Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Clearly the Democrats when in power push things too far, but then at the state level Republican Legislatures can be down right STUPID

This proposed legislation, that thankfully failed, is clearly an even greater assault to "Free Speech" that as conservatives we complain about being under assault through collusion between the Feds and Big Tech.

South Carolina’s Failed Attempt To Censor A******n Speech Online

COMMENTARY
By Adam Kovacevich
October 22, 2022


It’s no secret that this summer’s Roe reversal – and Lindsey Graham’s newly proposed federal a******n ban – have dimmed Republicans’ national e*******l prospects and energized Democratic v**ers to turn out in this fall’s midterm e******ns. But as Democrats turn their attention to fighting outright restrictions on a******n procedures, a lesser known risk has popped up in South Carolina and is poised to be fought in other states: the fight to protect women’s access to reproductive health information.

A proposed law in South Carolina, now tabled, sought to make discussing a******n options online or offline in the state a felony, effectively criminalizing the free spread of healthcare information. The bill, based on model legislation drafted by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), would have exacerbated the harm already being done to pregnant people post-Roe, as well as violate Americans’ first amendment rights. As the NRLC seeks to introduce its model bill into other state legislatures, lawmakers in red states should take a cue from South Carolina lawmakers and dump the legislation.

South Carolina’s proposed bill, and others like it, aim to make it harder for women to access online information on reproductive health services – with the clear goal of forcing women to carry unwanted or nonviable pregnancies by keeping them uninformed of their options. And the consequences of such a law can’t be overstated. Under the bill’s draconian censorship, anyone who posts a******n information online or messages with a pregnant person to discuss their options would risk years in prison.

Websites and social media platforms that host speech would be forced to censor accurate and needed reproductive health information on their sites to avoid being implicated themselves. Experts expect that online platforms, telehealth providers, and others providing healthcare resources would likely err on the side of excess censorship to reduce their own legal risk, removing online resources on miscarriage and general pregnancy health, too.

The consequences? Greater rates of unintended pregnancy and maternal mortality, both of which are likely to disproportionately affect people of color who are more likely to lack the same level of access to insurance and healthcare professionals as white peers.

And then there’s the First Amendment violations.

In a time where the Internet is thought of as a great equalizer, censoring the spread of healthcare information is antithetical to the freedom of speech that Americans value so dearly.

This bill infringes on the rights of individuals to communicate freely online and the rights of online platforms to host that speech. For all the talk of “censorship” online coming from Republican lawmakers, this bill would have opened the door for states to criminalize speech about any number of other activities Republicans disapprove of.

While South Carolina’s governor publicly denounced the bill, other Republican-controlled states across the country are being urged by anti-a******n groups to introduce similar legislation. Americans’ access to accurate reproductive information – and our freedom of speech – shouldn’t hinge on the whims of right-wing lawmakers looking to turn back the clock on women’s rights. Let’s hope that other states take a page from South Carolina’s playbook and protect freedom of information.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Guess what?
Any conservative talk on social media is removed, blocked or has a big warning about it before you can open it.
Think Chinese Flu.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Yes and we fight against that, we want to see that changed, since the SCOTUS decision state legislatures have passed or introduced bills that the majority of their constituents not only disagree with but find to be extreme. I agree with you that something has to be done in regard to Big Tech, but the bill introduced in the South Carolina legislature is a full frontal assault to the 1st Amendment and can not be defended. Thankfully it did not pass, but the interest groups behind it seemingly are trying to get it passed in other states.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Blurry....We see a lot of proposed laws that are put forward by one or two legislators that don't have a snowball's chance in Hell of even reaching the floor of the legislature yet get a lot of press. Don't let a couple of yokels destroy your faith in the Republican Party.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

I know you are a man of faith and if memory serves me well you have a very firm position on the right to life, but from an outsider's view, my position aligns well with the overall polling on the issue, limitations to the first 4 months or so which is inline with most of the advanced societies in the world. From my point of view outlawing a******n completely has some real societal costs and negative impact, on the other hand I think that after the 4th month it can be competently argued that an a******n should be viewed as murder. It comes down to the stages of development vs conception. At any rate my views are probably different than yours and the point of all of this long windedness is that several states have either passed legislation or reverted to legislation that completely outlaws a******n, this is not inline with the consiciences' of the citizens of their states nor the legislative priorities of their citizens and certainly not in line with the views of the nation as a whole. The result is that it has hurt the Republican Party, were it not for the incompetence of Slo Joe and the democrats in general the democrats would handedly win the midterms but the democrats have screwed things up so badly the a******n issue has been moved to very low on the priority list.

If you read the article the interest groups that got this legislation authored in South Carolina are pushing to have it passed in other states. IMO when the Republican Party takes such far right positions without consideration of the values of the broader populace they represent they only hurt the party at all levels.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

You are right, I see each embryo as a soul. Is the soul present at the time of conception? That's far beyond my pay grade. If not, the genetic material is certainly there, and the environment for growth, for the soul to soon become present. It is a soul with the possibility of spending eternity with God. In the O.T., God said, "before you were in the womb, I knew you," so, individuality even pre-dates conception as far as God is concerned. Who is man to interfere with the life that God has bestowed and eternal souls?

JRiepe Loc: Southern Illinois

I agree Blurry. Passing that bill would have gone way to far in violating the first amendment. We don't need the government telling us what medical information or any other information we are or are not allowed to pass on.

alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ

Lindsey Graham is a goofball more often than not. Sometimes I think he is a Democrat.

Bazbo Loc: Lisboa, Portugal

I see your posts are not removed. So I guess you are the only conservative whose posts are not being blocked on social media?

FrumCA

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Twitter, FB, Google, and Amazon are the culprits. That f*****m doesn't happen on UHH just so you can compare and understand. Or isn't that enough for you? Would you like that here, too?

Bazbo Loc: Lisboa, Portugal

Just making a point about Arch's logical incoherence. I responded to exactly what he said.

If you like, I can start with your logical incoherence and I can do it without needing to resort to personal insult. Unlike you pf corse.

Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal

Reality
It doesn't matter- only his beliefs do.
No matter how wrong he is.

Laramie Loc: Tempe

Arizona had a bill passed that would ban photographing/videoing police from a "close distance". I'm not sure that distance was defined. I'd bet Gov Ducey would have signed it too. Fortunately a court stopped the bill.

There are i***ts everywhere, in both parties, and without parties.