House passes abortion ultrasound bill

The House gave key approval today to a bill requiring women seeking an abortion to view a fetal ultrasound prior to the procedure.

Lawmakers rejected amendments that would have exempted victims of rape and incest.

Supporters of the measure said such changes could create loopholes and essentially render the bill useless.

Supporters of the amendments said the changes would give dignity to crime victims.

The bill was approved 91-23.

Comments

[silly man]

So, In case a victim of a rape or incest crime hadn't suffered enough, the doctors are supposed to make them feel more guilty for deciding to abort this fetus. I hope that these ultrasounds don't sway someone back from abortion...which is, I think, the purpose. A woman has probably already looked at the pros and cons of becoming a mother and decided to abort. Is this picture supposed to change her mind? I think it plays unfairly on the emotions of a woman while she is under a significant amount of stress.

[Roger Finch]

Well, let's get a bill started to put women in stocks on the public square after having an abortion or perhaps, a red letter "A" tattooed on her forehead.

[B Salmon]

I think it should be noted that this bill will serve only to cause more pain to women seeking abortion. A year ago I went to the doctor because I was having a miscarriage and had to have an ultrasound. The technician would not even let me see the screen because of the potential harm it could have caused. I went through enough without the picture of my child and women who have an abortion also go through enough without the image of their fetus burned into there memory. Do you really believe that women who choose to have any abortion are making a flippant decision with no thought of the child growing inside them? We are giving women the right to chose but making it a hard and painful decision. That is not freedom of choice.

[Roger Finch]

Of course, my comments were only meant to be facetious. I'm very ashamed of the people that represent us in Columbia.

[c. waring]

Are those people who are forcing women to look at the ultrasound going to adopt the child?

[Nancy Profer]

I am tired of hearing how awful it is going to make the woman "feel" about putting an end to the life growing inside of her by whatever circumstances. Except in the cases of incest or rape, why is she doing this? Because it is inconvenient, because she can't provide for the child, because the father won't marry her, or has threatened to leave if she has the baby.
It is not that I don't feel for her situation, but I feel more strongly about that helpless life that is growing inside of her.
No matter what the circumstance, give that life a chance.
We as a community are just as responsible for adding to her thought that there is no way that she can have this child. Are we there? Will we help?

[Kent]

We have no hungry children in South Carolina. We have no sick and elderly. We don't have an education problem. We don't have infrastructure falling around our ears. We don't have job shortages and pay inequality to our neighboring states. We don't have REAL problems, the South Carolina Legislature has BETTER priorities. SHAME SHAME SHAME

[Bill]

This only proves that men in positions of power can enforce their religous viewpoints on women just as easlly here as they do in radical muslim countries!

[laura]

I think the women of this state need new leaders. Saying that the exemption would just lead to more women lying about the medical procedure is horrible and the rep. that said that should be forced to resign. Trust women, and leave your personal religous views out of it.

[L. Cook]

As the mother of two and the friend of several who have had abortions that they still regret, I support this bill 100%. I saw the ultrasounds of both of my children at 18 weeks (an age at which children legally can be aborted in our country), and they were as alive then as they are today.

[Jason]

This is a quote from a previous writer: "We don't have REAL problems, the South Carolina Legislature has BETTER priorities. SHAME SHAME SHAME"

I find it hard to beleive that a human life is not considered a real problem! Oh I forgot, human life is only considered a REAL problem when it is convenient for liberal Democrats (Iraq)!

[Freedom]

I think until you have been in the position where you have had to make the choice, you have NO right to dictate to others how or what to feel. No one should ever make a decision like abortion lightly, and forcing a woman to look at an ultrasound only says that you are unable to put yourself into that position. Just because you might not have a legal procedure guarenteed by the Constitution and the Supreme Court of the United States does not mean you have the right to force someone else to behave the same way you do. Our country was founded on freedoms that are innate to human nature. Making the choice as to whether or not to become a parent falls under that list of freedoms. Do not take away my freedoms so that you can sleep easier at night. Do not hide behind religious rants to protect your sense of rightousness. Until we right the wrongs we do daily to everyone around us, do not force your opinions on religion on our freedoms. For then, like an earlier poster already said, we are no better than the Communist and Muslim governments we like to go to war over.

[Liz McDowell]

It is a very sad and embarrassing day to be a South Carolinian.

[Jeff]

An ultrasound is a vehicle for the delivery of scientific information about a pregnancy. Requiring women to be medically informed before undergoing a serious procedure has nothing to do with religion.

Again, an ultrasound is a scientific tool. Is it "imposing religion" to require that a woman be thoroughly informed?

[David]

The left have a history of taken up for those who can not help themselves - where are they now to speak up for these children? All of this for a second chance at a choice already exercised?

A women who puts their child up for adoption, still forfeits their parental responsibilities.

Sure it gets difficult under certain circumstances, but the children who have been born out of rape are grateful for the mother's difficult decision.

Please take a step back to consider the big picture of human life. This ultrasound makes sure everyone is aware of this reality.

Respectfully praying for a change in hearts...

[Bruce]

..Laura said..

"As the mother of two and the friend of several who have had abortions that they still regret, I support this bill 100%. I saw the ultrasounds of both of my children at 18 weeks (an age at which children legally can be aborted in our country), and they were as alive then as they are today".

That's beautiful Laura, nothing to do with religion, just stating the facts.

Fact is their existance, my existance and even your existance started started at about forty weeks before you were born.

I'm pro life but I'm also an atheist.........

