South Carolina, already home to a law that forces women to undergo ultrasounds before they have an abortion, and another one that forces them to wait an hour to have the abortion after being given literature about why they shouldn’t, is now trying to pass yet another law saying women are too stupid to know what they’re doing:
Women seeking an abortion in South Carolina would have to wait at least 24 hours after their ultrasound under a bill given initial approval Wednesday by a House subcommittee.
The measure would increase the waiting time from an hour to a day.
Proponents said it would bring South Carolina in line with other states that have waiting periods and give women time to reflect on the decision. Critics said requiring two trips creates a burden, especially for poor, rural women.
The proposal follows nearly two years of debate on whether to require women to view an ultrasound image before getting an abortion. Under a compromise passed last year, women must be asked whether they want to look at the screen during the procedure or see a printed image — and sign a form verifying they were given the option.
The compromise kept in the law a 60-minute wait already required after women are handed brochures about fetal development and abortion alternatives.
“But one hour is not enough time to think about it,” said Rep. Greg Delleney, the sponsor of last year’s law and the current proposal. “I’m trying to give the chance for a child waiting to be born to have a birthday.”
Well at least the guy, unlike many other proponents of the bill, is honest about the fact that his intent isn’t to save the poor stupid, imbecile women who don’t understand the meaning of the word “pregnancy,” but to save the poor babies from those poor stupid, imbecile women.
Pro-choice advocates say it in the article, but it’s clearly worth reiterating. First of all, women aren’t stupid. They don’t wake up in the morning, decide with absolutely no fore-thought “I’m going to have an abortion today — sounds like fun!” and go ahead and do it. Those women who have abortions and then regret them later? Far more often than not, they make a decision that they regret because their other options are constrained, not because someone failed to force them against their will to think about it for a(n extra) full day.
Secondly, though I know that our current Supreme Court certainly won’t define it as such, this waiting period absolutely does constitute an undue burden on women seeking an abortion. As noted, to start, constraints are certainly put on rural women — remember that 87% of counties do not have an abortion provider, and even in New York, where only 40% of counties don’t have an abortion provider, I’m still a 45 minute drive away from mine.
But what of other women? Urban women don’t necessarily have it easy, either. For those without cars, navigating public transportation to get to an abortion clinic more than once can sometimes be a nightmare. What about getting time off work more than once, especially when you don’t have the luxury of a job that provides vacation and sick days, and get paid hourly? And what about child care? Contrary to popular myth, 60% of women who have an abortion already have one or more children. So not only are you likely going to have to find a way to get to the clinic more than once, and take time off of work more than once, you just might also have to arrange for someone to look after your kid(s) more than once, too.
Extra time equals extra money, and that equals extra barriers. Which is, of course, exactly what anti-choicers want.
And lastly, I’d like to touch on a point that often goes ignored. That of the mistake that some women make in having an abortion, which they go on to regret forever. You know what? It could happen. Anything is possible.
But I could undergo any other simple medical procedure, have a horrible experience, and regret it forever. No one tries to make me think about it for 24 hours first, though. I could go on a date with a guy, get into a relationship that turns out to be abusive and regret it forever. But no one tries to make me wait 24 hours before saying yes to the date. With free will and free choice comes the free will to make a bad choice. And yes, it’s going to happen. Yes, that’s very unfortunate. Sincerely, it is.
But it’s also a part of life. It’s a part of life, and a right, that I deeply value. I think most of us do. And it’s one that these folks — in their quest to deny women the access to a choice, openly based on the argument that “she might regret it” — are trying to take away.
Via DaisyDeadhead (whose remarks on this are awesome)