an Abortion Clinic in another State
The
forced-birther law now on Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant's desk awaiting his
eager signature will probably close the state's only abortion clinic. But it
won't end abortion there. We know from history that desperate women will get
abortions however they can, self-administered, or from someone—skilled or not,
for free or a price—willing to do it for them. That means maimed and dead
women. But this doesn't matter to these twisted crusaders. Just as taking care
of children who are born into deep poverty, born deformed, born with an
inevitably shortened life-span doesn't matter to them. Zygotes matter. Walking,
talking, breathing children make no never mind to them.
Perverse
doesn't cover it.
Once, 15 years
ago, Mississippi had six clinics providing abortions. But medically unnecessary
regulations and harassment and threats closed them down one by one. Since 2004,
there has been only such clinic, the Jackson Women’s Health Organization. It
has been under siege from forced-birthers for all those years. But its owner
and community supporters have kept it open no matter what angle its foes tried.
On its staff
are three board-certified OB/GYNs. The clinic has a transfer agreement with a
local hospital that would automatically admit any patient who needed medical
help from complications of an abortion.
Not good
enough for the lawmakers of Mississippi.
The bill they
passed overwhelmingly, HB 1390, would require abortions to be performed only by OB/GYNs who have
admitting privileges at a local hospital. Just one of the Jackson clinic's
OB/GYNs has such privileges. The others cannot obtain them.
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