I usually try to keep this blog upbeat and not very controversial, but I cannot stomach this.
I strongly oppose SB1433, the Oklahoma Personhood bill. This reprehensible and unconstitutional bill puts the existence of an embryo ahead of the life of any Oklahoma woman and girl of possible childbearing age.
This bill makes illegal the morning after pill, even in cases of rape or incest as it prevents implantation of a possibly fertilized embryo. The same reasoning applies to the IUD birth control device and makes it illegal. It makes the termination of a tubal or molar pregnancy illegal, even though that embryo could never grow to be a fetus or a baby and will more than likely kill the mother to carry if there is no medical intervention. Since an embryo would be considered a person, it makes IVF illegal, as the process generally involves the fertilization of many eggs and the ones not implanted are either frozen for possible future implantation or discarded, ruining the hopes and dreams of many couples unable to get pregnant without medical intervention. Again, it puts the doctors at serious risk should anything happen to an embryo during implantation. Any fertility treatments are risky legally for both patient and physician. Anything a woman does that could have contributed to a miscarriage can be called into question, whether or not she knows she’s pregnant. It makes no difference how much the woman wanted or didn’t want that embryo to grow to a fetus, a baby, a child, an adult…
Studies reveal that anywhere from 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will end in miscarriage… The reason for miscarriage is varied, and most often the cause cannot be identified. During the first trimester, the most common cause of miscarriage is chromosomal abnormality – meaning that something is not correct with the baby’s chromosomes. Most chromosomal abnormalities are the cause of a damaged egg or sperm cell, or are due to a problem at the time that the zygote went through the division process. ~ American Pregnancy Association
I’ll provide you my personal perspective. I am a 25 year old woman, married for five and a half years, with a beautiful daughter. I’ve been sexually active with ONE person in my life, and I married him. I’m pretty sure my lifestyle in that regard is not objectionable to hardly anyone. The existence of this bill makes me scared to death to get pregnant again, on purpose or on accident. It honestly makes me want to leave the state. I’m afraid for my daughter growing up here. I somehow don’t think the intended consequence of this bill is to strike fear into the hearts of all informed women considering having a child, but that is where I stand. This bill has 27 co-authors in the Oklahoma state senate, and I am ashamed to say that my senator is one of them. I wish every one of them and each state senator who voted for this would have thought about their daughters, their wives, their granddaughters, every woman they care about, and the consequences on their lives. This bill has passed the state senate, but the house has yet to vote! Please let your Oklahoma state representative know that you oppose this bill!
Every Oklahoman should be appalled, but every WOMAN should be ready to take to the streets. Every legislator who co-sponsored this bill is putting our lives at risk. Oklahoma legislators, keep your legislation out of my uterus and away from my safety, please. I am also issuing a personal plea to our governor to stand up for the women of her state and issue a veto, should it come to that.
My Senator, Patrick Anderson, can be reached at 405.521.5630. My Representative, Mike Jackson, can be reached at 405.557.7317. I am calling both to let them know that this bill is not what the people of Oklahoma need. Please, take action with me.
The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light no longer flow into our souls ~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Cult of Ezzell 