Anti-abortion gains legs in Oklahoma

Oklahoma governor, Kevin Stitt signed bill S.B.612 on April 05. For those who don’t know, this bill barrs any and all abortion in the state of Oklahoma except for emergency abortion that would save the pregnant woman’s life. Any doctor found performing an abortion outside of the life saving kind could face 10 years jail-time and a fine up to 100,000 dollars. This bill was modeled after the Texas bill, S.B.8, which barrs abortion after a heartbeat is detected, about six weeks into a pregnecy.

It is hard to explain how upsetting it is to read articles about this and while a small part of me is glad to see a politician following through on campaign promises, I disagree with this decision. I’m not usually one to have strong opinions, but the moment a person’s choice is removed from the equation is when things go too far.

I am not saying abortion is the best decison for a woman to make in any given situation or that it can’t be a good decision. Personally, I wouldn’t be able to get an abortion if I ever found myself in that kind of situation, but it comes down to choice for me. As a woman, any control I have over my body is extremely important to me, so to hear that a governing entity is taking away some of that control other women have over themselves is upsetting.

And for the religious arguments out there that claim abortion is a sin, read John 8.7-11 and take it to heart. While I feel religion of any kind shouldn’t have much influence in government, it’s there regardless. You are welcome to have your own beliefs of right and wrong, but that doesn’t give you the right to enforce those beliefs on others through laws and legislation.

Links: 

S.B.612- http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20ENR/SB/SB612%20ENR.PDF 

S.B.8- https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/pdf/SB00008H.pdf 

John 8.7-11- https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/k/kjv/kjv-idx?type=DIV2&byte=4800788