Texas Senate Approvates Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Law

I did a search, but didn't see this topic addressed.

Our lovely state just passed a bill that any woman undergoing an abortion must have a sonogram and a verbal description of the fetus:

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Across the country, recently elected GOP lawmakers are pushing hard to get new abortion restrictions on the books. About 570 bills have been introduced in 48 states this year to restrict abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks the laws.

In Texas, the Legislature passed a bill that requires women to have an ultrasound before an abortion and requires doctors to provide a verbal description of the fetus...

Link: http://www.npr.org/2011/05/10/136175320/gop-lawmakers-push-for-stricter-abortion-laws

They have been doing that in abortion clinics in Alabama and Georgia for at least ten years. They REQUIRE an ultrasound and make the woman look at the screen and point out to her that it has a heart beat, where the head, feet, hands, etc.....are on the screen within minutes of the actual abortion. First, they take their money. Second, they give them a mild sedative. Then they make them sit in a "class" and discuss the actual procedure. After that is when they take them in for the ultrasound. Then they make them strip from the waist down and put on a paper gown and sit in a room next to where the abortions are done (where those waiting can hear the vacuum and the crying) and wait their turn along with a couple of dozen others.

I think that it's barbaric the way abortion patients are treated. They should be routinely performed at a "regular" out patient clinic so that everyone who wants to stand outside with picket signs won't know who is in for what procedure. For some reason, some people still feel that it's their business what medical procedures that others are having done when it comes to abortion. This picketing of cosmetic surgery clinics or even cancer clinics because some people think one or the other is "morally wrong" just wouldn't be tolerated. I would like to see fertility clinics picketed!

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If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

I swear to God, if I ever needed to get an abortion and I had to go through this shit, I would tell them straight to their faces that this shit is the reason I am getting an abortion. I could never in good conscience force a child to deal with the complete lack of empathy and sympathy humans have for one another.

This shit is emotional abuse, end of discussion. Do these people not comprehend that no one WANTS to have an abortion? That people do so because they have no other options? No, they don't because they are mentally/emotionally defective.

Kidless Kim, I could have sworn the ultrasound thing was optional in Georgia.....

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JayJay
I swear to God, if I ever needed to get an abortion and I had to go through this shit, I would tell them straight to their faces that this shit is the reason I am getting an abortion. I could never in good conscience force a child to deal with the complete lack of empathy and sympathy humans have for one another.

This shit is emotional abuse, end of discussion. Do these people not comprehend that no one WANTS to have an abortion? That people do so because they have no other options? No, they don't because they are mentally/emotionally defective.

Kidless Kim, I could have sworn the ultrasound thing was optional in Georgia.....

I don't know if it's an actual law in either state, but patients who have gone to clinics there have been subjected to it. I can't imagine that anyone would want to see an ultrasound before getting an abortion, so it's being optional wouldn't make any sense if women are being exposed to it. It could be that the ultrasounds themselves are required and that in an attempt to cover their asses the clinics are making exposing the patients to it, "company policy". I really don't know, but many of the clinics most definitely ARE doing it, although I can't say that they all are. This is the type of thing that won't get much press for obvious reasons relating to patients not wanting to make in known that they had an abortion.

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If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

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kidlesskim

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JayJay
I swear to God, if I ever needed to get an abortion and I had to go through this shit, I would tell them straight to their faces that this shit is the reason I am getting an abortion. I could never in good conscience force a child to deal with the complete lack of empathy and sympathy humans have for one another.

This shit is emotional abuse, end of discussion. Do these people not comprehend that no one WANTS to have an abortion? That people do so because they have no other options? No, they don't because they are mentally/emotionally defective.

Kidless Kim, I could have sworn the ultrasound thing was optional in Georgia.....

I don't know if it's an actual law in either state, but patients who have gone to clinics there have been subjected to it. I can't imagine that anyone would want to see an ultrasound before getting an abortion, so it's being optional wouldn't make any sense if women are being exposed to it. It could be that the ultrasounds themselves are required and that in an attempt to cover their asses the clinics are making exposing the patients to it, "company policy". I really don't know, but many of the clinics most definitely ARE doing it, although I can't say that they all are. This is the type of thing that won't get much press for obvious reasons relating to patients not wanting to make in known that they had an abortion.

This stuff is so messed up.

I'm truly sorry to see this happen. It pisses me off SO badly that I can barely type. More breeder propaganda SHIT
from red state hell.

Unfortunately, I may actually be partially responsible for this. When I was young my father got me to be a Knight of Columbus and I have their life insurance policy (my mother the beneficiary). I have been trying to get out but mother pays the policy and the membership to "honor my father". Not only do the Knights sell the kind of insurance that is a ripoff (whole life) but they have a program where they are trying to get ultrasound units into "Pregnancy clinics". Its not a good deal though, they only pay for half of the machine and none of the service or training so I don't know how many clinics actually follow this program. But with 7 billion people I strongly feel any woman should be able to get an abortion should she need it.

