OMAHA, Neb. – A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a new Nebraska law requiring mental health screenings for women seeking abortions because the measure could have made it impossible to get an abortion in the state.Hmm, I called in sick yesterday -- feeling better now -- I already regret it today and I'll regret it even more this weekend when I'll need to go into work. Guess I should have consulted a psychiatrist first.
U.S. District Judge Laurie Smith Camp granted Planned Parenthood of the Heartland's request for a preliminary injunction against the law, which was supposed to take effect Thursday. The order will prevent the state from enforcing the law until the lawsuit challenging it is decided.
State officials have said the law is designed to make sure women understand the risks and complications that may accompany an abortion.
[snip]
The risks could be "physical, psychological, emotional, demographic, or situational," according to the law.
I'm tempted to say that this is just one more law which treats women as fucking idiots who can't possibly think through a decision without the help of The State, but this actually was just another attempt to outlaw abortion by means other than a Supremem Court ruling. The fact that it treats women as weak, feeble-minded creatures is just a bonus.
[sigh]
(h/t to Atrios)
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I'm not sure which is more simple minded, thinking that all women are too stupid to realize that abortion has consequences or thinking that all women give the decision genuine thought.
ReplyDeleteI suspect the overwhelming majority of women are emotionally affected if they have an abortion, although I guess it is very likely that a small number use abortion as a form of contraception after the fact. Few of us are fully able to articulate the risks and/or complications that accompany any of our decisions, from the mundane to once in a lifetime choices. We don't know how often car accidents occur because people glance at the radio/CD player, or how much we are contributing to death caused by pulmonary disease when we drive to work. I wonder how many of the legislators how voted for this law oppose (or would oppose if it were proposed) any kind of gun control laws. This abortion law needs, in my opinion, impressive blinders to segregate heavy scrutiny of the consequences of one activity from our hazy indifference to the consequences of all our other activities.
ReplyDeleteAll of which is to say that I agree with Maria, this is simply one more attempt to outlaw abortion by other means.
"Few of us are fully able to articulate the risks and/or complications that accompany any of our decisions, from the mundane to once in a lifetime choices."
ReplyDeleteSpot on.