MAHMOUD BENNETT:

SOME PLACES IN THE COUNTRY HAVE TOUGHER PENALTIES THAN OTHERS: WHAT MIGHT LAND YOU A SIMPLE FINE IN ONE STATE COULD LAND YOU JAIL TIME IN ANOTHER

BUT IF YOU’RE A HEALTHY WOMAN IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHO CHOOSES TO TERMINATE A PREGNANCY – THAT COULD LAND YOU A DEATH PENALTY UNDER A NEW PROPOSAL

21 REPUBLICAN STATE LAWMAKERS  ARE PUSHING FOR A CHANGE THAT WOULD RE-DEFINE THE MEANING OF A *PERSON* UNDER STATE LAW TO INCLUDE A FERTILIZED EGG – *AN EGG* THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR FULL PROTECTION UNDER SOUTH CAROLINA’S HOMICIDE LAWS

IN SHORT DESTROYING A ZYGOTE WOULD MEAN MURDERING A PERSON –  MURDER IS A CRIME PUNISHABLE BY DEATH, OR A MANDATORY MINIMUM TERM OF IMPRISONMENT FOR THIRTY YEARS TO LIFE ACCORDING TO SOUTH CAROLINA’S CURRENT CRIMINAL CODE

WHILE THE BILL PROVIDES ABORTION EXCEPTIONS IF A WOMAN IS UNDER THE IMMINENT THREAT OF DEATH OR GREAT BODILY INJURY – IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY EXCEPTIONS FOR RAPE OR INCEST

RIGHT NOW ABORTION IS LEGAL IN SOUTH CAROLINA THROUGH 22 WEEKS – BUT THIS PUSH BY SOME LAWMAKERS FOLLOWS A TREND OF STATES LOOKING TO PUNISH THE ACT

RECENT BILLS INTRODUCED IN ARKANSAS, TEXAS AND KENTUCKY ARE ALSO LOOKING TO LINK ABORTION TO HOMICIDE – A CRIME SIMILARLY PUNISHABLE BY DEATH IN EACH OF THOSE STATES 

MEANWHILE CURRENT LAWS IN LOUISIANA MAKE PERFORMING OR INDUCING AN ABORTION A CRIME WORTHY OF IMPRISONMENT WITH HARD LABOR FOR UP TO FIVE YEARS

ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES – 18 STATES HAVE IMPOSED NEAR OR TOTAL ABORTION BANS – WITH VARYING PENALTIES FOR BREAKING THE LAW IN EACH OF THOSE STATES – 8 STATES HAVE HAD THEIR BANS BLOCKED – WHILE 26 STATES HAVE ABORTION LEGAL TO CERTAIN DEGREES

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