Double standard in Tennessee

Woman Tries to Perform Her Own Abortion

Krista Bonds was 30 weeks pregnant, her boyfriend changed his mind about wanting the baby, so she drank bleach. (Fortunately, she suffered only temporary ill-effects, and the baby was unharmed.)

First of all, she's got some serious mental health issues if she's drinking bleach. Especially when she's doing it to please some man.

Second of all, had she found some abortionist -- somebody wealthy and educated -- to do the job for her, she'd never have faced any charges whatsoever. And even if the wealthy and educated doctor got caught, the most he'd likely face would be a slap on the wrist. Naughty, naughty! Volunteer Women's Medical Clinic is in Nashville is still open, even after screwing up so badly that Brenda Vise died. I have little doubt that they'd have obliged her, for a fee, and that they'd have suffered few, if any, repercussions had they gotten caught.

This is like the situation in Boston, where where a poor, uneducated woman is being prosecuted for her baby's death in a self-abortion attempt.

If a doctor does it, somebody with a medical degree, somebody well educated and wealthy and with society connections, he'll get, "Oh, naughty boy! Next time, be more careful when you're calculating gestational age!" But if a poor, uneducated, minority woman does it to herself, it's like that line in Weird Al's "Don't Download This Song":

They'll treat you like the evil, hard-bitten criminal scum you are!

Don't get me wrong. I think that both of these women did deplorable things. (Though I think the woman in Tennessee may be more lacking mental health than lacking a conscience.) But this is selective prosecution based on social standing. And that's wrong.

Krista Bonds has fled to avoid prosecution, so she's not safe from herself, and her baby's not safe from her. Prayers needed for both of them.