Even More Abortion Talk

Even More Abortion Talk

Now I realize I already talked on the subject not too long ago, but let's just say that this is a nice way to rundown the list of anti-abortion proposals in roughly half the states of our fine United States of Americas.

Dozens of bills are advancing through statehouses nationwide that would put an array of new obstacles—legal, financial and psychological—in the paths of women seeking abortions.

The tactics vary: mandatory sonograms and anti-abortion counseling, sweeping limits on insurance coverage, bans on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. To abortion-rights activists, they add up to the biggest political threat since the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973 that legalized abortion nationwide.

"It's just this total onslaught," said Elizabeth Nash, who tracks state legislation for the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive-health research organization that supports abortion rights.

What's different this year is not the raw number of anti-abortion bills, but the fact that many of the toughest, most substantive measures have a good chance of passage due to gains by conservative Republicans in last year's legislative and gubernatorial elections. On Tuesday, South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed into law a bill that would impose a longest-in-the-nation waiting period of three days before women could have an abortion—and also require them to undergo counseling at pregnancy help centers that discourage abortions.

"We're seeing an unprecedented level of bills that would have a serious impact on women's access to abortion services that very possibly could become law," said Rachel Sussman, senior policy analyst for the Planned Parenthood Federation
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of America.
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In Texas, a bill passed by the House would require that pregnant women have an opportunity to view a sonogram image, hear the fetal heartbeat and listen to a doctor describe the fetus. While the doctor would be obligated to provide the information, the woman could close her eyes or cover her ears, according to the bill, which doesn't exempt victims of rape or incest.
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In more than 20 states, bills have been introduced to restrict insurance coverage of abortion. In Utah, one such measures—affecting both private and public plans—has cleared both legislative chambers and been sent to Gov. Gary Herbert.

Of the various types of bills, the insurance bans could have the broadest impact, according to some abortion-rights activists.

"You could have nearly half the states where you couldn't buy regular insurance coverage for abortion even with your own money," Crane said. "This is having a transformational effect on the insurance industry and the way abortion is viewed."

While routine first-trimester abortions generally cost $400 to $700, later and more complicated abortions can run into the thousands of dollars, especially if hospitalization is needed.

"A lot of these bills have an edge to them that really discounts the complications that can occur in pregnancy," said Planned Parenthood's Sussman. "There's a disregard for women's health."

And the beat goes on and on and on.. it's nice to know that only the rich people are moral enough to decide to have an abortion or not. Then again, I do recall an ad stating that the most dangerous place for a black woman is in the womb..

But I mean, really? All these are really actually even talked about as possible proposals for what our nation needs in terms of abortion regulations and restrictions? You might as well just make it illegal already and cut out the middle man.

But speaking of men.. yeah, it's so nice to know that all these women issues are in the hands of men..



I guess the sad thing in all this is that it's not even like we're pretending women have a voice or an opinion on their own body anymore. I mean, do we really have many women speakers? South Carolina has even fewer women in the state legislature now than we did when that map was made.

Not to mention that the state senate has no women at all and there are 13 women in the 124-member state house. And all this while it seems like the war on woman's reproductive rights is only in a sort of infancy state...

Yes, a terrible joke. I know, but if I don't laugh at something I'm sure I'll just start crying at how sad all this is.

Maybe I should just stop caring. I mean, it really is hard for me to care about what happens in the mid west anymore. They might as well be in Africa for all it is of a concern for me. I attempt to avoid as much corn in my food as possible and that's its only contribution to my life.