In New Mexico yesterday, Republicans treated us to “Exhibit A” legislation, introduced as House Bill 206. It criminalizes the ending of a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest in some cases, declaring the fetus to be evidence in a criminal trial.
I’ve been pointing out for a while now that House Republicans were going out of their way to give rapists more access to victims (via GOP’s version of the Violence Against Women Act) and forcing a rape victim to carry her rapist’s baby to term, while also granting the rapist access to the child, inadvertently (?) incentivizing rape. Republicans have also been working on redefining rape and trying to pass laws so that victims would be renamed “accusers”. But now, they have finally found a way to just come out and say it.
If you get raped or molested, you are the criminal. If you don’t carry the fetus to term, you may face up to three years in prison.
New Mexico Republicans got one of their token females, Republican State Representative Cathrynn Brown, to introduce HB206 in the New Mexico Legislature — new legislation that would force a rape victim to carry the fetus to term in order to preserve evidence (since when do Republicans care about rape evidence?).
The bill reads, “Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result or criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime.”
The only good news I can potentially see here is that Republicans are claiming to care about rape evidence, and so in a world in which their values were consistent, House Republicans would pass the new bipartisan Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act. The new verion of the VAWA seeks to address the epidemic of untested rape kits. If Republicans want evidence, a rape kit might be a bit easier than forcing a woman to carry a fetus to term.
But if they really wanted evidence in order to prosecute rape, then they wouldn’t need to force a woman to carry a rapist’s fetus to term — they could simply test the aborted fetus, or better yet, process the rape kit. While science and the female body are proving to be too complicated for your modern day GOP, this bill isn’t about evidence. This is about finally finding a way to criminalize victims of rape and incest, so as to protect the perpetrators of those crimes, as all patriarchal systems do (Penn State, the Catholic Church, the Stuebenville football culture, etc). Money and power versus the rape/incest victim.
How many women will be reporting a rape if they know they’ll be forced to carry the fetus to term? Even less than report it right now.
“In addition to being blatantly un-Constitutional, the bill turns victims of rape and incest into felons and forces them to become incubators of evidence for the state,” said Pat Davis of ProgressNow New Mexico in a statement to PoliticusUSA. “According to Republican philosophy, victims who are ‘legitimately raped’ will now have to carry the fetus to term in order to prove their case.”
Incubators of evidence and felons? It’s called punishment for reporting a rape.
While hopefully this bill has little chance of passing, it’s important in the sense that it reveals the intentions behind Republican policies relating to women. Taken in context with their refusal to pass the Violence Against Women Act and their many egregious comments about rape and rape victims, it appears as if the intention behind this bill is to protect rapists by inhibiting the reporting of rape.
PoliticusUSA
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Nancy
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 12:52 pm
*^#~<^%!!!(;:)$@&:!!!!! FREAKS!
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Nefer
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 12:54 pm
I think this law is intended to punish women for the crime of claiming rape, when after all, everyone “knows” that if a woman is “legitimately” raped, “her body has a way of shutting that whole thing down.”
It’s pretty clear that their tiny peabrains work along these lines: Pregnant? Then you weren’t raped. You are trying to get whatever fine, upstanding man that you seduced with your lustful, whorish ways, into trouble. And we are going to punish you for *that* crime.
These people are horrifying.
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eBone
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 6:31 pm
Wow evidence…..the fetus evidence? So after the rape victim carry this fetus to full term and give birth, the rapist can be prosecuted for the crime, than the State will become responsible for disposing the evidence
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helen
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 7:03 pm
It amazes me that the nonsense these republican politicians are clinging to. Who voted these guys in? What happened to voting the brightest and capable into public office? So, these Christian politicians feel it is ok to enforce their religious practice onto everyone? I do not understand. I am truly horrified that women are once again being forced into second class citizenship, and our bodies are once again a public property open for debate. It is good i have two sons.
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1voice1vote
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 12:58 pm
Felony “tampering with evidence”?! Secure the uterine contents in an evidence bag.
