Texas Ultrasound Law — Where Are You Meghan Elizabeth Rose?

This morning, on her eponymous MSNBC show, Melissa Harris-Perry led a discussion based upon a Texas Observer story, ‘We Have No Choice’: One Woman’s Ordeal with Texas’ New Sonogram Law. The author, Carolyn Jones, learned in her second trimester that her son had

“a molecular flaw had determined that our son’s brain, spine and legs wouldn’t develop correctly. If he were to make it to term—something our doctor couldn’t guarantee—he’d need a lifetime of medical care. From the moment he was born, my doctor told us, our son would suffer greatly.”

Her experience with the Texas sonogram law is vivid, and, in short, psychologically harrowing. I’ll break off from that story here, and suggest you read it in full. There’s even worse to deal with . . .

Below, Im going to use the miracle of cut & paste to set out a portion of the comments thread. Carolyn Jones’ experience was harrowing, but what you’ll read next is unspeakable.

Here’s Mary Elizabeth Ross’s contribution to Carolyn Jones’ tale, and mamat’s response, site accessed on March 17 @ 12:00 pm:

Meghan Elizabeth Rose

I don’t care whether or not you guys agree with me. Abortion is evil and it is wrong. No matter what the circumstance. You guys are putting a price on a human life. Great job.

(Edited by author 21 hours ago)

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1 day ago
in reply to J Johnson
9 Likes

mamatat

Meghan, go read up on anencephaly, then get back with us. better yet, go actually read the piece about which you’re commenting: this woman’s life would have been at risk had her child died in vitro, which was a possibility listed by her original OB.

Then drive up here and care for my 8-yr-old whose development is two years; my son’s nurse called in sick (my abusive ex forced me to carry to term, btw. How’s that for compassionate conservatism?) In your day at my house, you will tube feed-every four hours, with tube-fed water every two hours in between–a child who can’t speak or walk, then you’ll bathe him, give him an enema, give three seizure meds, multiple times daily, make sure he moves around frequently enough to not negatively affect his circulatory system, catheterize him four times daily, load him in the car to pick up his siblings from school (because Medicaid will not pay for automotive modifications and limits the amount they pay for home lifts and mods). If (more likely ‘when’, as he has severe debilitating epilepsy) he has a seizure which lasts more than five minutes, you’ll have to give him Diazepam rectally and monitor his breathing to make sure the rescue drug doesn’t kill him. After that, you might be able to work. This is the life I lead after having been coerced into ‘saving’ a child from death. His suffering is immeasurable, daily. Sure, he’s cute, and sure, he’ll be in a state school when he becomes an adult, for I’ll go broke caring for him.

But hey, if you think he should be saved, YOU foot the bill for his medical care. He was a “million-dollar-baby” by the time he was 7 weeks old, all on the taxpayers dime due to his birth defect, and all because coercion convinced me I’d have help from those anti-choice groups after his birth. They are nowhere to be found now. In fact, they disappeared months before his birth. the pre-birth counseling I was offered to help me through the trauma of carrying and birthing a profoundly disabled and chronically medically needy child never materialized…from FOUR anti-choice groups with whom I had spoken. This experience cemented my transition from anti-choice to pro-choice, as my choice was coerced from me. Now funding for my existing child has been cut, increasing my out-of-pocket expense, at a time when I’m least able, because of his condition(s), to work outside my home.

Who the hell are you to shame another woman for making the best choice for her situation and sparing her child a lifetime of definite suffering? There was no grey area about her child’s disability.

Her kid had severe brain damage. What’s your excuse?

(Edited by author 1 day ago)

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1 day ago
in reply to Meghan Elizabeth Rose
132 Likes

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It’s been a couple of days since Meghan posted her comment. She’s not returned to reply to an onslaught of counter-comments. Usually these kinds of folks are pretty feisty. So,
where are you Meghan Elizabeth Rose????