I’d be careful for the malcontents who proclaim that an ultrasound prior to an abortion is rape.
They’d have to admit that Planned Parenthood rapes women.
It’s clear on its website that explains what happens in the office during an abortion, and the word ULTRASOUND is there in plain English.
In fact, the National Abortion Federation includes ultrasounds as part of its Clinical Policy Guidelines, to “inform clinical decision-making and enhance the safety and efficacy of abortion care.”
Call Planned Parenthood in Virginia like Alana Goodman did, and you get this message:
“Patients who have a surgical abortion generally come in for two appointments. At the first visit we do a health assessment, perform all the necessary lab work, and do an ultrasound. This visit generally takes about an hour. At the second visit, the procedure takes place. This visit takes about an hour as well. For out of town patients for whom it would be difficult to make two trips to our office, we’re able to schedule both the initial appointment and the procedure on the same day.
Medical abortions generally require three visits. At the first visit, we do a health assessment, perform all the necessary lab work, and do an ultrasound. This visit takes about an hour. At the second visit, the physician gives the first pill and directions for taking two more pills at home. The third visit is required during which you will have an exam and another ultrasound.”
That’s a whole lot of ultrasounds in Planned Parenthood’s own procedures.
So what we’re really talking about is sharing these ultrasounds with women. Shouldn’t we wonder why the big hue and cry from the left over ultrasounds that are already being performed? Isn’t it really about the left blocking women from seeing their own ultrasounds?
Will liberals in the General Assembly take the floor today and say “Planned Parenthood rapes women”???
They actually should apologize to REAL rape victims for the insult.
They can also admit it’s not really about Planned Parenthood.
It’s about Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Although the Roe decision discovered abortion had been constitutionally protected all along to the great surprise of the people who wrote and ratified the document, Planned Parenthood v. Casey is the pre-eminent decision here that rewrote a lot of Roe.
(Yeah, remember the flap between Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood when Planned Parenthood claimed abortion was only 3% of their services? Well, abortion is so insignificant to them that the pre-eminent Supreme Court abortion case in the world is Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit.)
Planned Parenthood v. Casey invented an “undue burden” test for abortion regulation. What does “undue” mean? Whatever 5 justices of the Supreme Court say it means on any particular day. How do nine Justices decide on whether a regulation creates a burden that is undue? Substantial? Adequate?
With so few of the Justices on the Court from that decision, I think the silly “undue burden” test is going right where Roe‘s “trimester test” went – out the window.
And the lawsuits in other states give me the impression that these ultrasound issues are headed right to the Supreme Court of Roberts, Alito, Scalia, Thomas, and Kennedy (who sided with the majority in Casey but dissented in the strikedown of partial birth abortion bans).
Not only is Casey on shaky ground, these ultrasound cases may just be enough for the Court to say “Out, damned spot” and wash their hands of the whole abortion business.
With Kennedy, Ginsburg and Breyer among the oldest Justices on the Court, who is President in 2013 becomes very interesting.
One thing is sure.
It will be tough for Planned Parenthood to sue over requiring ultrasounds that they already perform.
