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Don C. Reed

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Paul Ryan: the 'Personhood' Crocodile?

Posted: 08/16/2012 8:05 pm

Paul Ryan's cultivated image is cheerful, smiling, outwardly the sort of person one might wish for as a neighbor; but his policies are deadly dangerous.

He is, for example, co-sponsor of the anti-woman legislation H.R. 212: the "Sanctity of Human Life Act", which gives "all the legal and constitutional attributes of personhood" -- to fertilized eggs.

Let us be specific here: a married woman may shed a fertilized egg as part of her monthly cycle. Essentially invisible, this non-implanted embryo passes from the body in a liquid state, and is disposed of; hardly worthy of polite conversation -- until now, when the contents of a sanitary napkin may be the focus of law.

Where does Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stand on this issue? Let us recall that he pledged to "absolutely" support a Constitutional amendment to impose personhood on the nation.

Enacted into law, a Romney/Ryan personhood plan could remove women's reproductive rights completely. It would ban abortion at any stage, block the In Vitro Fertility (IVF) procedure that presently helps so many couples achieve parenthood, end the embryonic stem cell research which offers the hope of cure to my paralyzed son -- and criminalize birth control pills.

Wherever personhood legislation has been brought to the ballot, it has been crushingly defeated. The citizens of Mississippi rejected the concept as too extreme. Coloradans voted it down twice. The Oklahoma Supreme Court found it unconstitutional.

Yet whom does Mitt Romney carefully select for his running mate, potentially a heartbeat away from the presidency?

The co-sponsor of a bill declaring: "The life of each human being begins with fertilization... at which time every human being shall have all the legal and constitutional attributes and privileges of personhood... " Robert Pear points out that, "Under this definition, abortion and some forms of birth control could be construed as murder. ..."

It is said that God in His wisdom made the crocodile ugly, so children would not play with it, and be eaten.

But what if there was a smiling crocodile?

 

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11:56 AM on 09/05/2012
Who owns a woman's body?
06:36 PM on 09/04/2012
I am really having a hard time understanding why abortion and women reproduction health is up to men and the government. This country appears to be going backwards and turning to the Middle Eastern, African, and Talban philosophy! I have two daughters that almost died in childbirth and one had to have her pregnancy terminated for health reasons. I do not support abortion as a means of birth control, but it is a needed medical procedure in different occasions. Anyone that does not understand this, to me, is a heathen. Who owns a woman body, the government? If a person cannot own their own body, then they are a slave. Slave owners breed women like cattle to have free labor. In fact, that might be the reason the government wants to breed women; to product more tax payers, Solders to fight and you know just workers bees for the queen and king bees! Lol Personhood is the most backwards movement that I have been a witness to. What about a tubal pregnancy? The person hood can burst a woman tube and kill her? What if you’re being treated for a life threatening disease, what if your heart is or any organ is too weak to carry a pregnancy. What about rape and incest? You known it come down to this; it is none of your business. Women are not going to return the cave man era. That means have a family by anything that clubbed you over the head!!!
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magdarem
If you don't vote, don't complain
10:09 PM on 08/18/2012
Recently in Brazil the Catholic church excommunicated a woman and doctors for aborting her 9-year-old daughters twins. The little girl became pregnant after her step-father sexually abused her for a couple of years. The church considered the abortion a greater crime than the abuse, as the didn't excommunicate the man.

Average size for a nine-year-old girl is about 60 pounds and just about 4 feet tall. So picture in your mind a little girl right about that size. Imagine that you're a mother of this nine-year-old little girl, and now imagine that she has been raped over and over again for the past two years. You discover she's become pregnant with twins. Now try to imagine this little nine-year-old girl carrying twin babies in her tiny little belly for the next nine months; think about what that would do to her organs and her little body. And then after nine months if she survives she is to deliver these two babies.

So as a mother of this little nine-year-old girl you have to now decide, do you sacrifice your child's life or the lives of the fetuses, what would you do? This mother chose the life of her daughter and I would too. This is why I am pro-choice because sometimes the choice is made by a mother of a little nine-year-old girl to save her life.

