The War on Women is gaining legs as the nation's evangelical and Right to Life movement has its say. To show their objection to the newly passed HB954, Women gathered outside the chamber to chant "Women Will Remember In November." We'll see.
Nice touch, however, was the newly fashioned American style burka: the Caution Tape, resembling Police Crime Scene Tape, yellow and ugly, wound around their heads covering their mouths. It projects a message Women would do well to promulgate: that the Womens Health Care issue is not in the hands of people who care about YOU, girls. The bill is referred to as the Fetal Feelings Bill, and removes all rights from a woman whose pregnancy has resulted in conditions she wishes to change. I'm seeing something of the same "honor killer" in the men of the Right to Life / Pro Life organized to subdue, subordinate and otherwise subject females of their own species to the will and dominion of any male. Intelligence, competence, status not-with-standing, any male willing to assert whim over wimminz is entitled to have his way as well as to have HER have his "output" without regard to the Life that living entity will experience out of the womb.
What kind of warped people will make such a public spectacle and confrontation over something as personal as a pregnancy while the victims of domestic violence, no doubt the product of such ignorance, are left to endure untold misery and stress, pain and aversion in the households of males emboldened by such improperly placed pressure?
The emotional nature of the debate spilled over into the lobby, as the head of Georgia Right to Life and a representative of a doctor’s organization almost came to blows outside the Senate.For me, the question is this: Where this much emotion accompanies debate, it is clear that neither side is in position to legislate anything. Until the matter may be discussed with a measure of composure, decisions made under such emotional influence can do more harm than good. This was not an appropriate field for this confrontation. Men can step up an protect unborn children from their own mothers, yet they cannot protect those very mothers from the Men who would bring unwanted children into the world. Wearing the Caution Tape Burka says it all.
GRTL president Dan Becker and John Walraven, executive director of the Perinatal Infertility Coalition of Georgia, had a heated verbal exchange that became physical Thursday. A state trooper standing nearby spoke to both men and to witnesses but no charges were filed.
"We commend the Legislature," Becker said later, despite not fully endorsing the compromise. "This is one of the toughest pro life laws in the nation. We will not comment on support, not support, endorse, not endorse. It will save roughly 1,500 lives a year."
But the emotion spilled over to the other side, too. Senate Democratic women for the second time this session walked out after HB 954 passed their chamber. Sporting yellow police tape, they marched into the hallways and, joined with other HB 954 opponents, shouted "we will remember!" loud enough to be heard through closed doors. "The GOP war on women is alive and well in Georgia," said Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta. Within the hour, the bill passed the House on a 106-59 vote. Democrats turned their backs on McKillip in protest.
Commonly referred to as a "fetal pain" bill, House Bill 954 would tighten medical exemptions for terminating pregnancies and require any abortion performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy be done in a way to bring the fetus out alive. No exemption is made for rape or incest. The measure says that a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks, therefore the state has an interest in protecting it.
Supporters of the new Georgia bill said it would save lives and protect more fetuses.
Opponents said the bill would legislate decisions that should be made by doctors and would put doctors at risk who work with difficult pregnancies. Doctors who are involved in abortions after 20 weeks that do not meet the bill's restrictions could be charged with a felony and face up to 10 years in prison.