FYI Republicans that believe smaller government equals the government forcing raped women to give birth: “Deadly Delivery The maternal health care crisis in America”
“Maternal mortality ratios have increased from 6.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006.”
http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/deadlydelivery.pdf
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Dave
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 1:05 pm
I’m thinking the person whom drafted this bill is evidence that inbreeding results in Dipshitzity aka delusional disorder. Far Fetched? Not exactly it’s drafted in the bill: “The bill turns victims of rape and incest into felons and forces them to become incubators of evidence for the state,” he said. “According to Republican philosophy, victims who are ‘legitimately raped’ will now have to carry the fetus to term in order to prove their case”. Bill Maher best sums this up as “I don’t want to waste another second thinking about Todd Akin, and his theory that you can’t get pregnant unless your eggs are asking for it. Here’s the only thing you need to know about Todd Akin and human anatomy: he’s an asshole”. http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/87be7156f5/republicans-get-in-my-vagina
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Cheryl
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 1:09 pm
The real crime would be if this bill passes. I am appauld that a woman would stand for this bill. A womans body is her own not the GOPs. They don’t want gun laws to restrict their guns, but a womans body is fair game for them. Now tell me how that makes sense? Do they even stop to think about the life of the mother or the baby after she has to carry and deliver the baby. The rate of suicides, child abuse, and abandonment will rise. Do they think about the psychological effects on the mother, always knowing how the fetus was concevied, then looking at that baby after birth. Or perhaps they need to think about the amount of children that are already in foster care or up for adobtion, whats the price tag gonna be for caring for these children? They need to take a step back and leave womens reproductive rights alone.
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Joy
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 1:15 pm
The only positive element of the Republican Party is Colin Powell and he is fast distancing himself from them, thank God. I can barely turn on any news anymore, because I can’t bare to hear their lies, racism, bigotry and attacks.
I look forward to reading this site for a sense of sanity among Americans!
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Candra
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 1:28 pm
Here’s Rep. Brown’s info:
Capitol Phone: (505) 986-4248
Office Phone: (575) 302-2746
E-mail: cath@cathrynnbrown.com
Let her know how you feel. I already did.
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Brigita Petrutis
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 2:23 pm
No answer at the Capitol number, and her mailbox is full at the office. (Not surprised.) Here’s another candidate for tarring & feathering.
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G. McDaniel
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 8:12 pm
I sent her an e-mail, thanks for your posting!!!!
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David Wilson
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 1:47 pm
If forced to bear a child would authorities (at birth) then place said child ‘in evidence’? The thought of that poor baby in a cold locker down at police Hq.The jury passing that baby around, so each could verify the evidence. Place it in a bag or put a tag on it, we need some guidelines on this.If the fetus of a rape victim is considered evidence then why couldn’t the victim abort it and place it ‘in evidence’. Why would carrying it to term matter to the rape case? Oh, that’s right, it’s not about rape, it’s about abortion. We don’t care about women, we care about a fetus with less dna than I can spit.
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lomegor
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 2:03 pm
Just one thing of the article that I found patronizing: “New Mexico Republicans got one of their token females”. She’s not a token female (nor a token woman, in that matter), she’s a person that got the job the same as everyone else. Even if she was sent because she was a woman to avoid a backslash, she’s not a token woman, she’s a person that’s carrying out her job. I know that what she’s doing is awful, but let’s not hurt her or other women who work, and let’s not propagate the stereotype of “token female”.
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Reynardine
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 2:20 pm
She didn’t get the job of doing this the same as anyone else. She got it because being a twatbearer is supposed to give her credibility among women. She’s a token. IRT, BMT, IND, no never mind. Judith Iscariot is a token complete with a convenient little slot.
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roooth
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 3:22 pm
token is as token does.
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Reynardine
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 2:24 pm
This is a prime case of phalloterrorism. By placing every woman and girl at the complete mercy of any phallus with malice, the reactionaries hope to keep female human beings cowering behind their own doors, before and after they are “safely” married off.
