Sonograms, ‘child porn’ in North Dakota [View All]

[Jackpine Radical]

http://www.dailytargum.com/opinions/sonograms%252C_child_porn-1.1594062

Depending on the situation, there is excitement surrounding a woman finding out that she is with child. A sonogram, or picture of the fetus, is taken when a pregnant woman has her first visit to the doctor. These pictures are usually found on the refrigerator of a house, framed on a desk in an office or more commonly posted on a personal profile on the Internet. These practices have become a norm when finding out that your family is expecting a new addition. Pregnant women in North Dakota may now not be able to celebrate and show off their unborn baby the way society has traditionally accepted.

The North Dakota House of Representatives passed a bill that states a picture of a fertilized egg is now considered child pornography. It is now going to the North Dakota Senate to be voted on. This bill, if passed, will make it possible for women and men who have a sonogram as their profile picture on Facebook to be arrested and put on a sex offender registry list. This law stems from the one that was recently passed declaring that a fertilized egg now has full human rights. Sen. Dan Ruby, R.- Minot, passed both laws and has been very vocal in trying to pass laws that ban abortion. There is also an extension of these laws that would create more worry for women besides illegal abortions. There may be a clause in the bill that would rule women who have miscarriages as criminally negligent.

These laws have been made with out being thought completely through about how they will affect the women of North Dakota. Besides taking away their freedom of choice, they are punishing them for something they cannot even control. Women do not wish for miscarriages, and many are emotionally distressed when they have one. Adding criminal charges to their upset is completely ridiculous. Trying to make a sonogram classified as child porn is creating something out of nothing. All this law will do is put innocent, proud parents who are expecting on a sex offender list with those who molest children and rape innocent people. This is opening a can of worms bigger than they expect: All science books would have to be changed because of pictures of unborn children pictured to teach biology, genetics and health.