Zika is About to Throw a Monkey Wrench Into GOP Plans to Outlaw Abortion

[McCamy Taylor]

Back in the 1960s, the rubella outbreak which caused so many fetal deformities was a driving force behind the efforts to legalize abortion.

Zika will probably do the same thing. When young women who have traveled to endemic countries suddenly find themselves pregnant with positive Zika titers, they are going to demand their abortion here and now. Not two weeks from now in some other city or state. Since many of them are women who wanted to get pregnant---and now are bitterly unhappy about their terminations, they will not be pleased when they are forced to witness an ultrasound and listen to a speech about how their unborn baby has all these feelings. They are going to be unhappy---and their anger is going to create a tremendous back lash.

It's gonna happen and there is nothing Right to Life can do about it. The painted themselves into this corner.

[malaise]

1. Yep right across the Caribbean governments have been asked to abandon

some of these anti-abortion laws put there by colonial governments way back when. Even the Catholic countries are being forced to rethink their stupid laws.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Even pope suggests contraception can be condoned in Zika crisis

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/18/pope-suggests-contraception-can-be-condoned-in-zika-crisis

[malaise]

4. Well since people are having abortions anyway, it makes sense to sanction

contraception or people will continue leaving the church in droves.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Not just who have traveled abroad. Can be sexually transmitted & Zika mosquitos can live in USA. nt

[Dont call me Shirley]

5. Just wait the anti-crowd will be screaming Zika is a liberal "conspiracy"!

[drm604]

6. They're way ahead of you.

http://www.wired.com/2016/02/zika-conspiracy-theories/

http://www.liberalamerica.org/2016/03/05/3-nutwing-conspiracy-theories-surrounding-the-zika-virus/

[Dont call me Shirley]

7. Monsanto is a monster, they have no boundaries.

[ToxMarz]

12. Well they loved believing AIDS was gods punishment for being gay

Why is he now punishing straight people?

[Dont call me Shirley]

13. It's those lusty women, having lots of sex.....

[hamsterjill]

8. I hate to sound like this is a good thing.

I certainly don't mean to say that Zika is a positive thing, but the fact is, that it shouldn't take an epidemic to wake up young women to the idea that abortion needs to be safe, available and legal.

As an older woman who remembers the 60's, I was hoping that once Roe v. Wade was legalized, that we'd stop having to fight to control our own bodies. Of course, that has been proven wrong as the fight is constant and ongoing. I am sometimes disappointed at the passion over this issue that some young women seem to have. Many that I have contact with are pretty much of the mind that "it doesn't affect me". Wrong! It affects everyone and fighting to maintain that right is a very important part of who we are, and particularly important with the Supreme Court balance.

I think you are absolutely correct in that the presence of this virus will make abortions more necessary. It simply saddens me that it may take something like the Zika virus to get people to understand why abortion should always be legal and available to any women who might want to have one.

[onyourleft]

9. This. Thank you...

...Jill. I, too, lived through the 1960s and remember well the problems associated with just trying to get contraception. It is very troubling that it takes so much work just to control our own bodies.

[hamsterjill]

11. Welcome to DU.

It truly IS very troubling that this issue hasn't been settled once and for all and that it isn't allowed to simply be a private matter between a woman and her health care provider.

[dirtydickcheney]

10. (Most of the) "In-the-Know" Republicans don't want to do anything to outlaw abortion.

But they use it as a cudgel to divide people during the presidency season.


The Republicans had the House, Senate, Presidency and Supreme Court during Chimpy Bush's time.
You see the people losing the right to abortion in any meaningful way?
Yes, there may be some crazies that go up to a point - but if it meant a woman losing their rights to abortion - the GOP knows better - and the results would be disastrous should that come to pass.

[shadowandblossom]

14. It's a great illustration of one of the many problems with outlawing abortion.

I hadn't thought about that and I hope you're right.

I think maybe also an angle that would bother conservatives is that they wouldn't want to help financially with the care and support such children, and eventually adults, will obviously need for their entire lives...