Saturday, June 4, 2011

Idaho Woman Charged For "Unlawful Abortion"

This is what is beginning to happen as the far right evangelicals are being voted into positions of power...

Idaho Woman Charged For "Unlawful Abortion," Turned In By Anti-Choice Advocate

Unable to afford the doctors visits and medical bills associated with an actual medical abortion, Jennie L. McCormack of Idaho instead had her sister purchase drugs online to ingest in order to cause a miscarriage. McCormack, who is the mother of three, is now being charged with "unlawful abortion" according to the Associated Press. If McCormack is found guilty, she could be subject to a $5,000 penalty as well as up to five years in prison.

McCormack's case is a sign of the true desperation of women in this country. She said she believed she was only 14 weeks along, although the examination of the remains concluded it was more likely 20-25. She is already a mother of more than one child, one still a toddler. But financially she was cut off from any choice she wanted to make about how many people she wanted in her family, unable to procure an abortion she couldn't afford and now facing criminal penalties for taking the only option left to her. According to the report, McCormack was turned into the police by the sister of one of her friends, a woman who stated "There's other things she could have done. She could have asked for some type of help."

But it's obvious that the only "help" that was acceptable in this situation, according to the tipster, was to have the baby, and that the woman who contacted the police did it solely to punish McCormack. "I'm a grandmother myself. And the love and the compassion I have for my grandkids? They're my life. And I felt that if somebody didn't speak up for this baby, who would? It doesn't have a voice anymore," Carnahan said.

Idaho has recently passed a 20 week abortion ban, making any abortion after that point a criminal activity. How many more women will take it into their own hands to try and self-abort due to the lack of ability to obtain a doctor who can perform the procedure safely? And how many women are conservatives willing to throw a friend in jail for the crime of not wanting to add another mouth to feed to their families?

More here: Idaho Press Tribune

If anyone believes this will be an isolated case if the right wing fringe gets their way and outlaws abortion, they're mistaken. There are plenty of stories pre Roe v Wade to support the desperation women feel towards an unwanted pregnancy. For all you voters who think old white guys and far right religious zealots like Palin and Bachmann are good for American women, wake up and smell the coffee. This is America's future with ideologues in charge. If you don't believe your daughter or sister or girlfriend is smart enough to make a decision that is best for her, you're a symptom of the message that the evangelicals have been selling since the 70's. Democracy doesn't matter when you don't believe another should have the same rights as you if they do not think as you do.

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