This week, Alabama made their bid to become "The Handmaid's Tale State" by passing a draconian anti-abortion law. The bill punishes doctors who perform an abortion - an operation that has been perfectly legal for 46 years - with 10-99 years in prison. An exception is made if the mother's health is at serious risk, but not in the cases of rape or incest.
Twenty-five male Republican state senators supported the blatantly unconstitutional bill, which was signed into law by 73-year-old female Republican governor Kay Ivey.
"This legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God," Ivey said in a statement. The next day, the state executed a murderer by lethal injection.
The bill's original sponsor, plus Ivey herself, admitted the law is likely unenforceable, and was drafted in an effort to be legally challenged to make to the Supreme Court and overturn Roe v. Wade.
The 1973 landmark decision ruled that an embryo/fetus is not a person and the Constitution's "right to privacy" protects a woman's choice to have an abortion. As a result, the states may not place an "undue burden" on women seeking an abortion. With a conservative majority in the Supreme Court, Alabama, Georgia and Missouri have launched Undue Burden Fest.
Many people who wish not to return to the 19th century voiced outrage over the Alabama bill, including model/actress Emily Ratajakowsi. On Instagram, she shared a revealing photo and wrote: "This week, 25 old white men voted to ban abortion in Alabama even in cases of incest and rape. These men in power are imposing their wills onto the bodies of women in order to uphold the patriarchy and perpetuate the industrial prison complex by preventing women of low economic opportunity the right to choose to not reproduce."
She continued: "The states trying to ban abortion are the states that have the highest proportions of black women living there. This is about class and race and is a direct attack on the fundamental human rights women in the US deserve and are protected by under Roe vs. Wade. Our bodies, our choice."
Good Morning Britain host and frequent women's body critic Piers Morgan blasted Emily Ratajakowsi for using her body to protest the Alabama abortion bill. He captioned a screenshot of her salacious post, tweeting: "Right message, ruined by such a dumb self-promoting photo."
In the replies, one Twitter user agreed, saying, "The photo is unnecessary." Another asked, "By the same token, why can’t you just agree with her instead of lecturing her about the “right” way to present a message?" A third observed that the photo helped get the message out to more people, such as Morgan. Another pointed out that the photo fits Ratajakowsi's message, that "women should be able to do what they choose with their own bodies."
Another Twitter user posted a photo of Piers Morgan comically showing off his own half-naked body in a cologne ad. This might be a case of the pot calling the kettle black?
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