[Cin]

Originally Posted by Kobi

I understand the new laws being proposed and enacted are designed by those pro-life people looking for ways to undermine a woman's right to an abortion. I understand their mind set is something along the lines of ....if only women saw the fetus as a living thing, they would change their minds. And an ultrasound, whether abdominal or transvaginal, is their feeble attempt to do this.

I also understand these idiotic requirements are meant to make the process more cumbersome and distasteful for both the woman seeking an abortion and the person providing the service.

The laws are meant and written to make an ultrasound as a required prerequisite for an abortion. They require not only the test but a visual and verbal description of the results. They require one to have the test in order to proceed with the procedure. If one doesnt consent to the requirements to have the procedure, the procedure, technically, would not be legally able to be performed.

I find it reprehensible for someone to use the law and the health care system to impose their morality and religious beliefs on another. It is one thing to have tests required prior to a procedure as a safety/precaution measure, and quite another to have them required as a morality check.

On the other hand, I also find it disturbing to see people call this "legal rape by a health care professional". It might be the word "rape" that is bothering me. Rape, to me, is a violent act of power. In this context, it brings up visions of women being tied down to gurneys while a transvaginal probe is being forcibly inserted into them. This vision stirs up the emotions but it is not what any law I have read says or implies.

To me, the laws have removed the woman's right to opt out of an ultrasound and the related explanations. It is saying, in order to do this procedure, this is what we are required to do by law. If you agree, we can proceed. If you do not, we cannot.

This is not the same as "legalizing rape by a health care professional". Nor is it the same as saying women do not have to consent. Doing any procedure for any reason without consent is assault and battery.

The Virginia law requires: a doctor to determine the gestational age and listen for a heartbeat. Not a heck of a lot of ways to do this and still be compliant with the law. The Virginia law also seeks to legislate a fertilized egg as a personhood with rights. Thats an entirely different matter.

As reprehensible as these laws may be, it is imperative, I think, to maintain a level head in the entire matter. These constant, repetitve legislative abuses to "legalize" their version of morality, whether it be in reproductive rights or gay marriage or anything else, are increasing at an alarming rate in the strangest of ways. It needs to be dealt with.

Do we have any info on what is being done to challenge these abuses of legislative power?

Well, yes, I see what you are saying. As of yet, the law does not require that a woman be tied down and vaginally probed. So it is not rape. But saying she has a choice is somewhat illusionary. To me the lack of a real option makes it an emotionally violent act of power against a woman by her government.

Realistically speaking the choice has been removed. Yes, a woman can opt out but it is not as simple as saying a woman really has a choice. It’s not like making a decision to have an abortion is something so frivolous and inconsequential that a woman will just decide against it because the law has made it too emotionally traumatic to go through with. It’s not like she’s going to say “oh well if I have to have a vaginal ultrasound accompanied by a visual and verbal description of the fetus forget it. The reasons I chose to go through with this procedure are so trivial that I’ll just give birth instead.” That is a highly unlikely scenario. So really there is no choice. Just more emotional pain during an already difficult time. Not to mention the extra financial burden.

That said I really do agree that we need to keep a level head and focus on the constant and repetitive attacks against individual freedoms that are being consistently perpetrated. A woman’s right to control her own body has been under heavy attack for several years now. The passing of the law in Virginia did not happen in a vacuum. The climate has been carefully cultivated as state after state has passed laws restricting abortion. The ultimate goal is clear.