Texas Congressman: Masturbating Fetuses Prove Need for Abortion Ban

[boston bean]

As the House of Representatives gears up for Tuesday’s debate on HR 1797, a bill that would outlaw virtually all abortions 20 weeks post fertilization, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) argued in favor of banning abortions even earlier in pregnancy because, he said, male fetuses that age were already, shall we say, spanking the monkey.

“Watch a sonogram of a 15-week baby, and they have movements that are purposeful,” said Burgess, a former OB/GYN. “They stroke their face. If they’re a male baby, they may have their hand between their legs. If they feel pleasure, why is it so hard to believe that they could feel pain?”

That observation led Burgess to say he had argued for the abortion ban to start at a much earlier stage of gestation, 15 or 16 weeks. (This is less than halfway through a pregnancy.) He appeared to liken Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, to the 1893 Plessy v. Ferguson decision that formally legalized racial segregation, and was not fully reversed until Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The rationale for the Republican bill, which advanced through the House Judiciary last week on a near-total party-line vote, is one scientifically disputed study, touted by Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) in his opening remarks at today’s Rules Committee hearing, that asserts fetuses can feel pain as early as 20 weeks after sperm meets egg.

- See more at: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2013/06/17/texas-congressman-masturbating-fetuses-prove-need-for-abortion-ban/#sthash.gDrST4lL.dpuf

These people are screwy.

[Warpy]

1. The brain structures for pleasure and pain

aren't there until the last month of gestation and even then, they're pretty blunted so the fetus can survive the trip down the birth canal without going into shock from the pressure.

What he's seeing is a spinal reflex loop, what will be a hand already with the grabbing reflex and any knob it comes into contact with will be grabbed. Withdrawal from noxious stimuli is another spinal cord loop reflex that we retain through life, our hands flying back from a hot iron before our brain registers the pain. Withdrawal in a fetus without pain centers in the brain is just that, a reflex action and not purposeful.

Of course, he's a dumb shit and rabid about controlling women, so even if a neonatologist has a long talk with him, none of it will register.

All we can do about these idiots is GOTV and try to throw them out of power forever.

[boston bean]

9. What woman would keep this creep after reading this?

[Warpy]

13. Some doormat he's been gaslighting and isolating for 20 years

is the likeliest explanation. Many fundie women are just as ignorant about their bodies and what goes on during pregnancy as the men are.

[LeftinOH]

22. The brain structures for Republican politicians are not there, either.. n/t

[Arkansas Granny]

2. Good grief. These people are so obsessed with sex that they have to bring it up in any debate.

Besides that, why would he assume that only a male fetus would have their hand between their legs?

[boston bean]

3. Yep. What a bunch of fuckin sickos.

[ruffburr]

4. Sorry-

I see we posted this a couple minutes apart you beat me to it but we agree ,This is sick

[boston bean]

7. No worries. Happens to me too.

[CrispyQ]

5. They just sound more & more stupid all the time.

Who votes for stupid like this?

[boston bean]

8. I don't know. But it creeps me out!

[Aerows]

15. HE's not that stupid

But he's counting on his constituents being stupid enough to believe him.

[DURHAM D]

6. That is a sick man. nt

[Junkdrawer]

10. OMG. Original Sin is Real.

Sweet Mother of God redeem us.

[boston bean]

19. I'm not sure what this means.

[Junkdrawer]

23. Recovering Catholic insider joke. n/t

[Hassin Bin Sober]

21. Life begins at fwap fwap fwap.

[reflection]

24. DUzy.

All kidding aside though, I remember being a fetus and thinking I was going to be the most well-endowed baby EVER. Then I realized I had been gripping the umbilical cord. I was devastated.

[Ilsa]

26. DUzy!! Best laugh I've heard all week! Thanks! nt

[davidn3600]

11. Masturbating fetuses? Just when you think you've heard it all.....

Think of how terrible it must be to have this clown represent you.

[Aerows]

12. Good grief

And this guy used to be an OB/GYN? These people will say ANYTHING to get elected on wedge issues. He's not this stupid, but he's counting on his constituents to be that stupid.

[TrogL]

14. Is this parody? You can't tell any more

[Aerows]

16. I swear

You really can't!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

17. Sadly....

it's not. But it's a Texas Republican, so what the hell are you gonna do?

[boston bean]

18. Nope it's the real thing.

[Little Star]

20. He looks at a baby in the womb & see's mastrubation?.....

Wacky!

[sorefeet]

25. I swear all these wingers are

PERVERTS. They have a sick obsession with sex. Are their wives just as sick?

[HappyMe]

27. I don't even know what to say.

It's hard to believe these people find their way out of bed in the morning.

[krispos42]

28. I don't unleash this often...

...but this is one of those times.













How can this person get out of the shower until the shampoo bottle is empty?

[sinkingfeeling]

29. So, this scientific wizard thinks spontaneous movement is evidence

of neurological feeling?

[KamaAina]

30. Only male fetuses masturbate?

Even if Mom listens to "She Bop" or "I Touch Myself"?