Glenn Melancon/ Contributing writer
Life for Texas women is about to get much more stressful.
The Republican-led Texas Legislature just passed, and Republican Gregg Abbott signed, a new law allowing vigilantes to harass women. Conservatives simply don’t trust Texas women.
They want the government and busy bodies to invade the privacy of a doctor’s office. They want power over pregnant women.
In America women have equal rights. They are intelligent enough to make informed medical choices.
A woman has the right to walk into a doctor’s office without having a conservative politician looking between her legs. Most of all, she has a right to self-defense.
Pregnancy is one of the most dangerous and complicated periods in a woman’s life. Not only do they risk significant health and life dangers, many too often face angry boyfriends, husbands, and parents.
Texas women have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in America. The Texas Legislature just made this matter worse.
The new law allows random people to sue a doctor, nurse or anyone who “aids and abets” an abortion. Using words like “aiding and abetting” creates a criminal atmosphere.
An abortion is when a fetus separates from the wall of the uterus. A miscarriage is an abortion that happens naturally. Somewhere between 25 percent and 30 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage.
In Texas women chose to end their own pregnancy 9 percent of the time. In other words, natural abortions occur more often than medical abortions.
How are Texas vigilantes going to tell the difference? Will they even care? Does anyone doubt that some busybody lawyer, or disgruntle boyfriend, will abuse their new power over women?
The Texas Legislature just made every miscarriage a potential crime. Crimes must be investigated.
I know many women who want to announce their pregnancy as soon as possible. They are excited about the pregnancy. Now, they should wait.
If they announce their pregnancy and it ends, they open themselves, their friends and medical staff to a lawsuit.
Is it really that hard to imagine vindictive relatives or coworkers accusing a woman of an illegal abortion?
I trust Texas women. I trust women to walk into a doctor’s office and understand the medical advice they receive.
I trust women to develop their own moral understanding of the world. They don’t need medical advice from a politician.
Politicians in Austin just made pregnancy in Texas much more complicated.
They grew the size of government.
Conservatives simply don’t trust Texas women.
Glenn Melancon is a professor of history at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He can be reached at glenn@glennmelancon.com. His opinions are his own and do not reflect those of the Jefferson Jimplecute.