“When Governor Mike Rounds signed HB 1215 into law it effectively banned all abortions in the state with the exception that it did allow saving the mother’s life. There were, however, no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. His actions, and the comments of State Senators like Bill Napoli of Rapid City, SD, set of a maelstrom of protests within the state.
Napoli suggested that if it was a case of “simple rape,” there should be no thoughts of ending a pregnancy. Letters by the hundreds appeared in local newspapers, mostly written by women, challenging Napoli’s description of rape as “simple.” He has yet to explain satisfactorily what he meant by “simple rape.”
I just can’t put it more clearly than the following statement by one of my rural sisters. Shame on you Bill Napoli!
“As a rape victim at the age of 16 I am highly incensed by the term ’simple’ rape. No woman that has ever gone through that escapes without not only physical scars but also emotional ones that last years….perhaps forever. And we all know rape is not about sex but power which brings us yet again to the the patriarchy that continues to dominate in our culture.”
As rural feminists it is no surprise that the recent abortion ban legislation in South Dakota has been a topic of discussion within our community. Heck, forget feminist. As women this legislation is of great interest. It was certainly no surprise that the following two news article links were sent to our list mates.
http://rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/03/25/news/top/news01.txt
http://rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/03/25/news/top/news02.txt
While reading the articles, I found myself in absolute disbelief with the following statements by Representive Roger Hunt.
The main sponsor of HB1215, state Rep. Roger Hunt, R-Brandon, on Friday rejected the notion that the ban is outside the mainstream of South Dakota values. The bill was overwhelmingly approved by publicly elected legislators and signed by a publicly elected governor, Hunt said.
“On the basis of the fact that all of these elected officials have considered this legislation and supported this legislation, I think it’s a little strained to say this legislation is too far out,” Hunt said.
Hunt said it is a distortion of the bill to say it doesn’t leave rape victims any other option but to give birth to the children of their rapists. The bill allows women to use emergency contraception from the time of intercourse to the time a pregnancy could be detected, which Hunt said could be five to nine days.
The only piece of sanity I can find in the above statements is yes indeed, it was the great
“elected” officials who brought this legislation to the table. Are they so arrogant as to believe that they will forever remain elected officials with this type of garbage legislation? My dear South Dakota sisters —
These people need to go!
I applaud the efforts of the members of the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families to bring the issue to the voters of South Dakota. I pray for their success. How long will it be before these elected officials disregard the needs and desires of South Dakota families again? You hired them through your vote (or lack of vote). You can fire them just as easily. Here’s a thought for you.
If they did not vote NO — They need to GO!
We must have had better teachers out in our prairie town in the 1950s and 1960s. I remember listening in social studies classes to teachers who discussed freedom and democracy in the United States – the qualities that made us great – and who in the same breath reminded us of the fragility of democracy. (more…)
Sometimes I envision the whole middle of the United States without farms and towns in it. Everyone is crowded along the coasts with a couple of oasis cities in between. Driving from San Francisco to Denver is one thing — but taking off from Denver to cross the wild plains that are full of buffalo and squatters and nomadic tribes who live in VW buses sporting solar panels and who sometimes attempt to stop travelers, just like an old fashioned stage coach robbery — that gets pretty interesting (more…)