The South is known for its hospitality, chivalry and awesome sweet tea. Gentlemen open doors, ladies still wear hats to church on Sunday and your sweet tea glass is never half empty. Having encountered these wonderful things on a regular basis, I was a bit taken aback by some of the bills Georgia Representative Bobby Franklin (R-Marietta) recently proposed.
Franklin has proposed Georgia residents do not need driver’s licenses because to impede the right of citizens to travel is unconstitutional.
In fairness, Mississippi also has some strange laws; for example, in Tylertown, it is illegal to shave in the center of Main Street.
Georgian residents also have these new bills to look forward to: Franklin would like to reclassify individuals who are reporting stalking, abuse or violence and/or rape from a family member, from “victims” to “accusers.”
Finally, Franklin would like to enact a bill that would have women who have miscarriages investigated for murder or abuse of “fetal citizens.” A fetal death certificate would be required for all miscarriages.
Okay, the license bill is a little strange; however, he wants to investigate women who have miscarriages. First, families, specifically the mother, are already traumatized enough from the loss of a child. The anguish and confusion those families are already going through would be furthered by the questioning and implied accusations surrounding their loss.
We will just ignore the information that half of all fertilized eggs will be miscarried. Before a woman even knows she is pregnant, she could miscarry because of various reasons, such as an infection or a hormonal imbalance. In addition, of known pregnancies, one in five will be miscarried.  
Let us switch gears for a moment. Michelle Obama recently proposed breast pumps should be considered for a deductible medical expense. Breast pumps, in case you are like me and didn’t know, can cost upwards of $300. For reference, other deductible medical expenses are vasectomies, contact lenses and acupuncture.
Culturally, this is a large step forward. The benefits of nursing a child for the first six months are still being studied, but the studies that have been conducted show children who have been breast-fed have fewer cases of asthma, infections, and illnesses. To me, at least, this is good stuff. Plus, those mothers that don’t breast-feed have a higher potential for developing ovarian and breast cancer. Another good piece of information: the government could save $13 billion in health care and its related costs by promoting breast-feeding.
Tea Party members were very quick to condemn Obama’s initiative, which would improve access and spread awareness of the health and economic benefits of breast-feeding for both mother and child. Obama is pointing to evidence indicating that breast-feeding rates are far below medical recommendations, and increasing these rates could help prevent over 900 deaths a year. Also, employers see reduced turnover and absenteeism when they help to meet nursing mothers’ needs with things such as lactation rooms.
Tea Party members such as Michelle Malkin, Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin have all voiced concern that the government is telling mothers how to take care of their children. Each of these women has personally stated she has breast-fed at least one of her own children. Sarah Palin has even discussed some of the challenges of breast-feeding and using a breast pump on the campaign trail.
Now, let us go back to Georgia for a moment. Is the government being more overbearing when it assumes the right to investigate a miscarriage or when it provides a medical tax deduction for the purchase of a breast pump? Personally, I would much rather have the option of a medical tax deduction for the purchase of a breast pump than be forced to endure an investigation during the extreme tragedy of a miscarriage.
Delilah Schmidt is a senior majoring in sociology. She can be contacted at [email protected].