Ga. Senate’s new concern for black children
WASHINGTON — On Capitol Hill, says Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, it’s difficult to discuss women’s health “below the waist.” It’s no easier in the Georgia General Assembly, where annual attempts to restrict reproductive rights lead to ugly sermonizing, outrageous distortions and vile legislation. This year has proved no different.
Georgia’s social conservatives have come up with a new twist on their old tendency to insult women and restrict their choices: They’ve added race to the controversy — the subject isn’t inflammatory enough? — seeking to draw black supporters with the charge that abortion is tantamount to genocide.
Dutifully taking up the new tack, the Georgia Senate has passed a bill which would outlaw any abortion “with the intent to prevent any unborn child from being born based upon the race, color or gender of the unborn child . .” Are you kidding me? Black women bear black children, so the bill reads like an indictment of any black woman who seeks to terminate a pregnancy.
The bill is patently unconstitutional. It’s also incredibly foolish.
It “sends a strong signal to women that it is okay to set up categories of discrimination against women who seek abortions,” said Loretta Ross, executive director of the Atlanta-based SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective, a coalition of reproductive rights organizations.
Any review of the history of the Georgia General Assembly shows its harsh — even abusive — treatment of the less fortunate, including children. That tendency has come in to sharper relief with the rise of Republicans, who indulge businesses and the wealthy at the expense of the less affluent.
Their attempts to restrict abortions would force women to bear children, but they have no concern for those children once they leave the womb. Nor do they care about the health of their mothers. Indeed, Georgia’s elected officials can be downright mean to those children and their mothers.
The struggle over the health care reform is just one example. Gov. Sonny Perdue has rushed to get at the head of the line of partisans who want to repeal the law, which would offer universal access to health care for the first time in U.S. history.
Not only would it benefit working class families who cannot afford health insurance, even though they have jobs, but it would also prohibit the worst abuses of health insurance companies. As just one example, the law prevents insurers from banning children because of pre-existing conditions.
If the GOP-dominated Georgia Senate cared about children, it would surely approve of a law which prevents health insurers from restricting their access. It would also approve of health insurance for their mothers, who need access to good medical care to take care of their families.
The new conservative campaign to woo black support draws its inspiration from data showing black women account for about 37 percent of abortions nationally, while they make up less than seven percent of the population. But, as Ross and others point out, black women, especially those without health insurance, are less likely to have access to contraception and, therefore, more likely to have unintended pregnancies. (As for the notion that black children are “endangered,” there’s no reason to fear: Asian, black and Latino children make up nearly half the population under 5, according to federal statistics.)
If conservatives wanted to curb the abortion rate, they would join with reproductive rights activists to promote access to contraception. Indeed, the would support the new health care law, which will increase women’s access to birth control pills and devices.
But they haven’t done so. Says Ross, anti-abortion legislators’ motives are “about controlling the behavior of women. If women had more access to contraceptives, they’d have more control over their bodies sand more control over their lives.”
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196 comments Add your comment
Williebkind
March 31st, 2010
10:36 am
Cynthia just what do you want the white people to do? Can you give us an idea? You really give credice to the flabergasted man who said,”They wont be happy until they invent black cotton and have my white a&& picking it.” Is that your mentality?
Micar
March 31st, 2010
10:37 am
Right to choose advocates should take this law more seriously than just being outraged at its racially oriented thrust. By linking the public policy to genocide and racism the Georgia legislature is attempting to create a balancing opportunity for judicial review. This stuff out of Georgia is just the first shot in a process that will challenge the continued viability of Roe v. Wade. All of these new legislative initiatives are just setting the stage for the Supreme Court to over turn the case. My prediction is that the Supreme Court, as currently constituted will overturn Roe in the next 2 years.
Folks need to look at 2 recent cases out of the Court. These are Montejo v. Louisiana (07-1529)
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. One is a right to counsel case that overturned the case of Michigan v. Jackson outright. The other is the federal campaign financing case that threw out McCain-Feingold campaign donation restrictions by corporations.
