This is outrageous. Will it never end?

We need to organize in the Southeastern US; From Louisianna to Florida we are seeing this type of attack on women's reproductive health.

The south never ceases to amaze me with its narrow-minded attitudes!

Just when it looks like the rightwingnuts can't get any worse, they do!

Hard to believe we are in the 21st century with this kind of legislature getting this far. What a sad comment on the way many in MS want to care for reproductive rights and women's issues. What if this were ever applied to Haley Barbour's family: daughters or nieces or granddaughters? Would we know about it or when push comes to shove, would they be able to "do what you have to do" without having to follow these ridiculous and intolerant ideas for rules? Hmmmmmm

Why bother, Mississippi. the law will be unconstitutional anyway, and you will have spun your wheels for nothing; so why don't you focus on family planning and making sure that all women have ACCESS to the morning after bill, bc pills and condoms to protect themselves.

You people (mostly men) need to get a life. You are not God - only God can judge women. Criminalize abortion? Are you kidding? How sad that these people have nothing better to do than nose into other's business. Glad I don't live in Mississippi. I'm sending this to all 200 on my e-mail list & asking them to send to everyone so we never spend a penny in Mississippi. Are these people really that STUPID to do this to those poor women in Mississippi? Screwed up!!!

I live in Mississippi. The powers that be in our state government are religious fundamentalists who attend and, in some cases, lead the most bizarre pentecostal churches in the land. Services at these places of worship often include anti-choice messages delivered in person by the state legislators followed by high-energy religious ceremonies that include speaking in tongues and flopping around on the ground. The fact that we have these people in leadership positions should tell you everything you need to know about the legislative process in our state. It is unfortunate, but that's what we have to work with here. Amazingly, Mississippi has legalized gambling which is totally contrary to these people's publicized beliefs. I suspect that the issue of choice in our state has simply not been framed in a message that contains significant financial benefits for those who are in power. Solve this puzzle and you may have a useful token to add to the debate. Nonetheless, Mississippi could use all the information and attention that you all could provide. Fight fire with fire, perhaps. Someone should propose the banning of Viagra on religious principles. As we say around here, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander."

I live in Mississippi, and I am saddened by the lack of respect for women in my state. We are held back by the narrow-minded, conservative government officials who are trying to enforce their beliefs on others. What a woman does with her reproductive system is HER CHOICE!!! I am so sick and tired of hearing how abortion and birth control are demeaning to women. How demeaning is it for a women to be FORCED to bear children? But please, know that some of us in Mississippi (a definite minority) respect women's rights and the right to choose. Thank you for your support and please do everything you can to protect our freedoms in Mississippi and the US.

I am from Alabama, and not all southerners are this narrow-minded. Keep the faith that we will always have THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE, and keep the pressure on your elected officials every chance you get!

I live in the south too and not all of us think that the state should rule our bodies. This is what confuses me. All I hear from the far right is "less government". Well, how about keeping your mitts off my body! We need to make sure that our federal and state government know that this is not acceptable! Write your senators; write your president!

It is a sad day when a state decides for a woman what is best for her and her health. Though it is generally agreed no woman wants to kill her baby when it is wanted before conception . However when it is a matter of rape/ incest, gross fetal anomaly or extreme health issues in the mothers life there is no reason to block a needed medical procedure. In the South , especially the deep the south ,the idea that choice is always about abortion has more to do with the fundamentalist churches. However these are the same individuals who will force their child or wife into this choice if it is matter of convenience to the family involved. Especially if the unborn child in question was fathered by a member of a minority race(African-American) and they ,the young woman's parents , would rather remove all existence of this pregnancy than do what they preach in front of clinics providing these services. The hypocrisy is unreal and the damage is unfathomable to the girl/woman put in this position. Poverty is rampant in some parts of Louisiana and Mississippi and I do understand that motive , too I don't agree with it because there is always adoption, I am basically pro-life when it comes to myself but feel that I have no rights when it comes to another womans choice. Her uterus and body belong to her and not the government, not the White House or the State House as the case maybe.

