The legislative process is, as you know, open to manipulation.

And a law in Mississippi, ostensibly there to protect women from substandard care, could close down the state's only abortion clinic. The public premise of the law is that women deserve better care during an abortion than they might get otherwise (without showing evidence that the sole provider is causing harm, just raising the bar, pardon me ma'am).

I am no big fan of abortion; to me the whole thing is like Pascal's wager, but I know that it's not Pascal's wager to those who seek abortions and want control of their bodies, and in lieu of any evidence that ensoulment has occurred (even the Vatican does not take a position on when ensoulment occurs), I stand aside.

I am not persuaded, however, that the quality of service is the driver of the law. The legislator who brought the law doesn't seem to object if it decreases abortions, and that's a tell. And if there's no evidence that the clinic is botching abortions, then the motives are worth scrutiny (just as they are with respect to voter ID requirements).

On the whole, this stinks. It reeks, it's like a garbage dump in a heat wave. The right wing can't beat Planned Parenthood, but by God it's going to do everything it can to achieve its objectives by any means necessary.

Home | | 7:17 PM
(DISCLOSURE: I work for Abt SRBI. My company does polling. My opinions should not be construed as representing those of my employer.)