Republic of Gilead Watch

To continue DJ!'s Republican of Gilead Watch, here are some more details on Vaginia's march towards it from Dahlia Lithwick.

This week, the Virginia state Legislature passed a bill that would require women to have an ultrasound before they may have an abortion. Because the great majority of abortions occur during the first 12 weeks, that means most women will be forced to have a transvaginal procedure, in which a probe is inserted into the vagina, and then moved around until an ultrasound image is produced. Since a proposed amendment to the bill—a provision that would have had the patient consent to this bodily intrusion or allowed the physician to opt not to do the vaginal ultrasound—failed on 64-34 vote, the law provides that women seeking an abortion in Virginia will be forcibly penetrated for no medical reason. I am not the first person to note that under any other set of facts, that would constitute rape under state law.

What’s more, a provision of the law that has received almost no media attention would ensure that a certification by the doctor that the patient either did or didn’t “avail herself of the opportunity” to view the ultrasound or listen to the fetal heartbeat will go into the woman’s medical record. Whether she wants it there or not. I guess they were all out of scarlet letters in Richmond.

An anti-choice commenter at the link points out that the bill doesn't actually stipulate 'vaginal' ultrasound. True, comes the reply, but since gestational age (information required by the bill) can't be reliably determined from a stomach ultrasound until after 12 weeks, women submit to vaginal ultrasound or wait.

Lithwick raises another issue raging in the Excited States: conscience rights. While Tighty Righties are all hot and bothered about the conscience rights of the Fetus Lobby, Lithwick ponders the conscience rights of healthcare providers who perhaps find that being forced to RAPE someone kinda violates their conscience and ethics. What about their conscience fucking rights?

By the way, the fetish fetishizing governor of Vaginia, Bob McDonnell, who is favour of this bill, is being touted as a possible candidate for vice-president under Romney.

Which will just about cement what more and more Merkins are realizing. The Republican Party is completely out of touch.

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ADDED: Couldn't resist.



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