News From the War Against Women

As Dahlia Lithwick, writing in Slate, observes: This week, the Virginia state Legislature passed a bill that would require women to have an ultrasound before they may have an abortion. Because the great majority of abortions occur during the first 12 weeks, that means most women will be forced to have a transvaginal procedure, in which a probe is inserted into the vagina, and then moved around until an ultrasound image is produced.

A woman who wants an abortion

Will be punished for thinking such thoughts.

It’s a new form of right-wing extortion

That carries quite personal costs.

For most of the women involved

A vaginal probe there must be

To get the sound image resolved.

The lawmakers even agree

There’s no medical need for this law.

The aim of this shameful abuse

Is simply to stop or forestall

A woman’s freedom to choose.

The right’s against all intrusions

Into freedoms that governments take,

But they come to quite different conclusions

When it’s a woman whose rights are at stake.