And yet people like Paul Ryan, or the old guys in robes, who never had children of their own feel that they can
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WomenDeserveAVoice
07:25 PM on 08/18/2012
Imagine being able to buy life insurance for your fetus?! Since 1/4 of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, you could really turn a tragedy into a profit, particularly for couples who suffer from repeat miscarriages. Take out a million dollar policy on your two week old fetus and three weeks later collect a million dollars.
06:50 AM on 08/18/2012
Romney/Ryan is the scariest thing to happen to this country since 9/11
05:26 PM on 08/17/2012
Just say "no" to Paulie and the Mittster.
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LizM
My micro-bio is too long for this space.
10:08 PM on 08/17/2012
Hey, Rescisco! I know you didn't really know and you don't really care - I understand, completely! - but, you have won Chris Weigant's Veepstakes contest!

Of course, you didn't follow the rules of the game and give a date as to when Romney would announce his running mate but you sure were on the money with who Romney would pick!

Check this out!
http://www.chrisweigant.com/2012/08/17/ftp223/#comment-25335
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02:05 PM on 08/17/2012
I am stunned that Ryan is actually taken seriously by some people. I think Mitt Romney just handed Obama the election.
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Kara Kramer
01:52 PM on 08/17/2012
A very salient question.
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Bridgette Angelos
a mom
08:02 AM on 08/17/2012
This just has to stop. I'm tired of men using my right to make themselves appear bigger and better.
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kathy smelser
09:50 AM on 08/17/2012
i agree with you .....if you have noticed the only laws that the Republicans have created are to harm women and have not created any jobs ....their only plan has been to deny our rights
06:43 PM on 09/04/2012
Why don't we make a law, that every dead beat dad have his baby maker cut off? No need for an abortion!!
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CBinKY
Tolerance doesn't require "taking it" from a bully
07:48 AM on 08/17/2012
This would only fly until the moment someone tries to file for public assistance for their unborn child- then you would see then balking.
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kathy smelser
09:53 AM on 08/17/2012
Or wait until the big life Insurance companies start having to write policies for the un-born and cover them ...and pay out when things go wrong and some of those policies will have to pay for a life time
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Tanya Nguyn
Trust Women!
09:19 PM on 08/17/2012
How bout when you walk into the coronor's office with your maxi pads each and every month. 150 million women (give or take) handing off their pads to the cops each month. that will end this.
12:15 AM on 08/17/2012
what is In Vitro Fertility (IVF)?

thanks,
http://www.eblogresources.com/
08:22 PM on 08/17/2012
Invitro fertilization happens when the egg from a woman is manually implanted with a males sperm outside of the woman's body in a lab, then the fertilized egg is placed back into the woman's womb and if all goes well the fertilized egg will implant and the woman becomes pregnant.
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11:40 PM on 08/16/2012
(Part two of comment) Not that a woman should be imprisoned for having an abortion, but by all means don't laud her "right" to have an abortion and applaud her independent spirit as she destroys a life. Instead of eagerly ushering women to the abortion clinic, why don't we spend our time and energy helping the young mother who finds herself in this potentially overwhelming solution through her pregnancy in a safe and healthy manner, encouraging her to recognize the gift of life that she has been given, and enabling her to do her utmost to protect that life. There is an amazing organization in my area that does just that, and it is called the Tidewater Crises Pregnancy center. This type of organization should receive all of the support from all sides of the political aisle, as it actually helps women walk through this difficult but unbelievably rewarding role of having a child. And if the woman is not capable of caring for a child, there are so many families waiting for years and years for a precious baby to adopt! There are so many other ways to handle an unplanned pregnancy--why waste so much time and effort demanding that abortion, that ending this precious little life, is a right? Where is the right to life?
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kathy smelser
10:02 AM on 08/17/2012
if you are right about there being just so many people waiting for children to adopt ...then why are their so many kids that never get adopted ? ...in this Country Abortions have been happening for a long time , and no law is going to stop it ...it would be better if SEX EDUCATION without the lies and mis-information were taught and their would not be a need to make that decision
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mappy3
Dog loving, political junkie.
06:42 PM on 08/18/2012
Super post!
I have also thought that many times and just Happy You brought that fact up that thousands of children in America are Never Adopted.
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01:39 AM on 08/21/2012
Hi Kathy,
Thank you for your comment; It is insightful, and brings up several good points!
I am including quotes and links for current adoption information in the US. But a few quick points before you take a look at the numbers.
1. Slavery was happening for a long time. Length of existence for a law does not make it valid.
2. I agree Sex Education should be improved!!! Please everyone do what you can to educate your children on sex. Abstinence is a great way to go, but if that is not going to happen, proper birth control should be given. Abortion should not be used as birth control!
As far as adoption goes, my mother-in-law was adopted. If her mother chose to abort her, my husband would never have been born, and thus my child. the light of my life, would not exist. I shudder to think of that.

