In a continuing effort to both curb access to abortion and reiterate their own opinion that there is never any situation where abortion could be necessary for a patient's well-being, the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts has decided in favor of revoking Dr. Ann Neuhaus's medical license. Neuhaus, a colleague of Dr. George Tiller, assisted him by providing second opinions for mental health exceptions for late abortions.
According to the Associated Press, Neuhaus was hoping to have her full medical license restored after spending years only allowed to provide limited medical care for charity work. Instead, an ongoing investigation into 11 patient cases obtained by Operation Rescue became the center of a movement to have her license stripped all together.
The cases all involved girls who sought abortions due to mental health issues from depression to suicide, with an age range from 17 years old to as young as 10. The board alleged that Neuhaus's exams were not thorough enough based on the available records provided, and that her follow up care was inadequate, as she did not recommend counseling or hospitalization afterwards.
Neuhaus called the accusations ridiculous. She said she refused to put too much identifying information in the records because she knew that they could eventually end up in the hands of outsiders and violate the patients' privacy. As for abortions not being necessary, Neuhaus found that laughable as well.
"To even claim that isn't medically necessary qualifies as gross incompetence," said Neuhaus. "Someone's 10 years old, and they were raped by their uncle and they understand that they've got a baby growing in their stomach and they don't want that. You're going to send this girl for a brain scan and some blood work and put her in a hospital?"
I don't care what your argument is, forcing a child to spend nine months with a constant reminder of her rape growing inside of her body, and then forcing her to go though the pain of childbirth is simply to add layers of trauma onto an already devastating incident in her life.
This insanity has to stop!
I agree with you, Gryphen. That is absolutely ridiculous. This child has been abused and yet they want her to have the baby...that's additional abuse!!! Does her life and well being not matter to these Pro Lifers? Seems to me that this is hypocrisy in its truest form.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question:
DeleteNO, it does not make a difference whether this barely pubescent girl's life is at stake.
I could go on but most of us agree:
Fanatics are insane on more levels than any insanity defense can address.
fromthediagonal
The only life that matters is the unborn - and once s/he is born, s/he no longer matters. Talk about Catch 22 with the unfortunate pregnant child/woman in the middle with no where to turn.
DeleteDamn these "pro-lifers" (what a poor description of their hate) all to hell!
Amen Gryphen!
ReplyDeleteAmerican Taliban.
ReplyDeleteAmen.
DeleteWe are the most screwed up nation!!! Get the religious nuts and Republicans currently serving in office OUT of our private business and OUT of office and we just might like living in the USA!
ReplyDeleteThat little girl should have an abortion - if I were her mother, know I'd be looking for a doctor to provide the service.
Yes, vote these people out or, if they are appointed, vote the people out who are responsible for putting into the position to wage this insane war against females of all ages.
DeleteMy question is - did her uncle go to prison?
My guess to your last question is, no. He probably got a pat on the back and a box of cigars to pass out.
DeleteRepublicans are simply assholes.
ReplyDeleteThat's why we need to turn out the vote against them in November!
DeleteIt is not enough for any of us to sit and complain - we have to DO something, make sure we and other like-minded people vote.
Sure, allow the fetus to grow into baby who that 10 or 11 year old could never be expected to care and provide for. That is, if the baby survives the term of the pregnancy or even the birth process, for that matter. That's the only solution, regardless of the risks and ramifications?
ReplyDeleteWhat about the potential risks to the life and health of the 10 year old child? Should she potentially be punished with death for the crime of her "uncle"? Then, assuming the fetus manages to grow and thrive to the point of birth, what about any health issues of the child, assuming it survives the birth process? Who's going to pay for the child to be cared for? What about any long-term health problems? Does the "uncle" have parental rights? What about the welfare of the child who was raped? What about the welfare of her family? any other members of the "uncle's" family who are not to blame for any of his actions?
Too many questions, those I mentioned plus a thousand others I couldn't begin to think of, are left unanswered by just assuming that the "pro-life" option --- forcing the pregnancy to advance towards birth under any circumstances--- is the ONLY outcome considered in making the decision.
