Welcome to Gilead

[Soph0571]

Forced pregnancies and neighbours legislating every woman’s wombs is the future for every woman in Texas. Inform on your neighbours’ reproductive choices and get a bounty… how very very Nazi… after all Hitler loved getting neighbours and families to report on each other.

Apart from this just being abhorrent on its face, have they given any thought to the fact that for the vast majority of people $10k is a large amount of money. Never mind the far right trying to find cases for cruelty and under his eye giggles, what about all those people who think accusing someone of this ‘crime’ is an easy way to make a few bucks and never mind the impact on the medical professionals and women involved.

Just when you think they cannot get more hideous… SURPRISE!

[no_hypocrisy]

1. If Texas hasn't already, I can see the ban of home pregnancy tests, so

women will be forced to go to medical clinics and/or doctors to confirm a pregnancy which will be recorded and her name sent to the State.

BTW, how does that $10K bounty work anyway? If you can get an abortion up to 6 weeks, then according to this new law, you can have it. Why would a third party collect the reward money? If you're 6+ weeks, wouldn't it be unlawful for a medical facility to perform an abortion, so why pay $10K? Is the $10K for third party who turns in a pregnant women attempting to leave the state with an embryo/fetus that obviously belongs to Texas, not the woman?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Many women 6 weeks pregnant do not know it. This law of course hits poor women the hardest

... women of colour more than not, women who do not have much access to health care or money for it and are less likely to know being pregnant.

[FakeNoose]

11. Home pregnancy tests can still be mail ordered from out of state

But I agree with you that $10K bounty is asking for trouble. All sorts of ugliness is going to ensue, including blackmail and other forms of coercion.

[no_hypocrisy]

15. How this "law" can play out:

You're 16. You're knocked up. Nobody knows but your home pregnancy test. You tell a girlfriend who can't keep a secret. She tells another who wants that $10K. You're turned into the authorities. You have the baby and they have the $10K.

[FakeNoose]

23. Sure, and what about teenage boys who knock their girlfriends up?

Turn in the girlfriend and get a pretty nice payday.

This bounty law is a disaster in the making.

[no_hypocrisy]

26. Beg to differ: unless you're claiming you're not the father, you get $10K but

end up with child support.

[FakeNoose]

27. This stupid law will be abused for lots of reasons

[obamanut2012]

2. Under His eye

[moose65]

3. Blessed be the fruit

[Ingersollman]

6. Praise

be.

[obamanut2012]

28. May the Lord open!

[hamsterjill]

51. I was SO happy when June started to fight back.

We all may be called upon to find a little “June” in each of us at some point.

[calimary]

4. Disgusting as all hell!

Forced pregnancy or else. And people voted for this bastard…

[Volaris]

5. If were going with your body, but NOT your choice, the same 10 large

Should apply to reporting your neighbors who wont go get their fucking covid shots. Because fuck these people, that's why.

Yes, your honor, I'd like you to order the state to give me my 100k, since all 10 of my immediate coworkers are abject morons.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. Espionage in the Neighborhood

Sure-lock homes, procreation detective at your service

When will they focus on men? Because, if men don't put it in the right place, you know, it's sort of an aborted path, isn't it?

[bringthePaine]

8. survey sez reset: let Texas secede, then take them with military, and re-establish democracy

[COL Mustard]

21. They Want Out, Let 'Em Go

But we take all Federal property with us or demand compensation. Take out all the Military bases and assets, and all the National Guard equipment, make them pay for all Federal buildings, hey...what could go wrong?

I'm serious.

[alfredo]

50. Good idea. Or give women refugee status if faced with an unwanted pregnancy.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. White Texas males claim "my body my choice" for not vaxing, but won't let women choose

They have it backwards. Vaccinating is about the "body politic" -- the public body, public health. Not so much a personal choice as a public choice.

Pregnancy is about one person's body, the woman's body. Her choice.

But Texas RepuliQons are science-hating bigots.

[Best_man23]

12. I've said that Gilead will become a reality

If people choose to do or say nothing. This is what the Republicants and the GQP want to bring to America.

[KS Toronado]

13. Texas needs a $10,000 bounty on politicians caught lying to voters.

[multigraincracker]

14. Poor girls get unwanted babies and rich girls

get a European vacation. That's how it use to work.

[no_hypocrisy]

16. Of COURSE your neighbors will turn you in.

I've known neighbors who called the Police regarding other neighbors having marital arguments and the results have been the imposition of restraining orders when there was no violence, no fear, no nothing. (The fighting couples were doing just that - fighting.) Imagine Gladys Kravitz (Bewitched) filling up her days calling in for pregnant neighbors and going "Ca-Ching!" as she hangs up.

[Soph0571]

19. AND the anti-choice republican woman will be no safer that pro choice women

...

[The Blue Flower]

17. Next step: period police

Will they be checking to make sure you bought tampons or pads this month?

[Pepsidog]

18. Handmaid's Tale comes to real life. I watched the first season of Handmaid's Tale

and was so disgusted I couldn’t watch the other seasons. I sis, however, mention to my wife and 2 adult daughters that the story is really not that far fetched. My wife thought I was being ridiculous but it looks like Republican run states are seriously trying to return to a time when women have no rights. I went to law school in Texas in the 80’s and loved it but these Christian fascists were nit the dominate force.

