"welcome to talibama"

on my lunch break today, i stalked down to the statehouse to watch the public hearing on alabama's proposed statewide abortion ban. there's a silly rule of etiquette that says no clapping or jeering or banana-peel-throwing during testimony, which meant i spent a good deal of the time sitting on my hands and gritting my teeth. but, in between quiet fits of rage, i was able to take a few notes.

the bill would outlaw abortion except when the woman's life is at risk. got raped? victim of incest? abusive husband? under this law, it doesn't matter.

here's what cheryl sabel, acting-director of the montgomery chapter of NOW, had to say, in her public testimony: "if this bill passes, alabama's tourism bureau might as well post signs welcoming visitors to 'talibama.'"

that, apparently, would be peachy with the bill's supporters.

it's sponsor, sen. hank erwin, told the committee that "the most important issue society can address is the protection of the unborn."

and dan ireland, the leader of alabama citizens action (which appears to be affiliated with the christian coalition), said in his testimony, "i believe in choice. if a lady doesn't want to become pregnant, she should choose not to expose herself to the opportunity to get pregnant."

(of note, ireland's group also supported alabama's infamous dildo ban. and, in a glaring failure to understand that having a child usually equals a lifelong commitment, today ireland dubbed the decision to have an abortion a "temporary choice." the proposed abortion law, he said, represents a "hallowed opportunity to perpetuate god's plan for the human race, and that is to replenish the earth." jeeez. i tried to corner ireland afterwards, to clarify whether god would want a raped woman to have her rapist's baby, but he stuck around for the next hearing.)

yes, women of alabama. these are the men who control the laws that govern what we can do with our bodies.

luckily, the people speaking against the bill outnumbered those in favor by more than 2 to 1. the legislature's session is almost over, so the bill probably won't see the full senate floor this time around. but erwin vows to keep introducing it until it passes. he's holding out, it seems, for legislation giving fetuses the right to vote.