February 16, 2007 6:05 AM

Another DUMB@$$ AWARD wiener

Death Certificates on Abortions Proposed

DUMB@$$ AWARD wiener #535: Stacey Campfield

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Legislation introduced in Tennessee would require death certificates for aborted fetuses, which likely would create public records identifying women who have abortions. Rep. Stacey Campfield, a Republican, said his bill would provide a way to track how many abortions are performed. He predicted it would pass in the Republican-controlled Senate but would have a hard time making it through the Democratic House.

This one should probably be filed under “Man, these trolls will stop at NOTHING!”. In their never-ending crusade to bend Unbelievers and other assorted heathens to their Divinely-inspired will, yet another anti-choice troll is trying to force their narrow morality on women. What’s next? Making women wear a scarlet “A”?? Putting women in stocks in the village square? Or perhaps we should just tar and feather women who have abortions?

What would Jesus do???

The number of abortions reported to the state Office of Vital Records is already publicly available. The office collects records - but not death certificates - on abortions and the deaths of fetuses after 22 weeks gestation or weighing about 1 pound.

The identities of the women who have abortions are not included in those records, but death certificates include identifying information such as Social Security numbers.

What a perfect way to ensure that rabid, anti-choice zealots can harrass women who have made the choice to have an abortion. What other possible conclusion is there to be drawn regarding this proposed legislation?

Campfield’s bill, introduced Monday, would give abortion providers 10 days following an “induced termination of a pregnancy” to file a death certificate.

In addition to the normal emotional challenges a woman might experience after having an abortion, they would also have to deal with their personal information becoming public record, thereby opening them up to all sorts of harrassment from those who care for nothing but their own narrow, holy agenda.

Keri Adams, vice president of Planned Parenthood in Tennessee, on Wednesday called the proposal an attempt to terrorize frightened and vulnerable women who are seeking abortion.

“We certainly hope the Tennessee Legislature doesn’t invest too much energy in this bill,” she said. “We think it’s clearly a violation of privacy, and potentially illegal concerning HIPAA regulations.”

The one positive thing in this sorry scenario is that the likelihood of this oppressive piece of legislative trash becoming law in Tennessee is not very high. Even if it does, it’s possible that it may run counter to federal HIPAA regulations, and therefore be illegal in and of itself.

Sadly, we live in a world where self-righteous hyper-religious zealots feel they have the perfect right to force their narrow, hatred-fueled agenda down the throats of all Americans. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of God’s Will….

Here’s a suggestion for people like Campfield: if you don’t believe in abortion, THEN DON’T HAVE ONE. The Supreme Court has spoken, and Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land. Women still have control over their own bodies and their own reproductive functions. This is as it should be. NO ONE should have the right to force their narrow agenda into the uterus of those who happen not to think and believe as they do. And if people like Stacey Campfield aren’t stopped, it won’t be long until all of us are forced to live under a functional theocracy. Are we really willing to allow the Christian equivalent of the Taliban force us to live according to something approaching the Christian equivalent of Sharia?

Lord, save us from your followers…..

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on February 16, 2007 6:05 AM.

When you're just too damn lazy to drag yourself out of bed to make it to the protest.... was the previous entry in this blog.

Giving the people what they want...or not is the next entry in this blog.

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