A project I’ve been working on since June finally came to fruition yesterday, with the publication of a Q&A with a highly respected OB/GYN about Tennessee’s abortion ban, which goes into effect Thursday. Once you understand the medical and legal implications of the ban—which begins at fertilization, with no exceptions, and potential felony charges against physicians who provide an abortion for any reason—it’s easy to understand why so many OB/GYNs won’t speak out about it.
But after talking to people throughout District 26 and realizing that the vast majority have no idea how draconian the law is—I mean, they literally don’t believe me when I tell them—I knew I needed an authoritative source to quote. That search led to Dr. Nikki Zite, an OB/GYN and medical educator in Knoxville.
Dr. Zite and I talked for half an hour—not just about the new law, but also about other comments I’ve been hearing from folks in D26.
How often is abortion medically necessary?
How common is it for women to “use abortion as birth control”?
How hard is it to get highly effective birth control in Tennessee, anyway?
I recorded and transcribed the interview, then sent Dr. Zite the transcript. She adjusted some of her language. We went back and forth, adjusting for clarity, and ended up with a thorough, honest discussion about the abortion ban and reproductive health care in Tennessee. I told her I thought it should be published somewhere, on the condition that it be published unedited and in full. She agreed to let me try. Chattanoogan.com agreed to my conditions.
Chattanoogan has conservative readers, yet the Q&A has been well received. Everyone appreciates well-resourced information delivered honestly. Well, almost everyone. There was this comment on Chattanoogan’s FB page: “If this candidate can’t take the time to research or understand simple and clear legislation that should be a red flag and an indication of how she will conduct herself if elected.”
I didn’t comment there (I don’t feed trolls), but I’ll comment here: That’s exactly how I’ll conduct myself if elected. If I don’t understand a subject or a piece of legislation, I’ll find an expert who does. Then I’ll share what I learn, in full.
More important, my tweet linking to the Q&A has made it from one end of Tennessee to the other. If you’re on Twitter, please share it too. Dr. Zite and some colleagues hope to convince the Tennessee General Assembly to change this dangerous law. Broad public awareness might be the best weapon they have.
Allison
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