From: rstevew@deeptht.santa-cruz.ca.us (Richard Steven Walz)
Newsgroups: tcd.talk,soc.women,soc.men,talk.rape,talk.abortion,rec.arts.sf.misc
Subject: Re: A rather peculiar letter.
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 92 02:11:45 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Armory

In article <1992Apr11.155143.23577@sbcs.sunysb.edu> lischmid@libws2.ic.sunysb.edu (Dave Weingart) writes:
>In article <1992Apr10.223308.5691@cbfsb.cb.att.com> mikeh@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (michael p.herlihy) writes:
>>What is the consensus on the net for a national abortion law?
>[etc. etc. etc.]
>
>Does this _really_ belong on rec.arts.sf.misc?
>
>How about looking at it from a speculative fiction way, if you feel it
>must be here at all?  Say...what would the country be like if abortion
>was totally outlawed?  What kind of underground society would spring
>up to make sure it could happen, and what sort of Morality Police
>would be around to make sure it didn't?
>
>(Now there's a story idea for someone...)
>
>
>-- 
>Dave Weingart     KB2CWF     lischmid@ic.sunysb.edu
>                             phydeaux@pdnfido.fidonet.org
>
>Open mouth.  Insert foot.  Echo internationally.

This is real future fiction since you and I might be involved in the
drama. And soon. I know how to set up for and do a safe and effective
abortion with minimal equipment. There was a book written for it the
year Roe v Wade was handed down and so we never had to use it, but a
sterile field and sterile instruments which will not compromise the
uterine wall are easily made by anyone with a propane torch and some
decent jeweler's tools. We may start this book around again to guide
people in how to do it and how to manufacture simple and safe
anaesthetics as well. It doesn't take that much to turn a spare room
into a surgical suite, as most country doctors know. Just know how,
and medicine has become more demythologized. Also, those who wish
abortions may have to run a gauntlet of well armed people who give
them the run around with a sack and complete earphones over the ears
playing loud but interesting music, and then they would be sedated.
Once they were declared safe to go home they would be shuttled back
and they would be given a number to call to report excessive bleeding
so the crew could come get them again in those very few cases. This
time the number is hotwired to a house with people on vacation and a
laser microphone listens for their phone from about a mile, shining on
a small retroreflector. The place they are first taken to is a safe
house with dramatic deniability, namely, this old couple takes in an
apparently sedated or sleepy woman who they say was found on their
doorstep. They simply care for her and if questioned are simply doing
a good turn to a woman down on her luck. They don't officially know
that she has had an abortion and plead ignorance, but in fact they are
(even unbeknownst to the woman patient) trained people who know the
emergency number and how to watch for signs of bleeding or
complications. If nothing happens, she goes home in the morning and no
one is the wiser.

A more likely scenario. RU-486 excedes cocaine in price per weight,
and no one needs that much so say so long to the embryo. And the
substance is easily concealed in plastic capsules which are not
radio-opaque, and are smuggled into this country by businessmen who
are sympathetic at $1000 a run, "Just going to Paris on business,
yup,yup." This amounts to 20 doses and the price of chemical abortion
actually drops to $50. People collect money door to door for the
"poor". It is funnelled to pay for their abortions. Alternatively,
some underground labs synthesize it here and disribute it so widely
that the doctors strike till the supreme court relents and the
president resigns.

Remember, the American reveolution was fought by fewer than 4% of the
people. All it takes is a dedicated few to turn a society upside down.
   - Steve
Xref: sparky soc.women:8688 soc.men:8108 talk.rape:841 talk.abortion:14045 rec.arts.sf.misc:1292