What does right to counsel and campaign finance have to do with Roe v. Wade? The reasons given by the Court to overturn precedent were based upon 2 critical factors; the vintage of the precedent ( how long has it been around) and was it wrongly decided in the first place. Now Michigan v Jackson has a similar vintage to Roe and we all know that the conservative 5 would likely rule that it was wrongly decided in the first place. The Montejo and Citizens United cases are now precedent which the conservative 5 on theCourt can site (essentially citing themselves as precedent) as a legal basis to overturn Roe as being not that old as a precedent and wrongly decided. Get ready folks. Me thinks the show has just started on this issue.
dixie pixie
March 31st, 2010
10:38 am
“Dutifully taking up the new tack, the Georgia Senate has passed a bill which would outlaw any abortion “with the intent to prevent any unborn child from being born based upon the race, color or gender of the unborn child . .” Are you kidding me? Black women bear black children, so the bill reads like an indictment of any black woman who seeks to terminate a pregnancy.”
So white women bear purple children? Just because the words “race” and “color” were used in the bill doesn’t mean those words were used to indicate “black”. It simply means that abortion should not and will not be used as birth control. For instance, I am Native American/Irish American. If I chose to have sex with a Koren American and later found out I was pregnant, I can’t have an abortion based solely on the fact that my child _might_ be brown, white, or yellow. No where does it say that “color” or “race” equals “black”.
If people continue to segregate themselves and think all political action is pointed at them because of the color of their skin, we as a society will forever live in the shadow of racism. Be yorself, be proud of who you are, and allow the same for each person you meet.
I have a darker complexion than my 3 sisters, and i have green eyes. They all are fair with brown eyes. We know we all have the same parents due to medical difficulties within the family. Am I supposed to deny my heritage becasue of the stigma and hate going on around me?
Your skin color is only an issue if you make it one.
Reality
March 31st, 2010
10:39 am
I am SICK of people disrespecting OUR President! Regardless of what you think of his policies, regardless of the fact that he is not white, regardless of anything, he is still OUR President. There is no excuse of being disrespectful to anyone – much less our President.
If you don’t like his policies, they you shouldn’t have voted for him. However, the majority of people DID vote for him, thus he is OUR President.
Micar
March 31st, 2010
10:40 am
The Roberts court is as judicially active as they come.
A Different Opinion
March 31st, 2010
10:45 am
OMG…..a light bulb just came on……Cynthia, you’re just using us, aren’t you? You no more believe what you write than I do……you’re writing something controversial just to get readers to read your tripe so as to keep that income coming in. If I’m wrong and that’s truly not the case then, you’re doing your race a hugh disservice with this article and you should be ashamed of yourself.
yamama
March 31st, 2010
10:47 am
This is very simple. People just need to take responsibility for themselves and their actions. I don’t understand how people can just do whatever they want and EXPECT the goverment and MY taxes to take care of them. I’M SO SICK of my hard earned money being given away to idiots who cannot take care of themselves. I go to work everyday so I can take care of my family. I have a child and I take care of him ON MY OWN. Abortion is wrong, period. If you can’t take care of your kids, then DON’T HAVE SEX OR BE RESPONSIBLE. I don’t care what color you are.
I’m so over all this Obama crap and what he is doing to our country. I fear for the future.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
10:48 am
yamama, you don’t want to take care of them, yet you want to tell them what to do with their bodies.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
10:48 am
A Different Opinion, I believe every word of what I write.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
10:49 am
dixie pixie, the bill is aimed at black and brown women. If you don’t believe it, talk to the sponsors
Micar
March 31st, 2010
10:49 am
CT; The 10:37 analysis was mostly for your benefit. It may give you something to run with down the road on an investigation of this issue.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
10:50 am
williebkind, it would be a good idea for this particular group of white people to stop trying to restrict women’s reproductive rights.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
10:50 am
Skip, You’re now banned from this site since you have nothing to add to the discusssion.
yamama
March 31st, 2010
10:52 am
um, how is suggesting being responsible telling them what to do with their bodies? I said abortion is wrong, that is my opinion. If they were more responsible, then it wouldn’t be in issue. The “not having access to birth control” or “not educated enough” excuse is pathetic. My 10 year old niece knows how babies are made and understands if you don’t want one, you DON’T do it.
