“the wanton cruelty is the point” of florida 6-week abortion ban

By Benjamin J. Rizzo, Red Phoenix correspondent, Florida.

A spokesperson for SWAN (Stand With Abortion Now), an Orlando-area clinic defense organization, reacted to the introduction of this measure:

“This bill is likely to pass due to the Republican majority in the Florida legislature. The bill itself is among the most draconian in the nation, outlawing self-managed abortion [pills], an incredibly safe and effective mechanism for terminating a pregnancy. It also makes assisting a person seeking an abortion in-state a crime as well. The bill purports to include exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the pregnant person. However, as has been demonstrated time and again, these ‘exceptions’ exist to garner political tolerance for the subjugation of women and others who can become pregnant, not out of any practical purpose. Exceptions in all instances remain nearly impossible to obtain. Every sponsor and supporter of this ban understands that and does not care. Like so many of the things Florida Republicans and ex-Gitmo torturer Ron DeSantis propose and pass, the wanton cruelty is the point.

“However, SWAN remains committed to being on the ground and fighting for reproductive healthcare access for all Floridians, particularly the population we serve in Central Florida. At our core we are an anti-fascist organization, and while we don’t expect our task to be easy, we do intend to take on the growing fascism of Ron DeSantis and his cronies to the best of our abilities. We will need assistance and solidarity from groups across the nation and globe, some of which we’ve already been able to accumulate, harness, and direct toward providing care and protection for our community. We will need support and understanding from all people who seek to end oppression as we continue our essential work.

“Ron DeSantis can and will remain a cretinous human being, a wretched pox on the history of this state and of humanity. He can and will continue to push for the eradication of equality, kindness, and community across the state. SWAN volunteers face disgusting Christofascists outside of our clinics nearly daily. As such, we remain unwavering in our support for abortion rights. We are committed to the fight until the very end — and after — for ourselves, our communities, and our freedoms.”