Arkansas Republicans' New Abortion Ban Bill Seems To Include Miscarriage as a Prosecutable Offense

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

Bill 1174 would expand the definition of abortion to include pregnancy loss “caused by a wrongful act, neglect, or default” and allow courts to try abortion as an act of felony homicide. The bill also removed language safeguarding anyone going through IVF, using contraception, or dealing with other medical complications that might increase the likelihood of pregnancy loss. All that matters, according to this bill, is birthing babies.

In plain language, if this bill passes, a person who loses a pregnancy in Arkansas could be prosecuted for anything deemed a risk to the fetus. That means if you drink a glass of wine, and your pregnancy ends, you could be prosecuted. If you lift heavy weights and your pregnancy ends, you could be prosecuted. If you smoke cigarettes and your pregnancy ends, you could be prosecuted. Hell, if you express dismay at being pregnant and your pregnancy ends, you could be prosecuted.

Given that about 1 in 3 people find out they’re pregnant after the six-week mark (which, incidentally, makes heartbeat bills essentially as effective as total abortion bans), that gives prosecutors six weeks of potentially “neglectful” or “default” behavior to focus on if they decide to pursue charges. And as anyone who has either been pregnant or known a pregnant person can attest, pregnant people often drink alcohol and caffeine and engage in other behaviors that could be deemed dangerous to fetal development until they find out they’re pregnant, at which time they immediately modify their behaviors.

Further, this bill redefines a fetus as an “unborn child” whose life begins at the moment of fertilization (rather than at the point of fetal viability, which is generally around 24 weeks, or even at the stage where the fetus is believed to develop a heartbeat, generally around 6 weeks). Redefining the moment of fertilization as the moment at which the fetus becomes an “unborn child” protected under this law means that all people who could potentially become pregnant should theoretically act as if they’re pregnant at all times, just in case.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/arkansas-republicans-new-abortion-ban-bill-seems-to-include-miscarriage-as-a-prosecutable-offense/ar-AA16ON39

[FalloutShelter]

1. Body tyranny directed at women.

Wake up Americans.

[Diamond_Dog]

2. What does it mean then

If you listen to Sarah Huckabee Sanders speak and your pregnancy ends.

[Trenzalore]

3. I wonder how often Bill Clinton goes back there

Simply amazing one of the most brilliant politicians of the past century was birthed there.

[Solly Mack]

4. K&R

[Hekate]

5. That's where they're going with these draconian laws

[Norbert]

6. In my somewhat long life, I've known many women that have had miscarriages

Most of them, it was a deep emotional loss. Many as a result of rough pregnancies where they had to watch everythihng and even then, it wasn't enough.

If this draconian law is allowed to pass, and I have every reason to think it will, it will be passed by some of the most cruel people on the face of the earth.