I'd betcha many of these diehard caucasion anti-choicers who found themselves victims of rape by a negro man (racism is alive and well!), or incest would be seeking out the nearest back alley butcher they could find. These are probably the same people who fought the morning after pill.

If all these pro-lifers want to ban abortion, they need to get to the seat of the problem and castrate or sterilize all these studs running around impregnating women. That ought to take care of the problem and shut them up. Personally, I'm tired of these pro-lifers attempt to power and control woman and there hypocritical holier-than-thou rantings.

No wonder advanced aliens from outer space do not land here. The problem is that they see no signs of intelligent life on our planet. They simply can't conceive (you should pardon the expression) that men who are often untrue to their wives and do not even pay child support can make the decision as to whether or not a woman should bear an unwanted child. My obstetrician once told me that if women and men could alternate having babies with women having the first one, no family would have more than 3 children. C'mon men, grow up and realize that women are just as capable --and probably more so- of making decisions about their own bodies.

I see a lot of negative sentiment here about Mississippi and the south. I’d like to reiterate what several other Mississippians have said here by reminding everyone that the Choice struggle continues across the country in nearly every state. Narrow-mindedness and bigotry knows no boundaries and is not confined below the Mason-Dixon line. I am from Mississippi and after living in many other areas of the country have returned here to make a life for myself. Yes, it is hard living in a conservative place as a liberal (pro-choice just being one issue), but we are a State of smart, intuitive, open-minded people who happen to represented by a bunch of shmucks. Condemn our politicians, but not our people. Mississippi is like most of the country with a very active and vocal conservative population that overshadows the will and rights of others, even those in the majority, especially if it is a silent majority. As Erica from Alabama said, power comes to us as voters and keeping pressure on those in office to do the right thing. Roe v. Wade is still a federally respected law and together, as a nation, we can fight to keep it that way.

I have yet to see a non-religious reason for banning abortion.

Forcing religious views on abortion on other people under the guise of political policy is just plain ridiculous. We are to be free to choose our own religion and our own views- we do not need other people to force their views down our throats.

Our bodies, our decisions- trust us to make them.

I can't believe that so much concern about abortion, but nobody concern about kids. I am talking about situation with the child molestation, poverty and drug issue, families abusing own kids and poor situation with the foster care. The kids is not mushrooms to grow themselves, it needs loving care of the parents, but not because some religious fanatics want this. Do some parents deserve to be parents?
I think so.

I am a special education teacher of severely emotionally disturbed teenagers. Sadly (and no big surprise) most of these kids were unwanted! One of my students weighed 11 pounds at nine months of age. And not only did her parents not feed her, they fractured her skull, she had pneumonia, and was then taken away from the biological parents. But in those short nine months the damage done to her will last her entire lifetime. Adoption by a loving family could not undo the harm done to this innocent. Better to be unborn than unwanted, abused, and neglected!

i read this and it amazes me how we all forget the unborn life be it out of rape, incest, or deformity, i have heard from all who are grateful there life was not taken in the womb.yes women should have rights to there bodies, but i think the caucasions as the one put it. who turned it into a racial issue,must beware, reverse discremination is alive and well to my dear,and the bigger picture that these bible thumpers are conveying. is they are the voice for the one who has no choice. the one in the womb. you should speak too some who have made it.they would allll say they need a voice.it is not about religion, politics,race,it is about life.

IF YOU DON'T BELEIVE IN ABORTIONS DON'T HAVE ONE! STOP MAKING DECISIONS FOR OTHER PEOPLE AND WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF! AGAINST ABORTION HAVE A VASECTOMY.
I have continously seen over and over children severly abused and neglected..with no one to care for them..adoption? how many people want drug/alcohol affected babies, emotionally or physically disturbed or deliquent children. Not to many people are willing to adopt these kids. Just take a look at the foster care system, I work in it. No one wants to adopt these kids, they are troubled and difficult because they have had shitty parents who maybe should of had an abortion in the first place.(not all kids or parents in the system are shitty there are ones who get their life together). Is it more important to make every woman have a child even of that child's life is fulll of suffering caused by abuse and neglect?
And to comment on the previous comment..unfortunately abortion has always been a religous and political issue rather than a personal decision. A organsim, cell, whatever you want to call is not a child..it has no voice, the voice is the woman who has that cell growing in her body.