The number of children waiting to be adopted as of 2006 was129,000.
http://www.govspot.com/know/adoption.htm.
"In 2010, there were somewhere between one and two million couples in the United States waiting to adopt a child. Each year there are approximately 50,000 children placed for adoption in the U.S., and about 20,000 international adoptions are completed each year. As a result, most families hoping to adopt will not get a child each year."
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/2092595
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Fritz1964
Caps Locks are for the intellectually challenged..
10:19 AM on 08/17/2012
Your comments are well-taken, and thoughtfully considered. However, you are still talking about imposing your will and values on another. You've made your choices, and did so (I assume) with a full appreciation of current and future ramifications of having your children. Great. But rationally, you can't extend your personal situation or even the crisis pregnancy center resources to another who makes her own decisions based on her private and individually lived situation - where, for example, the her life is more important than the unwanted or unplanned fetus. Further, the argument from the standpoint of potential has emotional appeal, but fails logically as nothing more than a weak inferene of projection: it's inherently and categorically impossible to conclude what a fetus will become. Finally, the personhood argument embuing the fetus with legal or moral standing is also dubious, as it is also based on the argument from potential. So, I respect your position, because it's valuable to you. But by no means does it preclude there being equally valuable decisions made by other with whom you might disagree. And to the degree that pro-life legislation is "anti-women," I would say it's really more of a spefic afront to any woman's right to make her how decisions.
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03:55 PM on 08/17/2012
Hi,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. I definitely appreciate it! I know that abortion has been touted as a moral issue by many. I have no judgment towards women who find themselves in such a horrible situation that they feel they must terminate a pregnancy. I can't even imagine what they go through to get to the point of making this decision. I respect your opinion as well!
However, I argue that this is instead a human rights issue, not a personal choice. How can we say that one life is more valuable than another? We imprison mothers for leaving their newborns in the dumpster, and call her a murderer. Babies are viable at 24 weeks in the NICU, yet it is legal to abort babies at this age. Babies in the womb can feel pain, they respond to their mother's voice, they react to what the mother eats. To say that it is an acceptable personal choice to inflict incredible pain on this little life, to end it because it is not convenient for the mother, this thought process seems illogical to me. As far as no way to conclude what a fetus will become, the statistics are located here: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/main/statistics.html. I would need for you to clarify your point for this, not sure what you intended. Did you mean potential to have a safe and healthy birth, or potential as a member of society? Thank you for your insight.
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11:40 PM on 08/16/2012
I appreciate your article and the possible correlations to what defining personhood to a fertilized embryo could mean--i.e. outlawing birth control or blocking IVF procedures--although I have never heard a prolife candidate endorsing that extreme of a measure. But to throw out the idea of giving rights to an unborn child altogether is a real shame. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to be a parent of a child who has been paralyzed. I admire you and your courage in facing this unbelievable struggle. I have a son and I can't even imagine experiencing that. But then again, I have a son and I can't even imagine having aborted this precious little life. I pose an argument to your comment that the Sanctity of Human Life Act is an "anti-woman" act. I am a woman and I support the rights of women everywhere in almost everything except the right to take the life of an unborn child. That should not be a right. What about the rights of that unborn child--be she a future woman or a future man? Abortion is anti-woman, anti-man, anti-child, anti-person! I do believe abortion is murder. (Part one of comment. I'm running out of comment space, see next post to continue)
08:15 PM on 08/17/2012
Questions........ Are you going to feed, clothe and educate all these fertilized eggs. Are you volunteering your womb to bring them to term?
10:35 PM on 08/17/2012
1) The second a sperm hits an egg it is 'fertilized' - it is not a 'unborn child' - it's not even a fetus. It's cells that are dividing - as mentioned women lose such fertilized eggs all the time and don't even know it. And sorry - as a woman who has had three miscarriages and lost a child - there is no comparison. When you have a miscarriage you mourn a 'potential' life - it;s not the same thing.
2) The notion that ANYBODY would think that it's alright anywhere in the US to force a twelve year old child to have the child begotten by her rapist father and think that that is alright when she doesn't have to go through that trauma simply by taking the morning after pill and killing fifty or so cells that aren't even SKIN yet much less NEURONS, much less a LIVER or any organ or anything else is beyond understanding - especially when these same people continue to claim that they hold the moral high ground.
3) What do you think would happen if Ryan's bill passed & some states outlawed abortion? Who would get to have abortions & who wouldn't? (Clue - airplane ticket).
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02:40 PM on 08/18/2012
Dear infinitivesplit,
May I first of all say how much it hurts my heart that you have had miscarriages and and also lost a child. As the mother of one son, I cannot even begin to fathom losing him. I know I would grieve much more for him than if I were to miscarry a child, although having a miscarriage would be incredibly traumatic, I would not yet have the connection with that child that I do a son.
Secondly I would like to think you for your thoughtful comments, they really provide very valid points. I would never want to ask a 12 year old raped by her father to parent a child. That is cruel and unthinkable. As awful as that is to even consider, did you know that less than 1% of abortions are because of rape, and less than that are because of incest? I agree there are exceptions, but should that mean that in other cases abortion is still acceptable? What about when the baby does have a heart, and brain, feelings and functionality?? Here is a link to show exactly what the baby is developing at each week. http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/facts/fetaldevelopment.html.
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02:41 PM on 08/18/2012
second part of my comment...Abortions can occur until week 20? Do you remember your child responding to your voice and even what you ate at that point? Can you still say that it is not an unborn child? When does this transformation from a fetus to an unborn child occur in your opinion? I think abortion should be on a case by case basis, but by no means encouraged as a form of birth control. My two part comment to this article was not in support of outlawing abortion, but in seeking ways to make it not so prevalent or encouraged.
11:18 PM on 08/16/2012
No scare tactics here at all.
10:43 PM on 08/17/2012
Really? Even Mississippi voted against a personhood bill - even Haley Barbour came out against it once he was informed of what such an action would actually mean. One the people in the most conservative state in the country actually THOUGHT and investigated the actual consequences of such a bill the majority voted against it.
Paul Ryan is clearly not as intelligent as the people of Mississippi - OR he doesn't bother to investigate the consequences of what he votes for before he votes for it.
iridium53
Semper Fi
10:04 PM on 08/16/2012
Thanks for including the bill # and link.