Richard
March 31st, 2010
10:55 am
yamama,
Its nice how you’re sick of something. Too bad you’re living in fantasy land where you think the whining and complaining is going to change anything. In what Sarah Palin refers to as “real America”, stupid women get pregnant, drop out of school, and turn themselves and their child into welfare cases. That’s reality. What’s more is that your taxes and mine are paying for it now and forever regardless of how much we hate it. The other option is to have all of them on street corners turning to crime.
It’s also nice to hear the “abortion is wrong, period” line. You’re right…except for as far as the law and about half of public opinion is concerned. Here’s a thought: if you think it’s wrong, make your choice not to have one and but out of everyone elses personal descisions like what a true conservative would do.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
10:55 am
Atlanta Native,
It is pretty typical that women without access to contraception — black, white or purple — are more likely to get pregnant. Any health care provider could enlighten you on that.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
10:57 am
An American, Don’t know who you know, but western Europe provides an interesting contrast. There are public campaigns to encourage contraceptive use; they are free in health clinics and the abortion rate in those countries is much lower.
Health Services
March 31st, 2010
11:02 am
Aren’t condoms free at the health clinic?
Also, Cynthia, isn’t this a bit of a stretch?…
““with the intent to prevent any unborn child from being born based upon the race, color or gender of the unborn child ” Black women bear black children, so the bill reads like an indictment of any black woman who seeks to terminate a pregnancy.”
I mean, correct me if I’m wrong here someone. I’m reading this as, “You can’t abort the child solely because it’s white/black or a girl/boy” This is an outrage? This is only about black people?
yamama
March 31st, 2010
11:02 am
Richard, I’m pretty sure a blog is to state one’s opinion. I’m not butting into anyones business, I’m just simply stating what I think about all the comments being made and also the article. I’m pretty sure that’s my right and the whole point of Cynthia’s blog. If she didn’t want us to comment, then she wouldn’t allow us to…..I guess you think it’s ok for your taxes to go to helping lazy people (and I understand it’s not ALL lazy people, some people really need the help) but I don’t. so sorry. I guess me thinking people should take responsibility for themselves as adults is foolish, silly me.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
11:03 am
Yes, Health Service, as I said, it’s aimed at drawing black support by calling abortions black genocide.
dixie pixie
March 31st, 2010
11:05 am
CT–
Been there, done that, closet full of t-shirts. I can’t tell if you are more offended that “black” and “brown” women are the highest ranking in abortions primarily for birth control or that others are finally taking a stand and keeping their hard-earned money where it truly belongs–in their own pockets. I am highly offended myself when I go to the grocery store and see a “black” female with thee snotty-nosed kids and one more on the way, under the age of 20, talking on a blackberry, pushing a cart with 6 gallons of milk, high-end meats, name brand juices and cheese, wearing houseshoes and curlers but no bra and a see-thru shirt. Then same woman gets in line in front of me with WIC vouchers, holds up the line to go get a case of beer for baby daddy #2 and cigarettes for baby daddy #4. Then to top it off, she walks out and gets in a car with spinning rims and a 2K paint job, drives to a house with a dish outside but the house is falling down.
It is all about PRIORITIES! She IS dumb–she doesn’t work, doesn’t have to, and doesn’t care to. Then, in a few years, her daughter does the same–has baby & gives it to grandma or Auntie–the cycle only repeats itself. Black, white, pea-green or purple–IT IS WRONG TO EXPECT OTHERS TO PAY FOR YOUR LACK OF COMMON SENSE!
Scout
March 31st, 2010
11:06 am
General Question to all but especially for Ms. Tucker:
The SCOTUS has ruled the draft Constitutional. Although we don’t have a draft right now, young men are still required to register (note: women are not because the SCOTUS also ruled women can’t be drafted) …………. Google the Selective Service System site if you are a young male and want to register on line.
