South Dakota's Republican Governor signed one of the toughest pieces of Anti-Abortion legislation today. The law bans all abortions, even in the case of rape or incest or if the woman's health (but not her life) may be in danger. It puts a penalty on Doctors of up to 5 years in prison and a $5000 fine if they perform the procedure. The law is set to go into effect in July.
There is only one abortion clinic left in South Dakota, 1 left in Mississippi. For an excellent documentary of where the abortion stands today, see Frontline's The Last Abortion Clinic You will learn that we have fewer clinics now than we have had any time since Roe V. Wade. You will learn that 87% of counties in the US do not have a clinic. We have talked about this before. The South Dakota law is a direct challenge to the standards initially set in Roe and then changed in Casey. The whole point of this law is to force US Supreme Court to act. The state already has a private donor who has put up $1 mil to fend of legal challenges.
I ask you, give me one example of a MEDICAL procedure that requires you to wait 24 hours, have face to face meetings with psychological counselors, see graphic pictures, be heckled by protestors, and be asked personal questions about your living situation, personal finances, etc. The only one that comes remotely close is assisted suicide and that is pretty much illegal. In fact, give me any medical procedure that anyone has to go through to that requires such degrading treatment! But women who are seeking a medical procedure have to go through this, often alone with no support from anyone. And for some reason, this is acceptable.
For a quick reference to see the latest abortion laws by state go to this interactive map at Frontline's webpage.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Misogyny Reigns Supreme
Posted by USWest at 8:32 PM
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9 comments:
Aside from the protesters the situation you described sounds like plastic surgery. Which I suppose proves the point. The American right probably has more respect for breast implants for 18 year olds and face lifts for 50 year olds than a woman's right to control her own reproductive system.
// posted by Raised By Republicans
I think it's about time the Republicans started really trying to shut off abortion rights. I get tired of seeing "pro-choice Republicans" who don't think there's a problem voting Republican. I get sick of independent "thoughtful" urban voters who vote Republican because they think abortion is a non-issue. Is that all you can talk about, they ask, abortion? They think so because it's been the law for so long, and all the "pro-life" talk sometimes seems like just a lot of "good values" that doesn't change anything, or (cynically) a lot of hot air to keep the roobs voting with you. These same people would laugh at Democrats for always harping on Republicans trying to cut Social Security -- until they did these last 2 years. I'm glad these sons of bitches are coming out of the closet and voting full-on to ban abortion. Show your true colors! Put decent people to the test, for once, of whether they really want to support narrowminded bigots in office just because they think they'll get a tax cut (all they really get is a cut in services, cut in clean air, cut in clean water, but that's another post). Wake up, America!
// posted by LTG
To put it another way...
Bring it on!
Once again, not to be vulgar or rude or make light of the seriousness of abortion but.....I firmly believe the strongest way to get someone to understand the need for abortion (and I'm throwing out discussion because it seems that that doesn't seem to get you anywhere when discussing abortion with a religious fanatic) but if that person's wife or daughter was raped, I'm sure they would think twice about signing this piece of legislation. To me, this seems to be the most direct route.
Excellent point RbR...especially true here in LA, as if plastic surgery is the new rite of passage...
// posted by siddhartahwolf
To follow USWest's challenge to give an example of another medical procedure requiring the kind of obstacles placed in the way of abortions, let me expose a myth regarding minors and medical treatment.
Those who favor parental notification restrictions on abortion rights often try to justify such restrictions by saying parents need to give their consent for all other medical treatment for minors. But that just is not so.
According to the California Medical Association, minors can consent to several different types of medical procedures: treatment of contagious/infections diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV tessts; treatment for rape or sexual assault; treatment for drug addiction and alcohol abuse; and mental health practices. In other words, California usually permits minors to consent to medical treatment that might be considered embarrassing or shameful, especially relating to sexual intercourse.
Furthermore, according to the CMA, physicians are usually prohibited from telling the minor's parents about medical care the minor was legally able to authorize.
Over the past 50 years or so, the rights of minors in all areas has generally been increased, but in a patchwork way, across the country. Some states give minors significantly more rights than others. But the point is this: there is no longer a simple presumption that father knows best... and the issue of abortion rights for minors is not an exception to but rather is fully consistent with the broader struggle for medical rights for minors.
Well said LTG! And don't forget that this is showing some Republicans' true colors, such as John McCain, who said he would have signed the bill . Think about that for a second.
// posted by Bell Curve
I'm long past being sick and tired of John McCain. His public image is as this reasonable, moderate, honest man but if you look at his record he's just another Republican. When the chips are down he stands with party against the interests of the country. He was one of the worst offenders in the Keating Five scandal. He's anti-choice. He's pro-tax cut all the time. And he's George Bush's little toady. Bush savaged him in the South Carolina primary back in 2000 and McCain was rightly outraged. But in 2004 there was McCain backing a man for president he knew to be completely unqualified and ruthless - and all for the sake of party.
There is simply no such thing as a moderate Republican. This is a party that is 100% based on top down control and the people at the top are Theocrats and big money men.
// posted by Raised By Republicans
To quote Bell Curve's article:
"A spokesperson said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would have signed the South Dakota legislation, "but [he] would also take the appropriate steps under state law -- in whatever state -- to ensure that the exceptions of rape, incest or life of the mother were included."
In other words, that's the same position as Bush, more or less. Someone who doesn't think abortion is murder, but wants to control women's behavior anyway.
// posted by Anonymous
I've spent most of my waking life all riled up about the abortion issue. Though my parents have morphed into Slightly-To-The-Right-Of-Gengis-Khan-Republicans, I remember conversations in my earliest teen years about a woman's right to choose, how dangerous "the good old days" were, and why abortion ought to be a choice for every woman. (Though I wonder if some of these conversations with my parents were a subtle way of trying to keep me from teenage motherhood.)
I don't know if I have abortion fatigue, or if I have issue fatigue, or if I'm just fatigued. This South Dakota law seems like rock bottom for women's rights. And I don't have high hopes that Roe v. Wade will make it out of this decade.
The thing that really gets me is that most people who consider themselves pro-life often support some forms of abortion, or some circumstances in which abortion should be legal. So in fact, they support some choices, but not all choices. Just the choices they want to impose on the rest of us. Whoop-de-doo. I'm so glad some old guy with an unhealthy interest in where his sperm goes thinks he ought to tell me where, if, and when I can not have kids or have kids.
Excuse me, I've got to go obey my husband now.
-Seventh Sister.
// posted by Anonymous
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