Ohio's Proposed Heartbeat Bill

By Sarah Mann

The issue of abortion rights has been at a new height over the past few weeks. Abortion rights activism has been one of the leading social issues of our generation and recently in Ohio there has been a new twist in the potential for state restriction of this federal right.

House bill 125 or the “heartbeat bill” was set forth by Ohio Republican Rep. Lynn Wachtmann in February to ban abortions once a heartbeat is detectable on an ultrasound.  As of right now there is no specific timeline regarding how many days along a woman must be in her pregnancybefore this restriction might take place, but it is known that as early as 18 days a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

Since 1973, the Roe v. Wade case decision brought legal abortion to all women in the United States, and this heartbeat bill is by far the most aggressive challenge since its passage.       

Prior to researching more about abortion laws and rights, I have to admit I was a bit confused as to how legislators in Ohio could essentially overturn this 1973 Supreme Court decision to legalize abortions.  Then I realized it was because they justified this bill as a restriction to an abortion. 

Although abortions are technically legal in all 50 states, many states have made them more difficult to obtain than others. Many states have demanded mandatory ultrasounds, parental consent if underage and even a 72 hour waiting period prior to an abortion, but no restriction as gone as far as Ohio.

During the case on March 2, two Ohio women, both supporters of the bill, took the stand and had ultrasounds preformed on their 9 week and 15 week old fetuses. Controversy over the depiction of these women who are suppose to, in effect, represent all women in Ohio, was conveyed by Kellie Copeland, spokesperson for NARAL Pro-Choice in Ohio.

"They were used as props, and women are not props. Women are citizens and we deserve the right to protect or have them to make their own decisions.  I don't think Lynn Wachtmann or anybody else should be able to make decisions for every woman which is exactly what they're trying to do."

Since Republicans control all aspects of Ohio state's government, it is likely that this bill will in fact pass.  The United States Supreme Courtonce again has a conservative edge with John Roberts as its Chief Justice.  If the Ohio law were to be appealed to the Supreme Court, it may be upheld.   

When looking into any critical social controversy I like to look to both sides and see why people see things so differently.  And when watching a video on www.heartbeatbill.com, a woman emphatically asks for support on the bill and discusses the need for defenders for unborn fetuses.

 What I have interpreted from many pro-life activists is that it’s pro-life v. pro-abortion, and I don’t believe this is really the case.

 I consider myself pro-choice, not because I agree with the procedure of abortion, but with the choice its gives us.  The bottom line, for me anyways, is that there simply has to be the option, the choice, the opportunity because if that’s taken away from us we all know the procedures certainly won’t stop, they will just get dangerous and unsafe.

I believe this is what all the pro-life activists aren’t addressing.  That is the real issue.  It’s not that I, as a pro-choice supporter, believe that terminating a pregnancy is good or ok, but I understand that taking away the option to abort a fetus will only lead back to the dangerous road of back alley abortions and unsafe conditions.

For an update, check out the Jezebel article!

Chico State Vagina Monologues Review

By Sarah Mann

200 interviews conducted, 15 years performed, and limitless reactions, the Vagina Monologues have truly evoked an array of emotions in me.

In its 12^th year of production at Chico State, the Vagina Monologues have never failed to bring in a full audience. 

Presented by Associated Student Women’s Center, the Vagina Monologues had its annual spring production this past weekend in the Bell Memorial Union Auditorium.  

Now for those of you, who, like me before this weekend, have little to no knowledge about the creation and basis for the Vagina Monologues, here you go.

It all began in 1996 when a woman named Eve Ensler interviewed 200 women and asked them questions relating to their relationships, sexuality, and violence against women. The responses she got led her to, well, develop a great interest in vaginas. What it seems she gathered is the thought that a way to gain female empowerment is to gain the empowerment of one’s vagina. A parallel if you will.

After a few years of production, however, the idea and intention of the Vagina Monologues changed form, from a celebration of vaginas to campaign the end violence against women.  This is where the V-Day movement comes into play.

V-Day is a movement also started by Ensler in an effort to end violence against women and girls.  Through the thousands of annual benefit performances of the Vagina Monologues, preformed in 45 different languages in 130 different countries, V-Day has raised awareness and of course funds. 

This simple statement encompasses everything V-day and the Vagina Monologues represent.

“V-Day dreams of a world in which women and girls will be free to thrive, rather than merely survive” – V-day website

SO anyways, before viewing my first Vagina Monologue, I wanted to get a bit of background and that is what I learned. 

As a first time intern at the AS Women’s Center, and someone who has never taken a women studies course in her life, I have to admit that I fell into that horrible  margin of people who get uncomfortable, make inappropriate jokes, and are simply ignorant about the purpose of what the Vagina Monologues is. 

The stigma that comes along with the words vagina, feminist, and even sex, completely gets torn down after witnessing this phenomenal presentation of activism. Every single one of these monologues encompassed topics from sex and mutilation to emotions of anger and pleasure. From each monologue comes a theme of general female empowerment, yet some are easier to detect then others. Names of these monologues ranged from “My Angry Vagina” to “Reclaiming Cunt” to this year’s annual spotlight act called “Myriam.” 

Barb Foy, a cast member of this year’s production couldn’t contain her enthusiasm for the importance of what the Vagina Monologues mean to her, “It has empowered me as a woman,” Foy said, “It has to be done in every city in the world!”  

My first exposure to this production was during a Tuesday night rehearsal last week.  I was taking pictures of the different cast members and then all of the sudden I witnessed “The women who loved to make vaginas happy.”

My initial reaction to this act, which included varied orgasm moans, was shock, then laughter, then true empowerment.  Just after watching one of these real life stories brought to life on the stage, a feeling of riotousness washed over me and I felt the need to jump up on the stage and join those amazing women.

So the bottom line: go see it!