As RH Reality Check has told us, an anti-choice group has put up billboards around Atlanta claiming that African American women are being targeted by Planned Parenthood and other groups which perform abortions as part of some eugenics conspiracy to reduce the number of African Americans--or something like that. They call African American children an "endangered species" which is pretty damned insulting in its own right--as if Black children somehow belonged to another species than human.

Now a handful of legislators have introduced a bill that would enshrine into law and criminalize the notion that counselors at abortion clinics target members of certain races. The bill is HB 1155 and here is what it says in part:

Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to crimes and offenses, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"16-4-11.

(a) A person commits the offense of criminal solicitation of abortion when that person solicits or coerces another person with the intent that an abortion be performed based in any way on account of the race, color, or sex of the unborn child or the race or color of either parent of that child.

(b) A person convicted of the offense of criminal solicitation of abortion shall be guilty of a felony and punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years and may be sentenced to pay a fine that shall not exceed the greater of $25,000.00 or three times the amount of any pecuniary value gained by such person from such violation.

(c) A pregnant woman who is the target of criminal solicitation of abortion shall not be held criminally or civilly liable for any violation of this Code section or for conspiracy to violate this Code section.

(d) Immediate notification of any criminal investigation initiated pursuant to this Code section shall be made to the Georgia Composite Medical Board, and at the conclusion of the investigation, any information obtained in such investigation shall be made available by the prosecution to the board to support an action pursuant to Code Section 43-34-8." SECTION 3.

Said title is further amended by revising subsection (b) of Code Section 16-12-140, relating to criminal abortion, and adding two new subsections to read as follows:

"(b) A person commits the offense of criminal abortion when that person performs an abortion:

(1) With the intent to prevent an unborn child from being born based in any way on account of the race, color, or sex of the unborn child or the race or color of either parent of that child; or

(2) With the knowledge that the pregnant woman is seeking the abortion based in any way on account of the race, color, or sex of the unborn child or the race or color of either parent of that child.

(c) A person convicted of the offense of criminal abortion shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten years.

(d) Any woman upon whom a criminal abortion is performed shall not be held criminally or civilly liable for any violation of this Code section or for conspiracy to violate this Code section."

It would also permit a woman who feels she was coerced into an abortion because of her race to sue the abortion provider.

Yes, the percentage of abortions of African AMerican women are high

The abortion ratio for black women (503 per 1,000 live births) was 3.0 times the ratio for white women (167 per 1,000 live births).

What they don't tell you is that the rate of unintended pregnancy. is highest among the poor--and that African American women have an unintended pregnancy rate three times higher than that of white women, which explains why the rate of abortion is three times higher. Three times more unintended pregnancies means more abortions, period. It has nothing to do with racism and everything to do with poverty and, perhaps, lack of access to the best methods of contraception (hormonal birth control) which tend to be expensive.

If these legislators were sincere about wanting to cut down the number of abortions among African American women, they'd back comprehensive sex education which covers STD and pregnancy prevention and access to effective birth control. But instead, they prefer to perpetuate the notion that abortion counselors are racist bigots who want to make sure fewer Black children are born. Way to go, guys.

The sponsors broke down as 3 white legislators and two African Americans, and two whose didn't have a photo so their race couldn't be determined.

Planned Parenthood of Georgia called the insulting billboards "Blaxploitation". Apparently at least two African American members of the Georgia legislature bought into this--with no proof at all that the claims are true and no mention of the fact that the higher rate of abortion merely reflects the higher rate of unintended pregnancy. Instead they preferred to believe that the dedicated women who volunteer as counselors or the employees of abortion clinics are screaming bigots who derive pleasure from convincing African Americans to abort unwanted pregnancies. The idea is insulting to African American women, who can surely recognize a bigot when they see one, and to counselors who are accused of being racists and party to some sort of eugenics conspiracy.

So far the bill has stalled in committee because of the high number of calls to Rep. Golick, Chair of the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. But he's set another hearing for March 8. It's time for action .

Call Rep. Rich Golick NOW at 404.656.5943 and let him know that women are tired of being treated as second-class citizens unable to use their brains to decide whether or not they want an abortion--and to let him know how disgusted we are that race would be used a a wedge issue in order to further discourage abortion.