"Government Bureau," by George Tooker (Guggenheim Museum) |
Question: What’s the really bad part about reversing Roe v. Wade?
If you answered something like, “denying American women the right to make their own reproductive decisions, a freedom enjoyed for the past 50 years and one extended to most women around the globe,” I’m sorry, but you’re wrong.
That’s just the bad part.
The really bad part, in my estimation — and, yes, I am a man, so my view might be skewed — is the police state that will be quickly set up to punish not only doctors who provide abortions but anybody who facilitates an abortion — with one notable exception.
But don’t take my word for it.
Take a look at the model law prepared by the National Right to Life Committee. Banning abortion is only the start.
“Current realities require a much more robust enforcement regime than just reliance on criminal penalties,” the draft notes. Waiting to snag offenders isn’t enough. States need “RICO-style laws” that turn whisking Molly across the border into Illinois to fix her “little problem” into a criminal conspiracy.
Where to begin? The fact that a girl is 11 years old doesn’t matter. (That’s not a random number. It’s the age of a girl who became pregnant after being raped in Brazil, where abortion is illegal. She’s now confined by a judge so she can’t have an abortion.) Otherwise: ”We recommend prohibiting abortion except to prevent the death of the pregnant woman.”
They’re talking about physical peril, period.
“Psychological or emotional conditions” are deliberately excluded because, well, suck it up, sister, we’re not falling for that touchy-feely gobbledygook.
The law recommends an abortion be a Level 2 felony. In Indiana, where the firm drafting the law is based, that’s on par with voluntary manslaughter, child sex trafficking and kidnapping, with prison sentences of from 10 to 30 years.
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Hey Neil, how about a column on foster care in this country? The challenges that those children face after being either unwanted or having incapable parents is something most Americans don’t want to hear about. The majority of foster parents are miracle workers but it’s often not the case. What happens to unwanted children and what happens to children of severely broken homes needs to be part of this conversation.
ReplyDeleteIt’s another sad part of our society that has been swept under the rug.
If that disclaimer about the First Amendment flies, just think of the ramifications: establishment of my preferred religion shall not be construed as a violation of the First Amendment; no-knock executions shall not be construed as a violation of the Fourth Amendment; segregation shall not be construed as a violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments; and so on. Trumpists should not be punished for doing anything to further Donald Trump's desires to maintain power, for he was the Commander in Chief after all. And the recent Supreme Court gun ruling as much as says that it is giving ordinary citizens equal rights with the police -- God forbid the crooks should be outgunned!
ReplyDeletejohn
John
"It will be very weird if [the] Supreme Court ends a constitutional right to obtain an abortion next week, saying it should be left to the States to decide, right after it just imposed a constitutional right to concealed carry of firearms, saying it cannot be left to the States to decide." –Neal Katyal
ReplyDeleteNow that concealed carry will be permitted, I hope these Bible-thumpers have a very strong belief in their God. They will definitely need all the help they can get if any of them attempt to prevent me from driving a friend to visit a cousin of mine in Chicago.
ReplyDeletecome on grizz . enough with the threats of violence
DeleteI see no threats of violence here...more like promoting basic self-defense..
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