Sen. Joan Bray angers male senators with comments on abortion bill
Bray
JEFFERSON CITY — The fallout from the Senate compromise on the abortion bill grew exponentially this morning.
Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mt. Vernon, chastised Sen. Joan Bray, D-University City, on the floor of the Senate this morning for her comments last night criticizing the “men” who control the abortion debate for disrespecting women. (More on that in a bit).
And the compromise that senators worked so hard at might have gone up in smoke. Anti-abortion lobbyists told key House members this morning that they oppose the compromise because they believe it undoes hard-fought for regulations in the informed consent law passed in 2003.
According to anti-abortion activist Sam Lee, the bill that came out of the Senate opens up the possibility that the existing informed consent laws would be put on hold during a possible legal challenge of the new law. That’s because of a provision that gives the Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic a 3-year pass on following the new law. Theoretically, Lee says, Planned Parenthood could sue over most of the law, but not that section. During the several years a court case might take, the 2003 provisions might not be enforceable, he said.
Lee sent a letter to House speaker pro tem Bryan Pratt this morning urging him to oppose the new abortion bill. The House could send it’s older version to the Senate, or it could seek a conference where compromise could be reached.
As for Goodman and Bray, their testy exchange this morning led Majority Floor Leader Kevin Engler to walk out at one point.
Last night, Bray gave an impassioned speech decrying what she called the sexism behind abortion bills year after year. Her strongest line implied that lawmakers were “pro-life” with their wives and “pro-choice” with their girlfriends. No senators responded to the line at the time.
But this morning Goodman called Bray’s remarks “highly offensive” and “slanderous.”
Goodman said Bray had insulted “decent, committed families” and Senate spouses who shoulder the job of being a single parent during the week when the Legislature is in session.
Bray responded that she was talking about the ethical culture of the Capitol.
“I did not say this chamber specifically. I said around here.”
Engler left the chamber during Bray’s remarks. When he returned he said he didn’t want to listen to that “crap.”
Below is the full speech Bray gave last night. Thanks to Bob Watson for the transcript:
“After multiple years on this issue, I’m sick of it. I’m totally sick of it.
I’m sick of women being treated like they are so stupid that they can’t make their own decisions regarding their reproductive rights and their bodies.
I’m sick of women having no options, and being coerced to give birth.
I’m sick of a bunch of men around here, year after year after year, piling up restriction after restriction after restriction on women who found themselves in a very unhappy, unpleasant circumstance of an unwanted pregnancy.
Missouri has the most restrictive abortion laws in the country and, as a result, Missouri’s women are put in danger when they finally do ever get to have an abortion — they’re later and they’re tougher abortions to have because there are so many barriers to Missouri women getting to have a safe and legal abortion.
I am sick of the disrespect for women who come to the Capitol defending a woman’s legal right to choose an abortion.
I am sick that they’re being treated dismissively and rudely.
I’m sick of the ethic around here that men are pro-life for their wives and pro-choice for their girlfriends.
I’m sick of the failure to take steps that would, in fact, reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, through sex education, contraception, family planning and emergency contraception.
No man in this body will ever have an unwanted pregnancy.
But, mark my word, your daughters, your wives, your sisters, your granddaughters, your nieces will.
And your actions here tonight will disrespect and diminish them.”
Bray is only a woman and not able to think for herself. Republican
men need to do it for them. The proven thinking of the republican
party is why they now contol the White house, congress and senate!!
They way they back handed tried to go around the stem cell research
and abortion laws made me vote Dem for the first time. Not that I liked
it but to show them I would. Now the appear to be pleading for a 2010
repeat.
i wish people could just SEE that if you applied the same pro choice ideas you fight for to your parents YOU might not even be here! So how is that justifiable?
Joan Bray is the bravest woman I know. Finally, somoene in Jefferson City brave enough to say what most Missourians believe to be true. The pro-lifers screaming their “baby killers” and “burn in hell” rhetoric make most people afraid to say it, but Joan Bray did and she deserves praise for it.
For those of you that liked what she had to say:
Don’t forget her come the next election. Ten or twenty bucks goes a long way if enough people remember.
For those of you who are against choice:
Please, please, work with us to reduce the number of abortions. Making them illegal won’t make them go away. They were around for a long time before Roe. Reality based sex ed, access to contraception - you reduce the number of abortions by reducing unwanted pregnancies, bot by throwing scared teenage girls in jail (while their boyfriends get off scott free). We can work together on this.
“I’m sick of women being treated like they are so stupid that they can’t make their own decisions regarding their reproductive rights and their bodies.”
