Texas bill would force woman to see ultrasound of fetus before abortion

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

This is another good reason why congress should pass, and President Obama should sign, the Freedom of Choice Act as soon as possible.

http://www.keyetv.com/content/news/topnews/story.aspx?content_id=20c2b6cc-5c79-495a-adf5-9e05f2528972

Two bills submitted to the Texas Legislature Tuesday would force doctors to show women ultrasounds of their unborn children two hours before they had an abortion.

The identical bills, one submitted to the Texas House, as HB 36, and one to the Senate, as SB 182, were introduced by Rep. Frank Corte Jr., R-San Antonio, and Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, respectively. They outline the changes in procedures doctors would have to go through when a woman opts to abort her child.

Most significantly, the bills would force doctors to perform an ultrasound on the woman and display the image of her fetus to her, explaining the size of the embryo or fetus and outlining the presence of any internal organs. The doctor would also have to play the fetus’s heartbeat for the woman.

Before the abortion, a doctor would have to provide the woman written documents that outlined alternatives to an abortion, including information about places to get free ultrasounds, information on child support payments and a list of adoption agencies. The bill specifically says the information cannot include any agencies that provide abortion services.

[SammyWinstonJack]

1. ...

x(

[musette_sf]

2. that azzhat Dan Patrick

is such a phony and such a freak. i knew him when he was a bar owner. i can assure you that he was not all "come to Jeezus" back in those days....

[babylonsister]

3. Ugh. Rec'd for disgust; so much for choice in TX. nt

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. Yeah so much disgust. One step forward texas two steps back.

x(

[BlueIris]

4. The most disgusting pile of misogyny I've read about in a long time.

Good luck, President-elect Obama. Jesus.

[williesgirl]

5. Those fucking cretins. I'm disgusted with all of them. rec'd

[depakid]

6. Saletan had in intersting take on the issue around a years ago:

If I were a legislator, I'd offer four amendments to any ultrasound bill. First, the government should pick up the tab. Second, the woman should also be offered a six-hour videotape of a screaming 1-year-old. Third, any juror deliberating whether to issue a death sentence should be offered the chance to view an execution. Fourth, anyone buying meat should be offered the chance to watch video from a slaughterhouse.

http://www.slate.com/id/2165137/

[DRoseDARs]

8. Gawd, if they're going to blow the dust of that nonsense, I'm doing the same to this picture...

http://www.wickedsunshine.com/WagePeace/Election2004/Images/AwJeez,NotThisShitAgain!.jpg

[Triana]

9. The American TALIBAN - strikes out at women again....

...goddamned CONTROL freaks. They need to STOP trying to control women and learn to control THEMSELVES.

[liberalmuse]

10. That's what stopped me...

I went in for an abortion, and had an ultrasound, and the health care providers there were exclaiming, 'Look at the baby!'. Surprisingly, I couldn't go through with it. Anyway, I know people close to me who did, and it was for the best. I don't regret my decision, but I would not want anyone else to go through that shit if they were bound and determined to get an abortion. I don't believe I was.

[SammyWinstonJack]

20. FORCED to have an ultrasound, is the point. I've have two abortions. It was my choice

and my decision and MY DECISION ALONE!

[Starry Messenger]

11. Sick.

And aren't most abortions performed well before there is anything like a form or heartbeat? Ridiculous. And a waste of money. That unnecessary ultrasound will cost another few hundred dollars. Are the hospitals going to pay for it, or is this added bit of performance art coming out of the pocket of the patient?

[moc]

19. Heartbeat starts at ~6 weeks based on LMP. However, most of these u/s would have to be transvaginal

not transabdominal, especially if it's a first pg. And no, 1st trimester u/s don't look that fetus-like.

[FLyellowdog]

22. Wouldn't a transvaginal u/s be a rather INVASIVE procedure?

How can a government force a female to undergo that type of thing? I'm glad I'm a card-carrying member of the ACLU. I'm sure they'll be involved in some way should these laws be passed.:mad:

[moc]

24. Yeah, it's pretty invasive. As someone who went through fertility treatment, I had my fair share.

It's not pleasant, but when you're trying to have a baby, you put up with it.

