the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Aug 29, 2022
A pregnant Louisiana woman named Nancy Davis is working with prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump to let the world know about the gut-wrenching situation women like her are in because of new bans on abortion.
Louisiana has a ban on abortion in place with very few exceptions. Many states have passed similar legislation, collectively called “trigger laws.” These laws were passed by states ahead of time to become legal after the fall of Roe v. Wade.
Nancy Davis was devastated to learn from a 10-week ultrasound that her desired pregnancy was not viable. The fetus has a fatal condition called acrania, which kills babies, sometimes within minutes of birth. Acrania is a condition where the brain lacks a protective skull.
Because acrania was not explicitly listed as a medical condition justifying an exception to the state’s abortion ban, the hospital treating Nancy Davis would not terminate her pregnancy, now in its 13th week. This was because her medical providers feared being prosecuted. Under Louisiana law, medical providers face up to 15 years in prison and loss of their medical licenses for violations of the abortion ban.
"Basically, they said I had to carry my baby to bury my baby," said Davis. Partly to pay for travel expenses and partly because her pre-natal health insurance, Medicaid, does not pay for abortion, she had to set up a GoFundMe campaign to pay for this medically necessary abortion. With the help of 1000 donations, she and her partner will soon travel 900 miles to North Carolina, where abortion is legal until 20 weeks.
Her attorney said in a statement, "By positioning themselves between Miss Davis and her doctors, Louisiana lawmakers inflicted unspeakable pain, emotional damage and physical risk."
Said Nancy Davis, "This is not fair to me, and it should not happen to any other woman…. Being a mother starts when the baby is inside the womb … [because of] the attachment and everything that comes with it. As a mother, as a parent, it’s my obligation to have my children’s best interests at heart."
Nancy Davis’ decision to fight back by publicizing the real-world consequences of post-Roe government interference in women’s reproductive healthcare is important.
The far-right billionaires who fund these laws, the far-right politicians who pass these laws, and the religious forces who promote these laws all wrap themselves in the lie that they are “pro-life.” What is “pro-life” about a woman being forced to risk her own death by carrying a fetus destined only for future pain, suffering and death?
Abortion is a complex and necessary reproductive healthcare procedure. The choice must belong to the woman. She is the one who is most intimately engaged with the life involved: her own and that of the fetus. She is the only one who fully knows the pain that such a decision costs, no matter what the decision may be. The choice must be hers.