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The Next Abortion Challenge?

By TChris, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 07:24:45 AM EST
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by TChris

The South Dakota legislature is poised to pass "the most sweeping [abortion] ban approved by any state in more than a decade." The law would plainly be unconstitutional in light of Roe v. Wade, but the law's supporters hope to provoke a court fight that would give the Supreme Court an opportunity to overturn Roe.

State Rep. Roger Hunt is already counting Justice Alito as a vote against the right to choose abortion, and he seems hopeful that Justice Stevens, now 85, will soon be off the bench, giving the president another appointment opportunity.

Drink a toast tonight to the good health of Justice Stevens.

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    The Next Abortion Challenge? | 9 comments (9 topical)
    Re: The Next Abortion Challenge? (none / 0) (#1)
    by fafnir on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 08:08:27 AM EST
    All together now: Haaaang on Stevens, Stevens hang on!

    Re: The Next Abortion Challenge? (none / 0) (#2)
    by eric on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 11:55:04 AM EST
    With or without Stevens, it shouldn't matter. Think about it. The republicans already have Scalia, Thomas, and Kennedy. Roberts and Alito were hand picked by the current administration. If this Court doesn't overturn Roe, which one will?

    Re: The Next Abortion Challenge? (none / 0) (#3)
    by Lww on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 11:57:24 AM EST
    On the other side I guess for every day he lives another thousand abortions will be performed. I don't know whether to cheer or boo.

    Re: The Next Abortion Challenge? (none / 0) (#4)
    by txpublicdefender on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 01:25:02 PM EST
    Kennedy was in the majority in Casey, so I don't think he's a vote to overturn Roe.

    Re: The Next Abortion Challenge? (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 05:59:48 PM EST
    LWW:
    On the other side I guess for every day he lives another thousand abortions will be performed.
    That's not the point. It's just a matter of whether you want those thousand abortions to be more risky, more expensive, and illegal. If you want to convince us that changing the law will actually change people's personal beliefs, needs, and behaviors, you first need to explain why Prohibition did not succeed. And after you get done with that, then tell us how, in your opinion, assuming that Roe v. Wade were overturned, the government should go about making their War on Abortion more successful than their War on Drugs has been. Will they be throwing aborted mothers in prison, as they do drug users? Will there be a three strikes law for Abortion? Or capital punishment for the first offense?

    Re: The Next Abortion Challenge? (none / 0) (#6)
    by Kitt on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 07:16:27 AM EST
    On the other side I guess for every day he lives another thousand abortions will be performed.
    From where is this figure or amount coming? 1000 abortions per day? Is there the realization that any pregnancy that medically ends is considered an abortion even if 'natural'? Daily, we see it on requisitions when doing procedures - "threatened Ab" - miscarriages. Besides that.... This entire is so NOT about LIFE; it's about CONTROL. It's incredibly anti-woman because once again, there's no apparent involvement nor repercussions for males. This falls under the "it's no one's freaking business."

    Re: The Next Abortion Challenge? (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 05:26:14 PM EST
    America continues to reap what it has sewn by electing theocrats, corporatists, militarists, and would-be fascists to control our lives. Don't think that Conservatives are going to stop with the repeal of Roe. Once they reverse the progressive protections of the 60's and 70's, they'll keep working just as hard to get us back into the 50's. Internment camps during war-time. Repeal of Anti-discrimination laws. Repeal of environmental protections in their most fundamental forms. State's ability to enforce prayer in public schools. Etc. Think that's far-fetched? In 1999 the corporate news liars were all saying that anyone that believed Bush and his allies were conservative enough to bring challenge to Roe were exaggerating. Bush did his part and stacked the courts - plural. Now all he and his cronies have to do is sit back and watch it all fall down -- and none of you have any power to do anything about it. That last statement is especially directed at any Bush voter stupid enough to be pro-choice and still vote for a Conservative - ANY Conservative. As we are now starting to see (again), it will be State Conservatives and gerrymandered entrenched State party apparatuses that will become the face of these rollbacks a-la Jim Crow. It won't be Bush wearing a Cowboy hat riding a horse into your town with an Anti-Abortion Winchester. It will be your state legislators and your state governors regulating your sexuality (amongst other things). None of those actions will ruffle the feathers of Corporate America - and Corporate America needs the Social Conservatives to keep together the coalition of prejudice and privilege that allows things like Iraq to happen.

    Re: The Next Abortion Challenge? (none / 0) (#8)
    by Johnny on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 09:24:05 PM EST
    History has shown us that were it not for a special amendment, women would not be voting. A special amendment was needed to get even superficial rights guaranteed for blacks. Special legislation was needed to ensure that women and minorities have a fair shake. One good sign, many more women are graduating college now, than are men. So maybe the "Good ol' boy network" will lose it's rascist, misogynistic stranglehold. Then perhaps legislation guaranteeing a fair shale for any but white men will not be needed. Until then, those that think the ERA or Affirmative Action are not necessary will continue to clamor for it's repeal. Never mind history and all it has to teach us. SD is a repressive state to live in, for the most part. This is just the latest in a string of movements designed by the Thune administartion as a test-bed of hyper conservatism.

    Re: The Next Abortion Challenge? (none / 0) (#9)
    by glanton on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 09:51:58 PM EST
    Tampa nails it completely. I might even take it much further and suggest that, anyone who goes to the polls under the conditions Tampa so accurately describes, and casts a vote of any kind, is at the very least courting foolery. America: One gigantic downbound train.

    The Next Abortion Challenge? | 9 comments (9 topical)