Small Enough Government To Fit In Your Uterus

Ohio Republicans continue to move forward on the most restrictive abortion law in the country, the so-called "Heartbeat Bill" that would outlaw any abortion procedure after the point a fetal heartbeat could be detected, except when the mother's life would be at stake.  And yes, that means if a woman was raped and didn't know she was pregnant by the second month or so, too bad.  Ohio Republicans would force her to have her rapist's child.

And they're perfectly okay with that.

A House committee watched ultrasounds of two pregnant women as testimony began this morning on legislation that would outlaw abortions after the first heartbeat can be medically detected.

If House Bill 125 is approved and signed into law, Ohio would have the most restrictive limits on abortion in the nation.

"This bill would essentially outlaw abortions in Ohio because they would be banned before a woman even knows she is pregnant," said Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-choice Ohio.

But supporters said once a heartbeat is detected, the fetus should be protected.

"This is an active growing baby. This is not a blob sitting there," said Ducia Hamm, executive director of the Ashland Care Center, told lawmakers as they watched an ultrasound image of a 9-week-old fetus.

Before a packed hearing room, two young mothers were given ultrasounds which were shown on a large screen.

Afterward, Erin Glockner, a 25-year-old Pataskala woman pregnant with her second child, said she agreed to undergo the ultrasound because she opposes abortion rights and hoped the images might convince some lawmakers to support the bill.

"A lot of people don't think it's a baby until it reaches a certain point," she said.

If anything, this ultrasound stunt in front of lawmakers just proves the point of the bill:  to end abortions in Ohio and eventually the country, period.  If this doesn't put a complete end to the "small government" lie for Republicans, I don't know what will.

Republicans have spent the last two years yelling about how "Obamacare allows the government to get between your doctor and you."  It's a lousy lie, but they have no problem with actually forcing the government to do just that.  As long as it's just women, though.  So they know their place, apparently.