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That's what I was blogging about before I was so rudely interrupted. First, the Florida woman who reported a sexual assault and then was arrested for an old fine. Arrested and denied a second dose of EC.
Then yesterday, I saw that a Kansas City woman miscarried after she was arrested, while telling the police she was pregnant and bleeding.
The Florida woman's arrest works in at least two ways to deter women's reporting of sexual assault-- the actual arrest/loss of freedom and the old tried-and-true impugn the victim's character. But I am bothered by a link I see between these cases. Do you just lose all rights to reproductive freedom when they slap the cuffs on you? You can't have a second dose of EC because of your jailer's religious convictions? You don't deserve medical care for your pregnancy? All because of fines and warrants?
I want someone with better analytical skills than I to talk about this.
6 comments:
I was so appalled at both of these stories! Where is the common sense?
Black Amazon wrote a little about these two stories as well, and I think it does tie into a theme of "criminal" reproductive rights being suspended and ignored. It may be subconscious eugenics or it may be deliberate. I've recognized a thread in how these two women were treated and in a progressive critique from an imprisoned lawyer about the turns the system have made. I might write something about it tonight with all my baby analytical skills backing me.
It's hard for me to talk about these cases rationally because they just really freaking piss me off. The bottom line is that no, a woman doesn't lose her constitutional rights, either upon become pregnant or upon getting arrested.
But from the news reports (for example, http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/2894 ) you wouldn't know it. Some organizations are trying to do something about it, most centrally National Advocates for Pregnant Women. The ACLU also has a couple cases pending that, if the ACLU wins, will ensure access to abortion for incarcerated women (not funding, unfortunately, but at least access).
I also write about this connection (which you're exactly right to identify) fairly frequently over at A Bird and a Bottle.
I've been pissed off about the same damn stories, Elle. Blogged and mutters and wonders -- exactly why would any woman in this society want to have a baby? I mean, come on, being considered subhuman for nine months, at least? Uh. No.
i'm checking in on the blogs mentioned. sometimes, i have these ideas and thoughts but i lack the theory or specific knowledge to write about them and make the connections. so thank y'all.
Like others, these two stories made me so angry that I could not even find words to describe it all. The fact that a female police officer was involved in the case where the pregnant woman was bleeding makes me so mad I could spit!
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