Gabrielle Russon
The political committee behind Amendment 4 has launched a second commercial featuring a doctor voicing his concerns about Florida’s six-week abortion ban and his helplessness to assist pregnant women.
“It’s the hardest conversation I have with patients, telling them that their baby won’t make it, and now, because of Florida’s extreme abortion ban, I also have to tell them I can’t help,” Jerry Goodman, a doctor from Sarasota, says in the new commercial.
“The ban forces women to wait until the brink of death to get care and could send doctors like me to prison just for treating my patients. That’s terrifying, and it’s why I’m voting “yes” on 4 to end the ban so the government can’t stop women from getting life-saving care.”
The new ad out Friday is part of Floridians Protecting Freedom’s multimillion-dollar ad campaign to build support for the abortion rights initiative. The group declined to say this week how much it’s spending on the ads with the Nov. 5 election less than two months away.
Amendment 4 supporters are caught in a fierce fight with Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies, who are calling the proposed constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights vaguely written with the potential to deregulate the industry.
Angeli Akey, a Gainesville doctor who is part of Florida Physicians Against Amendment 4, spoke out Wednesday during an Orlando press conference.
Akey said she was concerned that Amendment 4 would make it more possible for women to get elective abortions later in pregnancy because she argued the ballot initiative was too broad.
“I can honestly say I have never had one patient, one woman, ever say she regret keeping her baby,” she said.
Reproductive rights supporters argue most women don’t know they are pregnant until after a six-week ban takes effect, which means Florida has a near total abortion ban.
The Amendment 4 ballot question says, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”
Viability is the point when an unborn child can survive outside the womb and is considered to be about 24 weeks.
“The amendment is clear that if an abortion is necessary to protect the patient’s health, the government can’t stop that from happening,” ACLU of Florida attorney Michelle Morton said this week during a media call with the Amendment 4 campaign.
37 comments
Deplorable Pinellas
September 13, 2024 at 3:32 pm
Lies. medical abortions were never banned when the mothers health is at risk. Propaganda.
JD
September 13, 2024 at 4:04 pm
It’s becoming clearer with each comment like this that the tactics from Christina Pushaw’s playbook are being deployed here—likely with the help of paid shills from overseas operations, like those we’ve seen in places such as Vietnam, Belarus, and Laos. If you’re a genuine individual and not part of this misinformation campaign, let me break down the facts for you.
Claiming that “medical abortions were never banned when the mother’s health is at risk” completely ignores the broader issue at hand. Yes, exceptions may exist in life-threatening cases, but restrictive laws, like Florida’s six-week abortion ban, make it nearly impossible for most people to access the procedure before they even know they’re pregnant. The majority of pregnancies aren’t confirmed until after six weeks, so this restriction is a de facto ban for many.
And let’s be real—these laws aren’t about protecting health or rights; they’re about limiting access. Suggesting that exceptions for medical emergencies somehow make the law “fair” is not just misleading; it’s a deliberate attempt to downplay the real barriers these laws create for those seeking healthcare.
Throwing around words like “propaganda” doesn’t change the fact that these laws place undue burdens on healthcare providers, who are still bound by strict regulations, like only licensed professionals being able to perform abortions. It’s not the free-for-all some like to claim, and no one is advocating for random, unqualified individuals to perform medical procedures.
In short, don’t fall for the propaganda being pushed by those with an agenda that has nothing to do with safeguarding anyone’s health and everything to do with controlling bodily autonomy.
MarvinM
September 14, 2024 at 10:32 pm
Well said.
Frances Jenson
September 16, 2024 at 6:33 am
BRAVO! BRILLIANTLY STATED!
Score
September 21, 2024 at 7:10 pm
If the Dr. Believes what he says on tv and practices medicine he should be disband from medicine. He’s needs to read the law not listen to bs from ignorant people. I’m so tired of listening to professionals who don’t know.
Colleen B
September 14, 2024 at 12:33 am
Exactly. It’s time to stop the lies. There is no law in this country that prevents a doctor from saving the life of a patient.
Miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and other complications can and should be treated. Such treatments, which intend to save the life of the mother, are not the same as induced abortion, which intends to end the life of the preborn child.
Know the facts and vote to protect our patients this November!
JD
September 14, 2024 at 4:34 am
Let’s set the record straight with some personal experience. During my wife’s pregnancy with our twins, we faced a twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a life-threatening condition that required an emergency C-section. The decision and action needed to attempt to save our babies had to be made within a very tight timeframe. Under Florida’s current six-week ban and its so-called “exceptions,” there’s no way we could have navigated the legal maze in time to get the necessary care. These laws would have put my wife’s life and our twins’ lives at even greater risk.