This is gut-wrenching. Come on folks in Kansas and those like-minded elsewhere, think! What if it were YOUR daughter, YOUR little sister, YOUR grandchild...
Where is the empathy for all of the other "lives" of folks involved in the matter? And who is being "pro-life" in any way toward any of their lives?
You've beautifully articulated everything that crossed my mind as I read this piece, especially the part about the 'uncle' having parental rights -- would he pay child support and have visitation or would be imprisoned?
DeleteIt's unbelievable that the life of the living, breathing 10-year-old who had to suffer such a horrific event matters not to these folks who seem so hell bent on punishing others to push their agenda.
Of course if the child in question were their daughter, sister, or granddaughter, arrangements certainly would have been made and all their anti-choice propaganda would go right out the window.
Well stated.
DeleteThe thought that also crossed my mind is the effect of medications to control mental issues, being forced to go through withdrawal and the possible risks to the growing fetus and baby having the risk of going through withdrawal. How can a child's mind possibly process all of this?
Yeah boy! Gotta love those hypocritical rethuglican Nazis. If men could get pregnant, this would be a non-issue.
ReplyDeleteYou got that right! Men would be popping birth control pills like tic-tacs.
DeleteAnother prime example of the Pro-Fetus crowd. All about the fetus, not a care after they're born! The insanity has to stop!!
ReplyDeleteGood point - they should be called the pro-fetus crowd. That is the beginning and end of their interest.
DeleteThey are anti-sex, anti-sex education, anti-contraception, anti-post fetal life. Damn them all to their feared Hell. They are earning their invitation to it with every asshat decision they make.
The stench from the hypocrisy of "pro-lifers" toward the "lives of others" is unbearable.
ReplyDeleteThe radical right's war on women (and girls!) continues.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the new millenium.............
ReplyDeletewhich looks very much like the old millennium.
Deleteactually, it doesn't. there was quite a bit of progress for humanity and humaneness last millenium. These TeaTHUGlican asshats want to regress to the millenium before the last.
DeleteI feel as though I am about to vomit. This story is emblematic of the rampant fanaticism of the extreme pro-lifers. Were this little 10-year-old girl their own child, I wonder how they would justify forcing her to endure pregnancy resulting from rape. MY GOD, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?
ReplyDeletePlus, a ten-year-old's body just can't carry a baby--it isn't fully developed yet.
ReplyDeleteMore than likely, the 10-year-old wouldn't be able to carry to full-term, and if she did, she might die.
VERY HIGH RISK
Yeah,
ReplyDeleteTalk to people who actually work at centers. They get a lot of their protestors coming in to receive services (on the sly). They are against it for everybody else. Their case is special.
http://www.lifeandlibertyforwomen.org/drama/dr_smith_story.html
The 10yr old is an extremely high risk pregnancy. My husband's aunt was a OB/GYN nurse. Their rural hospital wouldn't even touch a pregnancy where the mother was 12 years old or under. Simply put, the child's body is not yet ready to carry a pregnancy to term. The girl under 15 is five times more likely to die of complications of pregnancy than a woman over 20. Worldwide, pregnancy is the largest cause of death in women 15-19. The doctor was probably saving the girl's life.
ReplyDeleteSo, the center wouldn't touch a pregnancy of a girl under 12? What was she supposed to do - go home and wait for her doom? Gees, I understand it is probably based on liability issues, but how can any medical professional turn their back to a child in such need?
DeleteThe doctor may have lost her license, but she gained respect, and the blessing of those who truly do value life and love children. She is truly an American Hero.
I doubt most 10 yr olds could survive giving birth and the mental damage would be unbearable even if she did.
ReplyDeleteA am a rape survivor, a very violent rape. I was a young woman and it was back in the day of the 10 day pregnancy tests. Unfortunately my husband and I had been trying to get pregnant, I told him right out I could not and would not carry and baby that may have been my rapists, he agreed that it would just be too much for me mentally. Luckily I wasn't pregnant, but waiting those days to see if I was after waiting those days before a pregnancy test could be effective were damaging enough to my mental health.
