The cynicism of this proposed law is staggering. Since the Supreme Court of the United States blasted the federal right to abortion (Roe v. Wade decision of 1973), the legislators of the most conservative states, supposedly “pro-life”, fight to prevent women at all costs to be able to resort to voluntary termination of pregnancy.
Twelve states have already adopted laws prohibiting abortion from conception.
While the South Carolina House of Representatives had adopted, in mid-February, an almost total ban on abortion (with exceptions in the event of rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormality or danger to health or the life of the mother), an amendment pushed by some elected officials promises to go further…
Frighteningly, the text of law 3549 aims to apply a criminal sentence for a woman who has an abortion. It’s very simple, these sentences might go as far as the death penalty, in a State where the latter is authorized. By turning the fetus into a victim of “homicide” or “assault”, the mother carrying the unborn child would be considered a murderer.
“A life must be protected”
After the Supreme Court decision, many ultra-conservative groups, backed by lawmakers, tried to scrap the exceptions. The text “Fetal Heartbeat” (“heartbeat of the fetus”, or consider as living a fetus of a few weeks) has been proposed several times, but it has been blocked by the Supreme Court of the State.
This time, Republican Bob Harris, representing South Carolina’s 36th District, hopes to go further. “If we call [un fœtus] a life, let it be defined as a life, why would anyone, not just mothers, take away that life? If it is a life, it must be protected like any other.” he justified himself.
The bill is currently being reviewed by a judicial committee. Unlikely to return to the House of Representatives for a vote. But with women’s rights slowly receding in the United States, a surprise is always possible.
