WTF Utah?

First, read this article: Utah Bill Would Criminalize Illegal Abortions (NY Times)

Now that you're all back with me...

WTF Utah? Let's make every miscarriage a potential criminal investigation. Because miscarriage isn't painful and stressful enough as it is. Let's make every child-bearing woman in the state of Utah a potential criminal suspect. 10 to 20 percent of all known pregnancies end in miscarriage.¹ Is Utah going to investigate all of them? Make sure the woman wasn't doing anything untoward in the days before she miscarried? Take the women down to the station and grill them while they're grieving and trying to figure out if there was anything they could have done to prevent it?

Also, if you're seeking an illegal abortion, that's a pretty good sign that you don't have access to a legal one. Whether that's because you don't have the money, you're underage, you're fearful of what would happen if husband/boyfriend/family/pastor/neighbors/etc. found out, you don't have an abortion provider in your community, or any other reason, that's not cool. Please. No more back-alley abortions. No more coathangers. Safe, legal abortion for all women who choose to have one, and a society that allows that choice to be a completely free one.

If you live in Utah (or even if you don't), contact Governor Gary R. Herbert to urge him to veto this bill. You can fill out the contact form at http://governor.utah.gov/goca/form_comment.html, or call him at 801-538-1000 or 800-705-2464.

1. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/miscarriage/DS01105