Friday, February 24, 2006

Bring it on, South Dakota...

The South Dakota abortion bill doesn't scare me. I don't think the Supreme Court will overturn Roe if this gets that far. YES, they do now have Alito and Roberts, but I think Kennedy will swing to the left, and that gives the left the majority on this issue. Additionally, this law may be the impetus we need to get some change in this nation. If the bill passes into law - the SD state senate has already passed it - perhaps liberals, women, and sane people in general will finally be driven to DO SOMETHING about the patriarchal, theocratic, misogynisitic far-right that is crippling our country. Perhaps people will finally see that the policy makers in this country are not in line with widely-held American values. Perhaps they will see that the "Pro Life" movement is NOT really pro life, but in fact is anti-women, anti-modern, and anti-progress. Perhaps they will see that the "Pro Life" movement is in fact hell-bent on returning our society to an oppressive, restrictive patriarchy that favors the rich, the white, the male, and the powerful over all others. Perhaps they will realize that reproductive rights are essential to modern society and women's rights. Perhaps they will see that this isn't about protecting "innocents," but it's about punishing "uppity" women. This is an attempt to chain women to the stove. This is a longing for the Leave it to Beaver nirvana that never really existed. This is an issue that if left uncombatted, will return us to the middle ages.

I for one, am ready for a fight. Bring it on, I say. I want the righties to show us just how despicable they are. I want the left to become mobilized, and reclaim out country. Bring it on. I'll come out swinging.

8 Comments:

At 3:01 PM, Blogger Zac said...

And the house passed it. And at 50-18, it may even be an un-veto-able majority - don't know the exact rules in SD, but that's just over 73%. Just read through some of Kennedy's opinions on abortion cases, and I have a pretty good feeling that he'll come down against this one. Things are also pretty quiet on the right-wing blogosphere. At least outside of the extreme, theocratic fringes. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out. The Republicans may be shocked to see women fleeing their party...

 
At 3:01 PM, Blogger Zac said...

Some links on this...
http://www.nbc13.com/health/7407708/detail.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5645404,00.html

 
At 11:53 AM, Blogger brenda said...

It's too simple to say that all women support the right to choose--that is clearly not the case. When actually looking at abortion, not a lot of people like what they see. But I do think that when actually looking at "no choice," a lot of people who've been previously silent on the matter will have to stand up because they don't like what they see either.

 
At 12:09 PM, Blogger Zac said...

Oh, I don't mean to say that all women support abortion rights. I just think that they *should,* especially if they stop a moment and clearly think about their agency in life...

 
At 5:06 PM, Blogger brenda said...

what? now you're making generalizations about woman's agency in life?

 
At 5:07 PM, Blogger brenda said...

hey- the 'comment moderation' feature ate my comment--make it stop!

I said something to the effect of:

what? now you're making generalizations about women's agency in life?

 
At 5:25 PM, Blogger Zac said...

Well, I want women, as a whole, to see and recognize that the Right is their enemy unless they wish to be nothing more than baby-and-dinner-making slaves. Just as I want blue-collar workers, as a whole, to see that the Right is their enemy too. That is, unless, they like beign severely economically crippled.

If the Right, under the directions of "theocons" as Kos and Jerome at MyDD so cleverly call them, does overturn Roe v. Wade, many women across the country - especially poorer women - could suddenly face crippling restrictions on their lives. Suddenly, it could be a hell of a lot harder to persue a career or education because of one little mistake - a mistake that our hormones are constantly telling us to make, and a mistake that men never have to face personally. Suddenly, that previously adequate paycheck can be too little. Suddenly, that woman may have to live every day with a child who is a reminder of a traumatic rape.

And if they manage to overturn Roe v. Wade, what's to say they won't move on to outlaw not only emergency contraception, but contraception period? 'Tis a slippery slope, and these societal neanderthals are hell-bent on dragging all of us down. And only because the notion of women having careers and, gasp, *thoughts* threatens their worldview.

Overall, I think it's very obvious that the outlawing of abortion, which would be enabled were Roe-v. Wade overturned, would clearly do much to deny women of choices and opportnities in life. So yes, I say it is a threat to female agency, and I think more women should recognize that...

 
At 5:38 PM, Blogger brenda said...

I'd like to someday see some numbers on the economic backgrounds of women who have abortions...

 

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