Smile For The Camera!

The South is lovely. It was especially beautiful during this last trip. Everything was in full bloom and the weather infinitely milder than here in New York where we are expecting yet another big storm on Sunday.
But there is a dark side to the South. All the religion and conservative thinking darkens the natural beauty of the place. Just when I think that all those Northerners moving down South moderate the right-wing mentality, I come across some insane instance of Southern close-mindedness. The latest instance is the fact that South Carolina is considering a controversial abortion bill. If passed, the state would become the first to require women to view an ultrasound image before getting an abortion.
Now who came up with that bright idea? Do South Carolina politicians really sit around coming up with ways of shaming women into staying pregnant? The decision for a woman to get an abortion is tough enough without being forced to see an ultrasound image of the fetus inside of her. Now pardon me for asking, but is an ultrasound not considered a medical test or procedure? Can the South Carolina government really force a woman to submit to a medical test? That is scary!
May I suggest that a mandatory brain CAT scan be implemented for S.C. politicos to make sure that they have enough brain cells to make decisions for their constituents.
Shame, shame, shame...


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=65968
South Carolina: The House on Wednesday voted 91-23 to preliminarily approve a bill (H 3355) that would require women seeking abortion to view ultrasound images of their fetus before undergoing the procedure, the AP/Augusta Chronicle reports. House lawmakers voted on the bill after defeating amendments that would have exempted women whose pregnancies are the result of rape or incest from the requirement (AP/Augusta Chronicle, 3/22). The House on Thursday gave approval to the measure and sent it to the Senate (H 3355 history, 3/22). The legislation is supported by Gov. Mark Sanford (R), according to the Columbia State (Columbia State, 2/21). Critics of the legislation consider it a "tool to intimidate women who already have made an agonizing decision," the AP/Chronicle reports. Supporters of the bill hope women will decide not to have an abortion after seeing ultrasound images. Under the state's informed-consent law, which was passed in 1994, abortion providers are required to tell women the likely age of their fetus and provide information about fetal development and abortion alternatives. In addition, women must consider the information for a minimum of one hour before undergoing the procedure. The state's three abortion clinics currently perform ultrasounds to determine a fetus' age. Some other states require ultrasound images to be made available to women, but South Carolina would become the first state to mandate the women see the images if the legislation passes, the AP/Chronicle reports (AP/Augusta Chronicle, 3/22).