Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
On the National Level
In late January, I wrote a post titled Rape Redefined and Brought to You by the US House of Representatives in which I 
talked about members of Congress—mostly Republicans—who were attempting to “redefine” what the only REAL kind of rape is—that would be “forcible rape.” (I wasn’t aware there was any other kind of rape.) These Congressmen were proposing legislation that would no longer consider the following types of sexual assault as rape: The rapes of women with limited mental capacity and rapes in which women were drugged or given excessive amounts of alcohol.
Last week, Lawrence Rafferty (rafflaw) wrote a post titled The Right’s War on Women in which he discussed legislation proposed by Rep. Mike Pence (R-Indiana) that would eliminate the entire budget for Title X. Lawrence wrote: “Rep. Pence and his fellow Republicans are trying to defund Planned Parenthood because it receives millions from Title X funds to assist women in their family planning and health matters. In order to try to end abortions without testing the strength of Roe v. Wade in the courts, the sponsors and backers of this bill don’t care if low-income women suffer by not getting the health care that they so desperately need. Many of these same legislators also backed the repeal of the Affordable Health Care act which would also assist low-income women get affordable health care.”
And Now from the State of Georgia
Just yesterday, I read about State Rep. Bobby Franklin of Georgia who is introducing legislation in his state that would require proof that a miscarriage—aka a spontaneous abortion—was the result of natural causes. If this legislation passes, there would have to be proof that a woman’s miscarriage was the result of natural causes. If a woman can’t prove that—she might face felony charges!
From a piece in Daily Kos: “Franklin wants to create a Uterus Police to investigate miscarriages, and requires that any time a miscarriage occurs, whether in a hospital or without medical assistance, it must be reported and a fetal death certificate issued. If the cause of death is unknown, it must be investigated. If the woman can’t tell how it happened, then those Uterus Police can ask family members and friends how it happened. Hospitals are required to keep records of anyone who has a spontaneous abortion and report it. Yup, we’ve been waiting for someone to suggest this–and Franklin has.”
Here’s the link to Franklin’s bill:
http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display.aspx?Legislation=31965
There are millions and millions of American women who suffer/have suffered miscarriages through no fault of their own. Suffering a miscarriage can be an emotionally wrenching experience for a woman. Imagine losing a much wanted pregnancy–and then having to prove the miscarriage was the result of natural causes. How does a woman do that, Rep. Franklin? Can you explain to the women of Georgia how they should go about gathering evidence to prove that they haven’t committed a felony when they have a miscarriage?
By the way, Rep. Franklin also introduced a bill to change Georgia’s criminal codes so that victims of rape, stalking, and family violence could only be referred to as “accusers” until defendants have been convicted.
FYI
Here are some statistics on miscarriage for you:
From WebMed
Frequency of Miscarriages in the United States
The overall miscarriage rate is reported as 15-20%, which means 15-20% of recognized pregnancies result in miscarriage. The frequency of spontaneous miscarriage increases further with maternal age. With the development of highly sensitive assays for hCG levels, pregnancies can be detected prior to the expected next period. When these highly sensitive hCG assays are used early, the magnitude of pregnancy loss significantly increases to about 60-70%. Late implantation by the conceptus beyond the usual 8-10 days after ovulation also has an increased risk of miscarriage.
About 80% of miscarriages occur within the first trimester. The frequency of miscarriage decreases with increasing gestational age. Recurrent miscarriage, defined as 2-3 pregnancy losses, affects about 1% of all couples.
From American Pregnancy Association
Miscarriage is the most common type of pregnancy loss, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Studies reveal that anywhere from 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will end in miscarriage. Chemical pregnancies may account for 50-75% of all miscarriages. This occurs when a pregnancy is lost shortly after implantation, resulting in bleeding that occurs around the time of her expected period. The woman may not realize that she conceived when she experiences a chemical pregnancy.
Sources
Washington Monthly (Political Animal)
eniobob
1, February 19, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Mrs M.:
………………..
