A dreadful backward step

Are they allowed the morning after pill in Texas?

Yes, it’s a step backwards. I can’t understand why any women would support these state laws. I remember Alfie with Michael Caine and the huge debates here re: abortion. So many women died from illegal abortions.

I feel so sad for women in this part of the USA. It’s interesting that in Texas it’s legislation by the backdoor. Anybody can be sued for aiding abortion past 6 weeks. This will be a very good way of putting clinics out of action and those with money will be pursuing their policies whilst those without may suffer the consequences.

As someone up thread suggested - the land of the free!

It seems that women have had to (and continue to) fight so hard in the battle for equality and fairness and just as we start to make strides forward we are suddenly being dragged back to darker times. Abortion is not a pleasant action, ever, but it is essential that women have the right to choose what happens to their bodies. For millions of women in the world there is no right to contraception or abortion and it looks like many states of America will join that long list of countries. Sadly the rights of women seems to be firmly held by males and religious zealots.

And for anyone who starts arguing for the "rights of the child", what happens to those "rights" once the child is born? There is enormous poverty in the USA (and in fact here and in many other countries) but I don't see these groups campaigning for the right of little children to have a safe home, warmth, clothing and food.

Also, significant numbers of children in the US and the UK end up "in care" and face very uncertain futures, with a much bigger chance of ending up in psychiatric care or prison. There is a huge shortage of foster carers and suitable children's homes. Where are these sanctimonious people then - are they all rushing forward to take care of, or supply monetary support for, these children?

Polls show that over 70% of Americans are in favour of keeping Roe v Wade and the protection it offers for women's health. What we are looking at is the tyranny of a very active, vocal, self-righteous minority who somehow believe that if they show their own moral superiority by enacting laws, then the problems which gave rise to the need for abortions are somehow dealt with. America made the same mistake almost a hundred years ago with the institution of prohibition in an attempt to deal with problems of drunkenness.

It's an appalling slap in the face for women's rights. So women are now forced to carry to term a baby that they may not be emotionally, mentally or economically equipped to care for properly. I think it's absolutely disgusting and women who champion these decisions should, in my opinion, confine their beliefs to what they do with their own bodies and not other people's.

Such a backward step for an advanced country. Womens right to choose ignored. Will surely lead to backstreet abortions. What happens in cases of rape? Will a woman be forced to have her rapists child?

Someone Tweeted today that Texas is now Taliban.

I once had a long discussion about this with an anti-abortion woman. She professed to care about the rights of the child, and blamed society for pushing women to have abortions. When I asked why she didn't campaign to change society and leave women alone until she'd done that she didn't seem to have an answer. As for the rights of the child. it isn't a child, it is a foetus and it will only grow to a child if the woman carrying it continues to thrive, and as I said before some don't. Besides which it's an irrelevance, women have always had abortions when they felt unable to have a child and they will continue to do so. They will just be back street risky procedures done in secret.

I have often wondered how many anti abortionists have adopted an otherwise unwanted child.

Horrendous. Women have abortions when they have no valid choice for whatever reason. And of course it is her choice. It is her body. Just adding my voice to yours. Shocking.

Rights of the child?

Texas is only the start. The right wing Republican zealots have been packing the state legislature and lower courts across the USA. As an American living in the U.K. for 40 years, it horrifies me to see what the US has become

Here’s a link to the Texas Tribune which explains why this is a “new sort of law” and potentially extremely damaging in how it works. Other states are watching with interest. I think it’s scary when the minority can exert such power over everyone.
www.texastribune.org/2021/05/18/texas-heartbeat-bill-abortions-law/

The cases can be heard hundreds of miles from the “accused” in hostile courts. Workers in clinics will basically be repeatedly tied up in these law suits which (even if they win) will make it nearly impossible to work.

love0c

While this has been passed in Texas, I can not see it spreading across America. The American's do not stand for their rights being taken away. Shame many people in this country don't feel the same. Texas may well suffer a backlash yet.

Texas is at the forefront. It is just a beginning.
Other conservative states will inevitably follow.
I believe Texas is the “poster child” for right wing repression and this is being watched with great interest. It will spread out quickly I fear. Especially if the democrats do badly in the mid-terms.

I’m not in favour of abortion, either but it is up to those involved to make the decision not the government. As someone said, what about rape, incest or someone carrying a baby known to have a serious life threatening disability? So. I have for home of the brave, land of the free. Huh. Showing their true colours ?

I'm not in favour of abortion at all but I completely disagree with this change. It is frightening what this means for some women and children.

MaizieD

What apalls me most about this is that some women must have voted for it...

Yes, it is appalling when women find ways to oppress other women.

I understand religious objections to abortion, and why some people would never do it themselves, but to force that belief onto others, particularly in such a punitive and indiscriminate way is just inhumane.

absent

Anyone who reports someone having an abortion after five weeks' pregnancy or reports someone who helps her – a lift to the clinic, for example – can claim a reward. There are no exceptions – rape or incest, for example – allowed. Brought to you by Texas, home of freedom from mask mandates during a pandemic.

That’s like it used to be in Iron Curtain countries, where reporting on your neighbours was a way of life for some.
Medical care costs so much over there, as you say Onwardandupward. So travelling out of state might be too much added expense.
Definitely a retrograde step.

What apalls me most about this is that some women must have voted for it...

At least Biden has now spoken out against it. Though what he can do, I have no idea. It’s like the Taliban have moved into Texas, keeping women down.

And of course there will be women who will die either through attempting back street abortions or by taking their own life. When I was young a friend denied an abortion tried to take her own life she was saved purely by chance. She lost the baby anyway but she could have died. I always remember her whenever I see abortion being questioned or in this case made almost impossible.

It gets worse. The person who reports anyone connected to an abortion after about five or six weeks does not have to have any connection to the woman or other people involved. However, there is nothing to stop a rapist or a family member who has impregnated her from claiming the $10,000 reward.

Oh no.
I had not considered rape and incest. I realise that because of a lack of money, many may not have the means to pay for a hospital birth or proper care. How awful.

That is dystopian.

I saw Margaret Atwood on her UK tour just before lockdown (it was to promote The Testaments) , and she said that the US was slipping into Gilead-like ways. It looks like she wasn't wrong.