“Incredible acceleration… whole new level of attack… designed to gut Roe”
Even though in my post, “Pro-life March Madness: “Sweeping… hurtling… astonishing display,” I wrote about the vast array of pro-life legislation passing in the states, I was still struck when reading through my google alerts over the weekend just how much we are suddenly accomplishing, as if a log jam has been broken. Here is just a sampling of headlines from the past week. Click to enlarge…
The headlines tell the same story…
From the Wall Street Journal, March 31:
“We are seeing an incredible acceleration in the speed and in the breadth of the restrictions on abortion that are passing,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights….
From The Daily Beast, April 4:
In just three months since the United States marked the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court’s landmark decision guaranteeing safe and legal abortions, states such as North Dakota, Alabama, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, and now Kansas have created legislation designed to gut Roe v. Wade.
(Really? The Roe decision “guarantee[d] safe” abortions? Tell that to Tonya Reaves and Jennifer Morbelli.)
From CNN, April 4:
A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood said Thursday that the laws are the tip of the iceberg in a broader assault on a woman’s right to choose.
“Bills like these have been introduced in 42 states. This is a whole new level of attack on women’s health,” said Staci Fox, who heads the organization’s Southeast division.
From the Associated Press, April 7:
But with last week’s approval of more anti-abortion legislation, now an annual event in Kansas, legislators who’ve voted for every measure in recent years wonder whether the incremental-change tactic has run its course.
“There are a growing number of legislators who want to explore the practicality of moving toward fetal heartbeat as opposed to the incremental approach,” said Rep. Steve Brunk, a Wichita Republican and a sponsor of that measure….
“We’re at a point of re-evaluation,” said state House Judiciary Chairman Lance Kinzer, an Olathe Republican and a leader among anti-abortion lawmakers. “We’re now looking at a different agenda because so much of what we wanted to be accomplished, will be accomplished.”
We must keep praying and pressing, not taking anything for granted. This may just be a window. Nevertheless, pro-lifers should also take a moment to enjoy a moment in time when things are going our way.
[Top photo via The Daily Beast]

People know about Tonya Reaves and Jennifer Morbelli. We know about Gosnell and Carhart. And we are starting to get an inkling that Planned Parenthood isn’t the kind benefactor of women that they paint themselves pink to be.
Just remember that, even though we need laws to protect the unborn and their mothers, we will not win with laws alone. We must keep working to change hearts, until all women know that abortion hurts women and children, and contraception is a toxic carcinogen as well as an abortifacient.
I’m just sick of the phrase “A woman’s right to choose”. BE HONEST! Finish the sentence. Tell it like it REALLY is :
“A woman’s ‘right’ to kill her own child”.
OWN it, “choicers”.
Meant to say “A woman’s ‘right’ to CHOOSE… to kill her own child”.
“Bills like these have been introduced in 42 states. This is a whole new level of attack on women’s health,” said Staci Fox,
But there is nothing healthy about being aborted, any dead baby could tell you that.
I’m not arguing, but, seriously, abortion advocates, did you really think we’d all roll over and give up the fight against legal infanticide and legal feticide? How could I live with myself if I blithely went about my life, buying lattes and reading magazines, while my fellow humans are being murdered, often using MY tax payer dollars? Did you seriously think that 40-years was some kind of magic galvanizing number that would render us all unwilling to fight this fight? It gavlanized us alright, just not in the direction you were hoping. I’m not going to accept abortion nor the killing of born people of any age who are sick or dying or otherwise unwanted. I may occaisionally change my tactics or my strategy but I’ll never give in. There is no common ground with murder.
Gird your loins, abortion advocates. We’ve got our big girl pants on and we’re not backing down. ever.
“Did you seriously think that 40-years was some kind of magic galvanizing number that would render us all unwilling to fight this fight?”
If so, they are going to be really disappointed when 50 doesn’t do the trick either. After all, it’s generally considered an even more magic number.
Buckle up proaborts.
It is the perfect storm.
JDC,
Every piece of prolife legislation passed is a victory. Every prolife majority. Every mill that is shut down. Every woman that chooses life on the sidewalk.
Yes Ninek.
They seriously thought that the issue might just go away or that we might give up or sit down or shut up.
