Health & Fitness
If Ann Romney Were to Have a Miscarriage Today
Ann Romney's miscarriage was in 1978 after which she was diagnosed with depression. If she had miscarried in today's political climate, there would be many other factors she would need to think about
Today in the Huffington Post there is some commentary on Ann Romney and if she were to miscarry today (if the GOP were elected) and not back in 1978 when this misfortunate event happened.
Here is what was said:
- If Ann Romney miscarried today, she might live in a state that is or is considering requiring her to prove her miscarriage was natural or face felony charges. This is a consequence of any personhood based anti-abortion legislation. Here's a good list of 15 state ballot and bill initiatives to date.
- If she miscarried today, she could be charged with manslaughter or murder. Like Christine Taylor who fell down the stairs in her house, went to the hospital to make sure she wasn't miscarrying and was charged under Iowa's fetal homocide law. Thirty-eight states have these laws and they are being used to prosecute women instead of protect them from abuse as originally intended.
- Or, like 15-year-old Rennie Gibbs, could face life in prison because of Republican state legislators steeped in scientific illiteracy and personal religious beliefs. Yes, Rennie Gibbs had a history of using illegal substances. No, these substances did not cause her miscarriage.
- Or, maybe, like Amanda Kimborough, and hundreds of others, Ann Romney would have to consider the chances she might be charged with "chemical endangerment" and imprisoned, possibly for using medication for her illnesses (breast cancer and Multiple Sclerosis). A chemical is a chemical and endangerment is endangerment. If the Republican Party leadership takes the course of action it has outlined and pursued in various states, women with cancer will risk death because they can be denied treatment, like chemotherapy, as happened to Angela Carder and others in parts of the world that have already gone down this path.
- Today, having miscarried, Ann Romney would have to consider being at the mercy of a personhood obsessed pharmacist, police officer, nurse... well, anyone, really who thought her actions or medication contributed to her miscarriage.
- Even if she hadn't miscarried there would be concerns. If she, like many women, experienced depression (which she did), sadness or despair during her pregnancy, the situation would be equally full of risk in some states -- especially if, like Bei Bei Shuai, she was suicidal. Suicide is one of the two leading causes of death among pregnant women (spousal homicide is the other). Or, like Laura Pemberton she might today find herself, arrested while in labor, legs shackled together, taken to a hospital, and forced to have surgery because the state had an interest in her birthing decision.
- Today, when she needed to see a doctor for her miscarriage, she'd have to think twice since many doctors, in order to protect themselves or act according to their consciences, could either lie to her, deny her care, or turn her in to the police for investigation. That or be the targets of domestic terrorists. Yes, that is the correct term for people who blow up buildings, threaten and kill people out of ideological motivation."
You can read the Original article here.
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It's just some food for thought ...
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