I just don't let my Brother Knights know, but some have found out but that's another thread.

Does Texas also make jurors on death penalty cases watch graphic footage of real executions? I think that it should be mandatory that anyone making a life and death decision for an already LIVING human being should have to see just what that person will have to go through to commence a death sentence.

Don't get me wrong, I'm about as pro capital punishment as they come, but I think what's good for a zygote should be just as good for a serial rapist/murderer.

While I agree that it is complete bullshit that is bordering on emotional abuse, I would have to think that it might not be as effective as they believe. I know that when I am forced to look at other people's ultrasounds I can't see a damn thing. I doubt I am the only one. I also doubt that a picture of a blobby, snowy mess would change my mind.

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"Not every ejaculation deserves a name" - George Carlin

Fingers in ears... Lalalalalalalalalalalalalaaaaaa!!!!! I can't. Heeeear iiit!

At least they don't require the patient to view the contents of the vacuum bag afterwards, but it wouldn't surprise me if that came next. Like LoveToLurk mentions, no one can make heads nor tail of those ultrasounds anyway so I doubt that they are much of a deterrent. As for viewing the contents, anyone who has ever had a period has already seen what it looks like. These laws are ridiculous for many reasons, but to enforce them on a first trimester abortion when the "baybee" is basically nothing more than a blood clot is preposterous. Like when that IVF doctor who got caught lying to patients that they had been knocked up and showing them ultrasounds of fecal matter in their bowels that was allegedly the "baybee", every one of them fell for it. If the average person can't tell the difference between a clump and a pile of shit on an ultrasound then the whole purpose of it is defeated.

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If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

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kidlesskim
At least they don't require the patient to view the contents of the vacuum bag afterwards, but it wouldn't surprise me if that came next.

Oh, I'd demand it. If I'm going to have to look at some stupid ultrasound, I'd at least want to take the ex-fetus home in a jar with me, so I could show all the protesters how :hardcore I am!

Ultrasounds at 8-9 weeks look like a blob. Vacuum contents look like a heavy period.

While it pisses me off, the determined woman is not going to be swayed by phony sentimentality about DA BAYBEEEEEE.

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From a bottle cap message on a Magic Hat #9 beer: Condoms Prevent Minivans
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I want to pick up a bus full of unruly kids and feed them gummi bears and crack, then turn them loose in Hobby Lobby to ransack the place. They will all be wearing T shirts that say "You Could Have Prevented This."

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LoveToLurk
While I agree that it is complete bullshit that is bordering on emotional abuse, I would have to think that it might not be as effective as they believe. I know that when I am forced to look at other people's ultrasounds I can't see a damn thing. I doubt I am the only one. I also doubt that a picture of a blobby, snowy mess would change my mind.

Not only that, but who pays for this shit? Is it an extra cost thrown in with the abortion fee? If so, I'd want a copy so that I could scan it and e-mail the image to every anti-abortion agency with the heading "another one you weren't able to stop, ya raving fuckwits "

SUpposedly there was talk about the woman sucking up the costs for that, too. Not sure if that is the case though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From a bottle cap message on a Magic Hat #9 beer: Condoms Prevent Minivans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I want to pick up a bus full of unruly kids and feed them gummi bears and crack, then turn them loose in Hobby Lobby to ransack the place. They will all be wearing T shirts that say "You Could Have Prevented This."

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LoveToLurk
While I agree that it is complete bullshit that is bordering on emotional abuse, I would have to think that it might not be as effective as they believe. I know that when I am forced to look at other people's ultrasounds I can't see a damn thing. I doubt I am the only one. I also doubt that a picture of a blobby, snowy mess would change my mind.

That's how irrational the people we are dealing with are. They honestly believe that the end justifies the means, that they will eventually stop all abortions, and that this will be a good thing for everyone. And many of these same folks are against contraception, too. :smn

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LoveToLurk
While I agree that it is complete bullshit that is bordering on emotional abuse, I would have to think that it might not be as effective as they believe. I know that when I am forced to look at other people's ultrasounds I can't see a damn thing. I doubt I am the only one. I also doubt that a picture of a blobby, snowy mess would change my mind.

I still don't think it's actually about changing people's minds. Sure, some of the foot soldiers in this crusade might believe that, but for the ones coming up with the ideas, it's all about reducing access. If you can tack on a cost to the procedure, you will put it out of reach of more women (and make the others suffer more to find the money). Increasing the time of the procedure (as with waiting times) also makes it more inaccessible, especially to people who have to travel some distance for the procedure.