Fundamentalists Trying To Guilt Women Out Of Abortions

In case you thought the religious right was only interested in the immediate elimination of your right to have an abortion, Tay Wiles at Mother Jones has a primer on one of their other fronts.

Anti-abortion groups have already passed legislation in 16 states that require doctors offer women considering abortion an ultrasound, based on the premise that if a woman can see an embryo or fetus, she won’t terminate a pregnancy. They’ve introduced a variety of legislation in 12 other states so far this year to either expand the scope of the ultrasound-option law or to make it a requirement in the hopes of pressuring (one might say “emotionally blackmailing”) women into abandoning planned abortions because of a fetal heartbeat.

Of course, they haven’t introduced any legislation to promote comprehensive sex education, nor backed expanded contraceptive funding for poor women, nor gone to town for expanded child care credits and subsidies to help the women who choose to have children but need to work. Once you get that baby birthed, sister, you’re on your own — just as God intended you to be when He punished you with the pregnancy in the first place.

Eleven States Enter New Abortion Debate [Mother Jones]
States Consider Ultrasound Abortion Bills [Chicago Tribune]