Dear Oklahoma

Dear Oklahoma Congress,

Yes, Utah got a letter, and yes, perhaps it is a tired old gimmick of mine. But you have done plenty to deserve it. First off, this was awfully sneaky. While folks have been focused on the controversial new law in Arizona, you passed these. I refer, of course, to HB 2656 and HB 2780, your new abortion laws, for which you overrode the governor's veto.

We're dealing with two objectionable bills, the first of which states that all women who choose an abortion must have a sonogram while the screen is facing them. They must then hear a description of the fetus- its fingers, toes, heartbeat. No woman is allowed to have an abortion until she has heard and seen this, and doctors who fail to provide this information can be held liable. But do you really think, HB 2780 supporters, that women haven't already considered this information carefully? Do you really believe in your heart of hearts that a woman hasn't thought of every angle before going to the clinic? Abortion is obviously not an optimal option; women do not make the decision lightly. No one just pops in off the street. If you understand that, as most rational adults do, then you must see that you are playing the guilt trip card. A woman is likely to be in a state of heightened emotion going into this procedure. Doesn't this seem a little manipulative? You say it's all about informed consent. This isn't about having all the information, this is about shocking a woman into keeping her baby.

And you know what, the lack of exceptions for women who were raped or cases of incest is just the icing on the cake. You say this won't effect many people? In this culture of woman-blaming that you are helping to perpetuate, rape and sexual abuse victims are made to feel guilty for just having been there. These crimes are grossly underreported as a result. The numbers say that a small percentage of women who choose abortion are victims of rape, but off the record, the number is probably much higher. So let's get this straight. It's OK to re-traumatize a rape victim because... Well, I can't think of any reason. This was not her fault. If you want to blame someone, track down her assailant and shame him. But for goodness sake, show some compassion. If you really want to stop abortions due to rape and incest, then do some damn work to prevent them in the first place. Don't blame the victim.

This brings me to part two. Part one is disgusting, but part two is just flat out horrific. If a doctor thinks a woman might consider an abortion because of her child's medical issues, that doctor can withhold information or even lie to that woman about her child's health. So not only does Oklahoma guilt women, it also doesn't have any reverence for medicine? Or, for that matter, you have no consideration for families? Let's face it, you can make laws against women all you want, but both parents will feel the effects of not being prepared for a child that needs extra care or a child who won't live much past birth. So will any siblings. Wouldn't it be better for families to have the chance to seek out support from family and friends, to choose caretakers who can best help their new baby, to prepare older siblings for the increased responsibilities they will hold? Wouldn't it be kind to give families the chance to come to grips with the fact that this child might not live to adulthood? And finally, how healthy is it for mothers to always be questioning the information their doctors give them? No family can rest easy knowing their assumptions about their newest member's health could be based on a lie. That kind of worry and stress is not healthy for pregnant women or unborn children.

Step back, Oklahoma. Step back from your black and white view of this issue and see the subtleties. Realize that whether you believe abortion should be legal or not, what you have done is not helping anyone on any side of this debate.

Yours in outrage,

Astrid of Leda's Revenge