Now here is my question that no one (repeat no one) including attorneys have been able to successfully answer. Please try. I am truly open to a reasonable response.
If it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL for the government to tell a woman she has to use her body (9 months) to carry her child to term why is it CONSTITUTIONAL for the government to tell a man he has to present his body (2 years + 6 inactive reserves) for insertion of enemy bullets?
Hint: If you say it’s “apples and oranges” you are correct but one (the draft against one’s will) is much, much worse than the other.
joan
March 31st, 2010
11:08 am
Ms. Tucker, you asked me to name all the cradle to the grave entitlement programs. How would I know? I have worked for a living all my life. But, I have relatives who have taken advantage of the giveaway programs and welfare, and I bet you do too. I would love to see the list of hand out packages just for the sake of curiosity. I bet it is as long as my arm.
Please consider
March 31st, 2010
11:12 am
@Reality. This is a tough issue. Please consider this. A sperm and an egg my be ‘living’, just like any other cells in the human body are living. But they will not, on their own, grow into a new human; they’re just copies of the host’s dna. However, when the sperm fertilizes the egg, the result will grow, if left unaltered, into a human being. That is true. No matter when we ‘decide’ to call it a human being or new life, from that point forward a new human being with seperate dna from its mother and father is developing. Please don’t think of it as “just a parasite to the female until birth.” It is another human life. Please consider this seriously.
Health Services
March 31st, 2010
11:14 am
CT,
WOW. The bill says all abortions are black genocide? That IS crazy.
or are you saying that? I’m still confused.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
11:14 am
Joan, Of course, I know lazy people, just like you do. But I don’t know a single “cradle-to-the-grave” program. It’s a popular trope, but such programs don’t exist to take care of people all their lives.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
11:14 am
Joan, Of course, I know lazy people, just like you do. But I don’t know a single “cradle-to-the-grave” program. It’s a popular trope, but such programs don’t exist to take care of people all their lives.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
11:15 am
scout, There is a very long history of coercing citizens to aid the common defense — in this country as well as other democratic republics. It is difficult to argue that one woman’s pregnancy is a common concern.
ctucker
March 31st, 2010
11:16 am
dixie pixie, You’ve trotted out an old stereotype. Did you know their are FAR more white women who receive WIC than black women? Do they offend you, too?
FultonRighty
March 31st, 2010
11:19 am
As I read it, this bill (SB 529) has several objectives:
Ban any coerced abortion of any race–if he doc knows the girl/woman is being coerced by boyfriend, parent, husband, pimp, he doesn’t go ahead with it even if the patient signs the informed consent. Reasonable.
Ban abortions being done for sex-selection. Also many of these are under duress–cultural pressures.
Ban abortions being done for racial reasons. The MOST typical would be the woman of one race carrying a child of another race, also frequently coerced. White woman carrying black man’s child, Asian woman carrying Caucasian man’s child, etc.
All of these children are VERY adoptable–if their mothers will make a plan before birth, and not get into the foster care system delays. Adoptions agencies will help immediately.
PearlJam
March 31st, 2010
11:19 am
“Not only would it benefit working class families who cannot afford health insurance”
That is not longer an issue – Obama and the democrats took care of that, from 2 weeks ago foward all people can afford health insurance, you can no longer use that as arguement. If you do say that then you say the health-care law failed, which one is it?
Cammi317
March 31st, 2010
11:25 am
I was having a conversation just yesterday about the welfare issue. There are way more white people on welfare than black. As a matter of fact, white people account for something like half of the total number of the population of people on welfare. However, when looking at each race individually, there is a greater percentage of the black community on welfare as opposed to the percentage of the individual white community. Considering America is only about 13% black, the fact that there are more white people on welfare makes sense. However, the percentage of black people on welfare is detrimental to the black community and leads to these stereotypes.
blutto
March 31st, 2010
11:25 am
ct @ 10:55: “It is pretty typical that women without access to contraception — black, white or purple — are more likely to get pregnant.”
But all of them–even the purple ones–do have access to contraception. It is called keep knees together, keep clothes on until one can spare a buck or two for a condom.
