Posted on 02/28/2006 6:36:43 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
US President George W. Bush signalled his opposition to a South Dakota abortion ban that forbids the procedure even in cases of rape or incest, saying he favors such exceptions.
But Bush declined to predict the outcome of any legal challenges to the legislation, which would make it illegal to terminate a pregnancy except in rare cases when it may be necessary to save the life of the mother.
"That, of course, is a state law, but my position has always been three exceptions: Rape, incest, and the life of the mother," the US president told ABC news in an interview.
Asked whether he would include "health" of the mother, Bush replied: "I said life of the mother, and health is a very vague term, but my position has been clear on that ever since I started running for office."
The bill, which recently gained final approval from South Dakota's House of Representatives, directly contradicts the precedent set in 1973 when the US Supreme Court ruled that bans on abortion violate a woman's constitutional right to privacy.
The bill grants no allowances for women who have been raped or are victims of incest. Doctors who perform abortion would be charged with a crime. It also prohibits the sale of emergency contraception and asserts that life begins at fertilization.
The governor of South Dakota has indicated he is likely to sign the bill.
A leading pro-choice advocacy group has already vowed to challenge the ban in federal court. But that seems to be exactly what many promoters of the legislation seek.
Advocates of the ban do not deny they aim much higher than South Dakota, a rural and socially conservative state, which even today has only one abortion clinic.
Instead, they are hoping the bill will offer a full frontal assault on legal abortions now that the balance of power in the Supreme Court appears to have shifted with the confirmation of conservative jurists John Roberts and Samuel Alito, both of whom are seen as pro-life.
The woman had no choice in getting pregnant, and is under no obligation to do anything against her will. If it makes you feel better, have the rapist executed for murdering the child, as he bears the ultimate responsibility.
My brother sends me daily emails tweaking me about the South Dakota business. It amuses him. My other brother tells me that parents should be able to off a baby up to 90 days old, per a "right of return" policy. I am still not quite sure if he is totally serious, as opposed to being provactive. It doesn't work. I maintain my sang froid. Adoption? Nope. There are too many folks on the planet says he. But then he lives in the Bay area. There is something in the water up there. Such is life.
Luckily for me and the country President Bush will be President until January 2009.
One HECK of a bigger accomplishment than you, eh?
Peach and Hildy supporting abortion, I'm shocked, shocked!!!
In all seriousness, I am too. And their logic is pretty weak.
Amen.
"And if that 17 year old was raped by her father...?"
Even worse, but I believe that once the sperm and egg make an embryo a person is alive, and it has rights. Those rights cannot be taken by anyone for any reason, sorry thats how freedom works baby.
A cop killing when the criminal pulls a gun on him is not O.K. with you then either? Good thing you aren't running the laws.
Johnny - Great minds thing partly alike in this case anyway. I just posted almost word for word your quote above only to see your post.
I am surprised Free Republic allows Pro-Abortion people on the forum. People have been banned for MUCH less. heh
have you ever spoken to a rape victim?
I don't mean in passing, I mean in your family?
I have, and at some level the trauma will never fully leave her.
To force her to carry some some sick-twisted man's seed strikes me as compounding the pain and cruelty.
All I can honestly do is hope this sort of thing never confronts your family.
Ya, but it is getting the paranoid on this issue, more paranoid. We need Roe to stop the nutters they say. Democracy is relative.
So, you are "reading between the lines" too?
Thanks for being a voice of reason. Time to split.
Don't be stuck on stupid...we are talking about abortion not cops and robbers. Nice try though. geesh
I can't imagine many who are so foolish that they think there is nothing to be upset about.
It is a truely horrible thing. But the woman is still alive and has every opportunity to get through it. It has been done before. Life isn't fair and it never will be completely fair. But it can be just. And killing someone just to make things easier is murder, any way you look at it.
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