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Larry Dillon
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 2:31 pm
Republican Chuck Winder said “I would hope that when a women goes in to a physician with a rape issue,that a physician will indeed ask her about perhaps her marriage,was this pregnancy caused by normal relations in a marriage or was it truly caused by rape.I assume that’s part of the counseling that goes on.
Republican Clay Williams said “If rape is inevitable just lay back and enjoy it.
Republican Richard Mourdock said “Even pregnancy from rape is something God intended
Republican Rick Santorum and former Presidential Candidate said “When Pregnancy is caused by rape the right approach is to accepted what God has given you
Republican Todd Akin said “If its a legitamate rape,the female body has ways of shutting the whole thing down
Republican Ken Buck said “A jury very well could conclude that this is a case of buyers remorse…it appears to me…you invite him over the appearance is of consent”.
Republican former VP candidate and Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan said “Rape is just another method of conception”.
Republican Steve King said “I have never heard of a child becoming pregnant from rape or incest”
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Larry Dillon
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 2:32 pm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/richard-mourdock-abortion_n_2018934.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/31/john-koster-the-rape-thing_n_2051752.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/steve-king-contraception-supreme-court_n_2040593.html?
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Larry Dillon
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 2:33 pm
50 facts about rape
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/50-facts-rape_b_2019338.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009
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1voice1vote
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 2:58 pm
“In malpractice case, Catholic hospital argues fetuses aren’t people”
http://coloradoindependent.com/126808/in-malpractice-case-catholic-hospital-argues-fetuses-arent-people
hypocrisy? couldn’t be.
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Panzerbjørn
Jan. 25th, 2013 at 10:16 am
Religious institutions being hypocrites? Perish the thought…
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KhaosWolf
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 3:36 pm
Women is New Mexico shouod get ready to flee the state…any guy looking to continue his family line without the work of dating, marrying or any effort at all could just rape the women he wants, what can she do…she can’t abort…and he can sue for visitation…and if he has legal rights to the cjild she needs his signature for adoptioon…and if she trys to abort…well he can just sue for custody and well I’m sure Republicans will let him also sue for Child Support…and he would get it.
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ANA CARDIFF
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 3:51 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VdFkF6vtLE
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trosen76
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 4:56 pm
Why do we have to go that extreme? They are trying to turn ALL women, who opt to terminate a pregnancy for whatever reasons (which is THEIR own business, not yours or mine) into felons and forced incubators. this of course despite that right being upheld by the highest court in the country.
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larry davi
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 5:10 pm
the war on women continues. the well-funded re-actionary right has determined to do everything they can to rescind women’s rights. this bill in New Mexico, seems like it was conceived as a satire for SNL. indeed if it were presented n that format, we’d be rolling on the floor; but this is not a comedy skit. futhermore, it is quite frightening to see what these neo-nazis can bring to fhe floor of the House, with a straight face.
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phyllis
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 5:37 pm
the only way this will turn around is if those being raped belong to upper echelon Repubs–let’s all hope rapists have a repub preference
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annie
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 6:02 pm
Well all of you out there without the unfortunate experience of being a rape victim…..I am a rape survivor and I can tell you without question there would have been NO abortion had I become pregnant. Just as I was a victim any child resulting from rape, incest, etc. is also an even more innocent victim!!! A child who did not ask to be created under such violent circumstances still has the right to be born and experience the love and life any other child would deserve. Whether it is with the birth parent or an adoptive family!! Anything else is just pure selfishness!!!! No matter the circumstance of a childs conception, he or she has the RIGHT to life!!!!!!
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djchefron(Moderator)
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 6:07 pm
That is your choice and we are happy that you would make that CHOICE.Why you cant or wont give women a choice that you enjoy is beyond me.
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Reynardine
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 6:22 pm
Indeed, every child who is born has a right to be loved. And if they cannot be loved, they should not be born. What is truly selfish is to condemn them to years and decades of miserable life just to prove how pro-fetus you are.
