South Dakota

Just when I had a ray of hope.

Last Friday, Senator John Roberts recanted his previous stance regarding warrantless wiretapping and recommended a full Congressional investigation into the Bush administration’s unconstitutional program.

I thought for a moment, that perhaps self-proclaimed neo-conservatives were coming to their senses.

I was wrong.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court decided to take a look at Roe v. Wade. I can’t say I was shocked. And so during Judge Samuel Alito’s first week on the bench… the country is waiting with bated breath to see where he really stands on the issue… since he refused to grab his balls and admit he is anti-abortion during his Senate confirmation hearing.

But I digress.

Today, South Dakota is seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade in a new referendum which is slated to hit Governor Mike Rounds’ desk next week. Sadly, after hours of emotional debate on the issue, the South Dakota senate decided 23-12 to outlaw all abortions, with the exception of saving the mother’s life.

Now personally, I do not think I could ever have an abortion. But that is a very personal decision.

My husband and I have had many debates over a woman’s right to choose. For the longest time, he was anti-abortion. I have always been pro-choice.

I stood in my kitchen Monday night, after hearing the news of a possible overturn of the Roe v. Wade amendment and I raised the issue with my husband. He is a former military officer, slightly right of center and now reluctantly pro-choice, as I think most of us pro-choicers are.

I asked him… what would we do? What if I were raped? Or some horribly painful birth defect was detected in the fetus? His answer was quick… we would have an abortion. It would be gut-wrenching, but my emotional and physical health is too important. And I could see a flicker of pain in his eyes just thinking about such horrific notions. Now that’s love.

And while his response was deeply touching, I thought to myself how sad it would be if the government was allowed to stand in my kitchen and point a finger at my husband and myself in our hour of mourning and say unapologetically and unequivocally “no.”

And I say “hell no.” Pro-choice is not about birth control or irresponsibility. Those morons who use abortion because they choose to cross their fingers instead of their legs are the minority among us. Those of us who believe in a woman’s (or a couple’s) right to choose is about the right to keep the government out of an emotional decision-making process between consenting adults.

And as we talked about it further… a more succinct point of discussion was on the table. Why the hell are we even debating this? Roe v. Wade should be left alone. We have more pressing issues at hand. The war in Iraq. The stand-off with Iran. American jobs being outsourced to India. New Orleans residents sleeping in their cars because they’ve been kicked out of hotel rooms with no place to go. Global warming. Corruption at the highest levels of government.

I don’t think our tax dollars are being well spent when we are more concerned about overturning a law enacted nearly thirty years ago that bears no weight on our country’s ability to protect and defend its people and the democracy set forth by our forefathers.

Judge Alito and the senators of South Dakota stand down! If you want to make a difference in the moral convictions of the American people, protect our Constitution and start bringing down those who refuse to uphold it.