Naturally, liberals are up in arms over Florida's new abortion law, calling it "extreme" and even claiming that it "tramples on human rights." Let's take a look at this supposedly "extreme" law, based on the actual text of the law (LINK):
-- It allows abortions up to the sixth week of pregnancy. This is based on the medical, scientific fact that unborn babies have a heartbeat by the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy (LINK, LINK, LINK).
The argument that many women don't know they're pregnant by week six is dubious given the easy availability and low cost of DIY pregnancy tests. Furthermore, most women miss their upcoming period after they've gotten pregnant. Many women also begin to urinate much more frequently after they get pregnant and even before their upcoming period, and this is a well-known indication of pregnancy.
-- It includes exceptions for rape and incest. It allows abortions in cases of rape and incest up to week 15 of pregnancy.
Liberals are upset because the law requires that anyone claiming those exceptions must provide a copy of a police report, a medical record, or a court order. Well, yeah, because otherwise a woman could just falsely claim that she's been raped to get an abortion up to week 15. It takes about 15-20 minutes to file a police report, and you don't even have to go to a police station to do it--you can call and have the police come to your residence.
-- It includes an exception for the life of the mother. It even allows the expenditure of state funds to transport women to other states to receive an abortion for the reason of endangerment (life of the mother) if necessary.
-- Significantly, it changes the state's pregnancy support and wellness services network to expand eligibility for such services to women who are up to 12 months postpartum and to parents or guardians of children under the age of three for up to 12 months. The bill adds new services and assistance which the network is required to provide, including counseling, mentoring, educational materials, and classes, as well as material assistance including clothing, car seats, cribs, baby formula, and diapers.
-- It requires just two in-person doctor visits and only a 24-hour waiting period between the visits. People often have two doctor visits before getting any kind of surgery, even minor surgery. When I had minor shoulder surgery, I saw a doctor three times before the surgery was performed.
-- It bans abortion by telemedicine and requires any medication abortion to be dispensed in person. Liberals are howling about these provisions as well. Yet, I can't even give myself a dental fluoride treatment--my dentist or a dental tech has to do it, even though I could easily do it myself. So this is not an outrageous requirement.
One thing that stands out to me as I read liberal attacks on Florida's new abortion law is that they say nothing--absolutely nothing--about the rights and/or humanity of the unborn baby. Indeed, they talk about abortion the same way that slavery apologists in the 1800s talked about slavery, never mentioning the victims.
In fact, liberals are furious that abortions have declined in states that have placed time limits on when abortions can be performed. They aren't the least bit happy that thousands of babies who would have otherwise been killed have been spared death and allowed to live.
-- It allows abortions up to the sixth week of pregnancy. This is based on the medical, scientific fact that unborn babies have a heartbeat by the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy (LINK, LINK, LINK).
The argument that many women don't know they're pregnant by week six is dubious given the easy availability and low cost of DIY pregnancy tests. Furthermore, most women miss their upcoming period after they've gotten pregnant. Many women also begin to urinate much more frequently after they get pregnant and even before their upcoming period, and this is a well-known indication of pregnancy.
-- It includes exceptions for rape and incest. It allows abortions in cases of rape and incest up to week 15 of pregnancy.
Liberals are upset because the law requires that anyone claiming those exceptions must provide a copy of a police report, a medical record, or a court order. Well, yeah, because otherwise a woman could just falsely claim that she's been raped to get an abortion up to week 15. It takes about 15-20 minutes to file a police report, and you don't even have to go to a police station to do it--you can call and have the police come to your residence.
-- It includes an exception for the life of the mother. It even allows the expenditure of state funds to transport women to other states to receive an abortion for the reason of endangerment (life of the mother) if necessary.
-- Significantly, it changes the state's pregnancy support and wellness services network to expand eligibility for such services to women who are up to 12 months postpartum and to parents or guardians of children under the age of three for up to 12 months. The bill adds new services and assistance which the network is required to provide, including counseling, mentoring, educational materials, and classes, as well as material assistance including clothing, car seats, cribs, baby formula, and diapers.
-- It requires just two in-person doctor visits and only a 24-hour waiting period between the visits. People often have two doctor visits before getting any kind of surgery, even minor surgery. When I had minor shoulder surgery, I saw a doctor three times before the surgery was performed.
-- It bans abortion by telemedicine and requires any medication abortion to be dispensed in person. Liberals are howling about these provisions as well. Yet, I can't even give myself a dental fluoride treatment--my dentist or a dental tech has to do it, even though I could easily do it myself. So this is not an outrageous requirement.
One thing that stands out to me as I read liberal attacks on Florida's new abortion law is that they say nothing--absolutely nothing--about the rights and/or humanity of the unborn baby. Indeed, they talk about abortion the same way that slavery apologists in the 1800s talked about slavery, never mentioning the victims.
In fact, liberals are furious that abortions have declined in states that have placed time limits on when abortions can be performed. They aren't the least bit happy that thousands of babies who would have otherwise been killed have been spared death and allowed to live.
