Patrick's Rants

I had a really tough time deciding what to call this post. I mean the concept that all or nearly all abortion would become illegal anywhere in the US is hard to imagine, but it is in South Dakota. A bill just passed by the state legislature is slated for the Republican Governor’s signature. This bill would make performing and having one performed on you, punishable by five years in prison according to CNN. It does not take the health of the mother, rape or incest into account. Did daddy sneak into bed with you to show you how much he loves you? Keep the baby. Did you get raped by your boss when you were cleaning the grease trap after working your 12 hour shift just to pay your rent? Keep the baby. No we mean it, you keep it our you go to jail where you become the slave to Madge, don’t worry she won’t get you pregnant.
This really boils down to a “class” issue. Women who can afford it (and daughters of families that can afford it) will do what they have always done; go on “vacation” and have a “miscarriage”. Lower income women who cannot afford to travel out of state will become more of a burden on the welfare system – if they can’t afford the $1000 or so to travel, have an abortion, and miss work what makes anyone think they can afford to raise children? And for women victimized by a rapist or an incestuous family member are they going to collect child support from a convicted rapist? Fat chance collecting while the thug is in jail.
Instead the state wants women to practice abstinence – don’t get raped OK? Because we all know that women who are raped are “asking for it” and wanted to have unprotected sex with a junkie.
This bill goes way too far – South Dakota only has one abortion clinic in the entire state. Now they want to make it illegal to have even that one… well unless the mother’s life is in danger. Of course if she is only deathly ill, but expected to survive then it’s illegal. This cannot be allowed to pass and stand in South Dakota nor anywhere else. As a man, I truly believe that I cannot tell a woman what to do with her body – especially when it comes to carrying a child to term. Women are allowed to vote and are no longer considered property – let’s treat them like they can think for themselves, counsel and console them as needed and support them in their decisions – and make damned sure the decision to terminate a pregnancy (or not) is legal.

Note: I used the term baby throughout. Without getting into a debate about when life “begins” I would like to point out that fetus is a more correct term for certain aged clumps of cells. I also believe that if it can’t breath on its own it’s hard to say it’s alive.