While our daughters were not so lucky, and holding them as they took their last breaths will stay with me forever, I cannot stand by while people take away the ability to even attempt to save their lives. To those pushing these restrictive laws, know this: I will fight you with my last breath to protect the right to make those critical, life-saving decisions.
Frances Jenson
September 16, 2024 at 6:44 am
Thank you for sharing your deeply personal and heartbreaking experience. I am so sorry for your loss. Life is cruel and grossly unfair at times. I truly appreciate your courage to share your story. I am grateful for your dogged advocacy for women to have the healthcare they need. The women of America need more men like you to speak up in support. You are loved and appreciated by at least half of America’s citizens, the women. 🥰
Thank you on behalf of our nation’s female population and most sincerely by me.
Your girls are proud of you and smiling down upon you. 🥰
Most kindly, Frances
Jan
September 24, 2024 at 7:29 am
Thank you for sharing such a personal story. What is unfortunate is that you did not read the medical stupilation to save the life of the mother.
If you are going to make a case for reproductive rights, at least read the bill in its entirety and stop spreading misinformation.
JD
September 14, 2024 at 4:35 am
In short, you’re the one lying or at best misinformed.
rick whitaker
September 14, 2024 at 10:43 pm
COLLEEN B, you are fact free for sure. educate your dumb self
cassandra was right
September 14, 2024 at 9:51 am
Are you calling the women who are sharing —-and have evidence of—-their experiences of being forced to carry dead fetuses, skull-less fetuses, being forced to carry (some for months!) fetuses that they will watch painfully suffocate within hours of their birth, liars? Are you calling all these grieving parents liars?
JustBabs
September 15, 2024 at 1:52 am
I guess you aren’t keeping up with what is going on in those states that are blocking pregnant women from access to treatment. 100’s of women are speaking out about the unnecessary trauma and risk, they were forced to endure. Someone is going to die. Some have already lost their ability to become pregnant, again, because they were forced to wait weeks for the usual treatments. Doctors, with their patients, NOT politicians, should be making these medical decisions.
Colleen B
September 17, 2024 at 5:09 pm
Exactly as AAPLOG (OBGYN Doctors) The lies and fearmongering is rampant, so here is what you need to know.
⚖️ There is NO law in America that prevents a doctor from providing life-saving care to a pregnant patient.
🩺 Treating a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy is NOT an induced abortion.
🩹 Abortion is not the answer to societal issues. It is a bandaid that only causes more harm.
🚺 Women can do amazing things, even (and especially) when they have children.
Here are the facts:
⚠️ Several states are voting to remove commonsense safeguards and essential regulations for abortions.
☠️ A woman’s risk of dying from an abortion increases by 38% EACH WEEK after 8 weeks, making late-term abortions extremely dangerous.
💔 Abortion has negative effects on the mental and physical health of the patient.
👨👩👧👦 Without parental notification/consent, minors who have abortions are in danger of not receiving the treatment they need if they have any abortion complications.
MM Sullivan
September 21, 2024 at 11:00 pm
Given that Dr Goodman IS RETIRED FROM CLINICAL PRACTICE he is not in the position to have the type of discussions with pregnant women that he purports to have in this commercial. I have a few questions for the doctor: Whose uniform and stethoscope did you borrow to look like a practicing MD? How much did you get paid to be a shill for the abortion lobby? Will you get residuals from the advertisement?
Cindy
September 13, 2024 at 3:50 pm
I believe in mercy… It’s in the old way.. old old ways
cassandra was right
September 13, 2024 at 6:38 pm
Thank you Dr Goodman for sharing your experiences with Florida’s extreme abortion ban. Women and doctors are reporting the same suffering, fear, and frustration throughout the country since Trump’s handpicked SCOTUS’ overturned Roe. Abortion decisions must be made between the woman and her doctor, not the government.
Religious social clubs—such as the FPAA4—are fine as long as they don’t try to practice medicine on other physicians’ patients. Free speech is for all! But Akey’s attitude and ignorance are particularly insulting to women! It is truly inappropriate (wrong!) for a medical professional to insinuate that women are just on a frivolous whim deciding to get an abortion! There is no place in the discussion for anti-woman hate speech like Akey’s.
Akey’s statement also shows the dangerous lack of logic and understanding that we so often hear from religious fundamentalists, as in: “I can honestly say I have never had one patient, one woman, ever say she regret keeping her baby,” That’s the result of Roe! Not a reason to ban abortion, Akey!
It’s about FREEDOM from government intrusion!
Vote YES on 4
Colleen B
September 14, 2024 at 12:34 am
It’s time to stop the lies. There is no law in this country that prevents a doctor from saving the life of a patient.
Miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and other complications can and should be treated. Such treatments, which intend to save the life of the mother, are not the same as induced abortion, which intends to end the life of the preborn child.
Know the facts and vote to protect our patients this November!
