When you think of pregnancy cravings, you usually think of pickles and ice cream (or whatever). But House Republicans seem to just crave pregnancy itself — the more babies, the better! They want to make abortion illegal in America and seem to have achieved the first mark. As a nightmare come true for women, the House of Representatives has passed a bill which bans abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
This success wasn’t their first attempt. When they tried to pass the bill earlier this year with the title “Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” it was rejected. Female members of the House rebelled against it on the grounds that it required rape victims to file a police complaint to gain an exception from the bill. Those who didn’t prefer to report?a rape?were not counted exempted.
The revised version removes this compulsion and offers special medical attention for survivors as well as counselling prior to the abortion, although they would have to wait 48 hours before the abortion.
Pro-choice groups and the Democrats criticized the bill, calling it a political move. Gretchen Borchelt from the National Women’s Law Center said:
“Once again, some members of Congress think politics — not medical expertise or a woman’s health — should drive important health care decisions. Passing an unconstitutional nationwide ban on later abortions does nothing to help women — instead, it threatens their health and lives and interferes in their personal medical decisions.”
GOP supporters advocated the bill saying that it’s to ?protect the lives of the unborn.? House Speaker John Boehner who grew up with 11 siblings said:
“I didn’t need my parents to tell me that every child is a gift from God. But let me tell you, they did — early and often. Because that respect — that sanctity and dignity — is everything“.
Interestingly, laws prohibiting a woman’s reproductive rights aren’t as conservative in most underdeveloped and radically Islamic countries as the Christian Christianity Right is willing to make them. Assuming that life starts at conception, not birth, is one stupidity the world laughs at — much as they do about pregnancy cravings like pickles and ice cream.
No doubt the President would veto it, but the intentions are clear. Someday Republicans might rule the nation without any restrictions and such acts might actually become national laws.
