The Towering Solons of Abortion---by Molly Ivins

[kpete]

Published on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 by TruthDig.com
The Towering Solons of Abortion
by Molly Ivins

South Dakota is so rarely found on the leading edge of the far out, the wiggy, the California-esque. But it has now staked its claim. First to Outlaw Abortion This Century. The state legislature of South Dakota, in all its wisdom and majesty, a legislature comprised of sons and daughters of the soil from Aberdeen to Zell, have usurped the right of the women of that state to decide whether or not to bear the child of an unwanted pregnancy. They will decide. Women will do what they decide.

These towering solons, representing citizens from the great cosmopolitan centers of Rapid City and Sioux Falls to the bosky dells near Yankton, are noted for their sagacity and understanding. When you think “enlightenment,” the first thing that comes to your mind is “the South Dakota Legislature,” right?

As well it might. The purpose of the law is to force a decision from the United States Supreme Court, where the appointments of John Roberts and Sam Alito have now shored up the anti-choice forces.

The South Dakota Legislature has made it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion under any circumstances except to save the life of the mother. There are no exceptions for rape, incest or to preserve the health of the mother. Should this strike you as hard cheese, State Sen. Bill Napoli, R-Rapid City, explains how rape and incest could be exceptions under the “life” clause. Napoli believes most abortions are performed for “convenience,” but he told “The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer” about how he thinks a “real-life example” of the exception could be invoked:

.......................

For years, the women’s movement has been going around asking, “Who decides?” as though that were the issue. Well, here’s the answer. Bill Napoli decides, and if you’re not happy with that arrangement, well, you’d better be prepared to do something about it.

article at:
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0307-32.htm

[bryant69]

1. This shoe sure dropped fast.

Personally I think the pro-life movement overreached with this one - but we'll have to see what happens.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[QuettaKid]

2. they over reached on purpose.

they WANT to force it to the SCOTUS as a way to get to Roe.

[salin]

5. the "over reach", I think

is that they believe they have more power - and that this, in the long run (in terms of keeping and amassing political power/capital) will backfire against those waging this... as in the public will begin to distrust and recoil from such politicians as their emperor's cloaks become more clear (or transparent, or apparent that they are nonexistent.)

[Dhalgren]

7. One commentator I heard said that he didn't think that the

SOTUS would hear the case. He said he thought that it would be overturned by the SD SC and when it got to the Supremes they would just pass. Does that sound like a possible scenario?

[colinmom71]

17. Possible, except that SD is in the Eighth circuit...

Care to guess which newly appointed and approved Justice is head of that Circuit? If you guessed Alito, you're correct.

IIRC, the head Justice over each circuit decides which cases should be brought to conference, then whether the case will be heard before the full Court is voted on at conference. I'd be surprised if Alito doesn't present this case to conference but the real issue is whether the Court will agree to hear the case..

[trogdor]

14. They want the 5-4 upholding Roe.

This way, they get to continue riling up the unwashed fundamentalist whacko masses with, "we're ALMOST there!" It get to remain a wedge issue until one of the non-whacko justices dies of old age, except with a 5-4 decision, it gains additional potency for the next couple of election cycles.

[bettyellen]

16. kennedy can't be counted on to uphold roe as is, sheesh...

and this argument of yours has helped put us here, so thanks a fuckload.

[salin]

4. I think the sheer number of states that jumped

into this fray within weeks of the confirmation of Alito will shock a lot of America - along the lines of the Schaivo case... I think that one of the after-shocks will be voters taking seriously the threat of the theocratic right- and factor it back in when voting for those likely to be doing the nominating for Courts (pres) or the affirming of judges (sen.)

Sadly I think it will take some time for the backlash to grow and result in real political change - and many lives are likely to be tragically altered in the meantime.

[RazzleDazzle]

8. ELEVEN states to date

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x591015#595427

[acmejack]

9. Is it possible that we have misread the sentiment of America this badly?

Eleven States, dear god? I do hear a lot of god blessing and such going on. Maybe It's us.

[pitohui]

11. well there's that pesky racism thing

i believe most of the god blessing and anti-abortion hype is coming from racists who truly believe if white women aren't forced to bear children they won't have them anymore

there's some black demogogues who have caught the same boat and openly say that abortion is genocide, which i think rather cheapens the word genocide but my opinion of their vocabulary is prob. neither here nor there

i believe it IS a minority but i think it's a shockingly LARGE minority of americans who have a racist agenda, hell, the whole GOP platform is based on not terribly well-veiled race hate & they've got all 3 branches now

[salin]

15. the cc types took over a whole lot of local parties

they pander to their own - but other mod republicans vote for them - because they won the primary and they always pull the GOP lever... and 'besides they wouldn't really act on some of their extreme rhetoric... would they?' I think we are seeing the 'endgame' of the political organizing the CC began back in the late 80s which started with seats on school boards, and taking over local gop parties.

[Tesha]

21. What misread? It's Jesusland versus everyone else.

> Is it possible that we have misread the sentiment of America this badly?

What misread? It's Jesusland versus everyone else and we've known
this at least since Jerry Falwell first fired up his Old Time Gospel
Hour TV show. Reagan was the big clue, but the absolute, unabashed,
*UNOPPOSED* theft of the election in 2000 was the final breaking
strain.

This isn't "one country under God". This isn't even one country.
This is Jesusland, the Northeast, and the Northwest.

And there'll be hell to pay before the non-Jesusland portions see
real freedom again. My money is on secession or the renewal of
frank hostilities in the never-quite-ended Civil War.

Tesha

[slide to the left]

3. She is wonderful

But back to the point at hand. I will never live in SD.

[wicket]

6. God bless Molly Ivins

n/t

:kick:

[RufusEarl]

10. Molly, is a Texas treasure

[wicket]

13. She certainly is!

:D

[Solly Mack]

12. Solly loves Molly

Good Golly!

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

18. Beautiful. My 18 y/o daughter and her friends are horrified by this turn

events.

They didn't think it could happen,yet now the overturn of R v W is a real possibility.

I've told my daughter,"Your generation is key...you're the ones who will push this and keep contraception and abortion safe. If you choose to."

The backlash cometh from these young women who thought they were unassailable in their reproductive rights. I have much hope. MKJ

[Hekate]

19. My favorite part of that interview on PBS...

"A real-life description to me would be a rape victim, brutally raped, savaged. The girl was a virgin. She was religious. She planned on saving her virginity until she was married. She was brutalized and raped, sodomized as bad as you can possibly make it, and is impregnated. I mean, that girl, could be so messed up, physically and psychologically, that carrying that child could very well threaten her life."

Thank you, Molly, for putting it in print so all the world can see what goes on in the minds of fanatics.

Hekate

[Random_Australian]

20. "She Was Religious" And if she is an Atheist.... Stiff Shit!

AAAAAAAAAGH THAT MAKES ME SO... SO....
WELL IT'S TIMES LIKE THIS I REALLY WISHED I FELT ANGER!!
It just makes me unhappy.

But maths/science gives us hope. Find where the beliefs meet the wall that freepers put between faith and reality, sneak an argument past the wall... one less freeper...

*sigh*

So many will suffer from these nuts. Stop them now. Please.