Williebkind
March 31st, 2010
11:25 am
I think we should abort those with the gay gene! lol
PearlJam
March 31st, 2010
11:26 am
I don’t understand Cynthia point – She thinks it ok for someone to coerce someone to have an abortion because the baby may be black, white, or any other race.
That’s sick, I don’t agree with abortion but those that do always say it the womans choice, now Cynthia is saying no, somebody should be allowed to take that choice away if the baby is not the race of their choice. wow, if anything this bill give woman more rights on the matter of abortion.
yamama
March 31st, 2010
11:26 am
I know you didn’t ask me, you asked dixie but could that be because there are might white women period than black women? Isn’t the black population less that the white, so wouldn’t it make sense that there would be more whites on WIC than blacks? I mean in an even playing field?
regardless, it bothers me when I see that situation no matter what color they are. It doesn’t matter, it’s taking advantage of a system that is supposed to provide basic necessities, not luxuries.
Brock
March 31st, 2010
11:28 am
if a kid calls his grandma mama, and his mama Pam, he’s goin to jail -Chris Rock.
yamama
March 31st, 2010
11:29 am
I meant MORE white women….
T-Town
March 31st, 2010
11:31 am
I would like to thank you all for the sex education lesson I received today, though I would add in my case future fatherhood is completely out of the question. Just food for thought, the bill was aimed to stop abortion period and a new twist was added…abortion is racist. Though I am against abortion I would rather see this type of attempt than to see some extremist murder an abortion doctor or blow up a facility where the procedure is done.
kevinbgoode
March 31st, 2010
11:33 am
Conservatives have always been obsessed with womb control, just as they obsess about controlling “teh gay” and stickin’ the state’s nose as much into marriage (think Terri Schaivo and those wacky special rights “covenant marriage” laws) as possible.
Next up: The GOP legislature passes a law claiming that God commits manslaughter whenever a woman has a miscarriage – so the woman must pay for that “sin.”
Of course, what we won’t see anytime soon from the white minority-male dominated legislature is any law restricting a man’s ejaculation until marriage.
obamalover
March 31st, 2010
11:33 am
good thing we have one of THOSE PEOPLE for a president…now we can finally focus on getting THOSE PEOPLE back to their country they are so proud of.
HAIL HITLER
FultonRighty
March 31st, 2010
11:38 am
One problem Cynthia has with reducing the number of black abortions is that she views them as a right and healthcare. Same mentality that led to Planned Parenthood personnel accepting money from a racist to be spent on a black woman’s abortion on those undercover tapes. Many feminists think abortion is a positive good for women. Most of the rest of us know it is something they don’t talk about, often feel shameful or guilty about, and regret, on top of physical problems like future miscarriages, future low birthweight babies, infertility, etc.
It is hard for these radical feminists to see abortion for what it really is–a great way out of responsibility for MEN who get women pregnant. They are the sources of much coercion. On this one the feminist movement has betrayed women, but especially teen girls.
Scout
March 31st, 2010
11:39 am
Ms. Tucker:
I appreciate your post and mean no disrepect but that is about the weakest response I have ever seen to my question. In other words, you have no problem with the “coercing” of males that could lead to their death but anything that involves a woman …….. well.
I would submit to you that a young man who has a good job, a girlfriend, a family, etc., etc., does not find it COMMON at all that the government has the power to force his “body” to another country in a war he totally disagrees with where other men will try to kill him.
Yet “that” is Constitutional but telling a woman she cannot kill an unborn human being is not.
BTW: The Supreme Court’s reasoning in the draft case was that telling a young man he has to go war is a serious invasion of his right to privacy ……….. overcome by only one thing ……… the “right of the State to protect itself and exist”.
I submit to you that telling a woman she has to carry that child to term is a serious invasion of her right to privacy ……….. overcome by only one thing ……… the “right of that child to protect itself and exist”!
The difference in these two court rulings, the lack of logic between the two and the total disgregard for “equal protection under the law” (women can’t be drafted) is mindboggling. It’s very simple. Either abortion on demand should be illegal or the draft should be unconstitutional.
