Summary

Texas has seen a spike in abandoned newborns since its abortion ban, with some infants found dead in dumpsters or ditches.

Critics link the rise to reduced access to abortion, cuts to prenatal care, underfunded safe haven programs, and fear of deportation among undocumented women.

Texas Republicans have resisted funding awareness campaigns for safe haven laws, instead allocating $165 million to crisis pregnancy centers that prioritize deterring abortion over aiding women.

The lack of support has drawn condemnation, highlighting the broader consequences of restrictive reproductive policies.

  • archonet@lemy.lol
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    5 days ago

    Well duh, they’re not pro life, they’re pro birth. Once that umbilical cord is cut, you’re dead to them, and we’ve known this for years.

      • Jimmyeatsausage@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        That’s an obvious oversimplification. If it was just about making more dead soldiers, they would care more about all the dead school-age kids, too…

        • derek@infosec.pub
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          4 days ago

          Not at all. American Conservatives are just being pragmatic! With American public schools defunded and turned into war zones they weed out the weak kids without having to lift a finger. The ones who survive are already desensitized, comfortable wearing body armor, and conditioned to willingly die for the State like all good children should be.

  • SuiXi3D@fedia.io
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    5 days ago

    So, it turns out that people are gonna be people regardless of whatever laws are passed. In this particular case, by outlawing abortion women that weren’t in a position to take care of a child no longer have a way to rid themselves of a burden (to them). Now, instead of seeing a licensed medical professional to abort the fetus, they have the kid and leave it in a dumpster. Either way, that child never gets the chance to live life. One way, it’s never born in the first place. The other, it is born and deals with a lot of pain before it inevitably expires. The woman is left traumatized by the experience and the world is a worse place.

    If we just, y’know, empower women to make their own decisions regarding the use of their bodies and allow them to seek medical assistance when required, this wouldn’t happen. However, the republican leadership in this state (and country) would much rather have us at each other’s throats instead of all of us coming together to realize they’re fleecing everyone for every dime they have.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    Why would they? This is about controlling women.

    Except on the most rare cases of qon zealots, they don’t really give a flying fuck about “babies”, whether they are talking about embryos or actual newborns.

  • ATDA@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    Maybe Abbott could spend advertising money on safe spaces instead of saying immigrants will be raped?

  • littlewonder@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    So this is an issue that gets my goat because people react emotionally (which is understandable) but don’t follow on to think about what’s going on that “dumpster babies” are a relatively common phenomenon. If it was one or two people doing this here and there, then I’d accept that it’s a problem with the individuals, but since it happens so frequently, there is a systemic issue at play that needs to take some of the blame.

    Yes, there are baby drop boxes, but what might keep someone from using them? (Edit to clarify based on the replies: other than abortion access, which should be available everywhere to everyone who needs it) Are there other resources that could be made available? Are there medical or social pressures creating barriers to utilizing efforts to decrease infanticide? I don’t think there’s one answer but what I do know is that prison is probably not the answer to preventing more of these deaths.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        4 days ago

        And another ~9.98% of the remainder would be solved with proper sex education, and access to free contraception.

    • WoodScientist@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      Yes, there are baby drop boxes, but what might keep someone from using them?

      Here, come use this baby drop box. It’s located conveniently at the local police station, a building festooned with dozens of security cameras…

      • thesohoriots@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        Out here it’s fire stations. They got the hoses ready and “Wipeout” cued up on Spotify to buy the cops some time.

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      4 days ago

      There is definitely one answer, and I think you know what it is.

      But beyond abortion, proper sex education (not abstinence-only) and access to free contraception would go a long way.

  • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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    5 days ago

    But women are living in fear, so by Republican standards things are going well.