Really, North Dakota? Really?

Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Remember back when I was really, really hoping South Dakota would just up and secede from the Union? Yeah. Now I'm really, really hoping North Dakota decides to join its plucky neighbor in getting the hell out of here so that we might enjoy a civilized society. For a change.

Seems that North Dakota now has the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, including restriction on abortions in pregnancies over six weeks old, refusal of abortion for reasons of birth defects, and a requirement that doctors performing abortions have hospital privileges. Because apparently ND's single abortion clinic is just completely out of control.*

Here's the thing. I am deeply ambivalent about abortion. I don't think abortion is a "net good" in this world. I would prefer no one faced that choice. But my own position has landed on the side of self-determination for the woman in question, and my political position is that we could significantly reduce the number of abortions in this country if we actually provided sex education and family planning to those who need it most. Seriously - prevention, people. Chop, chop, get with the program.

But because I am pro-choice, this sort of law makes me seethe, especially the part of about restricting a woman's access to abortion in the case of birth defects. Because forcing a woman to carry a non-viable fetus to term in order to soothe the conscience of a bunch of Bible-thumping men** is beyond the pale when it comes to egregious misogyny.

Thankfully, it does not appear that the law will withstand the inivetible legal challenges that are forthcoming. But North Dakota has certainly established itself as a place where a woman's right to self-determination is considered subservient to the faith-based arguments of men.

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*I'm adding the Red River Women's Clinic to my list for charitable donations. That's a tough row to hoe, right there. 

**Only 14.9% of the ND State Legislature are women, one of the lowest percentages in the country. I was pleased to learn that my own home state has the highest percentages of women in the local legislature. Go, Colorado.

3 comments:

Thordr said...

if your not already seething, they only way to detect the heartbeat during the 6 to 10-12 week period is with transvaginal unltrasound, so add a bit of legislated rape to the process

Janiece said...

Yes. Lovely how people feel perfectly justified in looking at women at objects to be legislated.

allmylivesnow said...

Will the madness ever stop???