If you think the point of conception is NOT when life begins, and all you have is a clump of cells and not a living human being.
Then at least concider this -

Soon after you were conceived you were no more than a clump of cells.
This clump of cells was you at your earliest stage, you had plenty of growing to do but this clump of cells was you none the less.
Think about it.
Aren't you glad you were left unhindered.... to develope further.
Safe inside your mother's womb until you were born.

On the subject of 4D ultrasounds..

The way I see it is, if you can see nothing wrong with it,(abortion),then you will see nothing wrong with it, and it won’t effect your decision….(or your mind)

If you do see something wrong with it,(abortion), and it does effect your decision, then a 4D ultrasound could just save you from a life time of torment from PTSD.

I have also said:

If they had used a 4D ultrasound prior to proceeding with the Boston woman who gave birth after a failed abortion.
They might have detected that she was carrying “twins”.

Besides this I can see other benefits to making the process standard proceedure….
some pending complications might be detected before they start…
making the proceedure safer.

[ashley]

Let me start by saying that I dont think that an abortion is a means of birth control but I do think that women do have the right to make their own "personal" decision whether to terminate the pregnancy. Most women who are at the point of abortion already have weighed out the pros and cons and are going to go through with it. It doesn't matter the reason the woman is having it done because obviously whatever her situation may be it is something not wanted at the particular time. There are so many children in our society that are not wanted, abused, neglected, etc. so why try and make a woman change her mind by making her see an ultrasound of the fetus to only leave her feeling more guilty than she probably does already. If by seeing an ultrasound would change the mind of a woman who originally wanted to terminate the pregnany, what might come of the infant once it was here? Would the infant be neglected, abused or mistreated because she was coerced into having the child due to mandatory viewing of the unwanted fetus? We need to spend more time on educating women on unwanted pregnancies and the use of contraceptives rather than making an issue out of something as outragous as slapping her in the face with a ultrasound that she doesnt want to see or need to see.

[Bruce]

REASONS GIVEN FOR ABORTIONS: AGI SURVEY, 2000-2001 [8]

Reason or situation.......number......% of abortions

not using contraception.....4,957 ...........46.40
forced to have relations......~64 ............0.6
using contraception.........5,726............53.60
contraceptive failed.......~1,808............16.9
(despite proper use)

..................total....10,683...........100

http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/abreasons.html

If only people would choose to use an effective birth control,
(or two).

They wouldn’t have to make another choice……..

http://www.sexual-health-resource.org/hormonal_birth_control.htm

Cash payments for using birth control…………..

http://serr8d.blogspot.com/2007/02/project-preventionthe-road-as-opposed.html

I know their are a number of people who can’t use birth control for one reason or another.

But is that true for all types of birth control,
there are many different types to choose from,
surely one to suite most every-one.

I would suggest that the number of people that can’t use any of them at all would be very small

but many use this as their reason.

Also:

If a Chemist cannot adequately fulfill his role and fill every script written by a doctor,
then he should employ someone who can or look for another line of business.

[Gary Heuer]

Sad to say, many find it so offensive to view an ultrasound. These are many of the same folks who trumpet their freedom and individuality yet find it beyond themselves to make an informed and intelligent choice where life is concerned. I postulate that many would indeed make a different decision once they get beyond their worn out objections to any one having a real choice. Choose life!

[Sylvie]

"If only people would choose to use effective birth control". Yes.

If only all women , regardless of age, race, education level, etc. had information about effective birth control and easy access to it. Even better.

Let's face it, this bill only ads to the burden put on the woman seeking an abortion. It is not like she woke up and decided to go to the hair dresser and have an abortion.

The decision is never taken lightly by the person most involved, and women need all the support possible, and not to be intimidated by scare tactics.

In addition, the bill does not mention who is to support the cost. If it is the woman, how is she supposed to, given that thousands of people in South Carolina are without health insurance? If it is the State, the money would be better employed in helping prevent unwanted pregnancies, by improving birth control education and access, and create an environment where it is possible and safe for women to say "No".

Also ironically , the bill passed 91-23. Guess what? There are 23 women and 111 men in the SC House. Governor Sanford supported the bill, saying "it will reduce the number of abortions is SC". What about reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies to begin with?

Please write or email to your Senator and ask him (yes most of them are men) to vote against the bill. The number of the Senate bill is S 0084 . Here is a link to the Legislature website to find out how to contact them. http://www.scstatehouse.net/cgi-bin/zipcodesearch.exe

[Billy Bob McConnell]

The women of South Carolina are not smart enough to control their sexual urges so the brave 111 men of the legislature had to take charge. The Bible says that women should walk behind and be obediant to their husbands. We all know Republicans main goal is to protect human life! Thanks for putting women in their place!

[ashley]

Sounds like to me that Mr. McConnell does not like living in South Carolina. The last time I heard it took two individuals to concieve a fetus not just one dumb southern woman that could not control her sexual urges! Yes the Bible does state that women ahould walk behind and be obediant to their husbands but what does that have to do with this issue? Lets try and stay on the subject and not stray into other issues that are not addressed as of now. Thanks!

[Sarah]

Of course included in this piece of legistlation is guaranteed adequate financial aide allotted to each woman who changes her mind after being forced against her will to view the ultra sound. Right? You know, to help raise, feed, house, clothe, provide medical care and educate the child she will now have, right? Have all the children elilgible for adoption found homes so that we can now safely assume the new ones will also find homes? Since the big important men have decided that pregnancy is no longer a womans issue what are they going to do about the men that help impregnate the women? Do they view the ultra sound? Are they forced to provide financial and emotional support? How about if we legislate that if a man impregnates a woman with an unwanted pregnancy, she keeps the baby no matter what, and he gets a vascectomy.