An Ohio Bill Requires Women to Get a Permission Slip from a Man Before Having an Abortion

What is happening to a woman's right to choose? Ohio republican representative John Adams has introduced a bill that if passed, will require all Ohio women to obtain written notice from the father of the fetus before an abortion can be legally performed.

Supporters of the bill claim that it gives fathers a say in whether or not an abortion can take place. However, the wording of the bill specifically places the final decision solely with the father. The bill does not say that the father must be notified about an abortion. The bill specifically says that, "no person shall perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman without the written informed consent of the father of the fetus". The father must put in writing that he consents to the abortion in order for the abortion to be legally performed under this bill. This gives the father of the baby the sole choice as to whether or not an abortion will be performed. If the father of the baby does not put it in writing that he agrees with the abortion, then the woman's right to choose is taken away and the abortion cannot be legally performed according to the wording of the bill. This bill takes away a woman's right to choose and places the decision solely with the man.

The idea that the bill gives the father rights is a clever disguise. This propaganda is very manipulative. Generally in America when we hear that a bill will enable individuals to have rights we are collectively in favor. The general school of thought is something along the lines of: restricting rights is bad, more rights are good. This bill takes away women's rights and hands them off to men. This bill is not a progressive step in the right direction.

The proposal of this bill is demeaning and dangerous for all women. It is amazing that in 2007 we have a man sitting in a position of power in the government who is actually proposing that women need to obtain a written permission slip from a man before having an abortion performed. Some of the degrading ideas within the bill include: