Proposed New Legislation in New Mexico, Most Vile Thing I've Ever Read

[Tiger Chaos Theory]

Spoiler

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/24/new-mexico-abortion-bill_n_2541894.html

A Republican lawmaker in New Mexico introduced a bill on Wednesday that would legally require victims of rape to carry their pregnancies to term in order to use the fetus as evidence for a sexual assault trial.

House Bill 206, introduced by state Rep. Cathrynn Brown (R), would charge a rape victim who ended her pregnancy with a third-degree felony for "tampering with evidence."

“Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion, of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime," the bill says.

Third-degree felonies in New Mexico carry a sentence of up to three years in prison.

Pat Davis of ProgressNow New Mexico, a progressive nonprofit opposing the bill, called it "blatantly unconstitutional" on Thursday.

“The bill turns victims of rape and incest into felons and forces them to become incubators of evidence for the state,” he said. “According to Republican philosophy, victims who are ‘legitimately raped’ will now have to carry the fetus to term in order to prove their case.“

The bill is unlikely to pass, as Democrats have a majority in both chambers of New Mexico's state legislature.

Presumably this lady believes fetuses are people right, so how does labeling them as evidence help that idea at all?

 

[klunderbunker]

Does the GOP want to win another election ever?

 

[Tiger Chaos Theory]

No, I think they've tossed their hats out of the ring at this point.

 

[GI Cake]

You would think the abortion itself should be valid proof that something happened against the women's will to cause said abortion. The GOP's mascot should just be a shovel.

 

[Beastmode 24]

Conservatives have proud traditions in this country that they "fight" to protect, and what that basically means is that they think they can still be racist and homophobic if they do it carefully. And it also means that they think that the Caveman approach to women still works too.

 

[Wrestling101]

We should be allowed to abort people like her.

 

[AndThat'sTheBottomLine]

Conservatives have proud traditions in this country that they "fight" to protect, and what that basically means is that they think they can still be racist and homophobic if they do it carefully. And it also means that they think that the Caveman approach to women still works too.

And then they gather in their little secret meetings with the KKK and think that NOBODY notices. They think everyone else is as stupid as they are. This bill will probably not get passed.

 

[klunderbunker]

The bad part is there are conservative principles that make perfect sense and many conservative lawmakers who are perfectly rational and sane people whose opinions should be listened to and considered. On the other hand there are people like this woman who is so obsessed with her position that she has no care at all for those that it hurts. People like her are the reasons conservatism is considered ridiculous when the masses of it are nowhere near as bad as it's made out to be.

 

[Remix]

Does the GOP want to win another election ever?

Yes. They're just trying to do it by gerymandering rather than getting more votes.

 

[One Punch Doug Crashin]

I don't even...... Vile woman!

 

[JGlass]

And this is in a blue state...

 

[Slyfox696]

I just laughed. The idiocy of people shouldn't surprise me anymore, and yet...here we are.

 

[Rayne]

Folks, this happens all the time. Representatives file bills which they know have absolutely no prayer of passing or even being taken up for discussion. That way, they can turn to their base during an election year and say "I introduced a bill to _______!" The people that are going to be offended by whatever the bill suggests weren't likely to vote for the politician in question anyways, and the middle is becoming less and less important in a polarized electorate in which 'getting out the base' becomes more important that persuading undecided voters of your opinion.

In other words, vote, assholes.

 

[Slyfox696]

Folks, this happens all the time. Representatives file bills which they know have absolutely no prayer of passing or even being taken up for discussion. That way, they can turn to their base during an election year and say "I introduced a bill to _______!" The people that are going to be offended by whatever the bill suggests weren't likely to vote for the politician in question anyways, and the middle is becoming less and less important in a polarized electorate in which 'getting out the base' becomes more important that persuading undecided voters of your opinion.

In other words, vote, assholes.

But...but...who could possibly be okay with this? What does it say about a base where they think it's okay for a woman to have a rapists baby she doesn't want, just so the police can collect evidence?

 

[klunderbunker]

But...but...who could possibly be okay with this? What does it say about a base where they think it's okay for a woman to have a rapists baby she doesn't want, just so the police can collect evidence?

There are anti-abortion groups that are so right to life that they post wanted posters of abortion providers so people can kill them. This really isn't that big of a jump for them.

