As many of you know, I’ve had a miscarriage. It sucked. It still sucks. However, when I read articles about how Utah wants to be able to prosecute women who have miscarriages, it makes me angry. Why? Over 15% – 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. That’s just nature’s way of handling an nonviable pregnancy.
The bill responds to a case in which a Vernal woman allegedly paid a man $150 to beat her and cause miscarriage but could not be charged. The Senate approved criminalizing a woman’s “intentional, knowing, or reckless act” leading to a pregnancy’s illegal termination. But here’s the problem — what is a knowing reckless act? If you eat tuna and have a miscarriage, is that reckless? If you fall down while pregnant, can you be charged (and the answer is yes because it happened in Iowa). Writing for RH Reality Check, Rachel Larris says,
Using the legal standard of “reckless behavior” all a district attorney needs to show is that a woman behaved in a manner that is thought to cause miscarriage, even if she didn’t intend to lose the pregnancy. Drink too much alcohol and have a miscarriage? Under the new law such actions could be cause for prosecution.
That terrifies me. I was sent to the ER when I miscarried. It was a Friday night and my OBGYN wanted me to get checked out even though we both knew what was happening. Would I have went knowing that I chanced going to jail because somebody didn’t like me, the way I dress, or anything I said? Hell, no. Heck, I had 2 different OBGYN’s for my pregnancies and both gave me different rules to follow. If the doctor’s can’t agree, how the heck am I suppose to know if something I did caused a miscarriage. Heck, I have an irritable uterus, so I’m most likely just screwed since my body doens’t like being pregnant and puts me into preterm labor. I know, you are stating that they won’t go after the “good” people. However, if you read the Iowa story, they do.
I’d love to know what you all think. Is this legislation taking it tad too far?
If you are not guilty, you should talk to the police, right? Wrong! By watching these two videos that I embedded below, I learned how the police can manipulate what you say and find you guilty of something you may have done! They are long, but very interesting to see the police tactics. This talk was given at a law school (I think). This first video is by an attorney:
The second video is a police officer who pretty much tells you how he gets people to admit their guilt:
So what do you think? Will you talk to the police without your lawyer present?
I’ve gotten this same email about five times now, so I wanted to give everyone a heads up that if you tend to give gift cards around the holidays, you need to be careful that the cards will be honored after the holidays. Stores that are planning to close after Christmas are still selling the cards through the holidays even though the cards will be worthless January 1. There is no law preventing them from doing this. Below is a partial list of stores that you need to be cautious about:
Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)
Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide closing
Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine’s to close 150 stores nationwide
Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
Cache will close all stores
Talbots closing down specialty stores
J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)
Pacific Sunwear (also owne d by Talbots)
GAP closing 85 stores
Footlocker closing 140 stores mo re to close after January
Wickes Furniture closing down
Levitz closing down remaining stores
Bombay closing remaining stores
Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
Whitehall closing all stores
Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )
Macys to close 9 stores after January
Linens and Things closing all stores
Movie Galley Closing all stores
Pep Boys Closing 33 stores
Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
Wilson Leather closing down all stores
Sharper Image closing down all stor~s
K B Toys closing 356 stores
Loews to close down some stores
Dillard’s to close some stores
(If any of these stores are wrong, let me know so I can correct it. Snopes has confirmed some of these)
I am not sure if this made the national media yet or not. However, my Cook County Sheriff has stopped evicting people from foreclosed properties. They have found that a good percentage of people they were throwing out of their houses were renters who did nothing wrong and didn’t even know that the house they were living in was being foreclosed. From now on, banks will have to present his office with a court affidavit that proves the home’s occupant is either the owner or has been properly notified of the foreclosure proceedings. Illinois law requires that renters be notified that their residence is in foreclosure and they will be evicted in 120 days. However, it is evident, that isn’t happening.
“My job as sheriff is to follow court orders, absolutely,” he said. “But I’m also in charge of making sure justice is being done here and it is clear that justice is not being done here.”
Bravo Tom Dart! Since this isn’t an election year for you, I am glad to see that you are standing up for the little people. I doesn’t surprise me that you are already being sued for this decision. However, I personally think you are doing the right thing!
Of all our modern conveniences that we have, what can’t you live without? In my house, it would have to be disposable diapers and cell phones. My son, aka the pooping machine, has so many dirty diapers a day that I would seriously go insane if I had to wash all those. Seriously, the kid poops a minimum of four times daily. My other convenience has to be cell phones. I remember a time when you only used your cell phone for an emergency because otherwise, it was sooooo expensive. However, in time, prices have come down, and people actually get rid of their landlines for these. I can’t imagine not being able to get ahold of my husband at the drop of hat like I can now. He is often driving from job site to job site, so without this convenience, I wouldn’t know where he was or if he got stuck in traffic on the way home. I couldn’t call him to pick up a gallon of needed milk either.
When Madison had to get stitches (this is when she was 2), it was a day that Bill forgot his cell phone at home. I can’t tell you what a pain it was to try and get ahold of him. I had her at an Urgent Care, and my mother in law called my father in law who called the office that Bill was at to let him know to come home. It is almost scary how much we rely on cell phones.
Speaking of convenience, you should check out the coupons here to get yourself some Yoplait yogurt. Can you imagine life without the convenience of plastic? I know, me neither! Thank you PBN for this great coupon!