Here’s some news on the New Hampshire Forced Birth front.
New Hampshire House Republicans just passed HB 1660, which makes it a felony for abortion providers to perform abortions after twenty weeks of pregnancy, based upon the entirely unproven and inconclusive assertion that fetuses feel pain:
Abortion providers would face felony charges punishable by up to 15 years in prison for violating the proposed law, although the mother would not be prosecuted.
~snip~
The bill would exempt later-term abortions under certain circumstances: to save the life of the mother and the fetus, or to avert the serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.
Well gee whiz. At least they’re not throwing women in jail — yet. Although, let’s not forget that this is the same type of bill that prompted Georgia Rep. Terry England to compare women to farm animals and suggest that women be forced to carry still-born fetuses in their womb. They probably won’t even throw us in jail. Maybe they’ll just toss us in a barn with a bale of hay. I sure hope the carrots are good. I love a fresh carrot.
It’s unclear whether or not fetuses feel pain. Women, however, do feel pain. But in Forced Birth land, the feelings of women are discounted because you shouldn’t have gotten pregnant in the first damn place, slut.
[cross-posted at Balloon Juice]
Firstly, I believe in the right to opt to have an abortion.
That said, I graduated from high school 44 years ago with a girl who was delivered from her mother killed in a car accident, at five months gestation.
She was delivered by a doctor who had performed abortions and therefore knew a five month along baby COULD live. The doctor was a close relative so I know the story from both sides. I would go with the baby could feel pain.
The same Dr. who the anti abortion crew use to prove that a fetus feels pain at 20 weeks has also been on record saying that they also feel pain at 13 weeks and at 8 weeks, so this is where they want to go with this. Also their dream is to get this in front of the supreme court sorbet can overturn roe v wade.
Be afraid girls, be very afraid.
Is this not the 21st century? If there is a concern about fetal pain, administer an anesthetic. This law is like saying adult humans feel pain, therefore we should not do any operations, despite the fact that we have effective anesthetics.