We do not question the good intentions of conservative state lawmakers pushing a bill to require those seeking an abortion to wait 24 hours and view an ultrasound of the fetus, but such restrictions are an invasion of privacy and a form of intimidation meant to chip away at a woman's legal right to abortion.
They also represent a blatant form of government intrusion into the private lives of citizens, particularly the confidential relationship between a patient and her doctor. And they assume a basic ignorance and a casual indifference by women who make the heart-wrenching decision to have an abortion. We believe most women are quite well aware of the nature and gravity of the issue.
The Woman's Right to Know Act, sponsored by Rep. Ruth Samuelson, R-Mecklenburg, and Pat McElraft, R-Carteret, would require women, in addition to the waiting period, to have an ultrasound view of their fetuses at least four hours before an abortion, and require a provider to describe what they are seeing. It would require the woman to sign a document acknowledging that the image was described to her by a provider. House Speaker Pro Tem Dale Folwell, R-Forsyth, is among a large number of co-sponsors of the bill.
North Carolina is one of 16 states that don't require counseling before an abortion. Half of the states require women to wait between counseling and the procedure, and 10 states require a pre-abortion ultrasound, The Associated Press reported. Supporters of the bill say the requirements would give women a more complete picture of what's at stake, including how far along the fetus has progressed.
"Basically, this bill is just bad medicine and bad policy," Melissa Reed, vice president for public policy for Planned Parenthood Health Systems in North Carolina, told The Asheville Citizen-Times. "It's an outrageous intrusion into the sacred doctor-patient relationship."
Other critics said the bill will add costs and increase the number of unplanned births.
We understand the emotional reaction to abortion that compels conservatives to grant an exception to their usual aversion to government interference in people's lives. And like most people on both sides of the issue, we wish abortion did not have to be a choice for anyone. But the reality is different. And the fact remains that abortion is legal in the United States.
Decisions about abortion are not easy. The fundamental issue is who gets to make those decisions. The Supreme Court 38 years ago said, in effect, that it should be a matter for a woman and her conscience. We have long agreed, and we would add that it should be unfettered by a heavy-handed government intent on heaping guilt upon those who have the right and the intelligence to make such an intensely personal decision for themselves.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement