Campfield says that the current discussion about abortion boils down to “Who should make the laws about abortion? Should it be the state legislature or should it be the courts.”
Hobbs says it’s about “abortion-on-demand and public funding of the slaughter.”
But really, it’s about who owns Tennessee’s women. Do we have the right to decide for ourselves what happens to our bodies or are we just walking condos, with the State acting as mostly-absentee landlords.
Katie Granju and Rachel both direct our attention to these frightening facts.
•According to data from the CDC, maternal mortality in Tennessee is especially high.
•12 percent of pregnant women [in Nashville] receive late or inadequate prenatal care. That’s the 4th worst score in our survey, compared to an average of 5 percent.
•Nashville-Davidson has only 3 licensed home day cares for every 1,000 children under 4 years, the 3rd lowest in our survey. The average city in our survey has 13.
•Nashville-Davidson’s violent crime rate is 49 percent higher than average, the 9th highest in our survey, in fact.
•According to data from the CDC, maternal mortality in Tennessee is especially high.
•The CDC reports very high infant mortality rates for Tennessee.
•Memphis babies are 34 percent more likely than average to be born with low birth weight.
•20 percent of pregnant women here receive late or inadequate prenatal care. That’s the 1st worst score in our survey, compared to an average of 5 percent.
•There are no state laws requiring day care workers to undergo special SIDS prevention training. Many other states mandate such training.
•Memphis’s violent crime rate is 94 percent higher than average, the 3rd highest in our survey, in fact.
•Memphis has a 51 percent higher property crime rate than average, the 3rd highest in our survey.
•Babies here are 25 percent more likely than average to be born prematurely.
To put it frankly, women who are pregnant or might become pregnant in this state should be terrified. This state might as well just put pregnant women in a pit, throw some leaves on them, a couple of boxes of Twinkies in after them and say “Fend for yourselves.”
But rather than deal with these real problems, which are all a consideration when a woman is deciding whether to bring a pregnancy to term, the Senate is just strutting and preening around talking, yet again, about protecting unborn children from evil, evil women.
We know what works to lower abortion rates. Shoot, we have here a list of stuff we can get started on. Add to that teaching comprehensive sex ed in schools and making birth control available and its use wide-spread and we’d see abortion rates sink without having to hurt women or compromise their citizenship.
Voters, I hope you remember that, that these legislators have options available to them that would have a positive effect on women and reduce abortions without stepping on anyone’s rights and they’d rather do this shit.
Tiny Cat Pants 
You can’t spell “slaughter” without “laughter”.
This state might as well just put pregnant women in a pit, throw some leaves on them, a couple of boxes of Twinkies in after them and say “Fend for yourselves.”
Did the state get them pregnant? Why is the state involved at all? Are the Twinkies for everyone or just the girls who put out?
It’s always about the Twinkies with you libertarians, isn’t it?
I’ll make a deal with the State. I won’t expect them to provide medical treatment for me and my kids if they don’t expect to have a say in which medical treatments I can avail myself of.
Meanwhile, I just found out that each kid is going to be worth $300 in the Great Rebate, so I’m looking at some of you more fertile men to step up to the plate here and get me some extra money!
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I’ll make a deal with the State. I won’t expect them to provide medical treatment for me and my kids if they don’t expect to have a say in which medical treatments I can avail myself of.
Sounds like good ol’ fashioned libertarianism to me…. ;-p
In fact, if you notice, most of the anti-abortion folks use “state funding” as their big In. In short, they get to say what happens to our bodies if we let the state pay for it.
It’s the Twinkies. We got started talking about Twinkies and libartarianism and the next thing you know, I’m half way to Rand’s house.
And the Tennessee Republican Party has attacked Fred Thompson for using taxpayer money to fund abortions.
???
Oh shit. Sarcastro quoted the super funny bit I was going to comment on and then made me giggle like a idiot with his comment.
If I was going to say something intelligent or serious I’ve forgotten it now.
Well, I will just say that, for each legislator and religious person who feels that they have the right to dictate to women what they can do with their bodies, step up to the plate and put your money where your mouth is…..every one of you sign an agreement that you will adopt a minimum of 2 children for the women to agree to accept the neanderthal dictates of what is clearly causing them to trade their rights.
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