How many more examples do we need of the lethal nature of the supposedly “pro-life” position? Let’s clear this up by naming them correctly, for the record, when you hear the term “Pro-life” you need to replace that with “anti-woman forced birth advocate”. Why? Because what forced birthers are about is stripping women of their rights and of their bodily autonomy. Beatriz, like Savita Halappanavar, is being put in mortal peril because where she lives the forced birth brigades ideas are reality, and women really do not have rights.
“The 22-year-old woman suffers from severe and complicated illnesses. Her doctors have told her that she will likely die giving birth, and the unborn child will most likely live only a few hours, but she is prevented by law from having an abortion. “They [the Supreme Court] were not convinced this is the way… they are saying Beatriz is not in danger and she must pursue the natural way of delivery and we must see what happens,” said Mata. “It isn’t just an abortion, it is a necessity,” said Mata, in an earlier interview with CBSNews.com”
Yeah. The all male supreme court has ruled that this woman is not in danger and must continue with birth. Their noble dedication to preserving life is noted.
Beatriz is carrying an anencephalic fetus, which means it has no brain and is only expected to survive at maximum a few hours after birth, even if she carries it to full term. Beatriz has lupus, worsened by a kidney malfunction, and it is very dangerous for her to be pregnant. “The doctors are saying it’s very critical because the lupus may be reactivated and if the lupus is reactivated it is very dangerous for her health,” he added. She is now 26-weeks pregnant, and every day it becomes more risky for her to be pregnant and have an abortion at such a late stage.
This is what happens when legislate against women. Women are endangered and their lives are at risk.
According to a 2012 report from the Central American Women’s Network, 628 women have been imprisoned in El Salvador since its anti-abortion law was enacted in 1998. Twenty-four of these women were indicted for “aggravated murder,” after an abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth. “The only way now is to go to the international courts,” said Mata. Meanwhile, Beatriz awaits her fate in hospital, separated from her 14-month old son and her husband. “Everyday, the health of Beatriz is [getting] worse. If they wait another week or two weeks, she will be too feeble to endure the operation,” said Mata.
So because of the religiously inspired pro-life fuckwittery of the Roman Catholic Church (this is what a society where they have tangible influence looks like) it is most likely Beatriz will die.
No rant today – this is too outrageous and too cold for a rant. This is an tragic (because it is preventible) object lesson – women die and are dying because they are denied their reproductive rights and rights to bodily autonomy.
That is all.
7 comments
May 31, 2013 at 2:27 pm
syrbal
Maddening, isn’t it? I’d like some of those men to routinely find their lives as endangered as any woman with a difficult medical history and high-risk pregnancy does almost any day, any where.
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May 31, 2013 at 2:58 pm
The Arbourist
@Syrbal
Agreed.
What gets me is the disconnect between what many protesters think they fighting for and the reality of what it would be like if their religious dystopian vision actually came into being. How many Savita’s and Beatriz’s do we have to sacrifice on the alter of “saving life”?
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May 31, 2013 at 4:03 pm
syrbal
Note, they don’t seem interested in saving adult female lives, nor do they show much interest in children once born. Peculiar pro-fetus stand, not my idea of pro-life at all.
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June 2, 2013 at 2:28 pm
Mera
I have been observing a lot of the pro-life comments in regards to this case, and there seems to be a common theme of:
1) the doctors might be wrong and the baby could live to lead a normal life, let’s not kill it until we are sure
2) the baby has the right to live, even if only for a short while.
3) pro-babykillers are arguing this case so they can push for legalized abortion, don’t let them!!!
4) she chose to spread her legs and its her fault for not using birth control or abstaining from sex. she knew a pregnancy would put her at risk
#2 is the most WTF, because these morons are arguing that a baby, that will never ever have a life, has the to right to kill the woman in which it resides just so it can ‘live’ a few hours before expiring
#4 the slut shaming!!!!!
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June 2, 2013 at 3:03 pm
The Arbourist
@Mera
The Anti-choice forced birth contingent will stoop to any ploy to strip women of their rights. A good discussion going on on Pharyngula on abortion right now, and many of the points you’ve raised here have been answered there, quite passionately I may add.
I’m always amazed at how toxic the misogyny is over in the forced-birth camp. They claim to be defenders of life, but then erase women from their equation negating their rights. Instead they proudly worship the fetus and woman’s demotion to the role of baby-factory.
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June 4, 2013 at 12:05 pm
Mera
I posted there, as Valde :)
And I have mentioned this in the past…but you always hear forced birthers takling about ‘the aborted embryo could have cured cancer’ yet they NEVER talk about how the women denied an abortion or who died in childbirth COULD HAVE CURED CANCER TOO.
Why are the women summarily written off? All of the *potential*, all of the *worth* is given to the embryo, and not the pregnant woman.
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June 16, 2013 at 6:04 am
The DWR Sunday Disservice – Not My Law! – Sanctimonious Christiains and Their Codswallop. | Dead Wild Roses
[…] conclude, planting the confused flag of religious certainty, that Abortion is Immoral. Say no […]
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