Lynn Harris at Broadsheet (who, like me, was on vacation last week) links to a modest proposal for truly enforcing the "Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act."
If it becomes law, the bill will require doctors to tell women seeking late-term abortions that a fetus can experience "pain" starting at 20 weeks. Writes Lynn Paltrow of National Advocates for Pregnant Women:
It must be admitted that--in addition to violating ethical principles of informed consent and lacking scientific foundation--the bill is disappointingly incomplete. It states that "there is a valid Federal Government interest in reducing the number of events in which great pain is inflicted on sentient creatures," yet covers only "unborn children." It leaves unprotected millions of born Americans who suffer chronic pain--including those blocked by draconian drug laws from obtaining medication to alleviate unrelenting suffering.
Hey, that's right! What about those of us who are sentient, "post-born" creatures? Doesn't the federal government have an interest in reducing the number of events in which great pain is inflicted on us? Oh, right. Sorry. This is an administration that's far more concerned about fetuses (and embryos) than it is about the health of grown women and men. Moving on...
Even if the legislation is limited to the unborn, Paltrow points out there are numerous ways that pain could be unintentially inflicted (during certain prenatal tests, etc.) on a fetus that a woman has chosen to carry to term. And the legislation might also suggest we should avoid causing the fetus the "pain" of vaginal birth. Harris asks, "haven't entire areas of psychoanalysis -- or at least pop-psych legend -- risen up around the inherent trauma of leaving the womb at birth?" Indeed.
It's also worth mentioning that the legislation defines a woman as a "female human being who is capable of becoming pregnant." If this bill becomes law, it's going to be rough notifying my grandmother that she isn't a woman.
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Oh. My. God.
PLEASE tell me this has no chance of passing. How utterly stupid and insipid.
I hope they tack a rider onto the bill stating that all members of the American government need to be informed that people feel pain when they are denied medical marijuana, shot in Iraq, deprived of medical attention because they are poor, or when they drown in their homes because of a hurricane. Often.
The federal government is interested in *reducing* great pain? Seriously?
I'm mostly upset that my status as a "woman" is defined by my ability to squeeze out a baby!! That way lies the Pre-Pregnant madness! o_O
The definition of woman is the most troubling. Once again, it places us in a position of worth only in terms of being a baby-maker (and wife.)
Side Note: "grown woman" is not a real phrase. A woman is a female who has reached adulthood. Grown woman is some sort of street slang.
Is this woman-definition meant only for purposes of defining who the doctor has to tell this info to? Or... is it meant to be more wide-reaching? Very scary.
If my tubes are tied, will I no longer "legally" be a woman, according to this bill? o_O If so, what will I be?
I have a tilted uterus and was told I am likely unable to have children. Does that mean I'm not a woman?
And if so, does that mean I can expect my pay to increase, if ever-so-slightly?
I apparently lost my claim to being a woman when I lost my reproductive capability to cancer. Who knew?
Do you think they'll add a comparable definition of "man." If only the reproduceable ones qualify as men and women, does that mean that they are the only ones who can marry under the Marriage Protection Act?
Or will non-women be able to marry other non-women, too?
I once had a biology teacher mention that people who don't reproduce have no purpose.
Hmm. What about the huge amount of pain women suffer in giving birth? I'd like to see some mandatory warnings and vivid examples of that given to pregnant women.
An individual knows to some extent what pain will be experienced in certain situations and for the most part they knowingly put themselves in that situation. Some women are completely oblivious to the fact that the aborted child may experience severe pain. The bill is simply proposing to inform a woman that her unborn child may experience pain and that there are options that can greatly reduce it.
Ella, "pain" is an entirely subjective experience, especially pain as we understand it. It is entirely likely that even newborns cannot "feel pain" because of their undeveloped forebrains.