The so called tea party folks are going to wake up holding a big bag.
================================================
Yep … if they actually knew and understood history, they’d be prepared for what’s coming … but they don’t, so they aren’t … the shock to their systems and the whining that will then ensue is also guaranteed.
Mrs M.:
“My head is reeling from trying to keep track of all these crazy “anti-women” bills being proposed by state and national legislators.”
Just this whole situation where you have neighbor turning against neighbor,and everything geared to keeping you down,spiritually,financially and someone is sitting back LTAO at it all.
The so called tea party folks are going to wake up holding a big bag.
Know what the difference between Sharia Law and the hodgepodge of Fundamentalist based, sex-preoccupied laws that are exemplified by this bill? Sharia Law allows contraception. Apparently, the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy shouldn’t interfere with the sacrament of lawful sex. Whoda’ thunk it?
***
Elaine:
“Do these men who are proposing these bills really hate women?
Yes, yes they do. Would they dare to propose a bill that bans all government funding to the research into and treatment of Sickle Cell Anemia? And if they did would it be tolerated, let alone passed? I think not.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_sexual_jurisprudence
Elaine,
This is one of the many reasons I like our guest bloggers and the subjects they bring to the table.
This guy has been in a position of power for years. It is important to know where he comes from and if the people who put him in power support his actions. Obviously the citizens of east Cobb do as they keep returning him to power. Would you want to buy a house there, send your kids to school there, go to church there? I certainly wouldn’t.
Over fourteen thousand people voted for this guy. Multiply that number by every district in every state and one begins to understand the mental makeup of the Republican/teabagging Party.
Blouise,
I read all those things about Bobby Franklin when I was doing research for this post. He’s quite the state representative, isn’t he?
Elaine:
“Do these men who are proposing these bills really hate women? It seems so. It also appears they think women should be treated like second-class citizens.”
Well, according to their literal translation of the “good” book, women aren’t equal to men so …
Blouise:
“By the way … the good citizens of east Cobb have been sending this republican dude to represent them in their State Legislature since 1996. I think that tells us all we need to know about them.”
Perhaps this area was founded by the patients of a local mental institution that was closed back in the day. It’s the only logical reason I can come up with for such lunacy.
I was just reading about the defunding of Planned Parenthood on CrooksAndLiars.com, and read the following question by one of the commenters. Could Professor Turley answer this?
AlwaysADem — 2/19/11 9:39am
“Maybe a Constitutional scholar out there might know the answer to this:
“Once a law becomes law, should defunding that law be considered unconstitutional? If it’s the law of the land, it would seem anything that keeps that law from being enacted should be considered unconstitutional, including defunding, until the Supreme Court deems the entire law unconstitutional.”
I would suggest that anyone who is interested should google this guy and discover what other laws he wants to institute or change.
For instance: he wants to do away with driver’s licenses. “Franklin told CBS Atlanta News that driver’s licenses are a throw back to oppressive times.”
“State Rep. Bobby Franklin (R-east Cobb) says the state is in violation of the law for failing to conduct transactions in gold or silver. has authored HB 3, the Constitutional Tender Act, which would require state transactions to be conducted in gold or silver.”
On homosexuality:”The Bible says it’s a capital offense,” Franklin said of homosexuality. “You want someone with unrepentant criminal behavior? (gays serving in the military”
And my personal favorite: “Franklin doesn’t take kindly to county restrictions on what kind of animal you can have in your yard. So he introduced HB 2, which prevents local governments from interfering with a resident who wants to raise chickens, rabbits or goats.”
By the way … the good citizens of east Cobb have been sending this republican dude to represent them in their State Legislature since 1996. I think that tells us all we need to know about them.
(http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/11295596/article-East-Cobb-Rep–Franklin-s-take-on-gays–gold–goats-and-God?instance=home_news_left)
Elaine, Just don’t listen to people when they tell you a blue dog pro choice democrat who will caucus for Pelosi is just as bad as an anti-choice republican who will vote for this legislation. Glad you posted this subject again. Have to run and meet some friends for lunch.