Health Services
March 31st, 2010
11:40 am
WAIT I THINK I GET IT NOW!!
All babies are black before they’re born?!?!
Anonymous
March 31st, 2010
11:41 am
Hey Cindy – just wondering if you are still doing the bidding of the National Abortion Rights Action League while writing these pro-abortion opinions? After all – weren’t you NARAL’s keynote speaker recently? I believe the event was the “San Francisco Power of Choice Luncheon”, correct? You state, “Their attempts to restrict abortions would force women to bear children, but they have no concern for those children once they leave the womb.” So thank you for admitting that the unborn are CHILDREN – but the second half of your claim is also bogus because you have NO Proof that pro-life people do not care for children after they are born. That is NARAL and Planned Parenthood talking points. Both groups profit from advocating abortion and you know it – how is that NOBEL? Pro-life people run soup kitchens, feed the homeless, give charity, run hospitals, take care of the sick and elderly visit the imprisoned and care for the handicapped. But – alas- wasn’t it the famous founder of Planned Parenthood – Margaret Sanger- who found all this pro-life / Catholic/ Christian charity offensive, because she believed in Malthus who advocated that we allow people – the weak , the in firmed , the sick , the feebleminded , and the poor to “die off?” And what else did the Mother of Planned Parenthood advocate? Yes- I believe it was racist eugenics? Sanger, Planned Parenthood’s beloved founder, so beloved that they named their highest award after her, was a regular KLAN speaker. Glad to see you defending that group ! Trust me, in my world of what you might call “bigoted Pro-Lifers” we abhor those who endorse the KLAN – but – I guess elitists like you and NARAL and Planned Parenthood find nothing wrong with that, huh? Educate yourself Tucker- I recommend you and others watch the documentary – Maafa21. This film is powerful and was researched , not from NARAL and Planned Parenthood “talking points” but from their actual archives, papers, and books. Stop being just a “mouthpiece” and learn something about those you work for – the abortion industry that is. And yes, I hope that NARAL paid you well – because you are doing their bidding quite nicely. Get Maafa21 – get educated – http://www.maafa21.com
dixie pixie
March 31st, 2010
11:57 am
CT–
WIC was created for those in need–not WANT. My sister receives WIC b/c her husband was killed in a car accident and they had a 6 month old. She, however, does not sleep around in hopes of getting pregnant again so she can receive more government aid.
ANYONE who abuses the system is not high on my list. HATE is a strong word–use it cautiously. Where I live, your claim of “sterotype” is the normal.Don’t believe me? Email me personally and I will be glad to host you on your visit to this “lovely” little south Georgia town!
dixie pixie
March 31st, 2010
11:59 am
CT-
Please provide your source for your “FAR more whites” statistics. BTW, as I stated in my first post, I am biracial and proudly claim BOTH heritages.
Libby
March 31st, 2010
12:13 pm
“I am SICK of people disrespecting OUR President! Regardless of what you think of his policies, regardless of the fact that he is not white, regardless of anything, he is still OUR President. There is no excuse of being disrespectful to anyone – much less our President. If you don’t like his policies, they you shouldn’t have voted for him. However, the majority of people DID vote for him, thus he is OUR President.”
Excellent post Reality! He is our President, but even more important he is our ObamaGod!!! We Democrats never mocked President Bush or blamed anything on him, we liberals are good simple people and we never spew hate or lies! Why haven’t the mean Republicans been arrested for all the hate and bricks through windows on Capitol Hill, Fox News is covering for them and hiding the truth! We have a Right to be taken care of, and our ObamaGod promised us that Right in exchange for our votes! ObamaGod is our President and he doesn’t have to listen to the over 60% of the public that doesn’t want ObamaCare! I demand the government take care of me but they can’t tell me what to do with my body, I have Rights! Hail ObamaGod Hail!
Scout
March 31st, 2010
12:22 pm
Libby:
LOL !!!
Ivan
March 31st, 2010
12:29 pm
Libby just won blog. Might as well start a new one, Cynthia. Also, thanks educating me that all babies are black before they’re born.