echidne, a favorite blogger of mine, has a nice rundown of the anti-abortion law going down in south dakota as well as links to other writers who've been on this story all along.
ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES
i especially like the analysis at lawyers, guns and money .
people, this south dakota law is huge. it doesn't fuck with chipping away at reproductive rights but goes for the whole enchilada - women, no matter the situation or medical context, won't be able to have access to abortion and doctors who perform abortions are criminally responsible - not women, which is an illogical and disingenuous move on their part. (again, hat tip to LG&M)
i have to hand it to the opposition - when they decide to move, they really haul ass. i thought we'd have a few years for this fight, but it seems they're emboldened by roberts and alito on the bench. the way things are going (and i've said it before) birth control access is going to be the next reproductive issue to be narrowly defined and then toppled. check out the naral map to see what anti-reproductive freedom bills are wending their stealthy courses through your legislatures.
where are we going to stand, women? if we're okay with one state, or a few states, to put unconstitutional bans on abortion on the books, thus establishing test cases for the supreme court to decide, then what are we NOT okay with?
and how about it, guys in the democratic party? still waffling that reproductive rights is a 'niche' 'womens' issue and not so important as, say, the shrinking middle class or the economy? still feeling this is something that's going to scare the poor wittle moderates? still thinking that winning in 2008 is more important than what strange men are deciding NOW about your girlfriend or wife's uterus? still thinking feminists are shrill and humorless and hysterical about concentrating on reproductive issues and not our silly war on terror?
for many of us, this is terror. it is a war waged on the landscapes of our bodies. and i'm wondering if there's more than just me getting angry about it.
6 comments:
Um, yeah.
*waving* Me, too.
Though it was heartening to check the NARAL map for Illinois and see that my state senator (Carol Ronen) and representative (Sara Feigenholtz) have sponsored a few bills on the good side.
Angry is an understatement. This kind of nonsense needs to be stopped. I knew somebody would make a run with it when Roberts/Alito hit the benches. We need to keep fighting for our freedoms and work against those who would take them away.
jan schakowsky did an event for the organization i work for and she talked a little about this - what we can do.
she basically said it's time for us to stop waiting for someone else to advocate for us and we need to start entering public life. i'm beginning to agree with her.
for things to change some things need to change with the people in charge. i say we start being those people.
Vote for Ding in 2008! I want to send you to Springfield. Just make sure you run in a district that's not already represented by one of the good people, m'kay?
that would be hilarious.
don't think it hasn't crossed my mind...
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