Speaking Of Stupid

Texas. Enough said. Well, almost.

Turns out they're "debating" highly restrictive abortion legislation there, with Rs pretending it's about raising standards for abortion clinics, a claim which Texas Ob/Gyns have strongly disputed. But that's not the point here. The point is the level of stupidity, putting the most positive spin on it possible, of some people trying to justify it all.

"In the emergency room they have what’s called rape kits where a woman can get cleaned out." So says the main sponsor of the bill, explaining why there's no exception for rape. A woman. Which is not to say all women should be opposed to the bill: it's to show how uninformed even a woman can be about the nature and implications of rape. And rape kits. To readers of this blog, I know I needn't explain the countless layers of wrongness of the quote. It speaks for itself. And, as if to remove any doubt that anti-abortion legislation is purely religious-based, legislators had, as the linked article explains, biblical quotes on their desks as they voted.

I understand -- respect, in most cases -- people's objection to abortion. The unanswerable questions remain unanswerable: the beginning of "life;" legal differences between embryos and bouncing babies. As do the ironies: steadfast protection of life until birth... But until we start requiring the stoning to death of smart-mouth children, and the forced marriage of women to their rapists, I think imposing one's religious beliefs on another belongs in countries other than ours. Countries whose religiosity those same promulgators of religiosity here so abhor.

(The story gets even more interesting, as the bill was filibustered by a female legislator there. The rules for filibuster in Texas are highly restrictive, and she was ruled out or order by the [male] Lt. Governor fifteen minutes before the deadline to vote, after going on, single-handedly, not allowed to sit, lean on her desk, or take a bathroom break, without stop for nearly thirteen hours. But the audience picked up the slack, delaying the vote. Rs claimed they'd voted in time, but time-stamp showed they hadn't. Nice. But there seems to be no doubt that the bill will come up again, and, sooner or later, will become law there.)

[Image source]