Virginia state Sen. Steve Martin (R) believes that pregnant women looking to have abortions are just the baby’s “host.”
“You can count on me to never get in the way of you ‘preventing’ an unintentional pregnancy,” he wrote in a Facebook post last week. “However, once a child does exist in your womb, I’m not going to assume a right to kill it just because the child’s host (some refer to them as mothers) doesn’t want it.”
Martin responded to a Valentine’s Day card he received from the Virginia Pro-Choice Coalition which said that the group was disappointed in his position on women’s health issues.
“What they want is access to ‘safe, legal abortions,’ any time one might be desired. Okay, then why did you write all the rest of that bologna about raising healthy children (by killing the unhealthy ones), having access to healthcare (which you do), and preventing unwanted pregnancies (don’t have unprotected sex)?” he asked about the Virginia Pro-Choice Coalition.
Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia Tarina Keene told The Huffington Post that Martin has “zero understanding” of women’s reproductive choice.
“His remarks demonstrate what exactly these extreme lawmakers mean when they talk about ‘personhood’ – that pregnant women are no more than vessels,” she said. “Even more outrageous, he also fails to understand how he as a lawmaker can help empower women to reduce unintended pregnancies — something that should be a common goal for all.”
