What's been irking me about the recent spat of anti-choice bills passing through state legislatures (and even Congress) is that the media only seems to be focused on the fact that the bills ban abortions after 20 weeks.
But that's not it. And that's not even the worst part of these bills.
The fact is that, in addition to banning abortions after 20 weeks, these bills contain a boatload of regulations that are designed to shut down abortion clinics. This amounts to a de facto ban on all abortions. If abortions are still legal up until 20 weeks, but the nearest abortion clinic is 400 miles away (because the new state laws shut down any clinic that was closer to you), then your right to a choice has been taken away from you.
And don't believe the Republicans' arguments about making abortions "safer." No, Republicans don't care about women having safe access to abortions. If they did, they wouldn't be trying to pass these bills into law. They want to outlaw abortions, and these bills are designed to do just that.
But the media plays along with these bills only being about 20 weeks. Just like the media played along with the right wing when they threw a hissy fit about the media's "blackout" of the Gosnell trial, and eventually caved and started covering it. That was the far right's design. It's no coincidence that these bills started coming up after that: now, the wingers can claim that these rules about doctors having admitting privileges at a hospital are "to prevent more Kermit Gosnells."
Except, of course, these bills will only lead to more Kermit Gosnells.
We must push back against the far right that has hijacked our democracy. Point to the fact that, while they want to outlaw abortions, they also want to deny women access to birth control. They want more unwanted pregnancies, AND they want to restrict access to abortions.
This is what the media should be reporting on. Not the "20 week" rule.