It wouldn't matter if the patient were 40 instead of 10, no one should ever be forced to carry a rapist's (relative or stranger) insemination to term.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
Deleteftd
Unfortunately, Anonymous, rape was one of the ways - in the bible - in which a man could marry. If raped a virgin, the man would be required to provide the father with 50 shekels of silver AS COMPENSATION FOR HIS LOSS (and that would be the FATHER'S loss) and then the woman was forced to marry the rapist. And these idiots seem to want to go back to that crap!
DeleteChristianity is a plague upon females as are most religions. It's just that the Jesus-freaks in America have embraced the most regressive aspects of their faith and forgotten about the true message of Christ.
DeleteWell said. A 10 yr old is still a baby herself. The horrific ordeal that poor girl went through could very well have mentally screwed her up for life, and like that's not bad enough she gets pregnant from it! My heart goes out to her. Nobody deserves to be put through that but for the people who think otherwise, picture YOU or your DAUGHTER or a loved one raped and a child growing inside her as a suck reminder every second of every day for 9 months tgen labor. Is it ok now? Sick people who, until it happens to them will never get it. Kudos to the doctor who had the curate and compassion to help this little girl.
DeleteGet that girl to another state. Or country, if it comes to that.
ReplyDeleteIn Kansas now, the state can go after anyone (even the mother of a girl) who tries to take a girl or woman outside the state for an abortion. They mean business - prison time.
DeleteRepublicans want us to believe that all life is sacred. What about the life of this 10-year-old child, isn't sacred?
ReplyDeleteWhat about the douche bag that did this to her?
What is his punishment? Going to jail on the taxpayers' dime, and while he's there he'll be getting three hots and a cot, and health care? Is that really justice?!?
Probably the rapist was not caught or charged with anything. Forcing a child to bear a child is her punishment. Women, no matter what their age, are always the guilty parties to people with this peculiar, evil and vengeful mindset.
DeleteWhy anyone in their right mind would want to live in Kansas is beyond me. Sometimes I wish all these crazy right wingnut states would just go away and form their own crazy country. The problem is, I live in Louisiana....
ReplyDeleteYeah, know what you mean. We've allowed these crazies to invade our school systems, our legislatures and agencies such as this medical panel.
DeleteWe've not bee vigilant. They've rooted themselves into our midst and are running the show even in states where moderates might predominate because of the apathy of eligible voters.
True, but there are people who don't have the means to re-locate, and in all probability, they're the ones most affected by these yahoos.
DeleteThese damned fools WILL NOT accept anything anyone with a brain would say. They want to go back to the way things were in the Biblical times, when the MEN were in total control and the women were PROPERTY! Not only that, but they flat refuse to accept that human beings are animals. They seem to prefer to think the species is special and not of the other groupings we use. Well, DUH!, we aren't minerals. We aren't vegetables (although I believe a lot of those people have the IQ's of vegetables). We aren't viruses (although sometimes I think Man is really a virus that should be stamped out for the good of the planet!). That leaves ANIMAL. But GOD created Man in his own image, therefore Man is separate. So terminating a fetus is destroying God's work. They don't give a DAMN that every time they fill their bellies with meat they are doing the same thing! Religion? PAH!
ReplyDeleteIt only takes two or three functioning brain cells to figure out why a ten year old girl should not be forced to carry a fetus to term. It also takes compassion and people who have matured to the stage of adult and have the ability to understand everything is not black and white. Unfortunately those immature, moronic, uncompassionate people have gotten into power all over the country. Taking a license from a doctor who has a conscience to fulfill a twisted agenda is bullying.
ReplyDeleteIt's horrible. Please vote them out.
ReplyDeleteMany states don't elect people to these positions - they are appointed by elected officials. In Kansas, the far-right conservatives and fundamentalists have taken over most of the elected positions.
