As a woman and mother who has suffered a miscarriage, I am outraged to learn that Georgia State Rep. Bobby Franklin (R-Marietta) has presented the legislature with the bill HB 1: "Prenatal murder" which makes it a crime for the female human body to end a pregnancy, if an investigation team cannot determine a cause for the pregnancy termination.
In other words, if you suffer a miscarriage and can't "prove" what the cause was (which is usually the case!), then you can be prosecuted for murder.
See the pdf file attached to this article to read Franklin's complete bill.
The bill further states that any time a miscarriage occurs, whether in a hospital or without medical assistance, it must be reported and a fetal death certificate issued. If the cause of death is unknown, it must be investigated. If the woman can't tell how it happened, the police can question family members, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances how it happened. Oh, and no exceptions - not even for rape or incest victims! And not to save the life and health of the mother.
I once read that one in three pregnancies results in miscarriage. I miscarried once. I grieved for months. I blamed myself, wondering if I did something wrong to cause it. Women have enough to cope with after a miscarriage, and a police or government criminal investigation should not be part of it.
I'd like to know how other women and parents feel about a bill that would treat every woman as a potential criminal when faced with the devastating loss caused by a miscarriage.
Ann H.
You can reply to Ann H. in the Comment Box below.
Click here for Bobby Franklin's Georgia House of Representatives contact information page.
Meanwhile, what can people do to prevent this proposed bill from becoming GA law? I've included links in the article that people can click on to get his contact information. Writing letters to our House of Representatives and legislature is one way.
Which national news outlet will be the first to report this obscenity and yet again make Georgians look like a bunch of toothless, ignorant, mutants? I'm already embarrassed and ashamed.
It is obvious to me that Mr. Franklin needs help and should see a psychologist.
The problem is, in part, that there hasn't been a candidate running against him. It is surprising, really, when you consider that there are men and women in our community who would do a great job as State Representative.
Good question. Maybe a woman candidate will be on the next ballot. Any nominees?
Thanks. Sheri.
I would have called Franklin a little dip **** prior to this going out into the blogosphere. Now I refer to him as the GIANT DIP ****. It seems that Mother Jones has picked up the story and shared it with that readership at the least. I'm so tired of explaining to people who don't live in Georgia that not everyone here is a brain dead idiot. There's an interesting Truth-o-meter in the AJC today concerning Mr. Franklin and the many possibilities of such a piece of legislation.
Hope he get's it. Thanks to Ann for posting this article. I've posted this to my FB urging all of my friends to call and oppose this bill he's trying to pass.
We'd love to hear your comments!
I hope one of you fine level headed folks bites the bullet and files paperwork to be on the ballot. Even if you don't fundraise I hope I hear a story in 2012 about a no name candidate who won in a landslide victory to represent the rational people of your district. Good luck to you all... And know the country is watching with great hope.
To those who live outside Georgia I would like to assure you that we are not all ignorant rednecks. It is time for Bobby Franklin and his like to be removed from office!
Apparently, you failed to read this portion of the bill: " 'Prenatal murder' means the *intentional* removal of a fetus from a woman with an intention other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead fetus; provided, however, that if a physician makes a medically justified effort to save the lives of both the mother and the fetus and the fetus does not survive, such action shall not be prenatal murder. Such term does not include a naturally occurring expulsion of a fetus known medically as a 'spontaneous abortion' and popularly as a 'miscarriage' so long as there is no human involvement whatsoever in the causation of such event." This bill is one of Bobby Franklin's greatest legacies and I support it 100%. I only wish he were still alive to continue fighting the pro-life fight.