Via the Richmond Times Dispatch, here are some of the latest weasel words from the governor's mansion regarding the forced ultrasound bill that passed the State Senate yesterday:
Gov. Bob McDonnell said he was pleased with the passage of the ultrasound legislation, which must clear the House of Delegates in its amended form to reach his desk. "I think women have a right to know all the right medical information before they make an informed choice," he said, adding that the bill would make Virginia one of 24 states that have some sort of ultrasound requirement.Click here to read the entire article.
When McDonnell squints he sees a "right" to know all the "right" medical information. He apparently thinks women in Virginia do not have a right to privacy or a right to have control over their own bodies. But they do have a right to be forced to do something they don't want to do.
McDonnell seems to think a pregnant woman does not have a right to consult with her doctor and decide for herself what medical procedures she should undergo.
Of course, McDonnell thinks the "right medical information" is not what a pregnant woman's doctor says it ought to be. Nor is it information the patient necessarily wants. No, the information about which the governor spoke is information that he and other right-wing politicians are insisting she have. It's information the anti-abortion crowd wants shoved down women's throats, because many of them believe any move that makes the ordeal of getting an abortion more difficult is the "right" thing to do.
For McDonnell to frame this intrusion into private matters by government as looking out for women's "rights" is a bad joke. And, I doubt all that many women in Virginia, Republican or Democrat, think it's funny.
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