Last week in Texas, a Republican lawmaker proposed an amendment so outrageous, that even some of his own GOP colleagues were repulsed.
Andrea Grimes, with RH Reality, reports:
Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler) put forward an amendment that would make it illegal to terminate a pregnancy after 20 weeks, even if a fetus “has a severe and irreversible abnormality,” effectively forcing families with wanted, but unsustainable pregnancies to carry to term at the behest of the state and against the advice of their doctors or their own wishes.
What would cause a lawmaker to want the government to inflict more emotional pain onto an already grieving family, in addition to adding a
major health risk to the mother? Does he not realize a woman can easily die of
sepsis by carrying a deceased or nonviable fetus?
Schaefer said that suffering is “part of the human condition, since sin entered the world.”
Oh, for fucksake! Where do these people come from? More importantly, how do they hide their vile and odious ignorance long enough to get elected?
Democratic Representative, Jessica Farrar of Houston, is quoted as saying this is the most misogynistic piece of legislation she's seen during her 21 years in office. Matt Schaefer’s amendment actually passed, but he removed it for full committee review after Trey Martinez Fischer, the House Democrat from San Antonio filed a legislative point of order.
The late author, humorist and commentator, Molly Ivins, sums up late term abortion, perfectly, in an excellent video. Here is an excerpt.
"I almost get the impression that somebody thinks women don't have no moral sense at all. No woman who is seven months pregnant, ever waddles past an abortion clinic and says, 'Darn, I knew there was something I've been meaning to get around to.'
This is ridiculous. You have those late-term abortions, because either the mother is going to die, the child is going to die, or both are going to die."
There seems to be a nonstop effort by Republican lawmakers to control women/their bodies - often in the name of God. Thankfully, there is also a nonstop effort by a much larger voice in this country - the people who refuse to let women go back to illegal, back alley, abortion butchery. This battle will most likely not end in our lifetimes, or in our children's lifetimes. But we will stay unified, and we will never give up.
Here are some of the pro-choice organizations and social media groups to visit/support:
Planned Parenthood
Emily's List
NARAL/Pro-Choice America
NOW
4000 Years For Choice
UniteWomen.org
Abortion.com
Abigail Adams Brigade
Fight Laws Against Women
Pro-Choice Liberals
The Guttmacher Institute (an excellent source of current reproductive rights legislation.)
You can share your thoughts with this GOP extremist on
his Facebook page, where he is seen buddying up with other anti-choice misogynists like former Republican Governor Rick Perry and Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
Special thanks to Anne Burks.
Note: After careful thought and asking friends I respect (including kossack jplanner), I am removing the word 'deceased' from the title and using 'nonviable.' (If you share the story on Facebook, the change may not appear, given the amount of FB 'likes' the story has garnered.) I still believe, that Matt Schaefer's amendment can be construed to apply to deceased fetuses, as it does not clarify or exclude the term, and the exclusion could be used against women. I also believe a 'braindead' fetus (considered 'nonviable') is a deceased fetus,' regardless of a heartbeat. So the title change is a compromise. Insulting comments, to the point of being slanderous/libelous are uncalled in our community, and it was a shame to see them made by several folks. Thankfully, it is not common, as kindness and civility prevail here at Daily Kos. Thank you for the incredible support, and apologies for any misunderstandings.