No rest for the weary forced-birthers
by digby
You have to admire their persistence:
Ohio foes of abortion rights Thursday resurrected what could become one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation, arguing that other recent gains in their movement do not go far enough.
Federal judges in North Dakota and Arkansas either have struck down or placed on hold similar measures, but Reps. Christina Hagan (R., Alliance) and Lynn Wachtmann (R., Napoleon) are forging ahead by introducing a revised version of the so-called Heartbeat Bill to ban an abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. That could occur as early as six weeks after conception.
A similar measure divided abortion-rights opponents last session. It passed the House but failed in the Senate. “It’s going to be different this time…,” said Mark Harrington, executive director of Created Equal. “There’s no certainty in politics, but we’re never going to give up.”
Ms. Hagan, however, said she’s received no assurances that the Senate, also controlled by Republicans, will consider the bill this time. “There’s a little bit of hesitation,” she said.
Supporters, surrounded by 17 of the 19 Duggar children featured in the cable reality show 19 Kids and Counting, made it clear that part of their plan is to get a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. They hope the makeup of the bench has changed enough over the years to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion.
They. do. not. quit. They adopted this incremental strategy some time ago and when they lose one they just keep their heads down and plow forward. They do the same when they win:
“Here we go again,” said Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL-Pro-Choice Ohio. “It strikes me that — a month after the governor signed one of the most restrictive anti-choice bills in the country, and we’re looking at the Department of Health closing abortion-care centers, reducing funding for family planning providers, and mandating medical procedures that may or may not be necessary — that’s not enough for the backers of what I consider to be the ‘heartless bill.’
It will never be enough until abortion is banned. Actually, until all reproductive freedom is banned, so they'll just keep going. They're chipping away at it one little right at a time.
I cannot help but wonder what would happen if women were to do what so many people urge them to do: "just ignore" the anti-abortion forces and stop being so "hysterical" about all this. Because at this point it's taking massive amounts of energy, time and money for women's rights groups to fight this back in over half the states and the federal government. How long would it take for abortion to be available in just a few states on the coast? And how long would it be before the anti-choice forces brought everything they have to bear on those states? Meanwhile, in Washington the Supreme Court would be watching and it would soon become obvious that the tide had turned.
No, you can't ignore these people. They are zealots and they will not stop. They must be battled back at every turn. And it's exhausting. Of course, that's part of the plan too.
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