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Erica
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 7:52 pm
I think its wonderful that u can make that choice. And I’m sorry u were raped but did u become pregnant bc of said rape? If not then I do not think u have the right to condemn or ridicule any woman who has and chosen to end her pregnancy. I too was raped as a little girl, and I know the traumatic long lasting psychological effect that had on me, I could not even conceive the idea of what these poor women and girls who have gotten pregnant bc of rape have had to endure, it makes me sick thinking about it and all their pain!! But what’s even more disgusting then your hypocritical point of view is the fact that anybody could think they have to right to tell a VICTIM of rape or incest what they can or cannot do bc of it and that we would be at a point in today’s society where a rape/incest victim could get a faster abd harsher jail sentence then the sick disgusting rapist who raped them!! What’s next oh its not rape it was the man’s natural urge to procreate!! This lack of care for these women is despicable!!
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Deyndra
Jan. 25th, 2013 at 10:15 am
Annie was not raped, or she wouldn’t make such incendiary statements. I was raped, and while I thank gods every day that I didn’t get pregnant and have to make a choice, I certainly appreciate the fact that I have a choice. I was suicidally depressed after I was raped, a pregnancy would have sent me over the edge.
A rape victim would never tell other victims that they should be denied further control over their own bodies. Annie is most likely lying.
In the event that Annie really was raped, then she needs to stop drinking the kool-aid. She’s telling the rest of us that the only choice we should make is the one she made because she thinks abortion is selfish. You know what’s really selfish? Anybody that thinks they should have a say over someone else’s body or life. Live your own fucking life, and leave my uterus alone.
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1voice1vote
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 7:05 pm
“Cathrynn Brown needs to be raped until she becomes pregnant.”
Hateful and I object to this hate speech.
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1voice1vote
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 7:06 pm
this was a response to Shannon @ Jan. 24th, 2013 at 6:58 pm
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1voice1vote
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 7:27 pm
That’s 3 PoliticusUSA – three times that you have allowed “_____ should be/deserves to be/ought to be raped” to remain posted.
Really? WTF? Values?
“cruel and unusual punishment” ring any liberal/progressive tortuous BELLS? PREA 2003 – look it up.
sooooo outta here.
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djchefron(Moderator)
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 7:29 pm
Thank you for pointing it out.My fault for missing it
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djchefron(Moderator)
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 7:43 pm
When I first started commenting on here I posted something similar along those lines.It was pointed out to me how wrong I was and I apologize for it.Now when I saw it the post I didnt take action because after seeing your reply to her I believe she would have saw that it was wrong and would have corrected herself.Seeing that she didnt I took the action of deleting her post.
We can have disagreement but you right ,as liberals there are some places we shouldn’t go and making a mockery of rape is one of them.I hope this doesn’t stop you from visiting because I for one enjoy reading whats on your mind .
Thank you
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labman57
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 9:33 pm
Extending that logic, if somebody poisons or shoots you, then you should not be permitted to seek treatment, as the procedure would “tamper” with the evidence.
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Shiva(Moderator)
Jan. 24th, 2013 at 10:20 pm
Good call labman. good call!
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Anne
Jan. 25th, 2013 at 4:49 pm
The physical and psychological trauma rape victims go through is more than bad enough. In many cases, the victim is horribly scarred for life in body and soul. Being impregnated by an assailant compounds the trauma, although there are some women who go ahead and bear the child, which should be only their choice. But to force someone to carry a rapist’s child under duress of being imprisoned is hideously inhumane. Just when I don’t think the Republicans can think up more barbaric ideas about women, they outdo themselves. But worst of all is the fact that a woman is actually suggesting that other women who find themselves in such a predicament be further violated, by being forced to bear rapists’ children to be used as “evidence” in proving rape in court or by being threatened with imprisonment for aborting the fetuses. Rape is already a grossly underreported crime because of the shame and because rape victims are often raked over the coals in court in a way other crime victims aren’t.
I see a lot of disastrous consequences if this travesty becomes law, with illegal and dangerous abortions and even more underreporting of rapes.
