[camle]

if they didn't have unprotected sex, there wouldn't need to be abortions, would they?

[GianniV]

Marcela E. had an abortion "after her husband raped her?" What???????

This is exactly why I OPPOSE this caveat of "abortion only in the case of rape." Any woman can claim sex that she had was "rape."

[2banana]

This is a delicate issue with good arguments on both sides - which is why this should be decided BY THE PEOPLE USING THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. Not by a bunch of unelected judges making up laws from the bench.

[Logophile]

South Dakota's abortion ban won't end or even cut down on abortions among the women in that state, and it probably will have disastrous effects on their health and lives.

The author should not bet large sums of money on this assertion.

As for her interviews with Latin American women, the author should be reminded that data is not the plural of anecdote. While I have no doubt that she was able to find women who confirmed her prejudice in favor of abortion, I do seriously doubt whether those attitudes are representative of Latin women. It is my experience that, in general, Latin culture values children much more than ours does.

[tonysamm]

""If I have to do it, I have to do it." The 32-year-old mother of three had a clandestine abortion after her husband raped her""

Her husband raped her!!!! PLEEEEEEEEEASE! Did he steal her birth control pills too?

[the invisib1e hand]

so this what you learn to do in "journalism" school, eh?

[joebuck]

"Outlawing abortion does not stop women from having them"

Outlawing murder, theft and rape does not stop all people from committing those crimes either - does that mean we should get rid of those laws also? What a stupid rationalization.

[msnimje]

No Sex - No Pregnancy. You are in TOTAL control, not the government.

[WatchingInAmazement]

http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/2086/context/cover/

[snip]But despite such legal risks, Latin America continues to experience abortion rates that are much higher than most countries where it is legal.

There are an estimated 4 million abortions every year across the region. Up to 200,000 clandestine abortions take place in Chile every year--twice as many as in Canada, which has 100,000 a year--and Chile has half the population.

Alonso agrees: "In Latin America, we still have very concrete gender frameworks in terms of male sexual behavior. Men are not supposed to be responsible for the consequences of sexual behavior, but they are supposed to be active sexually . . . Women, on the other hand, still maintain fairly strong gender notions of passivity, of wanting to trust the man. You know there's this whole idea in Latin America of romance and 'maybe if I do get pregnant he'll stay with me forever.'"
_____________

Despite recent legal reforms, domestic and sexual violence are still rampant in all countries in the region [Latin America], affecting an estimated 40 percent of women. In most countries, legislation classifies domestic violence as a misdemeanor rather than as a serious crime (felony), and does not explicitly protect women from marital rape and stalking. Discriminatory attitudes of law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and judges, who often consider domestic violence a "private" matter beyond the reach of the law, reinforce the batterer's attempts to demean and control his victim. Few governments offer battered women a real alternative,
http://www.hrw.org/women/overview-lac.html

[tkathy]

Laws will not stop abortion.

[The Great RJ]

The sad truth of the South Dakota anti-abortion law is that is will do absolutely nothing to stop or limit abortions in this state. The law will be immediately appealed prior to the July 1 implementation date and not enforced until the courts decide. The law is crudely written and based on recent legal precedent will not get beyond an appeals court let alone make it to the SCOTUS. In the exteremely slim chance it makes it to the SCOTUS I would expect a 5-4 turndown.

This bill was a mistake and will set the pro-life movement back not advance the cause. The good people of South Dakota will be left with the same abortion mills and a big legal bill.

[cgk]

Pro-Life/Pro-Baby ping!

Please FReepmail me if you would like to be added to, or removed from, the Pro-Life/Pro-Baby ping list...

[Dumb_Ox]

It's been said that Latin machismo keeps women in a weaker position than in Anglo countries, less able to avoid or otherwise postpone marital relations with their husbands. If true, this means that the South American situation is a poor analogy in the first place.

I'll also cite a Chilean commentor from Amy Welborn's Blog:

From third world country, with restrictive abortion law: Chile. We have no back alley abortion problem. I should know, since I'm a prosecution attorney.
We have abortions yes, but it is a very rare crime and certainly not a significative source of woman deaths. Every time a fetus is found in a dumpster (1 or 2 times a year), it is big news, so uncommon it is, and I don't remember any recent news story about woman found dead for abortions. Most unwanted pregnancies in Chile are among the poor, but there are many foundations working to help the mother and her child.
My point is Chile's experience with a restrictive abortion law demonstrate that poverty and back alley abortions are just excuses, to keep abortion legal.