JD
September 14, 2024 at 4:34 am
Let’s set the record straight with some personal experience. During my wife’s pregnancy with our twins, we faced a twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a life-threatening condition that required an emergency C-section. The decision and action needed to attempt to save our babies had to be made within a very tight timeframe. Under Florida’s current six-week ban and its so-called “exceptions,” there’s no way we could have navigated the legal maze in time to get the necessary care. These laws would have put my wife’s life and our twins’ lives at even greater risk.
While our daughters were not so lucky, and holding them as they took their last breaths will stay with me forever, I cannot stand by while people take away the ability to even attempt to save their lives. To those pushing these restrictive laws, know this: I will fight you with my last breath to protect the right to make those critical, life-saving decisions.
JD
September 14, 2024 at 4:35 am
In short, you’re the one lying or at best misinformed.
cassandra was right
September 14, 2024 at 10:37 am
Those life and health saving treatments ARE induced abortions. Ectopic pregnancy treatment, for example, is intended to end the “life?” of an embryo. ABORTION is HEALTHCARE!
Protect FREEDOM!
Vote YES on Amendment 4!
JustBabs
September 15, 2024 at 1:58 am
Step outside your bubble and listen to the women who are speaking out. 100’s of them, being turned away in emergencies. In this century, women should not be left to suffer when there is modern treatments. Also, no women should be forced to carry an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy if they are not ready, either. It is safer to abort. Pregnancy is a risk and not everyone is capable of parenting. America does not take care of those unwanted children. Not in any way.
Colleen B
September 14, 2024 at 12:45 am
No on 4. DO NO HARM to the girls of our state. With Amendment 4. NO Licensed Physicians will be required. Parnets do not give CONSENT, but instead are just notified their underage daughter is aborting her preborn child (Notification does nothing, only CONSENT is appropriate,. Amendment 4 will allow painful, late term abortions, after the child can live outside the womb. AAPLOG (Doctors) have warned: It’s time to stop the lies. There is no law in this country that prevents a doctor from saving the life of a patient. VOTE NO on Amendment 4. AAPLOG Florida Doctors have spoken out….members of our growing movement include medical professionals spanning 50+ specialities practicing in at least 71 cities across Florida.
cassandra was right
September 14, 2024 at 10:23 am
False. Do you know what medical procedure actually does not require parental consent? Childbirth, including caesarean delivery.
Hypocrite, “pro-lifers” are also opposed to a parent’s right to consent to and obtain an abortion for their daughter. Do AAPLOG people even support any age restrictions on forced birth? Is there any little girl you consider too young?
AAPLOG is just: Shameless. Immoral. Anti-woman. Anti-family.
Vote YES on 4
rick whitaker
September 14, 2024 at 10:46 pm
COLLEEN B, you are so wrong, but you wouldn’t dare admit it. christianity must be keeping you from reality, it’s good for that.
JustBabs
September 15, 2024 at 2:03 am
It’s 100% more dangerous to carry to term, than it is to abort. There is no harm when it is safe and legal. Teens should actually be encouraged to abort, especially, very young teens. Pregnancy risks are even higher, the younger the teen, along with a higher percentage of abused and neglected children in teens.
Gilbert
September 14, 2024 at 9:18 am
He is going to be helpless with all that number to number traffick spewing chemicals into the farm lands. And giving a large amount Cancers
Toddp
September 15, 2024 at 4:09 pm
The demoncrats never give up with their lying commercials on abortion in Florida. Just as we see in Washington lie after lie we see it here now in Florida. With the abortions not banned here in Florida but limited with common sense restrictions. If Amendment 4 passes it will remove restrictions and allow abortions anytime for any reason. This amendment is pushed by demoncrats and Planned Parenthood to increase abortions to make even more profit on their ILLEGAL sale of baby parts. Doctors and hospitals get paid incentive to push abortion and paid for bodies of these babies that are illegally sold an butchered. They get paid just as they do pushing the proven deadly vaccines.
A vote NO on Amendment 4 is a vote for life. A vote Yes is a vote for death and increased sacrifice of babies for the demoncrats who don’t care even about the mother only that they can destroy the innocent.
Demoncrats have had control of our country 16 of the last 20 years and NEVER fixed anything but open our borders. Arrest their political opponents Christians and protect criminals at Americans expense.
The abortion issue is no different. They don’t care about women just themselves and will use any issue to get people to support them. Abortion is all they have to run on as always.
It’s time to take our country back and stop it’s destruction, vote red in November and vote NO on Amendment 4.
Ocean Joe
September 15, 2024 at 4:36 pm
I’d like things to be like they used to, before the Federalist society told Trump who to put on the Supreme Court, and before Desantis screwed Florida up so badly.
To get there, the best I can do is vote YES on 4 and on 3.
