"This is a victory for the women of Oklahoma and their unborn children. Abortion is a business, the least time spent with a woman, the least information given to her, the more sales made. This law protects a mother's right to know something about her developing unborn child. It gives her a window to her womb. It help to prevent her from making a decision she may regret for the rest of her life and it empowers her with the most accurate information about her pregnancy so that she can make a truly informed 'choice'."
The Oklahoma Senate voted to approve [JURIST report] five anti-abortion bills last week, sending three to Henry for his approval and returning two to the Oklahoma State House of Representatives [official website]. Pending House approval, two additional bills would require a woman to answer 38 questions [HB 3284 text, RTF], including why she is seeking an abortion, and prohibit state health plans from covering elective abortions [HB 3290 text, RTF]. The Oklahoma laws join another restrictive abortion law passed recently in Nebraska, which bans abortions after 20 weeks [JURIST report].
B. A cause of action for injunctive relief against any person who has knowingly violated a provision of Section 2 of this act may be maintained by the woman upon whom an abortion was performed or attempted to be performed in violation of this act; any person who is the spouse, parent, sibling or guardian of, or a current or former licensed health care provider of, the female upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted to be performed in violation of this act; by a district attorney with appropriate jurisdiction; or by the Attorney General. The injunction shall prevent the abortion provider from performing further abortions in violation of this act in the State of Oklahoma.If I'm reading this right, people who were not there prior to the abortion can contest the verification. The certified technician or doctor will then be fined ($10k for the first time, $50k the second, and $100k the third), can be sued by the woman or her parent/legal guardian for "any knowing or reckless violation of this act" for actual and punitive damages, and finally "shall be considered to have engaged in unprofessional conduct" and can have their certificate or license suspended or revoked.
Opponents argue that the law will protect doctors who purposely mislead a woman to keep her from choosing an abortion. But the bill’s sponsors maintain that it merely prevents lawsuits by people who wish, in hindsight, that the doctor had counseled them to abort a disabled child.Prior to it being passed were there many cases of doctors lying to their patients? Were there any cases of patients suing because a doctor did not counsel them to abort their child? Or is this just a case of the legislators saying, "Hint, hint. Hey Doc, if you want to lie to your patient so she won't rush out and get an abortion, we've got your back."
... the leaders of the abortion criminalization movement have consistently put their political weight behind policies which make little or no sense if they genuinely think that abortion is identical to child murder. And those same leaders routinely endorse policies that make a lot of sense if their goal is to penalize women who have sex.posted by kirkaracha at 8:53 AM on May 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
Your two beliefs are contradictory. When the belief that a persons body should be sacrosanct with regard to the law is enforced by the courts, that is the imposition on people of a belief many do not subscribe to.I do not believe that is what I said.
It's interesting that you write "Conservative and Reform Jews" in suggesting that anti-abortion laws represent specifically Christian position being imposed on you. I assume you've done this because you know many Orthodox authorities would agree with broader prohibitions on abortion (at least moral prohibitions, if not necessarily legal ones)?No, I meant exactly what I said in that sentence. You're reading something into my comments that isn't there. Further:
And there are Jews and In fact, if you look at the arguments against abortion, you'll find that many of them are not religious arguments at all.The pro-life movement in this country is overwhelmingly sourced by religious Christians, who are working to change secular laws about abortion so that they conform to their beliefs on whether every American citizen, Christian or not, should be allowed to have an abortion.
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posted by killdevil at 2:45 PM on April 30, 2010 [19 favorites]