Having lived in Georgia for most of my life, I’m all too familiar with the bizarre actions of our state legislature–known as the General Assembly–especially when, like now, both the House and Senate are in the hands of the GOP.
Just this week, Republican lawmakers in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly voted to allocate $2 million in taxpayer funds for crisis pregnancy centers across the state. Crisis pregnancy centers, for the uninitiated, are called “fake abortion clinics” by those who oppose them.
Here’s how a crisis pregnancy center works: Those who work there try counsel women out of having an abortion. Many of the “clinics” also have confusing names and engage in publicity which suggests they provide abortion services. They are also known to provide false medical advice to pregnant women.
For example, at some of these centers, women are told that if they get an abortion, then will never be able to get pregnant again. They are also told that abortion and birth control have been proven to cause cancer in women. There is no medical science to back up such claims.
The sponsor of the bill, State Senator Renee Unterman, told her colleagues on Friday before they voted on the measure to direct $2 million to such bogus centers that crisis pregnancy centers:
“Do a fabulous job because they offer alternative services other than abortion. (It’s) a better thing for people to have better decisions.”
Way to impose your own beliefs on others, Senator Unterman. How would you feel if someone did the same to you?
Staci Fox, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast, commented on the legislation:
“We’re going to give $2 million out to organizations not even licensed by the State of Georgia to provide medical care in any way? If this is really about providing access to women, shouldn’t we be concerned about who it is that is giving that access?”
Also, isn’t abortion a legal procedure, as per the Supreme Court? Fox noted:
“This bill prohibits counseling on abortion. And the last time I looked, abortion is legal in the US – and our job is to make [abortion] safe and legal and not restrict women from accessing a critical part of healthcare. This isn’t about helping organizations provide healthcare for women. This is about restricting abortions.”
Yet the GOP continues to claim there is no systematic and organized war on women in this country, perpetrated by Republicans at all levels of government.
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