The economy has dominated the news for several years. However, the hot social topic of abortion rights still simmers as part of the American culture wars. The recent takeover by the Republicans of the Virginia General Assembly Senate, House of Delegates plus all three elected executive offices have posed problems for pro choice forces in Virginia.
The year of 2012, nationally, literally got off to fiery start. An abortion clinic in Pensacola, Fl was torched New Years Day. Bobby Joe Rogers of Tuscaloosa, Alabama was arested and charged with the arson by Federal officers.
In North Carolina, a state legislator, Larry Pittman called for public hangings of abortion providers. Pittman also included those already on Death Row as canidates for the noose.
Pittman later explained that he "over stated my case". He further explained that he was angry about a defiant mocking letter from a death row inmate that appeared in a North Carolina newspaper.
In Oklahoma, State Represenative Robert Shorty called for a law that could be interpretated as calling for banning of fetal material in food production.
Virginia has not produced the drama of these events but there has been a dramatic shift in power. Democratic control of the Senate, which ended last year, insured abortion foes' legislation originating in the Republican dominated House would die in the Senate.
The Senate is evenly split 20 to 20 between Democrats and Republicans. However, Republican Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, who presides over the Senate casts a deciding vote on legislation and committee assignments.
This has emboldened Republicans with new and more restrictive abortion requirements.
Delegate Robert Marshall, a social conservative nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness by friend and foe, introduced House Bill (HB) 1. This bill is a fetus personhood bill that would grant civil protections for a fetus. It is modeled after a failed Mississippi bill that was too radical even for Mississippi's conservative voters. It was voted down in a statewide referendum, 58% to 41%.
One of the problems with fetal personhood bills is that they make the line between birth control and abortion very narrow. Some abortion foes welcome this since they feel birth control is a type of chemical abortion. However in the Mississippi referendum, this argument was very persuasive.
Another abortion bill would require that women listen to an ultra sound of the fetus prior to an abortion. This bill has passed the House of Delegates and has been sent to the Senate.
Another bill would defund Medicaid payments for women wanting second trimester abortions because the fetus was deformed,defective or suffered other abnormalities. This is a hot button issue with pro lifers. They say a life should not be devalued or thrown away because it is suffering from minor birth defects or even major ones.
Abortion rights advocates have raised counter arguments. One is that some birth defects endanger the health and life of the mother. Abortion rights advocates' argument is that women should be trusted to make their own decisions regarding abortion issues. It is epitomised by the slogan "trust women." If you trust women to work, run companies, families then why shouldn't they be trusted to make their own decisions regarding when and if to have an abortion ?
Yet another bill is the Fetus Pain Bill. The bill alleges that it is scientific evidence that after 20 weeks a fetus feels pain. Therefore medical precautions should be made that in an abortion the fetus is not to feel pain. Abortion rights advocates counter that neural and brain development does not occur to later in the pregnanacy and it is nearly impossible to gauge fetal pain.
The political and legal climate is working against abortion rights advocates. The courts are upholding what would once be deemed as unconstitutional obstructions to a woman's abortion rights. Republicans in Virginia are in political control. However, the pro lifers have continously lost head to head voter referendums on abortion issues in numerous conservative states. Virginians, like all Americans, are probably not ready to scrap abortion rights totally.
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