NEW YORK― Republican state Rep. Mike Moon of Missouri posted a video of himself slaughtering a chicken on Monday to spotlight his new bill to ban abortion in the state.
In the Facebook video, Moon breaks a chicken’s neck and rips its heart out while explaining to the camera that Gov. Eric Greitens (R) has called lawmakers back for a special session this summer to limit abortion. Then, wearing a blood-spattered white t-shirt, Moon announces his own legislation.
“So we’ve been called back to this special session for the primary purpose of supporting life, protecting the unborn specifically,” he says. “I think we need to get to the heart of the matter here. So today, I’m filing a bill that will lead to the stopping of abortion in the state of Missouri and I hope you’ll support it.”
Moon’s bill would “require due process of law before the life of any human, born or unborn, is ended prior to natural death,” effectively outlawing abortion in Missouri.
Under current state law, women must have a state-directed counseling session and then wait 72 hours before being able to have an abortion.
Some commenters on Facebook were disturbed by Moon’s video and his implication that slaughtering a chicken is similar to abortion. He replied that he “wasn’t trying to make a comparison” ― but then followed up with a tweet that makes that very comparison.
“Some people seem to be freaking out about the chicken video ... I wonder if they know what an abortion is?” Moon tweeted.
Reproductive rights advocates were puzzled by his stunt.
“Whatever Mike Moon does with a chicken in the privacy of his home is his own business,” Alison Dreith, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, told the Missouri Times. “But we will not let him use the rights of women across Missouri as some kind of political prop. His call to ban abortion is disturbing and dangerous, no matter what he does with that chicken.”