Sorry, guys!

So, it's been a minute so I've posted. Sorry about that! There have been so many new developments in the news regarding women's rights....I'm so behind! Let's go ahead and touch on the news about emergency contraception availability.

Dear Judge Edward Korman, WAY TO GO!!!! For those of you who are more behind than I am, EC (emergency contraception...morning after pill...Plan B) is now available over the counter without age and point-of-sale restrictions. This means that a girl of any age can now go into her local pharmacy and purchase the morning after pill without fearing that she'll have to jump through 52 hoops to get it. Of course, this also means that Republicans and pro-lifers are going bat shit crazy in an effort to stall or completely halt this decision from becoming practice. So far, Judge Korman has already called these attempts "frivolous" and I'm thinking that maybe (just maybe), this decision will stick!

North Dakota has passed a heartbeat bill. It will now be illegal to receive abortion services in the state of North Dakota if a fetal heartbeat is detected. In other words, most women are out of luck by say, 8 weeks. Some women won't have a chance to receive abortion services because they won't even know they're pregnant until after a heartbeat is detectable. North Dakota House, go home, you're drunk!

The case of Philadelphia abortion provider butcher, Kermit Gosnell, has been handed over to the jury. They are deliberating over an amazing 260 counts, including five counts of murder. Pro-lifers are having a field day using him in their arguments. I refuse to consider this man a provider, a helper of women and families...it's a stretch for my mind to even associate the word, "doctor", with this man.

Meanwhile, on the personal side of things: Ever since my dad died, I've felt more determined than ever to "start my life", so to speak. This has left me making lots of lists. Things I want to do, things I want to accomplish, things I want to do within this movement, steps to do all of them...it goes on and on. This is somewhat ironic--I'm wanting to push my foot through the door of something that my dad did not support. Don't get me wrong, my dad supported me. He was my biggest fan, he loved my writing...but he didn't support abortion. He worried about me getting physically involved in the work. In the words of Lana Del Rey, it leaves me with a war on my mind. Am I really honoring my dad by living my life to the fullest and pushing hard for what I want, when what I want is something he didn't support? Well if you came to this blog because you're not up for deep thinking, you were just sorely disappointed. Ha. In the meantime, I can't even decide HOW I want to be involved in this industry. There are so many great ways to help and I don't even know where to start to get involved. (Cue input)

Grasping at Straws.

I've been noticing a recurring topic among pro-lifers lately. Maybe I just missed it earlier. Maybe I blocked it out because it annoys the shit out of me. I'm not really sure. But over the last few days, it's come to my attention in the most irritating way.

Kermit Gosnell.

It seems that every pro-life argument leads to this man. "Well, if you support late term abortion, do you support Gosnell's work?"....No. Just no. There are so many things wrong with this argument, I don't even know where to start. But I guess I'll start here: I consider this guy a fraud. A murderer, a skeeze, a liar, a greedy p.o.s., but never...not once since I've read his story have I considered him a "doctor". Doctors help people, right? Abortion providers help women, no? Can a logical pro-lifer honestly look at the Gosnell case, and then look at someone like Dr. Tiller and actually think that the two compare? Really? On one hand, you have a man that had his office staffed by unqualified employees, a man who drugged women in order to "deal" with them, a man who delivered babies alive (with no effort to stop the heart, etc. before the procedure) and then "snipped" their spinal cords, and let's not forget...a man who maintained a "medical facility" about as well as goldfish maintains it's memory. On the other hand, you have a man who had highly qualified staff in place to handle the physical, emotional, and spiritual well being of the women that sought their help, a man who had buffers in place to make sure that women were sure of their decisions, and procedures in place to make sure that they these women were well taken care of at all times. How do the two compare? They don't.

But this is what the pro-lifers (who are clearly GRASPING at straws with the Gosnell argument) don't realize: Making abortion illegal won't stop abortions (Which brings to mind the fact that most pro-lifers are gun-toting Americans...and isn't their argument that making guns illegal won't take them off the streets? Same concept here, people). But it will force women to seek out the grade of back-alley care that Gosnell provided. And I promise you, these bastards would come out of the woodwork if suddenly they realized that women were willing to pay top dollar for cut rate care.

Gosnell "care" is what we'll face if abortion is made illegal. Is that what we want for ourselves? For our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, sisters, and friends? There's not even a question...if abortion is made illegal, Gosnell will become the "norm".

WARNING: Very Graphic, May Include Triggers

Early in 2011, I posted about Kermit Gosnell. He was charged with with the deaths of seven infants and 1 woman. Most pro-lifers will argue that every single doctor who provides abortions should face the same charges. However, this case is so far beyond a man who provides abortion services. A new 20 minute documentary highlights exactly what happened behind closed doors in this inner city house of horrors.

Since Roe v. Wade was passed, woman have had access (though often difficult to obtain) to safe, legal abortions. And by "safe", I mean...abortions who are provided by a licensed doctor, in a clean setting, with sterile instruments. The procedures can be done in a number of ways which are often done before the baby has the brain waves/nervous system to make it capable of feeling pain. And once the brain and nervous system has developed to such a point, measures are taken to make the procedure as safe as possible for the baby.

I can only imagine that what Kermit Gosnell did was comparable to back alley abortionists who were in it for nothing more than a quick buck. The Gosnell clinic was located in Philadelphia, in a lower-class neighborhood. Gosnell's "typical" clientele has been described by some as "lower-class", "poor", "minorities", or "under-educated" women. And while it's often true that women who find themselves in desperate situations such as having no money and needing an abortion, will take a risk. I don't think any one of the women who went to Gosnell ever imagined that they would have to be wary of such an experience.

One woman (former patient) who appeared in the documentary describes an experience of seeing women who looked half dead (from being given heavy drugs) sitting in the waiting room, blood spattered walls and floors, blood crusted recliners, and a forceful doctor who refused to let her up off the bed when she changed her mind about the abortion. Instead, he put her to sleep and performed the procedure anyway. She is no longer able to have children.

A clinic worker (who was in no way qualified to do anything other than maybe answer phones and make appointments) snapped cell phone pictures of two of the babies that Gosnell "aborted" (And by "aborted", I mean delivered alive at full term, shoved scissors into the base of their skulls and then "snipped" their spinal cords...a technique that he called "snipping"). These pictures are included in the documentary and are VERY graphic. 

Through the years, two women's deaths were reported to the health department, along with a woman who suffered perforated uterus...but no investigation was done--with any of them. The last time an employee from the Department of Health physically visited the clinic? 1993. Not only is Gosnell and his staff at fault, the city should be held accountable as well, or at least the Department of Health.

It's also interesting to note that Gosnell had one exclusive procedure room that he used for white women. It was reportedly cleaner and nicer than the others, because as he put it "That's the way of the world. Young white women are more likely to tell". The whole ordeal is despicable.

This man was not in the business to help women. Nor was he concerned about providing mercy to babies who were suffering. This man would do any abortion, at any time through the pregnancy, for ANY reason. If you were due the day BEFORE you went to him, he would still provide his "services". The only thing that mattered was the money.

Today, on the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, it's so important to remember that if we lose this right to do what we wish with our bodies, there is a very real possibility that this "quality" of care could become the norm for women who need abortion services. These kinds of scary stories are the kind of thing that people heard before we had the legal right to choose. Do we really want to go back to seeing this type of operation regularly? Making abortion illegal won't stop it. But more people will die.

You can watch the documentary, 3801 Lancaster here. But PLEASE be advised that this video is extremely graphic. I would not recommend it for post abortive women, queasy individuals, rape victims, or women who have experienced any kind of pregnancy/infant/child loss.