You are missing another BIG point about abortion. Women will always have abortions even if it is criminalized..its been done for generations..it is done in countries where abortion is still illegal..the point is.. are we going to allow women in this country to suffer through unsafe, non medical (back alley abortions) or are we going to respect the health and welfare of the mother who knows her body, her health and can make her own decision.

The government doesn't try to tell men they can or can't reproduce yet they believe it is fair to tell a woman? What happened to our country's policy of not discrimitating due to sex? Personally I see being anti-choice as sexist retoric. Most of those in office are men and obviously still think of women as second class citizens for them to control and dominate. I live in West Virginia, which like Mississippi has one of the highest poverty rates, does it make much sense to force poor women who have to depend on the government for financial and medical help to bring more children into this world? I don't believe that it does. It just creates more people living in poverty. If women are given accurate information on birth control, condoms, sex education there would be less need for abortions. How does this not make sense? How is it that our govenment can't see this?!

The first and most important right a woman has is the right for control of her own body. Women have been fighting for rights for years, so don't be discouraged, let's all just continue fighting. That's the only way we'll ever recieve that which we deserve.

It's unconscienable to think that in 2007 we're still trying to keep women under the thumb. We deserve to make our own decisions insofar as our own bodies are concerned and the number of children we wish to bring into this world. Stop all the hassles at Wal-Mart's, too, about not being able to dispense the morning-after pill. I'm totally fed up with this Administration's senseless need to force feed us their own agendas.
When comes the time that men can both carry the children AND rock the cradle, that's the time I'm willing to let go of my anger at the stupidity and ego-laden decisions. Until then, I'm pissed!

Let's keep abortion safe and legal for all women and also encourage our female sisters to use protection and care enough about their bodies and futures that they don't want to have unplanned pregancies when they can control it!

Great. And will the people who ban abortion pay for the upkeep of the children? Will they pay for the life disruption of the pregnancy?

I wish that some weird phenomena happened, and for a few years, guys could get pregnant... I bet a lot of things in this world would change, especially when male politicians were surprised with unwanted and/or unsafe pregnancies.

I cannot believe what I am hearing!! It's sad that abortion is the all consuming issue when there are so many others that do get anywhere near the attention abortion does. This is why CHURCH AND STATE SHOULD BE SEPERATE!! Your relgious believe are just that your's alone and have no right to deny any woman her right to choose.

It makes me sad to know the degree of IGNORANCE that exists and is taught in this world. It makes me sad to know that there are people who think it is their right to force their private values and personal beliefs upon others in a democracy where the law makes it clear that women have a right to choose what is right for them and what to do with their own bodies.

The people who are so concerned about "life" should place their concern on the thousands of children now living who have no homes or who are poor and hungry. We need to take care of the needs that exist, not the ones that don't. GET REAL RIGHT TO LIFERS. ADOPT SOME CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Roberta Finke, realist.
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IMO a woman has the right to do what she wants with her own body. If a woman does not want to have a baby there is a such thing as birth control. It is a woman's right to chose to be on birth control, it is not a woman's right to kill an unborn child. The women that have abortions need to be in prison for taking an unborn childs life.

How can anyone think it's a good idea to bring children into the world that are not desperatly wanted? It's hard enough for parents with a solie marriage, good education and substantial income to raise children. Should those that don't want to raise children be compelled to do so? I think not!

Roberta Finke, I would like to address your misconception about abortion- it's not an "unborn child", it's a fetus, a non-living entity and I will prove.

What are the criteria for being a living thing?