Not gonna happen!!!
Yes, give yourselves a big pat on the back. Women are finding it more difficult in some areas to retain their hard-fought freedoms.
You’ve done almost as well as the NRA in your coercing and threatening of politicians. In fact you’ve gone one better, more of your anti-freedom league cohorts actually are the politicians.
Just be aware though, that as your agenda ‘progresses’, more of the population will become aware of just how much damage to freedom and democracy is starting to take place.
Especially as some of your ‘representatives’ start expanding their remit. I mean to say, trying to revive anti-sodomy laws, declaring that if a separated couple have sex the divorce waiting time clock restarts, legislation to introduce reciting the lord’s prayer in schools every morning. Seriously.
The mid-terms will be the starting point. Then the loons will start being removed from power within states. Apart from maybe those states who wish to continue their fine traditions of having deplorable academic, teen-pregnancy and divorce statistics. Gotta have a benchmark!
Reality, since you support sodomy as just another life choice then does that mean you think Obamacare policies should have mandatory HHS regulations to reimburse the cost of sodomizer’s KY-Jelly as preventive medicine?
So, you still don’t have a full grasp of what constitutes sodomy then truthseeker.
What do you think Cuccinelli’s chances of a political career will be when people actually realise that even things like oral sex will be illegal?
Yes, pro-abortionists, we are trying to gut Roe v Wade. Our secret is out!
But your secrets are out too. Abortion is not about women’s choices. It’s not about women’s health. It’s about money.
That’s why more women are choosing life, that’s why more pro-life laws are passing. More and more women are tired of being lied to and exploited.
Thank God for that and I pray that more and more women, and men, will see the truth and choose life.
” Especially as some of your ‘representatives’ start expanding their remit. I mean to say, trying to revive anti-sodomy laws, declaring that if a separated couple have sex the divorce waiting time clock restarts, legislation to introduce reciting the lord’s prayer in schools every morning. Seriously.”
Where did that happen? And the pro-life movement isn’t necessarily tied to religious groups/people attempting to get stuff like that passed, though I do admit that there’s some overlap.
The attorney general in Virginia, Cuccinelli (running for governor), is asking the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals to grant an en banc rehearing and uphold the constitutionality of their anti-sodomy law, which was struck down by the Supreme Court’s Lawrence v Texas ruling in 2003.
Republican legislators in North Carolina are proposing a law that would require married couples to wait a full two years before getting a divorce — and if they have sex at any time during that period, it restarts the clock.
Louisiana is proposing legislation to have students recite the lord’s prayer every morning in the state’s public schools.
Well there sure aren’t too many politicians trying to remove womens freedoms who don’t claim to do so on ‘religious principles’. Or to at least possess ‘religious principles’. And now they are attempting to broaden their regressive activities across a wider range of social and economic factors.
@JDC: I’m hoping it doesn’t even get to 50. I can’t wait for the day when the March for Life is a celebration of the end of Roe, rather than a protest.
Well the south sucks in some regards. But unlike you I see a huge difference between trying to police private sexual activity/forcing religion, and protecting unborn humans from destruction.
I will say, I find those laws you mentioned invasive and I don’t understand why small government conservatives (which most claim to be) would ever approve of such a thing. :/ I’m pretty sure most of them will be struck down on Constitutional grounds though.
“@JDC: I’m hoping it doesn’t even get to 50. I can’t wait for the day when the March for Life is a celebration of the end of Roe, rather than a protest.”
I hope the same, Alice. I really do. I just don’t see a Supreme Court willing to overturn Roe coming into place within the next ten years.
Well there sure aren’t too many politicians trying to remove womens freedoms who don’t claim to do so on ‘religious principles’. Or to at least possess ‘religious principles’.
William Wilberforce was religiously motivated too.
Fringe proposals from backbenchers that you read about on ThinkProgress aren’t comparable to viable bills that have a serious chance of becoming law.
“I don’t understand why small government conservatives would ever approve of such a thing.” – because they all cry ‘keep government out of our lives!’ until they think they see someone having more fun than them and then it’s “hey government, stop those people!’
“Fringe proposals from backbenchers that you read about on ThinkProgress” – I do not and never have read ThinkProgress Navi. Do you read the WorldNutDaily?