[COL Mustard]

20. Get Out The Stasi Training Manual

Neighbors informing on neighbors...been done before.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

22. It's not as simple as calling the cops, amazingly. The person reporting the abortion has to file

suit against the clinic, the doctor or the person getting the abortion. It's not nearly as easy as calling the cops, but what it does to is establish a disturbing precedent by divesting local authorities of their law-enforcement duties and leaving it to individuals. It's ugly, and it's got wider implications than just abortion access.

[lindysalsagal]

39. Lots of lousy lawyers will make it their sole practice issue.

Up to the judges to shut this crap down.

[LymphocyteLover]

24. the cruelty is unfathomable

It's just astounding any lawmaker could pass this evil thing, but they are Republicans after all.

[AZ8theist]

25. Flood the courts with accusations that each Repuke politicians wife.....

....is "suspected" of having an abortion.

Problem solved.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

31. The "accusation" comes in the form of a lawsuit. If you flood the court with lawsuits against

Republicans' wives, you'll probably end up with a frivolous lawsuit issue. The whole setup is diabolical.

[AZ8theist]

37. Probably...but...

If enough Repukes find themselves defending their wives in court, maybe they will realize this NAZI law has backfired.

[lindysalsagal]

40. Where do I donate?

I'm serious. This will become a funding war. On both sides. This will finally activate the silent bystanders to activate anti-church pacs. Freedom From Religion might lead the way.

[soldierant]

49. Oh, heavens, not all from the same person.

Surely a pool of plaintiffs can be built for a good cause.

[wnylib]

33. Excellent idea. I like the way you think.

[PatSeg]

29. That is horrifying

[marble falls]

30. It ain't over. The Courts have consistently overthown all these stupid laws.

[Solly Mack]

32. I keep replaying the season 4 finale over in my mind.

When they make our oppression legal, they break the social contract. Any degree of oppression is an attack. They've shown their hearts and minds, no point in trying to reason with them.

[ancianita]

34. Women under surveillance should get. out.

[flying_wahini]

35. Then the Baby Daddy will get a forced vasectomy, right? Right?

[Blue Owl]

36. K&R for exposure

[SCantiGOP]

38. The courts will throw this law out, but

If it did go into effect, I would imagine major boycotts and sanctions against Texas
from citizens and companies.

[CrackityJones75]

41. So why not 10k to help new mothers and fathers?

Always punitive.

[milestogo]

42. So now they're paying vigilantes.

[Bettie]

43. So, does this mean if you leave the state to have

an abortion, they can turn you in?

WTF is wrong....never mind. Assholes who think they need to punish women for having sex.

[electric_blue68]

44. Well, this is hideous, and terrifying!

Having watched THT (and read the book in the '80s)...

My mind wants to reject this!

Hopefully the courts....
Boycotts... Etc

[NullTuples]

46. One way this might play out...

1. Law goes into effect
2. National, well funded Christian group on the Gov's speed dial immediately files a claim against a clinic
3. ACLU takes them to court, hold gets put on enforcement of the law
4. Bounty gets paid to Christian group helping to fund their court fight, paid by taxpayers.

[nolabear]

47. The claims of reward aren't quite accurate.

The offer as I understand it is that they receive the $10,000 if they report and successfully bring about a suit. It’s a huge risk for an individual, but I can easily imagine anti-abortion organizations backing people who do. It’s horrific.

[musette_sf]

52. Those organizations

have very deep pockets and are very stealthily funded. They will be quite willing to spend much, much more than $10K to get an actual bounty successfully paid out. The fodder for their propaganda hate sites and social media accounts will be worth (to them) whatever they have to pay to prop up a “successful” bounty payment.

[BGBD]

48. Texas politicians make a hard rightward push

In a state that is rapidly turning purple is....interesting....to say the least.

Texas is just California but 30ish years behind. 30 years from now a republican being elected statewide in Texas will be unimaginable. Moves like this will speed that up as new arrivals and suburban voters will further revolt. Republicans can't win in places like this by purely appealing to rural voters. We already see that happening in Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Virginia, and Colorado. North Carolia and Texas are ahead on that list

[tclambert]

53. I worried Republicans would watch "The Handmaid's Tale" and make notes for future policies

they wanted to implement. I have the same worry about "The Purge" movies.

[uriel1972]

54. They didn't have to read or see it...

It's the natural progression from their ideology/religion.

[sanatanadharma]

55. In Texas every once-was pregnant woman will have had a "miscarriage"...

Hence forward, in Texas every once-was pregnant woman will have had a miscarriage and (with HIPPA) it can't be proved otherwise.
Texas will be known as an unsafe state with an unexplained high incidence of miscarriage.

This law is all hat and no cattle because no one except the women and the medical professionals can know an abortion occurred.
Without valid knowledge, legally obtained, who can petition the courts without admitting a crime?

[KY_EnviroGuy]

56. Evangelical mega-churches are BIG bidnees in Texas and....

they most likely wrote and fueled this law through the legislature. They will turn it into their new Crusade.

Abbott is just keeping the right-wing Christian contributions flowing to GOP coffers.....

As others have said, this law is unlikely to pass muster in the courts but the GOP does not care. They've scored their points with all the Rethug minions and will get their votes on election day.

KY......