I’ve been over most of Mississippi and can confidently state that it is a sewer of bigotry, hatred, violence, and ignorance. It is a state where, if you challenge the Christo-fascists or the power elite, you will find your tires slashed, shotgun blasts will come through your window, and if they’re feeling especially bold, you’ll find yourself in prison on bogus charges like in some stupid 1970’s tv show. Guns are everywhere, and are brandished — and even used — on the least of provocations (Mississippi has one of the highest murder rates in the country, ranking 4th in the nation in 2004 despite having no large cities to drive up the murder statistics). Even amongst children, gun violence is endemic. One Mississippi high school principal confided to me that it was to the point where he did not even get nervous when a child pulled a gun on him, he merely pointed out to the kid that there was too many witnesses and the kid would get the electric chair if he pulled that trigger, so put that gun down and let’s talk sense…

In short, the state is basically a cesspool of violence, poverty, and hate, and frankly it does not surprise me that the powers that be have managed to eliminate every abortion clinic outside of Jackson (Jackson being the only outpost of civilization in Mississippi, and that only tenously thanks to a federal presence there). There is a reason why so much of the black population fled elsewhere after WWII. There is a reason why any Mississippi youth with any brains flees Mississippi as if it were consumed by plague, leaving behind losers, old people, and the power elite and Christo-fascists who enjoy running their little tinpot dictatorship over the dregs left behind. That reason is that Mississippi is a third world outpost in a first world nation, a banana republic under another name, and a disgrace to the nation — as has been true for over 100 years.

- Badtux the “Been there, seen that” Penguin

The most grimly fascinating thing to me was seeing the women employed in these “pregnancy crisis” centers (the state-funded ones where abortion is never, NEVER mentioned as an option) and the weird, glassy, glowing preciousness of their faces and voices. They clearly had not a thought or concern about what would happen to the poor women they were pressuring to stay pregnant, as long as the fetus was carried to term. After that, it was not their headache. I think these women are a living argument that women need a non-procreative purpose in their lives as much as men do, because clearly, this was all about them - channeling all that hunger for purpose into one of the few areas where the menfolk in their lives and churches would recognize and support their authority and effectiveness. Ugh.

Anyway, thanks again! I am a frequent reader and fan, but seldom have time to post.

Best,
MG

I’ve always thought that it was the Hyde amendment, more than anything else, that gutted abortion access, but then I come from a country with a public health system, so I look at things a little differently.

Both of those cases were based on the presumption that “a pregnant woman [would have] the same choices as if the State had chosen” not to provide any healthcare, or had chosen “not to operate any public hospitals at all.” However, this has proven to not be the case. States are heavily involved in the market for low-income health services. Combined with regulations on clinics, State refusals of service do place women in a significantly worse position.

These restrictive statutes should not be challenged individually, where each alone is not an “undue burden.” The statutes have a unified purpose, and they should be analyzed in relation to each other.