I'm sure these dipshits who pass for legislators in this state have no idea what they're talking about. Yeah, we're going to pass legislation that will force your doctor to put a wand the size of a dildo up your hooha. I suggest someone testify in front of their committee with a graphic demonstration.

[Chulanowa]

26. Well, according to these lawmakers...

A woman's vagina and everything attatched to it are state property

[Orrex]

12. Ironic, then, that this same class of people

Fights so hard to keep us from seeing images of the actual people whom we kill in our illegal wars, not to mention the actual people who die in service of our country.

But a mass of fetal cells? Yes indeed--let's put that front-and-center.

:puke:

[TZ]

13. !

Wish I could recommend this post..you hit it EXACTLY on the head. If they pass this then they should make people WATCH executions of criminals. I think Texas death penalty wouldn't stand for long.....

[Orrex]

15. Thanks! The whole notion makes me sick.

And it's one of many reasons that the whole "pro-life" movement should be disgusted with itself.



See? I can even post on a serious topic now and then...

[renie408]

25. Don't kid yourself. They could make a fortune putting executions on pay-per-view.

Never underestimate how fucked up people are. We'd like to think we have progressed from the times when public executions were a fun day in town for the whole family, but we haven't.

[Orrex]

32. I'd go even further

They could make a ton of money by charging people for the opportunity to participate in those executions. For the right criminal, can't you see a bunch of well-to-do Repubs coughing up $10,000 or so for the thrill of pushing the button?

[defendandprotect]

31. Soo true ...!! We can't even see the coffins--!!!!

[AwakeAtLast]

14. Are they also forcing those women to pay for them, too?

I don't think those things are free.

[AlCzervik]

16. SEE what you're killing??!!!

To: Rep. Frank Corte Jr., R-San Antonio, and Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston,

Fuck off

signed
Chimpsrsmarter.

[renie408]

17. You gotta love Republicans. Always looking for a way to make an already painful situation worse. n/t

[MadMaddie]

18. TX one of the states that has one of the highest teen pregnancies

and a lot of single mothers who have to go on welfare because the fathers don't want anything to do with the child. I grew up in San Antonio and experienced it first hand.

* started this backwards shit while he was Governer and TX is still reeling from it and now they want to pass more bullshit laws.

There are many things I do miss about Tx. This is of some of the shit I don't miss about TX.

[JJ]

21. Got my own idea

Make self righteous asses be forced to live in a homeless shelter for a month before they can vote for a Republican.

[Chulanowa]

23. Male lawmakers making laws about the womb

Sorry to my fellow guys, but for all practical purposes, our involvement in gestation is all of the about three seconds it takes to ejaculate fully. Most of us hang around for a good long while after that, but truthfully, once we've contributed out half of the genome, we're pretty much done with the process itself, and have no call to determine how it goes after that. The anti-abortion movement is just a bunch of guys who are pissed that women have as much control over their uterus as any other mammal.

As if abortion weren't a hard enough decision, thy keep coming up with these fucking guilt laws. How long before they require practicioners to call it murder at this rate? They're already requiring doctors in some states actively lie and call it a baby as early as four months, under penalty of losing their license.

[seemunkee]

27. Will the state pay for it?

[mshasta]

28. they already doing it..

...:grr:

[defendandprotect]

29. How can you force a woman to undergo a medical procedure ... you can't

as far as I known--???

[Coyote_Bandit]

30. This has already been enacted

in Oklahoma.

The fundies are proud of it too.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[MilesColtrane]

34. Do they play her a little bit of our old friend, Ludwig Van during the procedure?

Seriously, are they going to force her eyes open?

[ecstatic]

35. Don't ultrasounds cost $700+

Not to mention, you really can't tell what's going on anyway.

[Toasterlad]

36. This Is Insanely Monstrous.

I am SO done with the country right now...

Dance, Grovelbot! Cheer me up!