New York bookstore closes for a day to mourn the state's new abortion law

A bookstore owner in Syracuse, New York, closed his business Wednesday as an act of mourning in response to New York's new law that legalizes late-term abortions, according to The Western Journal.

Jon Speed owns a store called The Book Scout. He was distraught by the passage of the Reproductive Health Act on Tuesday, as well as the celebratory reactions to the law legalizing abortions as late as 24 weeks into a pregnancy.

"The bookstore is closed today," Speed wrote on Facebook. "It is a day of mourning in New York. In honor of the thousands of babies that will die in the years to come, we shall not be collecting sales tax for this tyrannical government today. We will on other days, under duress, but not today."

Why did he take a stand?

Speed is a Christian who actively advocates for his pro-life beliefs, including with the production of a pro-life documentary titled "Babies are Murdered Here." When the law passed, he felt he had to do something.

"There's not much you can do after the fact," Speed said. "I thought, 'Well maybe I just put a sign out and explain my position.' That way, at least my customers know where I stand on this."

Still, Speed understands the magnitude of the problem, and what the solution is.

"My belief is that it takes a heart change in order to change this issue on the larger scale," Speed said. "The job in front of us as pro-lifers is to preach the gospel. We have the evidence on our side, but what it really takes is a heart change."

Impact of the law

Legalizing more abortions in New York is significant, as New York's abortion rate was approximately twice the national average as of 201, and New York is a top three state for number of unintended pregnancies according to Syracuse.com.

In addition to allowing abortions for any reason up to 24 weeks, the Reproductive Health Act gives women the right to a legal abortion at any time if the fetus is not viable, or to save the life of the mother.

Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and licensed midwives will also be allowed to perform abortions.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had promised to sign the Reproductive Health Act into law within the first 30 days of the legislative session, now that Democrats had control of the Assembly and the Senate.

(H/T LiveAction)