AlterNet: Anti-Choice Floridians Peddling Constitutional Amendment to Criminalize Birth Control Pill

[marmar]

Anti-Choice Floridians Peddling Constitutional Amendment to Criminalize Birth Control Pill

Posted by Liliana Segura, AlterNet at 2:15 PM on September 14, 2009.

The "Personhood Amendment" would define someone as a "person," regardless of age or health status, "from the beginning of the biological development of that human being."



Florida has done it again, folks.

Yes, the state that brought you Bush v. Gore, the sex offender colony under the bridge, and the shoot-first-ask-questions-later legislation known as the "Stand Your Ground Law" has another idea up its sleeve. And this one's for the ladies.

Tampa Bay Online reports:

TALLAHASSEE - Anti-abortion conservatives are proposing a new constitutional amendment that critics claim would make it a crime to take birth control pills in Florida.

The "Personhood Amendment" that conservative activists are filing today in Tallahassee would add language to the state constitution that defines someone as a "person," regardless of age or health status, "from the beginning of the biological development of that human being."

This, of course, is just another twist on the conventional argument by anti-choice groups that birth control pills are basically murder weapons. "The pill will irritate the lining of the uterus so that the newly formed human being cannot attach to his/her mother's womb and dies," reads an explanation on the website of the American Life League, which is supporting similar efforts in other states. "This is called a chemical abortion."

This is the same group that runs thepillkills.com, a site that "focuses on blood clots and other health risks that birth control pills pose to women."

Even if these people manage to collect the 676,811 signatures they need to get by Feb. 1 in order for this idea to be considered by Florida residents, even anti-choice politicians seem to be a bit ambivalent about the idea of criminalizing birth control. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/blogs/reproductivejustice/142623/anti-choice_floridians_peddling_constitutional_amendment_to_criminalize_birth_control_pill_

[fasttense]

1. Making criminals out of women taking birth control.

Wow, talk about the government coming between you and your doctor.

If this were enacted, whole towns would end up with all the women from 11 to 60 in jail. Sounds like what happened during the witch trails.

[Tsar_Bomba]

4. Yeah more xcians doing good work

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Wow, these people are brilliant! Solving a multitude of Florida's problems with a single amendment!

Since Florida has one of the worst school systems in the country (there was literally no public school available for my son when I lived in Broward Country in 1977-1978) because retirees don't want property taxes, having no birth control will make this problem so much better! I'm sure that intelligent young couples will take their kids to Disney Land rather than be caught in Fla. with their birth control bills, so decreasing state revenue through loss of tourism is a wonderful idea! What state needs young working people when you can have the 65 to 100 year-old crowd? Hope they've figured out the state budget to pay for all those medical expenses without Medicare as well.

[RoccoR5955]

3. Wouldn't they have to repeal any death penalty laws then? n/t

[Trillo]

5. Save the Earth! Don't have kids!

undoubtedly six words of sarcasm, laced with timely truths.