For many years, abortion has been a problem in Texas. You are either pro-life or pro-choice when it comes to this. Conservatives have been trying to make abortion illegal in the state of Texas and with a new law that will go into affect on September 1st; they are one step closer to their goal.
The new law, which is being called Texas’ sonogram law, easily passed in the House and Senate because both are controlled by Republican and with Republican Governor Rick Perry, who was very quick to sign the law into affect. The law requires women who seek an abortion to undergo a few things before they can make their decision. At least within 24 hours before an abortion is performed, the women must have a sonogram which uses ultrasounds to create an image of the fetus. The attending doctor will be required by law to describe the fetus from the results of the sonogram images, including the heart beat, a medical description of the fetus, and what organs are present. The only way a woman can deny this is if the pregnancy was the result of sexual assault, incest or the fetus has a medical disability. Also, if doctors violate the law by not doing a sonogram and description, they face losing their medical licenses and a possible criminal misdemeanor prosecution with fines up to $10,000.
Taking a look at this law that is going to be in effect really soon, it is evident that it makes a doctor do something they don’t want to do and most likely have a woman to be forced to listen to something she has probably already considered on an individual level. A New York based abortion-rights advocacy group, Center for Reproductive Rights, has filed a lawsuit against the new Texas law saying it violates the First Amendment rights of the doctor and the patient and also that it is unconstitutional.
If women go to a clinic to receive an abortion, they most likely have thought long and hard about their decision and what they are doing. Our Texas government shouldn’t try to change their minds through implicated guilt at the last minute. This is not to mention that Roe v. Wade allows for woman to have an abortion.
To know a little more about the law
To know a little more about the law
The issue of abortion gives rise to many different emotions among Texans. Some consider themselves pro-choice and believe that it is the individual right of the woman to decide the outcome of her pregnancy while others who are pro-life feel that choosing to terminate a pregnancy should not be determined by the mother usually due to their religious beliefs. The topic of abortion has long been debated and continues to be a controversial issue.
ReplyDeleteIn "Is Texas' new law against First Amendment?" My classmate Jamie reveals how the new Texas regulations focusing on abortion places an unconstitutional burden on the doctor and patient. By administering a sonogram and a detail description about the fetus forces unwanted information upon the patient as well as puts the doctor in a difficult situation. It is important for the patient to be knowledgeable about the procedure being performed; however, I feel that this law was not passed to better educate people but to push different viewpoints and religious beliefs onto others. When it comes to health risks and other medical issues concerning the procedure it is important to educate the patient but personal information such as a detailed description of the unwanted fetus is going too far. If the mother wishes to know more information about the fetus it should be given otherwise doctors should solely educate about the medical factors concerning abortions.
The new sonogram law displays traits that wish to sway the patient to a more pro-life view point rather that educate the patient. I would have to agree with Jamie that the new regulations concerning abortion puts both the doctor and patient in an unfavorable position and it is not the governments place to force unwanted information onto a person before an already adverse procedure.