So far, 2011 has been riddled with bills and initiatives to restrict women's rights when it comes to her health. But a proposed bill in Georgia is the nuttiest of all. A state representative has introduced legislation that would make miscarriage a crime punishable by death.
Rep. Bobby Franklin's bill would require that women who miscarry prove that there was "no human involvement whatsoever in the causation" or they could become felons. The bill would also put the burden of responsibility on women for protecting the fetus from the moment of conception -- even though it takes 3 weeks for pregnancy tests to become reliable. It's estimated that up to one-quarter of pregnancies end in miscarriage and most of the time doctors don't even know the cause.
To top it off, it would completely outlaw abortion in the state, no matter what the Supreme Court has said.
This ridiculous anti-woman bill must be stopped. Tell Georgia legislators to oppose H.B. 1 and any laws that try to strip women of their rights.
Dear [Decision Maker],
I am writing today to urge you to oppose H.B. 1, which would criminalize miscarriages in the state of Georgia.
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Your comments will be added here]
Miscarriages are traumatic and tragic enough for women and their families. It's reprehensible for the state of Georgia to attempt to criminalize it.
It is inconceivable and wrong that any woman who suffers a miscarriage should then have to prove that there was "no human involvement in the causation." In fact, doctors estimate that one-quarter of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. Often, not even physicians know why.
Furthermore, requiring women to protect embryos from the moment of conception is impossible and unenforceable. Pregnancy tests aren't even reliable for up to three weeks after conception. If this bill was passed it would require women to protect a pregnancy they couldn't even know existed and would hold them legally responsible should something happen.
On top of all that, H.B. 1 would outlaw abortion -- flying in the face of federal law and the Supreme Court.
For all these reasons, I urge you to oppose this bill and any similar bills that attack the rights of your female constituents.
