By now, any person who reads this blog is aware that the State of Texas has ruled that their very unnecessary anti-abortion law, designed to make it impossible for current abortion providers to comply, can be immediately enforced. The Facebook page of Abortion.com just posted the link to an essay by Damon Linker in The Week (10-3-14) that raises critical questions that all pro-choice voters must hold their anti-choice elected officials accountable to answering:
If you believe abortion is murder, what specific punishment should be meted out against women who seek abortions, those who assist in the procurement and practice of abortion, and those who provide abortions?
In your view, Ms./Mr. Elected Official, since you think abortion is murder, will you be sponsoring legislation asking for the death penalty if your state has laws restricting abortion?
Damon Linker wrote: “If abortion really is murder, then everyone involved deserves to be punished, and punished severely…If, on the other hand, such punishment sounds wildly, almost absurdly disproportionate, then maybe it’s a sign that abortion really isn’t murder after all.” His point is excellent and one that has been raised here as well as the Abortion.com Facebook page. Politicians have never really been forced to reveal the actual penalties they believe should be imposed on those who participate in an abortion, should it become illegal or severely restricted and prompt women to resort to whatever is feasible and providers to resort to underground practices. At the moment, it is arguable that Texas ought to start expanding their correctional facilities. We know that women have already been obtaining drugs from Mexico and international mail for medical abortions or to cause a miscarriage. Yep, Texas better get their death row lodging in good order, not to mention make sure that all lethal injection protocol training is thorough and an ample inventory of execution drugs.
This ruling will undoubtedly energize the most whacko, zealous of the anti-abortion groups to pattern the Texas laws into initiatives in other states. Therefore, it is sensible and important for pro-choice voters to get their pols to answer the questions raised here.
The organizations that have fervently advocated reproductive rights over the years, specifically Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and National Organization for Women, opposed grassroots efforts to propose legislation to support reproductive justice in states like Arkansas in 1989. Their reasoning was that it was somehow better to work with legislatures to oppose restrictive laws, which, at the time, were focused primarily on parental notification or consent. Creating law is easier than trying to undo law. I sure hope those organizations – that raised a lot of money on the issue – kept the contact information on the many that supported the pro-choice legislation efforts. They will need it now for more than donations.
The one silver lining in this outrageous ruling in Texas is that it may well motivate voters to show up in the upcoming mid-term elections. Texas indeed does things big – that does not mean any other state is interested in Texas sharing any of their “big.” There is not one excuse for a pro-choice person to not vote this November.
October 3, 2014 at 7:24 pm
Good post again, Kimmie. Here’s my hope: killers — execution; women who use them — life sentences; people like you and Chuck who support murder — extended jail time and lots of talk with people like me.
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October 4, 2014 at 8:35 am
What about the grandfather of Ted Bundy, who emotionally and sexually abused him, which predisposed him to become a murderer of at least three dozen woman? What would you like to have seen done with him?
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October 4, 2014 at 8:46 am
execution
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October 4, 2014 at 10:21 am
The “killers” are just carrying out the woman’s wishes. So, it’s like the woman is hiring the Mafia to take out someone. Shouldn’t the woman then be executed as well for initiating the “murder?”
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October 4, 2014 at 12:05 pm
Now we’re getting somewhere. This is what we should be talking about. I love them too much to kill them though. Just scare ’em.
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October 4, 2014 at 8:26 am
Hmmm…John, I am curious why you would make any distinction between the parties involved and would appreciate an explanation. Thanks.
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October 4, 2014 at 8:54 am
There will be exceptions to what I say here, Kimmie, but we can’t base law on exceptions. The killers are cold-blooded so they deserve execution. The women who pay them to kill are desperate; desperadoes should be exiled, not killed. You and Chuck are not much better than I am and we all deserve some punishment.
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October 6, 2014 at 7:58 am
“The women who pay them to kill are desperate”? Wait a second, I thought that all women get abortions because of “convenience,” because they can’t fit into the prom dress, etc. That doesn’t sound desperate to me. Watch it, John, you’re showing some compassion for the women.
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October 6, 2014 at 8:03 am
Dag!
Gotta watch that.
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October 8, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Rather than promote the draconian mindset of pro-birthers, Katha Pollitt claims:
One in three American women will terminate a pregnancy by age 45. Yet, few issues remain as contentious as abortion. Even those who support it qualify their position by saying it’s “a bad thing” or “an agonizing decision.” In a new book, feminist writer Katha Pollitt argues it doesn’t have to be this way. “Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights,” is an impassioned attempt to re-frame the debate. She claims that abortion opponents have gained ground in part because the “pro-choice” movement has failed to make its case. She calls abortion a “moral right” and a “social good,” saying it should be seen as a normal part of a woman’s reproductive life.
You can listen to her on theDianeRehmsshow[dot]org proclaiming abortion rights on NPR. Good stuff.
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October 8, 2014 at 1:57 pm
Does Kathy also say that rape is a normal part of a man’s reproductive life?
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October 8, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Or that pedophilia is a normal part of a “child lover’s” reproductive life, or that bestiality is a normal part of an animal lover’s reproductive life. I’m trying to come up with other nauseating, hideous, loathsome, odious, vile, detestable, noisome and repellent acts, but they’ve all been normalized,
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October 8, 2014 at 2:58 pm
I mean Katha.
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October 12, 2014 at 10:46 am
Although Katha is suggesting a different debate, don’t worry John cause it wont’ happen. The pro-choice movement in general is petrified of making any suggestion that abortion is “good”.
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October 13, 2014 at 7:44 am
The “pro-choice” movement doesn’t have to argue that abortion is good so much as it has to argue that so-called “pro-lifers” are bad for children, families, the country and themselves.
To meet their emotional and psychological needs, they have to lie to themselves and society, they need to bully people, they need to force families into poverty and dysfunction, and they need to keep the public from knowing what real children need in order to have a life. They pose as being humane, but are at heart inhumane.
They are, however, very good at keeping “pro-choice” people always on the defensive. Only a psychopath can pull off that kind of bullying.
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October 17, 2014 at 7:48 am
Chuck! You call me an evil person, a liar, a bully, a fraud, and inhumane. Then you say I’m good a keeping my opponents on the defensive. Do you know the difference between the offensive and the defensive position?
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October 17, 2014 at 8:23 am
Dunkie-your intent is evil. You do lie throughout many of your posts by using information selectively and out of context with the intention of deceiving. If you are hanging out at abortion clinics, you are a bully. By extension bullies are inhumane. People who present themselves and wanting to save lives but actually only wanting to make sure a fetus becomes a baby, but doing nothing to save lives born into horrid conditions as a result of saving a fetus/stopping an abortion, is fraudulent. How do you feel being a fraudulent, lying, bullying, inhumane psychopath? Actually, I don’t want to know.
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October 17, 2014 at 11:59 am
This is what I mean by offense, Chuck.
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October 17, 2014 at 2:38 pm
It is difficult for me to consider you, John, or others with whom I disagree on this issue as evil. I have said in the past and will restate that I tend to think intentions from the heart are just fine. Once you try to impose your view, I still do not see evil; bullying is there if you approach someone who does not want you to approach, dishonesty is there when you insist on promoting false information.
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October 17, 2014 at 2:42 pm
Hear, hear, MT.
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October 20, 2014 at 9:33 pm
That is a very good tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere.
Short but very accurate information… Many thanks for sharing this one.
A must read post!
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