Elaine M.
This is an important post. What is needed is a national clearing house which would be a source for information about this type of legislation. Blouise is correct to remind us that the local venue is where the rabid right and their Iagos, the Tea Party movement, are burrowing underneath everyone’s civil rights.
Does anyone know of such an organization? It IS dizzying to try to keep up. Thanks in advance for any information.
Swarthmore mom,
And what about Republican governors?
Seems like the defeat of Pelosi as speaker and and of democrats nationwide sent a powerful signal to these republican legislators.
Stamford Liberal,
Thanks. I had forgotten it was “The Last Word.”
Do these men who are proposing these bills really hate women? It seems so. It also appears they think women should be treated like second-class citizens.
Elaine,
Sorry I missed your post on another thread.
I learned of Rep Speier’s last night on “The Last Word.” 🙂
There is something seriously wrong with this man and now that his constituency is aware, there is something seriously wrong with them if a recall is not immediately put into action.
And speaking of constituencies, here’s a little tidbit: According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, Rep. Bobby Franklin’s state of Georgia ranks 11th out of the 50 states and Washington DC, for incidences of forcible rape. (http://bjsdata.ojp.usdoj.gov/dataonline/Search/Crime/State/StateCrime.cfm)
Stamford Liberal,
I posted the video of Rep. Speier speaking on the House floor on one of the other threads. It took a lot of courage for her to do that. I also saw Speier’s interview on MSNBC last night–but I can’t recall on which program. My head is reeling from trying to keep track of all these crazy “anti-women” bills being proposed by state and national legislators.
Thanks for posting that piece by Traister.
Elaine M:
Excellent. This issue needs to be in the forefront – daily.
I’m sure you’ve already heard about this, but it bears repeating:
This is what “pro-life” means?
By Rebecca Traister
C-Span.org
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.)As part of their stated mission to focus on jobs (specifically, the job of preventing women from getting healthcare), House Republicans this afternoon voted 240-185 to bar federal funding for Planned Parenthood.
This is a big win for Rep. Mike Pence, the Indiana Republican whose deficit-minded crusade against Planned Parenthood hinges not on the argument that taxpayer money shouldn’t pay for abortions (the Hyde Amendment put a stop to that in the mid 1970s), but on the conviction that taxpayer money should not go to organizations that provide abortion services, regardless of what else they might do.
Pence’s plan, which will likely stall in the Senate, would mean the end of federal support for an organization that each year provides more than 800,000 women with breast exams, more than 4 million Americans with testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, and 2.5 million people with contraception, which, not for nothing, is the stuff that prevents unintended pregnancy, and thus abortion, to begin with.
In Friday’s Washington Post, former Catholics for a Free Choice president Frances Kissling suggested that the current, harrowing onslaught against reproductive rights should force the pro-choice movement to alter its path and redirect what has indeed become a slightly stale message.
Though I’m not sure I see eye-to-eye with Kissling on which particular path to take, I agree that now is the time for women and men who believe in women’s rights, health and liberty to reclaim the language of morality and life, long coopted by abortion foes, as our own. Because what the Republicans have made clear in the weeks since they took over the House is that there is most certainly morality at play here, there are most certainly lives at stake: the lives and the moral value not of the unborn, but of the living, breathing women of this nation.
Continue reading
Pence and his fellow Republicans are not simply taking aim at a particular medical procedure — one that, I would nonetheless submit is an integral component in women being able to control their bodies, their health, their careers and thus their economic, social and political freedom. But this isn’t simply about the question of abortion itself. What Pence and the House of Representatives did today was devalue women’s lives, women’s rights and women’s ability to participate fully in the democracy. The excuse used by Republicans is that we are saving taxpayer money. Saving money in exchange for breast exams, cervical cancer screenings, STD testing and care: Welcome to the movement that has long billed itself as “pro-life.”