DeleteRemember, Kansas is a heavily rural state and the rural voter tends to be conservative to ultra conservative and hold views molded by their churches, which tend to be fundamentalist.
Kansas is where they have the alternate Pope. He lives in a small town, does the mass in Latin and his followers believe him to be the real Pope. He is also, surprise, ultra-conservative.
Sarah Palin's response to the question of pregnancy as a result of rape was "I would counsel to choose life and persuade them to choose life for their babies."
ReplyDeleteI don't remember Santorum's exact quote - something about a rough start in life but it's still a blessing from God.
I hate these assholes.
I thought we were living in the 21st century. Turns out it's still 1530. How is it that the United States didn't even exist during the Dark Ages and yet we are still living in them?
They are in power because the majority of people don't vote and would rather watch American Idol or surf for gossip on their favorite celebrities instead of focusing in on politics and who is trying to do what in terms of controlling their lives.
DeleteOther people are totally overwhelmed by trying to subsist in a society that only values wealth and good looks. They work more than one job, are trying to raise their kids and spend their worry time on issues of how to feed, clothe and provide medical care for their kids. Those folks cannot spare time for much else, though they are the very ones who need to pay attention most.
If we would all get off our duffs and vote, and volunteer to turn out the vote, to educate people about why elections are important and how they impact each person's life, perhaps we could turn things around.
Right now, we seem more content to bitch and moan, point the finger rather than lend a hand. We are so easily distracted by the sparkly, superficial issues. We have become lazy and uninformed. The powers that be on the right have nurtured this apathy and have planted fear instead of facts into lazy minds and hearts.
But remember Ricky santorum's wufe Karen DID abort her fetus very late term, now it was because there was a threat to her life but she had one. All those people that spout off want exceptions for themselves and no one else.
DeleteSex education? NO
ReplyDeleteBirth Control? NO
Bible babble instead of science? YES
Advocate pistol whipping nuns on the radio? YES
Exorcism? With a side of sex? Only unproven allegations at this point.
"ARLINGTON, Va. (CN) - A Roman Catholic priest "kissed (a woman) on all parts of her body" during a so-called "exorcism" session, and "frequently explained full, passionate kisses as 'blowing the Holy Spirit into' her," the woman claims in court."
http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/06/26/47809.htm
right now on the side bar is this link
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/26/1103258/--This-is-ridiculous-Harry-Reid-says-of-Rand-Paul-s-fetal-personhood-rider-on-flood-insurance-bill
We need to revamp the system and outlaw rider bills. Much evil has been done through these kinds of bills.
DeleteI believe Bristol Palin falls into today's subject. I believe that the "sad, hurtful" secret Levi refers to is that Bristol is a victim of early on sexual incest. I don't necessarily believe that any babies are products of incest, but I believe Bristol was used from an early age on and Sarah allowed it to happen because it happened to her and God is with her. Track and Willow know.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of your post, except I don't think the other girls are "untouched".
DeleteWant to let those people know what you think of their decision? Go here to get the board member names:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ksbha.org/board.html
Then send mail or call them at:
Kansas State Board of Healing Arts
800 SW Jackson, Lower Level - Suite A, Topeka, KS 66612
Phone: (785) 296-7413 - Toll Free: 1-888-886-7205 - Fax: (785) 296-0852
Want to see three of the folks who made this cruel and pointless decision, go here:
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/kansas-state-board-healing-arts-members-richard-macias-photo-204055963.html
Don't let their stupidity go unnoticed. Let them know you feel and ask them to justify their decision on non-religious grounds. I don't think they can without ginning stuff up. Being pro-life is not a scientific position, at least not in these people's eyes.
Thanks to any and every one who contacts them.
People, this is what you get when you let Republicans and Tea Party politicians govern. They pander to, support and appoint the most anal retentive, pseudo-religious (any real Christian would not be so cruel as to make a 10 year girl bear her rapist's child - they would exercise compassion, kindness in making decisions).
ReplyDeleteVote moderate or progressive Democrats into office from the local to the national level to avoid this kind of cruelty.
