This is not a posting that mulls over the ethics of Abortion. Instead it is a posting that throws a spotlight upon an utterly absurd Ohio bill that quite literally orders doctors to either murder their patients or to go to jail if they don’t.
What is the story here?
The Guardian reports on 29th Nov 2019 that ….
A bill to ban abortion introduced in the Ohio state legislature requires doctors to “reimplant an ectopic pregnancy” into a woman’s uterus – a procedure that does not exist in medical science – or face charges of “abortion murder”.
What are the facts?
Ectopic Pregnancy
You can google it yourself, but for completeness, here is the NHS explanation …
An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes.
The fallopian tubes are the tubes connecting the ovaries to the womb. If an egg gets stuck in them, it won’t develop into a baby and your health may be at risk if the pregnancy continues.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to save the pregnancy. It usually has to be removed using medicine or an operation.
In the UK, around 1 in every 90 pregnancies is ectopic. This is around 11,000 pregnancies a year.
Not only is the pregnancy not viable but the mother’s health is under threat. The fallopian tube will spilt and this is life threatening for the mother.
In other words, doing nothing is really not an option, a medical intervention is necessary to save the life of the mother.
What exactly does This Abortion Bill propose?
It dictates that doctors must reimplant into a woman’s uterus. This is not possible, no such procedure exists.
The bill mandates 15 years in prison for both mother and doctor if an ectopic pregnancy is aborted. This puts medical professionals in a situation where they are faced with a conflict between an ethical code that encourages them to do no harm, or a legal threat if they intervene and save the mother’s life.
For many doctors, ethics wins.
It really is that insane. The supposedly “Pro life” pundits in Ohio are once again attempting to put legislation in place that will kill people.
This is what happens when religion runs rampant. Ignorance prevails.
Is this one or perhaps two religious nutters?
Nope, the bill is co-sponsored by 19 members of Ohio’s 99-member House – one fifth.
What happens next?
No vote has taken place yet. If there is a vote then it will probably fail. If it did pass then this would not survive and would be nullified by the courts.
They have no excuse for their ignorance. This is the second time this has popped up. Last May Ohio was attempting to put in place laws like this and it was explained then what the problem was. It has once again come back. This time the “I did not know” card cannot be played.
What can one say expect to perhaps welcome you to the GOP land of fantasy where facts and reality simply do not matter.
Further Insights
An article about this latest bill on Snopes has a few further insights …
Laws that restrict access to or criminalize abortion passed in various states could be part of a strategy to maneuver lawsuits through the courts until they reach the U.S. Supreme Court, in an effort to overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark 1973 decision that gave women nationwide the right to abortion, Hill told us. But HB 413 seems to be an unlikely vehicle for that, if that was the intent behind it.
“Never say never in Ohio these days,” Hill told us. But, she added, “I would be surprised if it passes and gets signed, and even if it does, I wouldn’t expect it to get through the courts.” In July 2019, a federal judge blocked Ohio’s so-called “heartbeat” law, which would have banned most abortions.
Nevertheless, Hill said, such bills represent bad public policy because they confuse people. Hill said abortion clinics receive phone calls from people who are unsure whether abortion is legal in Ohio, and in some cases people travel outside the state to undergo the procedure. Furthermore, Ohio taxpayers are on the hook for legal costs in cases the state loses in court. It’s a “waste of everyone’s time and resources,” Hill said.
Keller, HB 413’s main sponsor, is no stranger to controversy. In August 2019, the state Republican party called on her to resign after she took to Facebook and blamed a laundry list of grievances for mass shootings after gun massacres in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, including, “transgender, homosexual marriage, and drag queen advocates,” recreational marijuana and even former President Barack Obama, who by that time had been out of office for more than two years.
Ohio Aborting Bill – Further Reading
- In the media
- Guardian (29th Nov 2019) – Ohio bill orders doctors to ‘reimplant ectopic pregnancy’ or face ‘abortion murder’ charges
- Vox (5th Dec 2019) – The new bill that would create a crime called “abortion murder,” explained
- Snopes (6th Dec 2019) – Ohio Anti-Abortion Bill Would Push Docs to Re-Implant Ectopic Pregnancies