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OldRepublicanLady
Jan. 25th, 2013 at 5:28 pm
Yes, I am an old white Republican lady, and I’m ashamed of it. The Republican party has lost it’s mind on many issues but especially female issues. It smells like white men who have lost control.
They can not bear a black man in charge.
And being incapable of any kind of intelligent legislation, have turned on women – who are NOT voting for them anymore. This New Mexico House Bill 206 is just another insane offer to the American people. Who are these people? We used to think communists were behind this kind of thing.
Did you know the #1 cause of death of a pregnant woman is now MURDER? Yes, because if you take out the woman, you take out the fetus too. No financial complications left.
New Mexico has a 9 year statute of limitations on rape. Why? They also have 1116 rape kits that are about to be 9 years old and were NEVER processed. How about a law that rape kits must be processed in a timely manner? There is an EPIDEMIC of nationwide unprocessed rape kits. I think New York is the only state that is current. Also MOST prisons, have to “request”
permission to get a prisioners DNA because HE HAS RIGHTS. How about a law, that he has LOST that right when convicted of a crime. ANY crime.
Let’s take the party out of prison.
I would vote for nationwide:
1. Elimination of statute of limitations on rape.
2. All prisioners DNA tested.
3. All rape kits tested within 6 months.
4. A single center for matching up DNA to rape kits, murder, etc.
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Michelle
Jan. 25th, 2013 at 5:34 pm
I am a woman in NM and I was completely outraged when I heard this. What was even more outrageous was the senator’s claim that it was written in error about rape victims being prosecuted. Her statement was that one of her staff rewrote the bill for her and he got the language wrong. The bill was pulled yesterday.
She also pulled her phone number and address because of all the emails and phone calls she received. She upset a lot of women here in New Mexico.
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Reynardine
Jan. 25th, 2013 at 5:55 pm
Bingo.
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Anne
Jan. 25th, 2013 at 6:02 pm
I would be willing to bet that the protests and outrage weren’t confined to either Democrats or women. I am so happy for the women of New Mexico that this atrocity was tabled, hopefully never again to see the light of day. This woman is a moron who should be voted out of office at the soonest opportunity. There is absolutely no excuse for being such a morally bankrupt, compassionless creep.
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Sharin Khosa
Jan. 27th, 2013 at 9:02 am
I would like to share More evil doings with you:
Please read the following, it should shock humanity, part of article and web link from Slate:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/01/25/st_thomas_more_hospital_lawsuit_a_fetus_is_not_a_person_when_we_re_being.htm
“In a country as awash in bad faith and empty political posturing as ours….. That’s why the story of the St. Thomas More Hospital lawsuit is ripping through the Internet. It’s a sad one, really: Lori Stodghill, seven months pregnant, was admitted to the hospital with a blocked artery that killed her and the two fetuses inside her. The plaintiff, her husband, Jeremy Stodghill, is claiming that because her doctor didn’t answer his pages, the twins died unnecessarily and could have been rescued through an emergency C-section, even if Lori’s life couldn’t be saved. The hospital’s defense, so far successful, is to claim that because the twins were fetuses and not people, this can’t legally be viewed as a wrongful-death situation.”
“Of course, the problem is that the hospital is run by Catholic Health Initiatives—Catholic, as in that religion whose leadership routinely claims that not only are fetuses people, but so are embryos, zygotes, and fertilized eggs. That claim is used to turn women into sacrificial lambs for the faith……..as a way to oppress women (and the second it starts possibly costing the Catholic hospital money).”
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leo9lady
Jan. 27th, 2013 at 5:36 pm
This legislation is bull***. There is no need for a woman to carry the fetus to term; the aborted fetus contains the DNA of the rapist. THAT can be used as evidence if they need it so desperately. As a matter of fact, the semen obtained from a rape kit would be the only evidence needed. So again–BS legislation that is bent only on one thing–FORCING a woman to have an unwanted child and raise it, giving RAPISTS more rights than the victim, and discouraging women from reporting rape. Isn’t that lovely? Yeah–Ms. Brown REALLY “puts people first.” What a piece of crap she is.
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