The people who claim to be "right to life" proponents do not care at all about the lives of the living, only about the lives of the "unborn," to use their own expression. How can any of them claim to be Christians? How can any sane human being force a ten year-old child to give birth to another child?
ReplyDeleteThey should ALL be required to adopt at least 3 of these babies. If that's not possible then provide direct monetary support. In addition, they should volunteer at nurseries, and other schools and see the effects on children who aren't "wanted".
DeleteAnon@3:05--I totally agree with you about requiring them to adopt and support some of the babies--three is a good number. Without that, I don't think they have any credibility on the subject.
DeleteMe, too, Angela, me too.
ReplyDeleteNow, what can we do to change and improve our country?
Dr. Neuhaus -- Please consider moving north to Canada. You'll be much, much happier and certainly more appreciated.
ReplyDeleteOkay, folks - the situation in Kansas could go from bad to much worse.
ReplyDeleteJack Wu attends the Westboro Baptist Church - you know the congregation/family run by the wacko Fred Phelps - is running for the Kansas State Board of Education. His platform? He believes evolution is a Satanic lie.
He wants to "make a difference in this evil city of Topeka and this perverse state of Kansas."
These are the kind of people who are trying to take over. BTW, he may be radical-sounding, but Republicans already on the board are upset that the new drafts of the Science standards support evolution.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/westboro-jack-wu_n_1628006.html
Please go to Wu's website and click on his Mission and Biography sections (both short) to see how his madness is clothed in Biblical zealotry - how he cares so much for the children - yeah, right.
Wu is so wrong but his views are not really so different from those who took away the license of this brave physician who wanted to protect young girls.
Ten years old, pregnant, raped by her uncle and scared again with the prospect of having to give birth. I can't imagine the nightmares, the fears this CHILD must be going through. TEN.YEARS.OLD!
ReplyDeleteThese Pro-Lifers are self-righteous, heartless, cruel and self-serving hypocrites. Where are the parents and why aren't they doing what is best for their child? Hasn't she suffered enough?
All of you that don't believe ANY abortion is necessary should have to go spend a year as a nurse in the NICU. (Neo-natal intensive care unit)
ReplyDelete...my daughter is a nurse and spent a year in the nicu, sometimes holding and caring for the poor babies that should have been aborted, but instead were brought to term, only to spend several hours or days in screaming agony before they died.
As I said: those of you who think those horrors are some kind of "God's plan" should have to care for those heartbreaking unfortunates...
...and then if you still don't believe any abortion is ever necessary then YOU should have your head examined. And have them check for a heart while they're at it.
I've been pro choice all my life, and it's stories like this that make me ill. To force a woman to give birth is bad enough, but these are innocent girls who's lives are already in turmoil, being forced to carry a fetus to term, when their bodies and minds aren't ready is insane.
ReplyDeleteThese girls didn't consent, they were raped. They deserve access to medical intervention, the risks are too high.
The pro lifer's aren't, they're pro fetus.
Off Topic, Norah Ephron passed on today. We've lost a truly talented human being. Rest In Peace.
Wen the victim is raped, maybe rather than calling it an abortion, call it a parasite removal because that is what it is.
ReplyDeleteCalling it something other than an abortion might make it more acceptable.
The number one cause of death for teenage girls is pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. has the highest rate of teen pregnancy of all the industrialized countries.
Do the math.
Well, in the case of the Repub1%can'ts I guess that doesn't work as they are education challenged.
I cannot be the only one who is sick of this subject. In 1973 we put this puppy to bed and it should have been the end of it. It's the Tea Party who has stirred this up again. I know it's always an issue but it's a non-issue. The Tea party members have lost their minds and it's time we put them out of our misery. She is a baby herself. How can anyone look at a 10 year old and see Mother? She is also mentally handicapped and raped by her uncle. Jesus, how much worse does this have to get? I promise.... if ANY of those assholes had a 10 year old daughter in this situation there would be an abortion. PROMISE!
ReplyDelete