Blog 5: Sonogram Bill

Recently in Texas, Governor Rick Perry passed a bill called the "Sonogram bill" that requires doctors to give a sonogram to a woman seeking an abortion, and that the woman must also listen to the fetus' heart beat if there is one. The bill goes even further, mandating that if the woman declines this requirement, that the doctor must then give a description of the sonogram and found heart beat. Many argue that this process is a violation of the first amendment by forcing unwanted contact and dialog between doctor and patient. 

I, however, disagree with the entire bill. Abortions have been sought after and carried out for thousands of years. Until just a few short decades ago, they were performed in secret, and no one in polite society discussed or acknowledged them. An unfortunate side affect of them being held in such secret, was that they were highly dangerous for the woman having the procedure done. There was enormous risk of infection, serious injury, and were sometimes fatal to the woman. With the great advancement made in science to create safer methods of performing surgery, antibiotics, and pain medication, the health risks involved are largely reduced. I understand that every person is never going to see eye to eye with everyone else, and I support those who choose to keep an unplanned pregnancy, just as much as those who decides to receive an abortion. At the same time, I am also in the belief that woman will seek abortions even with the new laws, and my fear is that the harder the government tries to restrict them, the more dangerous they will become. (274) Maybe some people will change their minds about the procedure after hearing the heartbeat and grow to love the infant that is born, but I believe that those are the ones that would have lived in guilt for the rest of their lives had they gone through with it. My disagreement with the sonogram bill are for those that it would inconvenience, or offend, due to their personal or religious belief. If a woman has decided that the pregnancy is unwanted, then she has the right to have it removed without being forced to participate in unwanted and unnecessary dialog with the doctor or anyone else authorized to perform the process. Her decision stands with her, and she should not be judged or impeded by government in any way.