Bush disagrees with South Dakota abortion ban

AFP ^ | 1 March 2006

[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.

[Howlin]

But you can't even guarantee that now.

[Graymatter]

Actually, if ya' jus' gotta' kill somebody why not take the rapist out and execute him.

Maybe if we did, a lot more rape victims would not kill their babies. Just a thought.

[zook]

I agree with you--the president is right again.

[cyborg]

Well I would not consider myself a hero. It's the most expedient thing to do and I would want to move on as if nothing happened and have a normal family.

[Will_Zurmacht]

probably one of the oddest, red-faced, spittle, ranting threads in a while....

At least we are talking about it....

[clawrence3]

Did you read the subsequent posts - high doses of birth control medication, in fact, can cause an abortion of the fertilized egg. I have no idea what "pro-life" doctor you think you got different information from, but it is wrong.

[eeevil conservative]

I DO!

I look at her everyday.. and I see beauty.. I see an onery little pistol just like her mom! LOL!

she brings me more joy than any could ever know...

[jdm]

"I'm saying the woman who is alive is the one whose wishes should be honored."

The fetus is on vacation? The fetus is not alive?

[RHINO369]

Good idea satan! I'd chip in.

[TigersEye]

Abortion is murder. Below are the stats on why women have abortions.

Abortion is not about saving women’s lives!

Studies Find Abortions Have Long-Term Adverse Effects

Total Abortions since 1973

45,951,133

------------------------------------------------------------

Why the drop after 1960? (in deaths of women from illegal abortions)

The reasons were new and better antibiotics, better surgery and the establishment of intensive care units in hospitals. This was in the face of a rising population. Between 1967 and 1970 sixteen states legalized abortion. In most it was limited, only for rape, incest and severe fetal handicap (life of mother was legal in all states). There were two big exceptions — California in 1967, and New York in 1970 allowed abortion on demand. Now look at the chart carefully.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Abortion Statistics - Decision to Have an Abortion (U.S.)

· 25.5% of women deciding to have an abortion want to postpone childbearing

· 21.3% of women cannot afford a baby

· 14.1% of women have a relationship issue or their partner does not want a child

· 12.2% of women are too young (their parents or others object to the pregnancy)

· 10.8% of women feel a child will disrupt their education or career

· 7.9% of women want no (more) children

· 3.3% of women have an abortion due to a risk to fetal health

2.8% of women have an abortion due to a risk to maternal health

----------------------------------------------------------------------

So how many women’s lives have been saved by abortion?

Only about 3% of abortions since 1972 were reported to be “due to a risk to maternal health.” A reasonable person would recognize that not all of those cases represent a lethal risk. But let’s say they did. That means that nearly 45 million fetuses were butchered to save the lives of about 1.3 million women. Or put another way; 35 babies are killed to save each woman.

Abortion was legal in all 50 states prior to Roe v. Wade in cases of danger to the life of the woman.

Roe v Wade: FULL Text (The Decision that wiped out an entire Generation 33 years ago today)

[IrishRainy]

Less than 4% of abortions are done as a result of rape or incest. I believe "life of the mother" is also in that group but I'm not positive...

I can't really recall when a mother's life would be in danger during pregnancy, other than from systemic diseases such as diabetes or eclampsia. By the time the mother starts to suffer symptoms from her medical condition, it's usually around the time of infant viability, about 6 months, so I don't know who in their right mind would consider killing their child at that point.

It's gotta be another red herring.

[cgk]

I'm watching the Shield on FX, good ep!

SHHH no spoiling it! :P

[madmominct]

Easy for you to say and to judge. I imagine not so easy a decision for a rape victim.

[hinckley buzzard]

I'm sorry, I know how alot of you feel, but to make a woman carry a baby conceived from rape is so incredibly wrong.

Fortunately, a large percentage of these women believe that to make them kill their innocent babies just because the fathers were rapists, is incredibly wrong. Yet that is what "counsellors" and "social workers" try to do every chance they get. And some of those who give in to the abortionist describe the experience as being raped all over again.

[LWalk18]

This has always been the president's position, and it has been an easily defensible one for the pro-life movement. Arguing about an infinitismal amount of abortions distracts us from potential victories over abortion on demand and partial birth abortion. Good grief, people. We are winning. We're gonna be fighting over Coke versus Pepsi next.

We are so close to the end of Roe v. Wade- yet many on this board are being too greedy, too fast. There is not one poll that shows that the majority of Americans are in favor of banning abortion in the case of rape/incest/life of the mother. But if the pro life movement wants to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory, they argue for a complete ban now. They will start arguing for a ban on contraception.

Bush is merely being realistic, and he represents the mainstream pro-life view, like it or not. Trying to get Americans to accept laws that will set 12 year old rape victims on trial for murder will never happen.

[Howlin]

I wasn't talking to a WOMAN; that is a man pontificating what women do and do not feel.

[jwalsh07]

I'll be offline for a while after tonight. But I'll be back! Take care amigo.

[Augie76]

But in real life there's middle ground. And there always will be.

aka "nuance?"

[frankiep]

Off topic. But I LOVE the Shield. I just got done watching the third season on dvd. Haven't seen any of the new ones though, will wait until it comes out on dvd also.

[Hildy]

There are two lives at stake.