A serving state attorney general who is running for governor is asking the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals to grant an en banc rehearing.
Veteran Sen. Austin Allran of Hickory is the primary sponsor. Second term Sen. Warren Daniel of Morganton has signed on to Senate Bill 518.
A state rep. wants the lords prayer instituted.
“because they all cry ‘keep government out of our lives!’ until they think they see someone having more fun than them and then it’s “hey government, stop those people!’”
Heh. I think it’s more like “well, I think this is immoral, so everyone else should be legally barred from doing it”. I find the anti-sodomy laws amusing though, I’m pretty sure the senators aren’t going to like it (or follow them).
But still, these type of laws are involving things between consenting individuals, or involve people’s religious freedom being violated. It’s not the same as protecting the unborn from being killed.
I do not and never have read ThinkProgress Navi.
You don’t even read the articles you link to then?
Do you read the WorldNutDaily?
I avoid it whenever possible.
A serving state attorney general who is running for governor is asking the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals to grant an en banc rehearing.
I’ll give you this one.
Veteran Sen. Austin Allran of Hickory is the primary sponsor. Second term Sen. Warren Daniel of Morganton has signed on to Senate Bill 518.
A state rep. wants the lords prayer instituted.
Talk to me after it’s out of committee. I’ll believe it when I see it.
The articles I read about looney tunes politicians and pregnancies through rape were not on ThinkProgress. But since they both included ThinkProgress amongst their citations I thought I’d provide one common source for people :-)
“I avoid it whenever possible.” – hm, and how often is it ‘possible’.
Thinkprogress is a terrible source Reality, you should be ashamed for ever linking it!
I wasn’t actually aware of the ‘status’ of it Jack. Never read it in my life. I just thought one link to some info would be easier than two or three. It won’t happen again :-)
Yes, give yourselves a big pat on the back. Women are finding it more difficult in some areas to retain their hard-fought freedoms.You’ve done almost as well as the NRA in your coercing and threatening of politicians. In fact you’ve gone one better, more of your anti-freedom league cohorts actually are the politicians.Just be aware though, that as your agenda ‘progresses’, more of the population will become aware of just how much damage to freedom and democracy is starting to take place.
Oh darn, you’re so right, Reality! I forgot to mention that after Arkansas passed that abortion ban, on my recent visit to the state for my grandmother’s funeral, they had set up a mandatory uterus inspection facility on the boarder and revoked my right to vote, hold property, and my freedom of speech before I was discharged after inspection. I was only able to communicate through messages relayed via sign language with my fiance and he was the only one of us allowed to speak.
Wait-none of that happened and you’re just being your usual hysterical self, trying to pretend like those who support prenatal human rights are just a big, mean, religious, white, male cabal of female oppressors when you know from personal experience being here that so many of us and typically the most outspoken of us, ARE ACTUALLY WOMEN OURSELVES.
I do not and never have read ThinkProgress Navi.
You don’t even read the articles you link to then?
This made me lol.
Jack, the South most definitely does NOT suck.
That’s messed up.
“Reality” says: I do not and never have read ThinkProgress Navi.
Navi says: You don’t even read the articles you link to then?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Hahahahaha! Hahahahaha!
Oh, golly. You know it’s going to be a good day when you can start it off with laughter.
Courtnay, the south overall doesn’t suck. But there are things that suck about the south, just like anywhere else. I’ve lived in the south my entire life.
I <3 Arkansas.
“Reality” says: I do not and never have read ThinkProgress Navi.
Navi says: You don’t even read the articles you link to then?
Now that’s just embarrassing.
Pamela, many are also sick of the phrase “prolife” meaning only fetal life. Look at how many “prolife” legislators don’t give a hoot about protecting born life.
Many pro-choice legislators and pro-choice citizens likewise don’t give a hoot, or a rodents backside, about protecting born life.
You’re funny xalisae :-) You claim that I’m being hysterical yet you launch into some exaggerated fantasy scenario, lol. Frills, bright colors and loud music don’t negate the core truths. A lot of anti-choicers are also anti-contraception. Then there are those who are anti sex education. Some would like to see homosexuality recriminalised. Sex outside of marriage too. Some go so far as to rail against anything other than missionary position coitus. You’ve seen them here, I’ve seen them here. Some of the other people who hold such views are politicians and powerbrokers.