 

[Rayne]

But...but...who could possibly be okay with this? What does it say about a base where they think it's okay for a woman to have a rapists baby she doesn't want, just so the police can collect evidence?

Nothing particularly good, but it's likely to be worded during election season as "an anti-abortion bill" which would "prevent needless abortions", while having the legal phrasing to get around completely obvious court rejection. If you're going to make it look like you're trying to pass an anti-abortion bill, you have to make it look like you're trying to pass an anti-abortion bill.

How many people are likely to look up the specific bill in question next year?

And if you need to take a shower now, I understand.

 

[nightmare]

There are many other ways to gather evidence that are cheaper and more effective... you know, the ways that dont include carrying a child used strictly for 'evidence'.

Plus, who the hell is going to pay for the childcare\medical bills? The state? Hell no, they will expect the financial burden to be carried by the victim. So not only is it forcing the woman to carry a living reminder of the attack, but also forcing her to pay out of pocket to 'help' the state win a case.

Then what do they propose to do with the 'evidence' after the trial? Trashcans? Foster homes for rape babies?

The stupidity of this proposal is not so much that it was thought up, but that others agree & convinced her it was a good enough idea to have it presented.

 

[klunderbunker]

So what happens if the baby dies in the womb? Is the woman tried for accidental manslaughter?

I wish that was a dark joke, but it's an actual question.

 

[One Punch Doug Crashin]

So what happens if the baby dies in the womb? Is the woman tried for accidental manslaughter?

I wish that was a dark joke, but it's an actual question.

According to that... abomination of a bill? Yes

 

[Rayne]

So what happens if the baby dies in the womb? Is the woman tried for accidental manslaughter?

I wish that was a dark joke, but it's an actual question.

Now THAT is actually a very interesting question. If this bill had any hope of passing, let alone getting through committee, it would open the door to allowing the Supreme Court to make a ruling considering whether a fetus was a person.

Which might have actually been the real intent here.

 

[nightmare]

So what happens if the baby dies in the womb? Is the woman tried for accidental manslaughter?

I wish that was a dark joke, but it's an actual question.

I would not put it past them to try. Also if a victim did have an abortion of said baby, I would not be surprised if the doctor would also be brought up on the same proposed felony charges of 'evidence tampering'...


This is truly awful. It will never see the light of day & it is great that it will never pass- but its hard not to get worked up over the negative & heartless nature of the whole thing. This is one more issue that is so far out there that even the most conservative pro-life Republicans are likely to find absurd.


The party as a whole needs to re-group & look at how they stand on issues of today vs holding on to ideals of 30 years ago. Especially with all the negative publicity & terrible ideas\sound bites that have come out over the past year or so. I hope, as a party, they would try to distance themselves from some of these radical & outlandish people. There is just no damage control or 'spin' they can put on these types of situations. There is no logical course of action other than getting as far away from them as possible & being vocal about how those statements do not represent the party as a whole.

 

[Slyfox696]

This has to be the WORST backtrack in history:

UPDATE: After the bill got national attention, Brown issued a statement saying that her bill had been misinterpreted, the Albuquerque Journal reports. "House Bill 206 was never intended to punish or criminalize rape victims," Brown said. "Its intent is solely to deter rape and cases of incest. The rapist—not the victim—would be charged with tampering of evidence."

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/01/new-mexico-rep-wins-prize-abortion-trolling



In order to deter rape and incest, this bill makes a felon of a rape or incest victim who has an abortion. What's sad is there is probably some moron out there who believes this.

 

[Tiger Chaos Theory]

This has to be the WORST backtrack in history:


http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/01/new-mexico-rep-wins-prize-abortion-trolling



In order to deter rape and incest, this bill makes a felon of a rape or incest victim who has an abortion. What's sad is there is probably some moron out there who believes this.

Probably? As if there was any doubt.

 

[One Punch Doug Crashin]

This has to be the WORST backtrack in history:


http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/01/new-mexico-rep-wins-prize-abortion-trolling



In order to deter rape and incest, this bill makes a felon of a rape or incest victim who has an abortion. What's sad is there is probably some moron out there who believes this.

agreed. Wost Backtrack in history.

 

[Gelgarin]

Dear lord. How do these people keep getting elected?