Wednesday, March 01, 2006

SD Abortion Ban


from Reuter's

On Feb 24, the South Dakota legislature passed a bill that would ban all abortion within the state. The bill would grant only one exception allowing an abortion: the mother's life being in danger. Governor Mike Rounds has said that he is inclined to sign the bill.

If this bill becomes law, it will be in direct conflict with the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. There is no doubt that if the governor signs the bill into law, opponents will take the case directly to the Supreme Court that has recently changed with two conservative justices appointed by President G W Bush.

The President said that he doesn't entirely agree with the S D bill. He says that his idea of an abortion ban includes three exceptions (rape, incest, and life of the mother) allowing an abortion; the S D bill only has one recognized exception.

Please read the comments for my take on this issue. Here's your chance to get political.

1 comment:

James Cantrell, author said...

In our current state of affairs abortion is a necessary evil. Our society does not have a working child welfare system in place. Without abortion there would be many more children who will have no one to care for them.

May opponents to abortion always point to adoption. Adoption is a sophisticated legal matter that requires years of work and lots of money and until then the child would be placed in a state agency.

The problem with state agencies is that they do not have adequate resources. The social workers don't make enough money and are inundated with cases that they cannot keep up with.

Until the social welfare system for children is improved abortion is a necessary evil. Case workers need to be paid better and more need to be hired and properly trained.

Judith Sheinglin (TV's Judge Judy) has a very interesting take on the state of the child welfare system and how it needs to be improved. In her brutally honest criticism of the family court system, she offers realistic and provocative suggestions for what she sees as the Family Court system's weaknesses, including steps to reform welfare fraud, foster care, juvenile delinquency and frivolous lawsuits. She also points out that our justice system is inherently flawed, rewarding troubled youth with professional attention and beautiful facilities, while leaving good kids alone to languish in broken-down schools. Her book, "Beauty Fades, Dumb is Forever," is a must read.

Bottom Line: Just because you think abortion is wrong, please understand that it is just wrong for you. No one has the right to enter the body of a woman and force them to do something that perhaps they simply cannot. This is a really scary situation. The Supreme Court could decide that abortion is a state matter, leaving the decision up to each individual state. When abortion was illegal, many women were mutitlated or killed becasue of unqualified people performing the act.