When States Abuse Women (Texas)
When States Abuse Women
HERE’S what a woman in Texas now faces if she seeks an abortion.
Under a new law that took effect three weeks ago with the strong backing of Gov. Rick Perry, she first must typically endure an ultrasound probe inserted into her vagina. Then she listens to the audio thumping of the fetal heartbeat and watches the fetus on an ultrasound screen.
She must listen to a doctor explain the body parts and internal organs of the fetus as they’re shown on the monitor. She signs a document saying that she understands all this, and it is placed in her medical files. Finally, she goes home and must wait 24 hours before returning to get the abortion.
“It’s state-sanctioned abuse,” said Dr. Curtis Boyd, a Texas physician who provides abortions. “It borders on a definition of rape. Many states describe rape as putting any object into an orifice against a person’s will. Well, that’s what this is. A woman is coerced to do this, just as I’m coerced.”
“The state of Texas is waging war on women and their families,” Dr. Boyd added. “The new law is demeaning and disrespectful to the women of Texas, and insulting to the doctors and nurses who care for them.”
The Texas law is the most extreme to take effect so far the article goes on to say.
Molly had us pegged decades ago - "Texas the testing lab for bad public policy".
= new reply since forum marked as read
It IS rape. It is penetration without consent. The FBI definition doesn't say that penetration has to be a penis.
I sincerely hope my fellow women remember all these ritual shaming laws and come out to the polls in droves. If that happens, we can keep the Senate AND give Nancy Pelosi the gavel again. We can't allow the GOP to get a majority--we've seen what they do when they "govern". It's all anti-women all the time.
Diane
Anishinaabe in MI & mom to Leo, Sophie, Taz & Nigel, members of Dogs Against Romney, Cat Division
"We ride inside--HISS!”
It is rape and it is shameful. I only wish that we had the national focus on Texas when this horrible law was being passed in the Texas Lege.
Even though there is a lawsuit challenging the law and a district judge granted an injunction to the group suing, the frigging 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overruled him.
Texas is leads the county in anti-women legislation. The good old boy attitude and network is very much alive in the Texas republican party.
We need a focus on Texas just like northern states. We're ground zero for anti-woman legislation.
The ultrasound probe and other bad laws voted through by our Republican-dominated state legislators and signed by our dear governor 
are what we get when right-wing Republicans troop to the polls and far more moderate (but apathetic) voters laze on the couch when they should be voting instead.
Sonia, I have a proposal that might make me the most unpopular man in Texas. Maybe it's time for politically-active progressive and moderate female voters here in Texas to use the Lysistrata approach. After first persuading their husbands or boyfriends to register before the next election, starting just before early voting starts, the fellers are going to have come home with an "I have voted" sticker if they want to continue to have whoopie or they'll have to do without for at least six months. No sticker, no whoopie. Each sticker is to be marked or destroyed so wanna-be slackers can't pass them around and use them again.
I think Democratic and progressive activists have tried just about every other method to get the apathetic to vote. Maybe the Lysistrata approach might FINALLY get some voters motivated.
The fate of Texas is in our own hands. Totally agree with you on that. It's been like that for a while.
Now if republican women and independent women keep voting in these backasswards republicans into office, then unfortunately we get what we paid for. A trip back in time to when the patriarchal society dictated everything about what a woman did.
Hell Kay Bailey Hutchinson, who supposedly is pro-choice, who is not running for re-election (so what could it have cost her) - voted for the damn Blunt amendment.
We have some very timid or stupid or perhaps both of those kind of women in Texas.