Discussion: This Tennessee Ballot Initiative Would Wipe Out All Abortion Protections

Discussion for article #228935

"As a result, we cannot enact the same regulations of abortion that other states can and have become a magnet for abortion tourism. "

I hope they repel every other sort of tourism too, if they really want to go there.

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‘Abortions don’t kill people, people kill people’. If it is OK to have guns, it is OK to have abortions.

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“…circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape…”

Republicans are pro rape rights.

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What’s the difference between a jeweler and a jailer?
One sells watches and the other watches cells.

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More of those people who believe that life begins at conception, and ends at birth.

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You know what? If a majority of Tennesseans vote for this, then I guess they will take away their biggest wedge issue. What else will Republicans run on?

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This is a dandy when you have a U S Congressman, Scott deJarlais, representing the state forcing a couple of the myriad of women in his life and his ob/gyn practice to have abortions. Wonder if anyone is going to start a move to toss him from Congress?

Always love to see a red southern state protect incest and rape and by the same stroke of a pencil totally devalue the health and life of its women. Congratulations, you mini-minded fools.

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As both are rights protected by the Constitution, why aren’t Republicans defending both equally?

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Repealing Roe at the national level. They don’t want that; it takes away their cash cow. But they’ll run on it, anyway, because it brings in lots of votes and lots of cash.

As they’ve been saying since 1973, “We’re going to repeal Roe, any day now.”

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Clever use of “but not limited to.”
If you read it quickly, it almost sounds like victims of rape and incest will be protected.

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When you look at the red, blue, and purple precincts on the electoral map Tennessee is pretty freaking RED.

State should be renamed TENNEDON’TSEEWON’TSEECAN’TSEE.

Sentient intelligence is LOST on these folks.

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That is possibly the worst false equivalence I’ve ever heard.

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So this would also allow the legislature to outlaw Plan B and all the other contraceptive methods that some loons have claimed as abortifacients?

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The forced birth zealots turn-out in force to vote. Those that will lose their rights seemingly have become apathetic and will just accept the consequences.

“Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion.”

So, anything that’s not explicitly defined as a right is forbidden? The constitution doesn’t guarantee my the right to a car, boat, house, smartphone, computer, or hot tub, so those things should be taken away too?

Yeah, right.

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Abortion rights are protected by the federal constitution. I can’t see how amending a state constitution can affect that. It will have the effect of energizing the right in local elections for one cycle but I don’t remember Tennessee being in play anyway.

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Yeah, people are flocking to Pigeon Forge, flocking I tell you, to get abortions and then see the latest Dolly Parton show.

Holy f#%$!, these people are batshit insane

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As a result, we … have become a magnet for abortion tourism.

The first instances pointed out in the stay on the Texas abortion law listed that clinics in McAllen, TX and El Paso, TX, which both serve million-person metro areas and which are the only major American cities for hundreds of surrounding miles. It was noted that a “desert” of medical services was being created.

Now it looks like an “oasis,” to continue the metaphor, is being consciously extinguished. I wouldn’t be surprised if people in Mississippi know they have to go to Memphis or Shreveport. (I think maybe Jackson, MS has an unclosed clinic, but otherwise those are the closest cities.) Likewise, Alabamians might have to go to Chattanooga, which may or may not have a fully functioning women’s clinic.

Tennessee borders a lot of states. If its women’s health services go dark, a lot of people in the southeast will be at least 500 miles from a provider in the event they would need one. Not to mention things like waiting periods (turning a 500-mile one way trip into 1000 miles and a hotel or 2000 miles driving/riding under difficult physical and emotional conditions).

That “tourism” line is jarring. It think it speaks to a significant and unfortunately well-crafted strategy hoping to take away whatever stopgap clinics are available below the Mid-West.

Because while a lot of these voters still would want to see action on this nationwide, they must recognize the opposition federally after so long. So maybe table that desire to get in people’s business in Boston until such time as everyone vindicates you (every ideologue’s endgame) as long as you can keep it hundreds of miles away from your daughter (or, more paternalistically, your neighbor).

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There’s not much I can say about this proposed Tennessee State Constitutional Amendment that wouldn’t end up as something I don’t usually post (nasty words). Except to say this: the Tennessee Legislature must be populated by troglodytes should they pass a law this restrictive on a woman’s right to choose.

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