In the midst of the House battle, two congresswomen underscored precisely these points, and in doing so, offered vivid evidence of why, exactly, it makes a difference to have a governing body that includes members of differing genders, races, classes, perspectives and experiences.
In response to Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, who had taken to the floor to read aloud a description of a second-trimester abortion procedure he’d found in a book, Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier of California described a second-trimester abortion procedure she’d had in her life. Speier told of a procedure she’d had at 17 weeks pregnant, when something went wrong with her pregnancy. “For you to stand on this floor and suggest that somehow this is a procedure that is either welcomed or done cavalierly or done without any thought, is preposterous,” Speier said, directing her comments at Smith. “Planned Parenthood has a right to operate. Planned Parenthood has a right to provide services for family planning. Planned Parenthood has a right to offer abortions. The last time I checked, abortions were legal in this country … I would suggest to you that it would serve us all very well if we moved on with this process and started focusing on creating jobs for the Americans who desperately want them.”
Meanwhile, late Thursday night, Georgia Republican Rep. Paul Broun had trotted out the old canard about Planned Parenthood being a bunch of eugenically motivated abortion enthusiasts, pointing out that “there are more black babies killed through abortion proportionally than there are white babies or any other colored babies.”
Responding to Broun’s deep concern for the well-being of black babies (a concern that apparently ends when those black babies grow up to need breast exams or cervical screenings) Wisconsin Democrat Gwen Moore said, “I know a lot about having black babies. I’ve had three of them. And I had my first one … at the ripe old age of 18. An unplanned pregnancy.”
Moore told the story of her labor, of not having had a phone or a cab or the money for a cab to the hospital. She went on, “I just want to tell you a little bit about what it’s like to not have Planned Parenthood. You have to add water to the formula to make it stretch. You have to give your kids Ramen noodles at the end of the month to fill up their little bellies so they won’t cry … It subjects children to low educational attainment because of the ravages of poverty. You know, one of the biggest problems that school districts have in educating some of these poor black children who are unplanned is that they are mobile; they are constantly moving because they can’t pay the rent … [P]ublic policy has treated poor children and women who have not had the benefit of Planned Parenthood with utter contempt. These same children, it has been very difficult to get them health insurance through CHIP.”
This is rhetoric that must now be blasted from the rooftops. Those of us who have been raised on and come to rely too heavily on the limp language of choice must listen and then yell it as well. Opponents of reproductive rights are working — successfully, today — to prevent women from receiving the healthcare that they and their families require; they are working against the well-being of women.
Morality is not the exclusive domain of the unborn, whatever we have been told for decades. Morality is on the side of women, on the side of children, on the side of a society that offers aid to its impoverished and to its young and does not discriminate against half its population. In Moore’s words, “Planned Parenthood is healthy for women, it’s healthy for children, and it’s healthy for our society.”
Here’s video of Rep. Speier’s remarks:
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.swf?pid=298072-1&start=52350&end=52531
Rebecca Traister writes for Salon. She is the author of “Big Girls Don’t Cry: The Election that Changed Everything for American Women” (Free Press). Follow @rtraister on Twitter. More: Rebecca Traister
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If only the men and women on the Right had a fraction of the courage Representative Speier has.
Elaine,
Great piece…..Some peoples lack of intellectual skills or clear lack of understanding to a woman and her support group in a time such as this shows that the possibility of retroactive abortion needs attention, how do we go about that without violating the jackasses and Jennyasses Due Process……
Great article Elaine. Almost every family has had to suffer through a miscarriage. For this fanatic in Georgia to come up with the “pregnancy police” idea is unbelievable. The huge numbers of miscarriages is evidence of how pervasive and invasive this Georgia Rep’s “investigations” might be. Could religion be creeping into Georgia’s governmental affairs? Let’s hope that he doesn’t have a wife, daughter, sister, etc, who has to go through a miscarriage and his subsequent investigation, should his bill be passed. How can a bill like that be constitutional?