S. Dakota Abortion Law Faces A Big Test

[cal04]

Voters to Decide Broad Ban's Fate
(snip)
South Dakota is the unlikely home of this year's most intense duel over abortion, a Nov. 7 referendum to decide the future of HB 1215, a measure that would institute a broad ban on abortion. No exceptions would be allowed for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest -- the procedure would be permitted only when the mother's life was in jeopardy.

Partisans across the nation are delivering money and tactical advice on an issue that has divided residents of the state. South Dakota's fight could be a harbinger of political battles across the country should the Supreme Court strike down Roe v. Wade , the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

"This has become the focal point in the country for the choice debate," said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, which is channeling cash into the campaign. "The stakes are very high, especially for us to win in November and again say America is pro-choice, America doesn't think politicians should be involved in these private decisions, and enough is enough."

A fresh poll suggests voters are inclined to oppose the law as too severe. In a late-July sounding, opponents of the ban held an eight-point lead, with 14 percent undecided.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/27/AR2006082700773.html

[WindRavenX]

1. if you don't include exception for rape/incest...

...I hope you DIAF. Seriously. That's just so fucked up to FORCE a woman to carry a rapist's fetus to term.
In that situation, I would probably be suicidal.

[MadMaddie]

2. And then if the woman has the kid and puts him into the system

he becomes another child that the fundi's complain about......

[WindRavenX]

4. yup

They don't give a damn about the kid once it's out of the womb.

But I wouldn't make it that far. I really would be suicidal if I was forced to carry it. :(

[MadMaddie]

6. I think I would be too....

[noonwitch]

13. I wouldn't be suicidal, necessarily, buy I probably wouldn't take as good

of care of myself and my baby if that were the situation, as opposed to a pregnancy I wanted. Maybe I would smoke a cigarette once in a while, I might take advil for a headache, drink a cup of coffee once in a while.

And maybe I wouldn't do any of these things. But the inclination would be stronger than if I planned a pregnancy and wanted to have a baby.

[saigon68]

15. They have a PRISON waiting for him especially if he's BLACK

Keeps the necks employed watching naked men shower in groups

[Ka hrnt]

9. Hmmm...

"...the procedure would be permitted only when the mother's life was in jeopardy."

Juxtapose that quote re: the law with your statement:

"In that situation, I would probably be suicidal."

That raises a sticky question; would that be considered a "loophole" (for lack of a better term)? Ai ai ai...

[bluestateguy]

3. Because there are no exceptions, I think the voters will overturn it

but I wouldn't celebrate too quickly even if they do. Then the legislature might just turn right around and pass an abortion ban with the rape/incest exception in it. Some of the "mushy middle" types might go along with that.

[tocqueville]

5. the motive for the pro choice campaign blows my mind

"America doesn't think politicians should be involved in these private decisions, and enough is enough."

well it should be exactly the contrary. Politicians should be involved in those questions and legislate. Because abortion is only partly a "private" matter, it's mostly a social matter. Basically all the reasoning behind abortion is flawed when you take it from the "privacy' standpoint. That's exactly what allows fundies to attack it on "ethical" grounds. If you make abortion primarily a social and woman rights issue (meaning right to welfare) - which it is, then the "ethical religious" approach becomes irrelevant. Never fight the fundies on their own terrain.

besides it's not even politicians that are really involved, but judges. Which is even worse since they are appointed.

[Demeter]

10. Excuse Me, But There Isn't Anything MORE Private

A Woman's Autonomy, or right to self-determination, is essential for equality. Otherwise, women are not adults, endowed by their Creator with the rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. You can't have it both ways.

[MrPrax]

14. So you are claiming...

Fundamentalists, who generally have NO ehtical arguments, just specific political one on issues, presumeably have a 'good' ethical argument that is challenges the flawed private standpoint regarding abortion?

Well fuck me...so what is the flawed reasoning, pray tell? Can you give us a persepctive on say the ethical stand of the Catholic Church, who for centuries maintained Aquinas's definition that life was post-coitus, ONLY to change this legislation in the late 19th century purely for increasing the Catholic birth rate? That don't sound very ethical to me -- that's sounds all rather SOCIAL, actually. To ignore the undercurrent of traditional religious control over women, to ignore racial 'panic', to ignore the hyprocrisy of 'life' vs. human rights, is to ignore some of the key elements of the Pro-Life movement -- not to mention it makes a lot of money and is an emotive button in which fundamnetalist groups like to use in order to organize other 'political' causes.

So many people are fooled by the 'religious' tag that they tend to forget that religions are POLITICAL MOVEMENTS and everything they do is SOCIAL or 'religious' -- so when fundamentalist religious groups speak on social and political issues, there are ALWAYS people, like yourself, that are trained to view them in amoral, intellectual vacuum and ignore CONTEXT.

The CONTEXT being secular societies with a well-developed system of PERSONAL rights and responsibilities, none of which has anything to do with 'religious' ethics and was IN FACT won by the people against strong opposition by religious authority.

Let's not forget that little part, shall we.

[Gman]

7. Everyone should have broad ban

I've got a cable modem. My sister down the street has DSL. At work we have a T-1.

[ismnotwasm]

8. How about feeling relief, Ms Brandt?

Shear, unadulterated relief, and gratitude at this point for the choice I still have, my daughters have and to the women before me who made it possible.


"I don't want anyone to feel what I did," Brandt says." Bullshit.

[annabanana]

11. ah yes. . . this is the ban that might be exempted for some

"Good religious girl who has been raped & sodomized, just as bad as it can be"? WTF was that quote?

[nodehopper]

12. Bill Napoli's masturbatory fantasies?

[annabanana]

16. That's it...

Other exceptions would surely be his daughter, and her friends. .. and maybe the preacher's daughter.. you know, a case by case basis, with him getting to give the old "thumbs up or down" on it

[David__77]

17. I'm here in Rapid City vacationing...

...and I have seen NO signs or bumper stickers or anything about this referendum. It's strange.

[varun]

18. The law should specify that...

...those who voted for the draconian No abortion in ANY case law:

Would not have any abortion in ANY CASE - no matter where in USA. Their children will not have any abortions either, till they become adults.