Federal Judges Support New Texas Anti-Abortion Law

The anti-abortion law in Texas appears to send us back into the 1950's, when women could not get abortions in the US and had to go to other countries and/or Puerto Rico to get an abortion.  It also opens the issue that women will get abortions illegally now, which poses more of a health threat to the woman and fetus. It is an extremist law by extremist legislators for extremist special interests that is supported by extremist judges.

According to several news sources:

"Supported by a federal appeals court, Texas began enforcing new abortion restrictions Friday, leaving about a dozen clinics — including one in Austin — suddenly out of compliance with the law and scrambling to cancel appointments and find other clinics for their patients."

It is estimated that half the abortion clinics in TX will have to close; approximately 13 of them.  The other half must rush to conform to the new law.  It will force doctors in those clinics to maintain a legal liaison with hospitals, which could be costly and in many cases not reality-based if the doctor or clinic is far away from a hospital.

It is unfortunate that  Gov. Rick Perry, Texas Legislators and Right to Life supporters do not maintain the same caring they feel for humans AFTER they are born that they do for fetuses.  Texas remains #1 of states in which children are uninsured [for health care].

Extremism still governs most of us, so there are few issues these days that are reviewed with a centered or grounded focus.  Unfortunately, pro- or anti- abortion is one of them.

Many people do NOT comprehend the laws governing fetuses.  Often there is a good reason because it is complicated and not truly defined.  Too many people react more emotionally about the topic of abortions than they do rationally.

So, here is the information on fetuses:

Fetus Law and Legal Definition

taken from USlegal.com

"A fetus is typically defined as a developing human at a certain point after conception to birth. The precise definition varies by applicable laws, some of which define a fetus to include the element of viability, so that it is able to survive independently outside the womb. Various laws have been enacted to protect fetuses and punish individuals who injure them or cause their death. For example, Texas' Prenatal Protection Act holds people who assault or harm a pregnant woman liable for crimes against the mother and unborn child. The issue has been raised as to whether the law requires doctors to report substance abuse of a pregnant mother. The federal Born-Alive Infant Protection Act of 2002 amends the legal definitions of "person," "human being," "child" and "individual" to include any fetus that survives an abortion procedure. The federal law requires doctors to attempt to keep alive a fetus that survives an abortion.

Fetal protection laws vary by state. Some states states may amend existing homicide statutes to include the fetus as a possible victim, pass statutes defining the fetus as a person or human being, so that a fetus in encompassed by other statutes applicable to all persons or human beings, enact new statutes that create the crime of injury to a fetus, fetal homicide, or "feticide", or extend wrongful death and personal injury statutes to allow civil suits against individuals who cause the death or injury of a fetus."

click here for some important abortion facts

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Abortion Laws and Politics...

Even though the Texas Legislature passed the "Anti-Abortion" law, it most likely will get stalled by Democrats for years.  The same is true in states where Democrats have passed pro-Abortion legislation and which is being blocked in the courts by Republicans.

We need only view what is happening in other state that have passed pro- or anti- abortion laws.  In either case, the laws have become stalled as the courts decide what will happen.  In many cases, the laws will be stalled for years.

The history of abortion is interesting and worth the read.

The new Wisconsin Abortion law stalled.

An overview of State Abortion laws.

Out of the state's 42 abortion clinics, only six meet the new Texas abortion law.  It would be a big problem for women who want an abortion even before 20 weeks.

In Arizona the Appeals Court struck down the 20-week abortion law.

In Oklahoma the State Supreme Court ruled that the 20-week abortion law was unconstitutional.

The Federal Court ruled that the state of Mississippi cannot enforce onerous admitting privileges designed to close the state’s lone abortion clinic.

Consequently, the issue of pro- or anti- abortion has had a long history of conflict and just because various states have issued laws for or against abortions does not mean those laws will hold up in court.  It will take many more years before any real laws stay on the books.

