Let's talk about abortions, kids!
Q: Who gets em?
A: People who are pregnant!
Q: Is Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson pregnant?
A: I'm gonna guess, by how he identifies and presents himself, that the answer is noooooooo!
Q: Should Gov. Hutchinson decide whether someone else can get an abortion?
A: Noooooooo.
Q: CAN he decide whether someone else can get an abortion?
A: Yessss!
Oh, dear. We do have a problem here, don't we? The GOP, a political party comprised primarily of white men, believe that clumps of cells are already people. Hell, they believe that Corporations Are People! But they do NOT believe that pregnant folks are people, do they? No, pregnant beings are simply vessels designed to carry said clumps of cells through growth to fruition and birth (OWIE!) at which point the pregnant beings become mothers, who are either lazy if they don't get jobs, or terrible parents if they do. Yaaay!
Here we have milquetoast CNN reporter, Dana Bash, interviewing Gov. Hutchinson with absolutely zero pushback or intellectual complexity, about a bill signed into law, banning all abortions unless it will KILL the pregnant being!
"Under the law, abortions are only permitted when necessary to save the life of a mother. There are no exceptions in cases of rape or incest," Bash stated. "When you signed it, you said you had reservations about the law saying it violates a Supreme Court precedence. To be clear, did you sign this bill because you hope it will be a vehicle for the Supreme Court to look at overturning Roe v. Wade?" As if overturning the case that gave us access to legal and safe abortions was as mundane as rotating one's tires.
"Yes, that was the whole design of the law," said our presumably barren Gov. Hutchinson. "It is not constitutional under Supreme Court cases right now. And I did prefer a rape and incest exception." Awww. But he signed it anyway.
"I signed it because it is a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. That was the intent of it," said the man who has probably never shed a tear, let alone a uterine lining, over the prospect of carrying a baby to term.
But he knows best. Let's look at the Guttmacher Institute's information sheet on abortion in Arkansas.
"Abortion would be banned if Roe v. Wade were overturned.
A patient must receive state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage the patient from having an abortion, and then wait 72 hours before the procedure is provided. Counseling must be provided in person and must take place before the waiting period begins, thereby necessitating two trips to the facility.
[...]
The parent of a minor must consent before an abortion is provided.
Public funding is available for abortion only in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest.
[...]
The state requires abortion clinics to meet unnecessary and burdensome standards related to their physical plant, equipment and staffing."
Oh, and the best fact about abortion access in Arkansas? 97% of the counties in that state have no clinics or facilities that can perform abortions. 77% of the women in Arkansas live in those counties. There are four places in the entire state where legal abortions are performed.
But sure, Gov. Ain't Never Been Pregnant Hutchinson. Try getting Roe v. Wade overturned, as if you will ever know what it's like to be in a pregnant person's circumstance.