What you did not mention is that such a law would give rise to the need for criminal investigations for every miscarriage.

It would make termination of ectopic pregnancies an intentional homicide - therefore prescribing medications for this would be homicide, and, of course, any procedure that terminated such a fetus should the medication fail.

The despicable legislators who sponsor this bill, like Ryan, would intentionally subject the women (wives, daughters, granddaughters, girlfriends) in our lives to the criminal law system for failing to have a perfect pregnancy. Bringing a FAR bigger government presence into our lives. Subjecting our family members to criminal liability should some overzealous, ambitious prosecutor decide to pursue a criminal action against her. This law would lead to virtually unlimited totalitarian potential for government abuse and control.
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kathy smelser
10:12 AM on 08/17/2012
i think that if something were to happen to his daughter , he will ship her off to another country for a special holiday
iridium53
Semper Fi
10:42 AM on 08/17/2012
Ah, yes.
Like the Irish going to England for their abortions.
Packaged vacation deals.

What a great business opportunity for Haiti!

They should set up clinics and hotels - set up plush vacation deals.

Get your ectopic pregnancy terminated and have a bit of a vacation while you're at it.

Maybe even a plastic surgery procedure!
marykayg
Women are NOT a minority.
11:55 AM on 08/17/2012
Starts to sound like Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" doesn't it?