Abortion, Anti-Abortion Politics

Abortion Laws are often stalled in the courts...

pstern 09:43 on 21 July 2013 Even though the Texas Legislature passed the "Anti-Abortion" law, it most likely will get stalled by Democrats for years.  The same is true in states where Democrats have passed pro-Abortion legislation and which is being blocked in the courts by Republicans. We need only view what is happening in other state that have passed pro- or anti- abortion laws.  In either case, the laws have become stalled as the courts decide what will happen.  In many cases, the laws will be stalled for years. The history of abortion is interesting and worth the read. The new Wisconsin Abortion law stalled. An overview of State Abortion laws. Out of the state's 42 abortion clinics, only six meet the new Texas abortion law.  It would be a big problem for women who want an abortion even before 20 weeks. In Arizona the Appeals Court struck down the 20-week abortion law. In Oklahoma the State Supreme Court ruled that the 20-week abortion law was unconstitutional. The Federal Court ruled that the state of Mississippi cannot enforce onerous admitting privileges designed to close the state’s lone abortion clinic. Consequently, the issue of pro- or anti- abortion has had a long history of conflict and just because various states have issued laws for or against abortions does not mean those laws will hold up in court.  It will take many more years before any real laws stay on the books.

- See more at: http://salon.glenrose.net/default.asp?view=plink&id=14907#sthash.UoHwljVO.dpuf

Texas is a Dictatorship!

Texas appears to be little more than a Dictatorship...

I am a centrist or centered Republican and I am not pro-abortion per se, but I am for right to privacy and for individual rights.  That said, I don't believe that women should use abortion as a means of birth control.  That's just wrong.

A few years ago Chinese officials made the choice to kill female babies when they were born as a means of birth control.  That was wrong.

What Gov. Perry and Lt. Gov. Dewhurst did re: the "anti-abortion" bill by using heavy-handed political extremist tactics was also wrong.  Attorney General Greg Abbott has the same mentality.

If the state wants to educate women before and during their pregnancies, I'm all for it.  But for the state simply to dictate what women, their doctors and women's clinics must do is just damn wrong!

The state doesn't want outside interference in managing state affairs, but it is too quick to step in and regulate what the GOP and/or "Right to Life" and/or religious supporters want.  That's wrong.

The state doesn't want to regulate businesses in Texas, but it does want to regulate women, abortion clinics and public school districts.  That's wrong.

So, in Texas it seems that regulation is good when it is good for the extreme Republican majority, but not good otherwise.

However, there is no doubt that if the Democrats were in control of the legislature here in Texas, they also would have used heavy-handed methods to get what they want.

What I'm saying is that there is no room for extremist politics in Texas [or at the national level].  It is just wrong.

To push extremist politics on all the people is nothing more than a dictatorship, no matter what your individual beliefs are.  Few lawmakers seem to want to work together, to work on compromise and to arrive at more intelligent and rational decisions and resolutions.

That just seems more like a Dictatorship... and that's just wrong!

re: Abortion bill demands...

Most importantly, it's a women's right issue --- NOT for government interference and control.

I see no problem if the government wants to put effort into educating women on making a more educated decision to abort or not abort, but government does NOT have the right to make these demands on women and their doctors.  Texas believes in not regulating businesses, but it's ready to regulate doctors?

Also, usually, government is so paranoid about privacy rights issues and yet it sees no problem with jumping into every pregnant woman's life.

Government is NOT the caretaker of every fetus around... no matter what it and "right to lifers" may think.

Extremist Politics Alive and Doing Well in Texas...

The Texas Anti-Abortion bill will be passed soon.   Along with the ridiculous Voter ID Law, Texas is now back in the Dark Ages.

So, welcome back to the 1950’s!  Seems we have quite a few McCarthy's in our legislature.

And before you point the finger that I am a liberal.... wrong!  I am a centrist Republican, not one of those extremist GOP Tea Party crumpet nut jobs infiltrating our government at all levels --- a REAL Republican.

Real Republicans are a faint glimmer of the past.  They believe in the basic GOP platform: less government in our lives, fewer taxes, rein in extravagant spending, and yet having compassion for all citizens and a high regard for the community good.  Those were the days, my friend.

It is just common sense that the above 2 laws attack individual rights, women, the elderly, the poor and majority community needs.

That said, there is no doubt that within a few years the Anti-Abortion and Voter ID laws will be overturned and removed.  It’s just a matter of time.

GOP extremists won the battle on these 2 issues, but NOT the war.

Extremists in either party will destroy themselves eventually.  Being more centered on most issues is best for the American people.

Endless Extremist Leadership

I'm a centrist Republican (centered on most issues) and it burns me up how the Repugs will fight for THEIR agenda items without hesitation or respite, but continue to do so little for the majority of Texans.

I know both sides do the same thing because we live in a time where there is no middle ground and none of our leaders want to work towards a good future for all Texans, but it really disgusts me how little the community matters in the eyes of the opposite extremist running our state and nation.

We need to vote in people who can work well with each other to improve life for all Americans.