It’s rather reassuring to see the sheer desperation displayed as some of you attempt to find what you think is gold by trawling through crevices and crannies. Here’s another link I haven’t looked at. Why haven’t I looked at it? Because a couple of proven and trustworthy sources have said ‘here’s the news/the info/ the story/ the whatever and here’s one of the originating sources. So rather than provide a number of links for people to peruse, it can be done with one, enjoy!
http://www.myconfinedspace.com/2013/04/10/drowning-is-a-gift/
“Look at how many “prolife” legislators don’t give a hoot about protecting born life”
Not many unless you subscribe to the ludicrous notion that the only way to respect born life is through an extensive series of government handouts.
“You’re funny xalisae You claim that I’m being hysterical yet you launch into some exaggerated fantasy scenario, lol. Frills, bright colors and loud music don’t negate the core truths.”
I point out that you’re being hysterical because you insist on framing the abortion debate as “people against women’s rights.” vs. “people for women’s rights.”, when you know dalksmdfned well that’s not what this is about at it’s core AT. ALL. That is hysterics on your part. I was trying to extend your rhetoric to its most absurd conclusion to illustrate exactly how hysterical you’re being, but apparently it’s lost on you. So be it.
“dalksmdfned”
Huh? I haven’t heard this one before.
The fact that you don’t agree with my stance does not render my argument ‘hysterical’. I’m not the one throwing in things like “dalksmdfned well”.
So you don’t consider enforced gestation to be against womens’ rights? Particularly in cases of rape. What about the fact that a large number of anti-choicers are also against contraception? Is that not against womens’ rights either? What about forcing women to have procedures when they say no? Where do you draw the line?
Yes, because you’re being so intentionally obtuse it makes people want to swear at you. Congrats on frustrating people so much with your feigned ignorance.
So you don’t consider enforced gestation to be against womens’ rights? Particularly in cases of rape.
Okay Irony, let me break it down for you. I’ll type this slowly in hopes you may better understand it:
There is no such thing as “enforced gestation”. That’s like saying measures against suicide is “enforced digestion” or “enforced respiration”. There is protection of human rights for the child who happens to be developing during that gestation. If there is another human being present to be considered, like a mother’s developing child in utero, measures to protect that child’s life are not a violation of that mother’s rights. Child Protective Services isn’t anti-women’s rights for saying a mom can’t use her arm/hand to put out cigarettes on her child, either, even though it’s her body and she can normally use it for what she wants, BECAUSE HER CHILD’S BODY IS ALSO INVOLVED IN AND HARMED BY SUCH A DECISION.
What about the fact that a large number of anti-choicers are also against contraception? Is that not against womens’ rights either?
That actually IS against women’s rights, since the woman is the only one involved in that decision, and hey, if you help me make abortion illegal again, once anyone starts trying to make contraception illegal, I’ll be right there with ya fighting them, buddy.
What about forcing women to have procedures when they say no?
See, now, that not only violates the woman’s rights, but if the “procedures” you’re talking about are abortions, it’s a violation of the woman’s child’s rights, too.
Where do you draw the line?
You already know where my line is drawn. It’s drawn at the body of a child in utero. It’s a very clear line, and I honestly don’t see why you seem to be having trouble with this concept.
Just a reminder, Reality, the term is pro-lifers, not anti-choicers.
“There is no such thing as “enforced gestation” – yes there is. Preventing someone from obtaining an abortion is enforced gestation.
“That’s like saying measures against suicide is “enforced digestion” or “enforced respiration” – this happens too. Someone may have said ‘when I reach a certain point turn off the machines’ yet the doctors and/or family insist on tube feeding and artificial respiration.
“once anyone starts trying to make contraception illegal, I’ll be right there with ya fighting them” – as long as you’re aware that there are an awful lot of people who would make that their next task – well they would if they got rid of abortion, which they won’t. So you probably don’t need to worry :-)
“I honestly don’t see why you seem to be having trouble with this concept.” – oh I see your concept ok. I just don’t see any justification for it.