[COMMENTARY] Ohio GOP Rep. Frames Rape As An ‘Opportunity’ During Abortion Debate
A bill that would ban most abortions in Ohio, with no exceptions for rape or incest, was being debated Wednesday at the Ohio Statehouse. Representatives held their first hearing on House Bill 598, also called the Human Life Protection Act, which would outlaw abortions in Ohio contingent upon any Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, which declared a constitutional right to an abortion in 1973. Unless a woman’s health is at risk, the bill would prohibit all abortions and charge those who perform them with a fourth-degree felony.
During the often contentious debate between both parties, GOP Rep. Jean Schmidt answered a question regarding allowing abortions in the case of rape, something she still does not agree with. While floundering through her own justifications for interfering in the private medical decisions of other people, Schmidt called a child produced from a rape “an opportunity” for the mother to make a decision on “how to make that life productive.”
It’s an ironic statement, considering Rep. Schmidt is ignoring the choice the mother wanted to make so she could focus on making her own life productive before being responsible for raising another one, but the GOP is determined to control women from the moment they’re born and assigned the female gender until they can no longer be a giver of life. Then we’re just Marthas and Aunts after that.
Anyway, if you’re someone who’s fine with a woman being forced to raise her rapist’s baby, you’re also okay with a rapist having access to a child he fathered during a violent crime. There have been cases when a rapist has sued for custody and WON access to a child that certain states may think is “an opportunity” but does nothing to help them reach their potential once they’re out of the host body. The same states trying to eradicate safe and legal abortions also want to cut assistance programs like SNAP and LIHEAT, because I guess frozen dead starved babies are better than a clump of cells being removed from a uterus during a private medical procedure.
Reminder: This is what happened the first time I tried to talk to Schmidt about the bill. @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/WNW6e4ArcL
— Josh Rultenberg (@JoshRultNews) April 27, 2022
Here’s the terrible audio. Women are an endangered species in this country, particularly women of color, and extra particularly trans women of color.
Ohio State Rep. Jean Schmidt (R) defends her cruel bill, which is a near-total abortion ban with no exception for rape:
“Rape is a difficult issue, and it emotionally scars the individual … Just because you have emotional scars, doesn’t give you the right to take the life.” pic.twitter.com/yHWghg6PLC
— The Recount (@therecount) April 27, 2022
[COMMENTARY] Ali Alexander Cooperated With the Jan 6th Select Committee. Now He’s Calling the Capitol Riot a ‘Deep State Psyop’