JD
September 15, 2024 at 5:43 pm
This tirade is a perfect example of how misinformation and fear-mongering have taken over rational discourse. Let’s break down some of the inaccuracies here. First, the claim that Amendment 4 will allow “abortions anytime for any reason” is a blatant misrepresentation. Amendment 4 is about protecting the right to privacy, not creating a free-for-all for abortion. Even if it passes, current state and federal regulations will still apply, including existing restrictions on late-term abortions, which are already heavily regulated and rare.
The absurd accusation that Planned Parenthood profits from “illegal sale of baby parts” has been debunked time and again. This kind of rhetoric is not just false; it’s dangerous. Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health providers are focused on offering essential healthcare services, not running some black market operation. As for doctors getting “paid incentives to push abortion,” that’s another baseless claim with zero evidence to back it up. Medical professionals are there to provide care and support for their patients, not to “butcher” babies for profit.
This comment further devolves into a rant about political opponents, vaccines, and border policies, none of which have anything to do with Amendment 4 or reproductive rights. The real issue here is bodily autonomy and the right of individuals to make informed choices about their healthcare. It’s not about “sacrificing babies” or some imagined profit scheme.
Voting Yes on Amendment 4 is about upholding the right to privacy and allowing people to make personal healthcare decisions without government overreach. It’s not about “destroying the innocent”; it’s about trusting women and families to make the choices that are right for them. This kind of extremist rhetoric does nothing but spread hate and misinformation. If we’re going to “take our country back,” let’s start by having honest, fact-based discussions rather than resorting to baseless conspiracy theories.
Frances Jenson
September 16, 2024 at 6:51 am
I’m praying for you.
Frances Jenson
September 16, 2024 at 6:59 am
ToddP,
I’m praying for you!
Sully101
September 15, 2024 at 8:48 pm
Oh, puh-leeze. Aside from the fact that this alarmist’s ad is a big, fat lie, the old geezer spewing the false message is retired from clinical practice (per his Linked In page). So any difficult conversations with a pregnant woman he is imagining were in his deep dark past.
usa
September 16, 2024 at 1:04 am
Trust a doctor with skin like that at your own risk. Maybe look up the 3rd leading cause of death before believing these mouth breathers
Christian
September 16, 2024 at 6:56 am
Keep your children away from this murderer…Jerry Goodman, a doctor from Sarasota,
Meg LA RUE
September 19, 2024 at 7:29 am
I tried to leave the following poor review for Dr. Goodman, but was not allowed. People are being lied to and misinformed, and I’m sick of it. I am a seasoned nurse with over 34 years experience in obstetrics and neonatal ICU, so I do know what I’m talking about! BTW, I hate politics, but I hate lies more!
Here is the post that I was blocked from giving:
Though I’ve never seen Dr. Goodman, he opened himself up to all kinds of scrutiny by going on TV and telling LIES in order to further his own, I can only imagine, financial schemes (ie has made money as an abortionist in the past & has lost income). Either that, or he’s just a BAD doctor. Our state allows for doctors to intervene in a life threatening situation (say an ectopic pregnancy or an abruption) without any fear of legal recourse. This is part of an obstetrician’s job, and our current laws would not only allow for him to help a woman in need, but would protect him! So, SHAME ON YOU, DR. GOODMAN!! I would not want him as my Dr because I’d always be afraid that he’s going to make poor decisions based on politics and not based on caring for me!!
RZ
September 20, 2024 at 1:23 pm
1. “Florida’s ban forces women to wait for care until the brink of death”
This is false. Florida’s law provides women with a multitude of options for care, even in seemingly dire circumstances.
● Abortion is permitted after six weeks of pregnancy if a woman faces any life-threatening risks or complications.
● Physicians have been provided with detailed guidelines by Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration that explain this – so there’s no excuse for cases in which women have not immediately been provided care if they present to their doctor with complications.
● Florida’s existing law does not restrict women’s healthcare, but enhances it
2. “Florida’s ban could send doctors to prison.”
This is fearmongering.
● Florida’s law allows physicians to intervene immediately if a woman faces complications in her pregnancy.
● In fact, there is no law across all 50 states that impedes physicians from doing so.
● This claim is a political attempt to scare Floridians and confuse well-meaning doctors who have the power and the backing of the current law to provide excellent care for their patients.
3. “Amendment 4 is needed to allow physicians to perform life-saving care.”
This could not be further from the truth.
● Amendment 4 must be defeated if physicians like me want to be able to continue to serve our patients
● Amendment 4 is severely out of step with the way Florida doctors practice medicine, and would eliminate healthy and safety standards that regulate abortion, putting women in serious danger
● It will cause women great harm and eliminate doctors from the doctor-patient relationship through loopholes that would legalize high-risk induced abortions – something that the vast majority of physicians don’t do.
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