1) able to reproduce- fetus fails: a woman is not capable of bearing children until she is at least 9 yrs of age- the time when the eggs form and she goes through puberty

2)homeostasis- fetus fails: it is incapable of maintaining a reg. temp.

In fact, I needn't even go further, for if even one piece of the criteria is not met, then the thing in question is not living.

I support a woman's right to choose-

to choose life over death b/c pregnancy can cause the mother to become fatally ill

to prevent an unwanted pregnancy- a rape victim shouldn't have to keep the child of a man whom she may not even know the name of

to spare the would-be offspring- some babies are diagnosed with fatal illnesses or genetic diseases that will leave them so impaired and cause them only pain 24/7, others would be born into a home where it would be impossible to properly care for them & they might not survive

to keep religion out of it- no one should claim authority over another person regarding how the latter should run his/her/hir life ("hir"- refers to someone who is transgender, gender queer, transsexual or intersex, or anyone not categorizing themselves under the strict gender identity guidelines)

to protect our rights- I would not deny any woman what is hers by right, as the right to choose is

Oh, and as for being thrown in jail? That violates the constitution, as well as international and human rights. As a matter of fact, Roberta, you;d only be helping our cause- we would become prisoners of conscience and be supported by groups such as Amnesty International, and the press would cover the story as well. In fact, the people who jailed us would be put in jail themselves. Oh, well actually I'm not sure if I should use the word "us"- do you want to jail pro-choice people as well as those who have had an abortion? Either way, the consequences would be the same.

I am so outraged I can hardly contain myself!!!!How dare anyone try to force their religious or sexist dictates on others? And, what happens when birth control fails and a woman becomes pregnant? No one should be forced to endure an unwanted pregnancy.
And, as far as "adoption" no woman should be forced to be an incubator!!! Being pregnant, especially if you don't want to be, is at times very uncomfortable and would be totally inconvenient if unwanted. I have two children I love dearly. They were wanted and planned. The reason I have no more is that is the number of children I wanted and I used birth control. And, in fact, did get pregnant when an IUD failed. I got an abortion, without any hassle, and my health insurance paid for it. And, it was the best thing I could have done. No regrets. No emotional problems. This was about 23 years ago, when choice was no problem, and here it is 2007, and we have gone backwards in time.
It takes two to Tango, and if, as many blogs have said, a man could get pregnant things would be different. Sadly, the financially comfortable women will be the only ones able to get a safe abortion and the poor will end up being butchered, burdened with an unwanted child, that may or may not be neglected, abused, or perhaps commit suicide. How can this country be a democracy when women are second class citizens, and adding acid to the injury, pharmacists who have the audacity to refuse to fill birth control scripts. They should lose their licenses.
I have a lot more to say about this and will pull in the reins for now, as I can feel my blood pressure rise, and, though I am past the age of child baring, if I wasn't, and I got pregnant, NO ONE would be able to stop me from having an abortion, illegal or not.
(It is encouraging to read all these blogs, and know that there are thousands, if not millions, of kindred souls. Keep up the good work and never give up. (And, I know that there are thousands, (if not millions) of good men who are also outraged).

BACK TO GRAMMA'S HANGAR TO HAVE AN ABORTION.
LET'S KEEP IT CIVILIZED AND LET WOMAN HAVE DECISION MAKING FOR THEIR BODY.

HOW ABOUT JOHN MCCAIN AND OTHERS HAVING A VASECTOMY...LET'S MAKE UM!!

It is so black and white a decision to males who want to restrict a women's right to choose...I shudder to think about the back alley abortions that would arise should this be made illegal...let's keep it safe, and rare...

THIS LAW WOULD BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL! I'M TIRED OF POLITITIONS using womens RIGHTS, (that were fought for and won in the 1970's) as an issue to get elected! I don't think this right should be taken from women. IT'S NOT UP FOR DEBATE!! IT IS THE LAW. GET OVER IT AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO USE FOR YOUR POLITICAL AMMUNITION.