Oklahoma Bans Almost All Abortion..... Let's Ban Oklahoma
This may be the most massive civil rights attack in modern history.
Will Smith’s Oscar slap probably garnered more press and public reaction than any other story this year. But a couple days ago, Oklahoma delivered a collective slap to the faces of the nearly two million females who live in that state and raised a threatening hand to the 168 million females who live in this country.
The reaction? Mostly crickets.
I can’t think of anything that demonstrates just how much America disrespects women than the fact that state after state has recently passed restrictive 1950s-ish abortion laws and millions aren’t taking to the streets in outraged protest on a daily basis. A couple summers ago between 16 and 20 million people marched in the streets to support Black Lives Matter by decrying police brutality and systemic racism, making it the largest protest movement in U.S. history. We need that same commitment now in defense of the civil rights of half the population of the U.S.
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Oklahoma Goes Full Agro on Women
Texas, Florida, and Mississippi may have started this patriarchal movement to hobble women the way Kathy Bates handles James Caan in Misery, but at least 19 other states are readying or have passed legislation to restrict abortion to the first 15 weeks. Worst of all, Oklahoma has decided to go a step further by outlawing abortion almost altogether. Senate Bill 612 would make performing an abortion in Oklahoma, “except to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency,” a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $100,000. Did Oklahoma legislators watch The Handmaid’s Tale and think, “Yes, that’s the kind of forward-thinking orderly society where I’d like to raise my daughters.”
A quick look at the logic of the law already shows a deep moral contradiction. The exception “to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency” admits that the born woman’s life is more valuable to society than the unborn life. Given the choice between the two, the law gives her preference. If that’s true, then it’s also true at other times during the pregnancy. This is especially important because giving birth itself risks death.
How much of a risk is it? The U.S. spends more on health care than any other country in the world yet, when compared to 49 other countries in the “developed world,” we have the highest rate of women dying from giving birth. About 700 women die each year in the U.S. from childbirth or delivery-related complications. Oklahoma’s answer: Tough luck.
Again, using the bill’s own wording and logic, since giving birth risks death (and therefore always a possible medical emergency), and the female is more valuable to society than the fetus, having an abortion should be available to the woman upon request.