South Carolina Handmaid’s Tale
A Greenville woman was arrested for taking an abortion pill. – The Slate
“The woman told medical personnel she had taken abortion pills to end a pregnancy. State law prohibits self-medication to abort a pregnancy. Republican lawmakers in the State House have pushed forward abortion restrictions this year. The Senate passed a new six-week bill specifically designed to respond to the state Supreme Court’s decision. The House passed a bill that would ban abortions from the point of conception.” – The Slate
“Lindsey Graham Proposes 15-Week Abortion Ban” (NYT) while “Tim Scott Is Radio Silent on Abortion Bans” (Democrats).
“Pregnancy outcomes shouldn’t be criminalized,” said Ashley Lidow, the director for policy and government relations for the Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network. “It’s very unfortunate that this is something that’s occurring in our state … lawmakers can take steps to ensure that somebody who is experiencing a pregnancy outcome, whatever direction it may be going, isn’t facing handcuffs over their health care.”
How does South Carolina compare to Gilead, the fictional location from the Handmaid’s Tale?
Arrested for taking an abortion pill
“The State reported that a woman in Greenville was arrested for taking abortion medication. In 2021, she went to St. Francis Hospital seeking help, and told the medical staff that she had taken abortion pills. The Greenville County Coroner’s office reported her to the Greenville Police, who issued a warrant for her arrest in 2022. She was arrested earlier this week and released on $2500 bond.
This is alarming on so many levels, not least of which is that we now know our city police department will arrest women for self-managing abortions. In other states, police have used digital records to charge women, so people here should be especially vigilant if they buy abortion pills online. Remember that taking the drugs yourself can mean up to two years of jail time, and supplying the drugs to others if you are not a physician could mean up to five years in prison. A self-managed abortion is indistinguishable from a miscarriage and no one in South Carolina should report their self-managed abortions to medical staff.” – Hot Feminism
Republicans convert America into Gilead
“Republican lawmakers in the State House have pushed forward abortion restrictions this year. The Senate passed a new six-week bill specifically designed to respond to the state Supreme Court’s decision. The House passed a bill that would ban abortions from the point of conception.” – The Slate
“The S.C. House of Representatives passed a bill that will restrict abortion procedures and declare that life begins at conception. This bill is a major win for all South Carolinians, and the most advanced pro-life legislation in our state’s history.” – Twitter
Republicans ban Handmaid’s Tale
“To those who seek to stop young people from reading The Handmaid’s Tale: Good luck with that. It’ll only make them want to read it more – Margaret Atwood.
It’s shunning time in Madison County, Virginia, where the school board recently banished my novel The Handmaid’s Tale from the shelves of the high-school library. I have been rendered “unacceptable.” Governor Glenn Youngkin enabled such censorship last year.” – The Atlantic
“If you haven’t read The Handmaid’s Tale since college (guilty), the book tells the story of Offred (played by Moss), a woman forced into sexual slavery after a group of ultra conservative, extremely religious white men take over the U.S. government and disenfranchise women, non-Protestants, gay people, and people of color. Offred is now a so-called handmaid required to sleep with Fred (the man who owns her), a married military commander whose wife is infertile. Her sole purpose is to produce a child. Abortion is illegal, and women are controlled by male leaders whose M.O. is to block women’s autonomy over their own bodies.” – Marie Claire
Learn more
Hot Feminism: Letters from South Carolina – Emily Taylor
SC woman charged after allegedly consuming abortion pills to end pregnancy – The Slate
Chilling Parallels Between ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and Life for Women in Republican America – Marie Claire
Catholic Hospitals and the Threat to Women’s Health and Lives – ACLU
GO AHEAD AND BAN MY BOOK by Margaret Atwood – The Atlantic
Six Rules Handmaids Follow In Gilead – The Collider
Take Away: Organize, register and vote to fight the Republican war on women.
Deepak
DemLabs
DISCLAIMER: ALTHOUGH THE DATA FOUND IN THIS BLOG AND INFOGRAPHIC HAS BEEN PRODUCED AND PROCESSED FROM SOURCES BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED CAN BE MADE REGARDING THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, LEGALITY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION. THIS DISCLAIMER APPLIES TO ANY USES OF THE INFORMATION WHETHER ISOLATED OR AGGREGATE USES THEREOF.
Reposted from Democracy Labs with permission.
