Teresa Fedor, a Democratic member of the Ohio State House of Representatives, did an incredibly brave thing?this week?during the debate on a bill to ban all abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. She stood in opposition to the bill and admitted that she’d had an abortion after being raped while serving in the military.
The reaction from one of her Republican colleagues? He laughed at what she was saying. That’s right. He callously and hideously laughed as Ms. Fedor revealed what had to be one of the most painful memories of her life. Just how insensitive can a person possibly be?
During the debate, Fedor rose and told her colleagues:
?I’ve heard all your scenarios, and I respect that. But you don’t respect my reason. My rape. My abortion. And I guarantee you, there are other women who should stand up with me and be courageous enough to speak that voice.?
At this point on the video, which you can view below, the sound of laughter can be heard. Fedor later said she didn’t know who the culprit was, but added:
?I don’t want government in my business. I want my freedom. I fought in the military for that freedom. And for all those women in the military who were raped?I see people laughing; I don’t appreciate that on the other side. And it happens to be a man who’s laughing. I don’t know if it’s about what I’m saying, but this is serious business right now, and I’m speaking for all the women in the state of Ohio who didn’t get the opportunity to be in front of that committee and make this statement.?
The bill, which eventually passed the Republican-controlled House by a vote of 55-40, would ban abortions as early as six weeks of gestation and does not include an exemption for pregnancies which are the result of rape.
GOP Representative Christina Hagan, who co-sponsored the bill, did what most anti-choice zealots do and appealed to emotion instead of reason and science:
?I’ll tell you what we know for certain. An unborn child has a beating heart. Should we allow that heart to be stopped? This legislation would honor life at the first detectable heartbeat by providing appropriate protection of the law to that unborn and unique individual.?
What continually confounds me is how Republicans want to give endless rights to those who have yet to be born, but once those same children are in this world, they seem bound and determined to cut every program which could possibly help the children and their families. It is that dichotomy which reveals the GOP to be what they truly are: heartless.
Watch The Video Of Teresa Fedor’s Speech below.
