Texas Forced Sonogram Bill On Way Towards Passage—15 Men And 2 Women
The Texas forced sonogram bill is on the way to Governor Rick Perry’s desk. The Governor intends to sign the bill.
Below is what Republican State Senator Dan Patrick–the Senate sponsor of the bill– said about the picture you see above—
“Speaking at the House press conference this morning on their acceptance of the latest version of the bill. Thanks to Rep Miller (white hat) and House members who worked with us to pass this bill.”
Senator Patrick is the gentleman shaking hands with the fellow in the white hat.
I count 15 men and 2 women in that picture.
Those are some of the people responsible for the fact that in Texas the state government will soon force some women to undergo unwanted highly invasive medical procedures.
Here are some details about the forced sonogram bill from the Houston Chronicle—
“… a bill requiring a woman seeking an abortion to view sonogram images of her fetus tentatively passed the state Senate. The vote was 21-10. State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston… said he was confident the legislation would pass the House and make it to the governor’s desk, thereby giving Texas what he called “one of the strongest bills dealing with this issue in the country.” Labeled “emergency” legislation by Gov. Rick Perry early in the session, the bill would require the image to be shown to the woman at least 24 hours before an abortion is performed. It also would require doctors or medical professionals to play audio of the fetal heartbeat if there is one and point out to the woman the arms, legs and internal organs of the fetus. A woman could choose not to view the sonogram or hear the heartbeat but would be required to listen as the medical professional points out the arms, legs and internal organs that are visible on the screen.Victims of rape and incest would be exempt from the sonogram requirement, under Patrick’s bill.”
If the state can force one medical procedure on free citizens, why can’t it force any medical procedure on free citizens?
Yet the same people turn around and say it is wrong to compel people to buy health insurance as part of health care reform.
In Texas, “Choose life” appears to mean choose a crappy life with no health insurance, no social security, no steady work, and no quality education.
Will women who refuse the sonograms be arrested? Will they be in some way forced to get the sonogram? Will doctors be forced to detail patient conversations in order to prosecute women who refuse to comply?
This is how the State of Texas defines small government and personal freedom.
The good news is that we all have the ability to fight back and win. Please consider giving to the lobbying arm of Planned Parenthood. You can do so at the national level or where you live.
Here is some information about what Planned Parenthood does in Texas. Planned Parenthood provides many vital health services for women in Texas.
There are always things you can do to make progress. Don’t leave the work of freedom to others. Others don’t always do a very good job with freedom. Especially in Texas.
6 Comments »
Leave a comment
Welcome To Texas Liberal
Texas Liberal is a blog of politics and political history.
My name is Neil Aquino. Here is my profile.
I can be reached at naa618@att.net.
Additional focuses of the blog are books, art, poetry, personal relationships and, also, sea life and marine mammals.
( The picture above is of the Houston Ship Channel. A narrow channel can lead to a wide sea.)
The signature post of this blog is the Martin Luther King Reading & Reference List. This list is the best of it’s kind on the web.
Another good post is my reciting the words to the Shaker hymn Simple Gifts on Galveston Island, Texas as a ship passes behind.
I live in Houston, Texas and I do sometimes write about political issues in Houston and in Texas.
I also often write about my former hometown of Cincinnati, and about the great beach city of Galveston, Texas.
I define liberalism as a role for government in the economy to help make life more fair, and a broad acceptance of people regardless of who they are.
This is why it says “All People Matter” at the top of the blog.
A blog grows one reader at a time. If you like what you read here, please consider forwarding the link.
Texas Liberal began regular posting on July 25, 2006.
I also blog at the Houston Chronicle as one of eight featured political bloggers, and on Where’s The Outrage? which posts out of North Carolina.
Thanks for reading Texas Liberal.
Recent Comments
Tim Murphy on Mel Gibson & Siouxsie… Sof on Mel Gibson & Siouxsie… Bill Shirley (@bshir… on “Houston” Sculptur… JD on Black Man Drives Car With Conf… Blessthismess on Mel Gibson & Siouxsie…
Global Voices- An activist translates Minecraft, manga, and Harry Potter from Russian into the Chuvash language
- How Mongolia became a 3×3 basketball powerhouse
- Kyrgyzstan’s unsung heroes get recognition through street art
- Central Asia’s unique tradition of singing during Ramadan keeps evolving
- Teenager with Muslim background saved over 100 people in Moscow concert hall terrorist attack
- In Azerbaijan authorities remain silent over the murder of a trans woman
- Kyrgyzstan’s blockbuster film is a moving tale of the bond between a mother and son
- Lotteries, dressed-up figures, and other peculiar entertainment at the Putin's sham elections
- In Georgia, a new political alliance looks to the future
- Will President Erdoğan really stop running in Turkey's elections?
Texas Liberal 
Isn’t this a form of “government over reach” Perry was so adamant about when he sympathized with Tea Partiers at their rallies?
I have seen two different interpretations of the rape exemption — one that they are exempt from the requirement completely, as it says here, and one that they are exempt from the oral “translation” of the sonogram. My reading of the amendment is that they aren’t exempt from the sonogram, but are only exempt from listening to the explanation of the sonogram.
woodgate–It is about power. The ideology is a vehicle for exercising power at the expense of everyday Texans.
Valerie–That same point had crossed my mind. Let me see if I can figure that out.
Thanks for both comments.
Men, of all stripes, want to subjugate women to embarrassing, unforgettable, humiliation and regret. But when women join the ranks of these crass and controlling men, it is just plain disgusting. You women need to learn compassion and caring for those of your sex who want to keep their lives private and their families safe. You women are a disgrace to all of us other women who have had or need to have bodily procedures private. By the way, the State of Texas is paying for these sonograms. The poor state with no money for education, transportation or children’s healthcare. I give up!
There are good arguments against the bill, but calling a sonogram “highly invasive” isn’t one of them. A sonogram doesn’t puncture or cut the body in any way. It’s literally less invasive than a thermometer.
Nor is “can’t it force any medical procedure on free citizens” a good argument. We’ve already established that the state has the power to order diagnostic procedures on its citizens. Every child born in Texas has his blood drawn (which is invasive) to be tested for various conditions.
Will women who refuse the sonograms be arrested? Will they be in some way forced to get the sonogram? Will doctors be forced to detail patient conversations in order to prosecute women who refuse to comply?
The answer to all those questions is no. The bill creates no criminal liability and imposes no criminal penalty. It defines the terms of informed consent. I’m not sure why you’re asking.
One possibility is that you haven’t read the bill, in which case your analysis of it is unreliable.
Another is that you have read the bill and are trying to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt by dishonestly raising questions you know to be invalid.
I oppose the bill, by the way.
@Matt:
Have you ever had one of these: http://www.cancer.umn.edu/cancerinfo/NCI/Media/CDR0000618018.jpg? Of course not, because you are a man.
I have had one. It is definitely more invasive than a thermometer. It is the type of sonogram you have to have in the early stages of pregnancy, when most women have abortions.
I had my transvaginal sonogram because of a medical condition, not because I was raped. I cannot fathom what it would be like as a rape victim who has been violated to then have to be put through this. Having an abortion after being raped would be bad enough, but to make me have an additional medical procedure and additional wait? The only word I can think of is cruel.