As near as I can tell from vaguely worded news stories, the bill passed by the House yesterday would ban abortions after 20 weeks’ gestation, or 22 weeks from the last menstrual period. The bill has no chance of being passed in the Senate, and even if it did, the President would veto it. But the bill tells us a lot about Republicans’ inability to respect women.
For example, originally the House Judiciary Committee rejected exemptions for rape and incest. A rape exemption eventually was added, but only if the rape was reported to police within 48 hours after it happened. Otherwise, they say, women will just lie and say they were raped when they weren’t really. Those gestating women can’t be trusted.
Oh, and women hardly ever get pregnant from rape, anyway.
BTW, when the rape exemption was added, one of the bill’s sponsors took his name off the bill. Paul C. Broun (R-Ga.) said he was “extremely disappointed that House Republican leadership chose to include language to subject some unborn children to needless pain and suffering.â€
According to one article, minors who are incest victims also are required to have reported the incest before they can get an exemption, which would pretty much mean incest victims can’t get an exemption, even if they’re 12 years old. There is a “life of the mother” exemption, but I don’t know what criteria have to be met for a dying woman to qualify.
I haven’t seen any mention of exemptions for when the fetus is severely malformed and probably won’t live anyway. Some kinds of birth defects usually are only detected around the 20th week of gestation.
(Some background the news stories all leave out: Roe v. Wade guidelines allows states to ban elective abortions after 23 weeks gestation (or 25 weeks from the last menstrual period), because that’s the generally accepted threshold of viability for a human fetus. I understand a handful of babies have been born a little earlier and survived, but medical science has no record of an infant surviving after only 20 weeks of gestation. Also, according to Alan Guttmacher, in the U.S. only 1.5 percent of abortions occur after 20 weeks gestation. Also, too, in the U.S. nobody is keeping a comprehensive record of why abortions are performed, so there is no way to know how many of that 1.5 percent are rape and incest victims.)
Elsewhere — Get this —
The Wall Street Journal‘s James Taranto dismissed the epidemic of sexual assault in the military, claiming that efforts to address the growing problem contributed to a “war on men” and an “effort to criminalize male sexuality.”
That’s right, folks. Assaulting women is just standard male sexuality. See also “Five Easy Steps for Becoming a Rape Apologist.”
Republicans apparently think that abortions restrictions will help them in the 2016 2014 midterms. I don’t see how. See also “GOP has learned absolutely nothing from 2012.”
FSM, doesn’t it just bring tears to your eyes, looking at all of these poor victims from the losing side in the “War On Men,” and “War On Christians?”
Oh, poor men…
Oh, poor Christians…
Oh, the humanities!
Oh, maybe you can ask women, Muslims, Jews, Agnostics, Atheists, Wiccans, people of other non-Christian religions, and gays, to rally to your side, you poor, poor, war-weary dears?
Just don’t hold your breath.
NO! WAIT!! DO, DO HOLD YOUR BREATH!!!
We’ll revive you! WE PROMISE!!!
maha,
You might want to include this story – maybe the best of all:
Meet Your New Wingnut Congresscritter: Michael Burgess:
“Watch a sonogram of a 15-week baby, and they have movements that are purposeful,” said Burgess, a former OB/GYN. “They stroke their face. If they’re a male baby, they may have their hand between their legs. If they feel pleasure, why is it so hard to believe that they could feel pain?”
Yup, this feckin’ eedjit thinks 15 week-old fetuses are jerkin’ their tiny lil’ gherkins.
What kind of a disease mind even THINKS things like that?
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/wingnut-congresscritter-michael-burgess-061813
“or 22 weeks from the last menstrual period”
Will the republicants be requiring proof of last menstrual period? Say a time stamped feminine hygiene product, how will the god warriors know? Can women who seeks an abortion be trusted to tell the truth?
If the pro-choice community were smart they would launch a PR campaign proclaiming the end of the abortion wars. This bill proves that the religious right approves of abortion as long as it is within 20 weeks, end of story. Next topic please!
So long, GOP. It’s been.
Yup, this feckin’ eedjit thinks 15 week-old fetuses are jerkin’ their tiny lil’ gherkins.
What kind of a disease mind even THINKS things like that?
Forgive me Jesus, for I have touched myself in an impure manner. I’m a little skeptical of the idea of a fetus whacking off.. Usually it’s accompanied with some sort of mental imagery( so I’m told) and I don’t see where a fetus would get his library of desires to complete or even initiate such sinful behavior.
Well, Burgess’s theory does add credence to the Christian concept that we are born into sin.
Why the GOP Can’t Learn.
The minds of the men who created this bill are a dark and twisted place that I find scary to even try and imagine. They can imagine male fetuses pleasuring themselves, and then give that allegedly feeling entity a higher value than the living and breathing and feeling woman it’s living inside of, and they don’t even seem to notice that the imaginary world they are living in bears no resemblance to objective reality. And perhaps the most tragic part is that they’ve convinced a venal majority of the House of Representatives to go along with them on this wild detour into Dark-Fantasy-Land.
I’m just so sad at what has happened to my country.
Well, look at the bright side. there has been progression in the rightie mind.. Even in Florida we’ve recently advanced our bestiality laws under governor Scott.. We not longer charge, try or put to death the offending animal simply on the grounds that they chose to remain silent as a willing participant in their wickedness.
If you really want to get a full insight into the rightie mind than research the history of the church. Theodoric of York lives! Don’t let the polyester suit and flag pin on the lapel fool you.
Two items -one serious, the other . . .
First. Maha, a typo. Midterms are in 2014
Second. From the WaPo Mensa Invitational a perfect explanation of Republicans
Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people
that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer,
unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
At some time females in this country will be required to document every menstrual event, every sexual encounter, every pregnancy.
Get ready girls! I’m sure there are better places to live.
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