Why is the USA banning abortion?

[MindPalace]

It is absolutely horrifying that 21-26 US states are actively considering outlawing abortion. There are no exemptions for rape or incest in many of the proposals.

I see lots of news articles on this eg this one

amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/08/oklahomas-move-to-ban-abortions-is-a-prelude-of-america-without-roe-v-wade

But I can’t find one setting out the reasons why. Why on earth would they want to set back hard-won women’s rights?

And Poland as well. It’s quite scary.

Sorry if there is another recent thread on this btw.

Some people bare for it and some are against it so obviously things will move in both directions.

You might find it hard to believe that they're thinking about making them illegal, but others find it equally horrifying that they are legal.

Because they hate women.
They hate women having control over anything, least of all their own bodies.
It’s fucking barbaric.

But what is specifically making them change their laws now?

The far right Christian movement has gained lots of power over the past 20 years. This includes coalitions of anti-abortion, gun loving, white supremacist types.

Because a strong religious ethic is highly prized in electoral candidates, and they use that influence to push through laws that are pro-life and anti-women. See also the followers or groups such as the Trad Wife movement, who believe that things were better when they could leave all the life decisions up to their husbands rather than have to work hard themselves and use their brain.

Well there are still a lot of religious states in the US.

politicians can get elected if they have mandates that support pro life. Reagan and Bush both switched from pro choice to pro life to garner support. And Trump.

It’s all politics. They did the same on the drug war and mass incarceration.

Because many people believe a foetus should have the same right to life as a born person from conception, and that killing it is murder.

That the right of the foetus to life overrides the right of the woman to bodily autonomy.

What makes me really sick is the pro life female supporters campaigning to have other women’s rights taken away.

The UK isn't exactly at the forefront of human rights, despite the rhetoric. Sadly, I can well imagine this happening here in the not too distant future.

Oddly enough, countries where abortion is normal and stigma-free, such as China and Russia, are ones we like to demonise as having poor human rights records.

I guess it depends whether you consider women to be human or not.

Thank you, that’s helpful.

Apparently Biden is proposing laws to prevent harassment outside abortion clinics. But that is obviously no use if the clinics are vanishing in the first place.

Women are currently leaving Texas to go to Oklahoma (only four clinics!) for treatment at the moment? Where do they go now? To New York? How can most women afford that?

A disgrace.

Women's rights are under attack globally.
We have committed the crime of asserting ourselves. Demanding our rights, our bodily control, our spaces and men have become increasingly alarmed and angry by this. They seek to put us back in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant. And silent.

I saw a thread about this on reddit and a surprising amount of replies were in favour. Although tbh you can never be sure how many are actual people replying. Reddit typically hates women so perhaps not that surprising.

I think if someone campaigns against abortion they should be allocated a child and be legally required to pay child support until that child is 18, then allocated another one.
Fuckers..

Evangelical Christians and their misogyny.

Happy to force women and girls to have children. Happy to give the resulting families absolutely no support at all. It's hideous and I say that as a Christian (slightly lapsed these days).

And child marriage. A lot of people don't realise this. Other countries that force girls to marry are criticised but people either don't know or choose to ignore the number of states in the USA where child marriage is legal.

Doesn’t the US pride itself on freedom for all? A load of hypocritical rubbish.

It is absolutely not about hating women. Half of the babies aborted are women! It is due to the continuing scientific and medical knowledge being gained. There are many babies born at 20weeks who now survive and thrive (this is the abortion limit in this country which is shocking). Yes there are strong lobbyists in the US who are Christian but there are also many other people who support the rights of babies to not be harmed.

Well yes but there's all and there's all.

To take inspiration from Animal Farm... All people are equal but some are more white middle class evangelical 'christian' male equal than others

One state had included not aborting ecoptic pregnancies in their bill.

@IncompleteSenten

I think if someone campaigns against abortion they should be allocated a child and be legally required to pay child support until that child is 18, then allocated another one. Fuckers..

I hate this argument, it's ridiculous and makes no sense at all.

@ABitBesottedWithMyDog

The UK isn't exactly at the forefront of human rights, despite the rhetoric. Sadly, I can well imagine this happening here in the not too distant future.

Oddly enough, countries where abortion is normal and stigma-free, such as China and Russia, are ones we like to demonise as having poor human rights records.

I guess it depends whether you consider women to be human or not.

China has a history of forced abortions, often late and brutally done too. That is not a pro-choice route either. Neither is prescribing family size and forcing women to have permits to reproduce allocated on local reproductive rates.

Banning abortion doesn’t stop abortions though. It just stops safe, legal ones.

America is a crazy place.

@BuffyFanForever

It is absolutely not about hating women. Half of the babies aborted are women! It is due to the continuing scientific and medical knowledge being gained. There are many babies born at 20weeks who now survive and thrive (this is the abortion limit in this country which is shocking). Yes there are strong lobbyists in the US who are Christian but there are also many other people who support the rights of babies to not be harmed.

Survive, but with what quality of life? Many babies kept alive from 20-24 weeks go on to need lifelong care with chronic disabilities.

I'm very skeptical about the "improvement" in survival rates of miscarriages - as soon as one miracle baby comes along its used as a stick to beat women with.

@BuffyFanForever

It is absolutely not about hating women. Half of the babies aborted are women! It is due to the continuing scientific and medical knowledge being gained. There are many babies born at 20weeks who now survive and thrive (this is the abortion limit in this country which is shocking). Yes there are strong lobbyists in the US who are Christian but there are also many other people who support the rights of babies to not be harmed.

Cool. Are they going to meet the costs of raising those babies to adulthood? Adopting them themselves perhaps?

I mean, they care so very much after all. They surely won't support forcing women to give birth to babies that for whatever reason they do not want to have, then washing their hands of those children and judging the women for having children they can't afford.

Maybe if they're going to support abortion bans, they can put as much political effort and legislation in place to stop men skipping out on their childcare and maintenance payment responsibilities? I'm not seeing any legislation that imprisons men for getting a woman pregnant and then refusing to pay child support...