
“And I looked up an abortion procedure online; I watched a video of an abortion – and I am telling you, I have never seen anything more violent, more horrific, or more inhuman towards another human being.
https://twitter.com/Wotdafuxafrush/status/999063732830572544
“And I am certain that there are more caring ways and more compassionate ways to support women in Ireland that do not include abortion on demand for healthy mothers with healthy babies – and that is what the Minister [for Health] is proposing.”
However, her words caused something of a furious response on Twitter – with many viewers highlighting that few medical procedures are pleasant.
One person highlighted: “Will someone let Katie Ascough know I vomited when they gave me a jar with my gallstones in it?”
Another said: “Two of my grand aunts were two of the first people the world to have heart transplants. Have you ever watched one? They’re horrific.”
https://twitter.com/plathalogical/status/999208511757266944
In short, much of the online sentiment was eager to emphasise that medical procedures are often nasty… but they’re also often necessary and life-saving.
Earlier this year, however, Katie Ascough found favour at a high-profile anti-abortion ceremony held in London.
To be fair, UCD voters changed their minds about Katie Ascough when they were presented with the facts. #rtept
— Justin Moran (@moranjustin) May 22, 2018
Selected as a recipient of the Westminster Award For Human Life, Human Rights, And Human Dignity, she received it for her “integrity, courage, and public witness in favour of the open society, and the equality and right to life of unborn children,” reports the University Observer.
Otherwise, during the same Prime Time debate on Tuesday, Minister Simon Harris won praise for his cool, calm, and collected arguments for repealing the 8th.
