Thoughts on the *Dr. Gosnell Incident*

I'm trying to decide which way to go in this post -how long it should be, how political, how correct, how racial, how feminist, how endearing, how angry, how sad...I just don't know, but here I go:

I want to believe that at one time Dr. Kermit Gosnell was an advocate and a crusader for those without a voice, poor women (and men & families) of color who had few options for family planning (?), or medical care in general. I read that shortly after receiving his medical degree he opened up a methadone clinic and the now infamous women's clinic in one of the poorest neighborhoods in West Philadelphia. Brownie points all around.

But that's where my props end. The point where he decided to not only take advantage of women, not just of color, but also to exploit them in a vulnerable situation is where he loses my reverence.


I will not get into all the gory details about the state of the clinic that has been reported, but it seems that he went from medical doctor to mad scientist. Preserving limbs of aborted BABIES (not fetuses), storing procedural remnants, employing uneducated, untrained people for medical support, prescribing wanton doses of controlled substances (the list could go on) is not only reckless, but smells a lot like someone who was not just interested in the "almighty dollar", but someone who was madly curious in how far he could push the limits, borderline experimental. Now I'd be ludicrous to charge this man with a crime against humanity right? Saying that what he was doing is not far from what the government did during the Tuskegee Experiment- just seeing what would happen.

Speaking of the Tuskegee Experiment, we know that anytime a person of color, especially a black man gets charged or caught up in something people are quick to pull the race card. Let us not get caught up in that. One, do not proclaim his innocence, nor unfair treatment or out-of-control press coverage (if you ask me, it's not getting enough coverage) because of his race. He deserves to be brought to justice (did I just type that?) because of his actions and failure to act in the best interests of his patients. This is NOT a question of race, but of gender. Two, the whole abortion "thing" is a woman's issue, one's race and access to resources may complicate things, but this is not "simply" an issue of race. The abortion "thing" IS about women's rights and political power and reproductive freedom and CHOICE. Again it is not just about race, but about people.

This Dr. Gosnell "thing" is ironically timely as people are trying to repeal "Roe v. Wade", the case that made abortions legal. It breaks my heart to know that people will use the Dr. Gosnell incident as a billboard for why abortions should be illegal. He and his practice is an anomaly, all abortion clinics or procedures are not carried out in that way. All abortions are not some weird scientific experimental procedures done by people with odd curiosities and little care for public health.

The part of his practice that is getting the most coverage are his late-term (partial-birth) abortions. I heard this morning that doctors can perform abortions up to 6 months in Pennsylvania! I imagine that there are some stipulations with that, such as medically necessary for the health of the mother, etc. (which I do not disagree with) As you can probably tell by this point that I am what has been termed "pro-choice", but that does not mean I am pro-irresponsible. Abortion should not be a form of birth control, you know like other contraceptive methods. Here is where I begin to spread the blame: (I hope I don't go too far off on a tangent, this is getting long)

Dr. Gosnell probably did not pull women off the street soliciting late-term abortions we can agree. Women "willingly" walked into his clinic seeking abortions in the 5th, 6th, and probably even 7th month of pregnancy- that was irresponsible to say the least. Let's not forget to spread the culpability. Women sought these abortions! Where Dr. Gosnell failed them is by failing to provide them with a clean and sterile facility, educated staff, informed guidance and expertise, and proper and legal procedures. I would hate to hear women now crying out about the late-term abortions they sought and received now that they smell blood, oops MONEY.They probably had little forethought (in terms of morals) about legality of the procedure then. In other words, if the thought was about the legality of the procedure prior to it was probably more like, "I know where I can get this done, now that I'm so far along."


*Sigh* Ok, now I return to what some may say is my feminist, compassionate self. All the abortions he did were not the more controversial late-term abortion. Late-term and reckless abortions are two different conversations. There are probably more women who went to Dr. Gosnell's  clinic seeking a procedure where they thought they would walk somewhat the same, save for the guilt, broken-heart, relief, grief, or whatever emotion that one may feel when they make and go through with this hard decision. Yet, there are women who got more than they bargained for: irreversible conditions such as being infertile, scar tissue, bruising, bleeding, namely reckless care from a man who has been doing this for decades and then got lax in his practice.

Real quick: blood (no pun intended, but I admit its appropriate) also lies in the hands of Philadelphia politicians, law enforcement and city (and state) agencies who were not properly regulating or monitoring this facility. How does what has been coined a "Chop Shop" exist in the age of regulation, inspection, and standards? Where are the records for that? Yet, this does NOT surprise me when little Daniael Kelley was left to die in the home of her mother, when documents were forged saying she was being monitored and properly cared for. This situation reeks of the little concern the public has for the poor, the "colored", and for women. It sucks to be marginalized in a society full of mainstreamers.

I am not one to blame the victim, so I hope that is not what my previous argument came across as. But this Dr. Gosnell incident deserves more than surface, shallow discussions than what I have been hearing over the radio and reading in newspapers. I am actually not totally satisfied with this blog post, because I could go on, but I must know when to stop because I'll probably lose some readers, not from lack of interest, but from my long-windedness.

Lastly, I must say that I am finding no humor in this and it saddens me to watch people on twitter make fun of the women with the "fucked up uteruses" etc. It evens saddens me further to know that I take some pride in NOT being one of them or having had to endure this procedure or having to make that sort of decision.