Turning a rape victim into a felon - as simple as taking away her constitutional rights

Wow. No words. But of course, I must try. Really, all I want to write in this post is a litany of words containing 4 letters that would likely make my mother disown me. She hates it when I swear on this blog. So Mom, you might want to stop reading.

Fuck. Shit. Hell. Damn. Argh. Sonofabitch. (more than 4 letters, but equally appropriate)

OK, you can read again, Mom.

I read this morning that State Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R) of New Mexico has introduced HB206, that would make it a felony to terminate a pregnancy following a rape. This has been tried many times before and has succeeded in some states that have no exclusion for rape or incest. But this would outlaw pregnancy termination altogether for these victims regardless of how far the pregnancy has progressed. Why, you ask? Well, you see, apparently it’s tampering with evidence.

The act is written specifically to:

SPECIFY(ING) PROCURING OF AN ABORTION AS TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE IN CASES OF CRIMINAL SEXUAL PENETRATION OR INCEST.

B. Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime.

First off, What the everloving fuck?

Secondly, What the everloving fuck?

I assume that part of this is done to ensure it was a “legitimate”rape – after all, if you aren’t pregnant anymore, it’s not legitimate. The “shutting that whole thing down” thing. I also assume that Ms. Brown, in her infinite stupidity, guesses that DNA might need to be extracted from the baby once it’s born. Or maybe, if the baby doesn’t come out looking like the alleged rapist, then the woman was lying. Or maybe she’s sure that once the baby pops out the rape victim will be overcome with love, suddenly have the means and desire to raise the baby (who must look like her rapist of course) and of course, be accepted into the family, even if someone in the family was responsible for the rape in the first place.

By forcing a woman to carry a pregnancy to term following rape, you have once again taken from her the autonomy that was stolen during the rape. Additionally, lest you forget since yesterday was the 40th anniversary of Roe v Wade, ABORTION IS A LEGAL MEDICAL PROCEDURE.

I am so sick of this bullshit. Seriously.

Abortion is a constitutionally protected right, according to the Supreme Court of the United States. So shut up already.

People who assume that rape is a sexual act disgust me. Rape is a violent power play, violating one person’s autonomy and sense of safety strictly to prove one’s power over another in the most violent and awful way possible, by invading someone's body against their will.

By forcing a woman (or even a little girl) to carry to term to prove she wasn’t lying, you take those things away for a second time. Also forced reproduction in the US? What about LIBERTY (^TM far right)? It's the hypocritical flip side of the coin to what those same people argue about re: China - forced abortion (which for the record, I also don't agree with). Oh, I forgot. LIBERTY only applies to the MANLY MEN who completely agree with you. Wimminz don't count. My bad.

Also, I wonder if Ms. Brown is aware of what happens to “evidence.” It’s usually boxed up and placed on a shelf until the case comes to trial. Does she propose to treat this piece of evidence differently than any other? Evidence is required to remain in the custody of the prosecuting entity and documented every time it changes hands. Does she propose that the prosecutor should maintain custody of the baby until the case is concluded and the evidence can be placed in a basement forever? Does she propose to break the chain of custody by allowing forcing the victim of the crime (or the newly accused felonious evidence tamperer) to maintain custody of a crucial piece of evidence? And that every time the baby is picked up by someone other than the victim it must be documented? Perhaps Ms. Brown would like to maintain custody herself of all "pieces of evidence" that might have otherwise been tampered with.

Clearly, Ms. Brown has no concept of how evidence is handled. Additionally, she has obviously never dealt with a rape victim. She also evidently has never read the most important Supreme Court case regarding abortion rights. Which upholds women’s right to privacy when it comes to her body and medical procedures such as termination of pregnancy.

I have no way to end this without saying exactly what I think of Ms. Brown right now, and I’m really trying to curb my language.

What, you couldn't tell?

Anyway, I imagine you can fill in the blanks yourself.