I'm on a lot of list servs. With the recent right wing attacks on women's rights, organized labor and public broadcasting, my Gmail account blows up all day with more emails urging me to take action. So, when an email hit my inbox from the Planned Parenthood Action Network, I almost didn't read it. Until I saw the subject line: Rep. Eric Turner: A woman "could simply say I've been raped....." Anyone surprised this is an Indiana State Representative? Me neither. Here is the text of the email:
Indiana House Democrats came back this week and the Republicans wasted no time in returning to their "social issues" agenda. HB 1210 turned into a behemoth on 2nd reading yesterday. Rest assured, the author carrying much of the language hasn't a clue what the bill will actually do here in Indiana. You may watch what happened for yourself: discussion begins at 01:19:00. HB 1210 author, Rep. Eric Turner (R – Marion) seeks to ban abortions after 20 weeks and prevent abortion coverage under health care reform. This bill requires doctors to provide women with misleading and medically-inaccurate information prior to an abortion ("misinformed consent"). It codifies into Indiana law that "human physical life" begins with a fertilized egg. We could go on and on - 30 pages is a lot of lawmaking. Our champions proposed numerous amendments aimed at reducing the immense harm it would do to the reproductive rights of women. Two amendments succeeded, including one offered by Rep. Terri Austin (D – Anderson) which would provide breast cancer screening coverage for all women.No shit the patriarchal behavior has to stop. (Mad props to Rep. Riecken, who introduced the bill and Rep. Linda Lawson (D-Hammond) for her impassioned response to Rep. Turner's assertion that women could lie about rape or incest simply to obtain an abortion-It's worth a watch at the link provided in the Planned Parenthood email-At about 2:01:00). The complete quote from Rep. Turner is: "I just want you to think about this, in my view, giant loophole that could be created where someone who could -- now i want to be careful, I don't want to disparage in any way someone who has gone through the experience of a rape or incest -- but someone who is desirous of an abortion could simply say that they've been raped or there's incest."
When Rep. Gail Riecken (D – Evansville) argued for an amendment to make exceptions for victims of rape and incest, Rep. Turner asked his colleagues to vote against it because a woman could “simply say I've been raped” in order to get her abortion covered.
It is unspeakably offensive. Rep. Turner’s statement is but one example of countless lies and hurtful words voiced by anti-choice members on the floor of the House. To hear this unfathomable assault on women for yourself, watch the debate footage from 02:04:00 - 02:09:00. The mean behavior has to stop. The patriarchal behavior has to stop.
Way to be careful, you fucking low life piece of shit. The level of insensitivity is staggering. Staggering. If there ever was an inkling of a feeling that somehow these misguided lawmakers had the best interest of women at heart, it should be long gone now (really it should've long ago left you, but you never know). The message sent to me and my uterus was this-"Tough shit. You are just a babymaker. And you will have all babies-even the ones produced through rape or incest, because you are worth no more than your ability to procreate." Can't you just feel the misogyny washing over you and pissing you off?
I am not saying that it can't happen, but I agree with Rep. Lawson-Women do not make this up! Why force women who have experienced such violence and tragedy to carry their attackers babies to term? Oh, right, because the GOP hates women. To know that anti-choice legislation has a very good chance of being made into law makes me want to cry to live in this state.
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