What about the rights of the baby and baby’s body?
bobco- actually, Obama attacked Gianna Jessen’s will to live pre-election on a TV ad. Very sick. This girl absolutely stunned congress when she testified, and of course you didn’t hear about it on the major news stations.
Testimony of abortion survivor Gianna Jessen before the Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee on April 22, 1996:
My name is Gianna Jessen. I am 19 years of age. I am originally from California, but now reside in Franklin, Tennessee. I am adopted. I have cerebral palsy. My biological mother was 17 years old and seven and one-half months pregnant when she made the decision to have a saline abortion. I am the person she aborted. I lived instead of died.
Fortunately for me the abortionist was not in the clinic when I arrived alive, instead of dead, at 6:00 a.m. on the morning of April 6, 1977. I was early, my death was not expected to be seen until about 9 a.m., when he would probably be arriving for his office hours. I am sure I would not be here today if the abortionist would have been in the clinic as his job is to take life, not sustain it. Some have said I am a “botched abortion”, a result of a job not well done.
There were many witnesses to my entry into this world. My biological mother and other young girls in the clinic, who also awaited the death of their babies, were the first to greet me. I am told this was a hysterical moment. Next was a staff nurse who apparently called emergency medical services and had me transferred to a hospital.
I remained in the hospital for almost three months. There was not much hope for me in the beginning. I weighed only two pounds. Today, babies smaller than I was have survived.
A doctor once said I had a great will to live and that I fought for my life. I eventually was able to leave the hospital and be placed in foster care. I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a result of the abortion.
My foster mother was told that it was doubtful that I would ever crawl or walk. I could not sit up independently. Through the prayers and dedication of my foster mother, and later many other people, I eventually learned to sit up, crawl, then stand. I walked with leg braces and a walker shortly before I turned age four. I was legally adopted by my foster mother’s daughter, Diana De Paul, a few months after I began to walk. The Department of Social Services would not release me any earlier for adoption.
I have continued in physical therapy for my disability, and after a total of four surgeries, I can now walk without assistance. It is not always easy. Sometimes I fall, but I have learned how to fall gracefully after falling 19 years.
I am happy to be alive. I almost died. Every day I thank God for life. I do not consider myself a by-product of conception, a clump of tissue, or any other of the titles given to a child in the womb. I do not consider any person conceived to be any of those things.
I have met other survivors of abortion. They are all thankful for life. Only a few months ago I met another saline abortion survivor. Her name is Sarah. She is two years old. Sarah also has cerebral palsy, but her diagnosis is not good. She is blind and has severe seizures. The abortionist, besides injecting the mother with saline, also injects the baby victims. Sarah was injected in the head. I saw the place on her head where this was done. When I speak, I speak not only for myself, but for the other survivors, like Sarah, and also for those who cannot yet speak …
Today, a baby is a baby when convenient. It is tissue or otherwise when the time is not right. A baby is a baby when miscarriage takes place at two, three, four months. A baby is called a tissue or clumps of cells when an abortion takes place at two, three, four months. Why is that? I see no difference. What are you seeing? Many close there eyes…
The best thing I can show you to defend life is my life. It has been a great gift. Killing is not the answer to any question or situation. Show me how it is the answer.
There is a quote which is etched into the high ceilings of one of our state’s capitol buildings. The quote says, “Whatever is morally wrong, is not politically correct.” Abortion is morally wrong. Our country is shedding the blood of the innocent. America is killing its future.
All life is valuable. All life is a gift from our Creator. We must receive and cherish the gifts we are given. We must honor the right to life.
LMAO at the “offended” men of “decent committed families” when Bray clearly only “insulted” those with pregnant girlfriends on the side. Go Jack Goodman.
How come the ones against abortion automatically assume the woman with the unwanted pregnancy is promiscuos? “She should keep her legs closed”. What about these poor women who suffer through a rape and they have an unwanted pregnancy because of it. Are they supposed to carry the child of a mad man in their womb to full term and live out that dreadful event over and over. And then they are supposed to love and care for that child of the man who raped them? I think choice is the best answer for everyone. If you don’t want to make a choice, that’s your CHOICE. Leave others to their own business.
Truth hurts gentlemen. Give em hell Joan! Please don’t give up!
“The problem is that the fetus relies on MY BODY to live and grow. It’s not like it’s a free-standing individual from the moment of conception, able to eat and drive and rent an apartment.” –North County Nan
Nan, you have just made the argument for “putting down” those who are “inconvenient” or a burden to us–the elderly, the disabled, the mentally ill or retarded . . . even *any* children, for that matter. Anyone who has to rely on others to live, who cannot eat without our help or provision, or who cannot drive or rent an apartment.