Ideology and Intrusion... Not Information

By Shannon S.

As if accessing abortion in South Dakota weren't hard enough, it just got even more difficult. In fact, South Dakota is the most difficult place for a woman to obtain this legal health care procedure. (I do sometimes wonder why I choose to live in a state that has such little respect for women.)

In a 7-4 split decision in St. Louis, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit upheld a South Dakota law that requires doctors to deliver an ideologically loaded message to women seeking abortion.

Patients need to be able to fully participate in decisions about their health care. Doctors MUST be able to provide accurate and UNBIASED medical information without the interference of government and politicians.

This law is the only one of it's kind in our country.

And, if you need even more to get you going, this absurd law was passed during the 2005 legislative session, brought about by the same extremist lawmakers who tried to ban all abortions in the state in 2006. Fortunately the voters of this state stood up and took a stand against that craziness. But, once again, another ban designed to overturn Roe v Wade is on the November 4th ballot this year. It's brought to you by the same small group that was behind these other intrusive laws.

If your blood isn’t boiling yet, you’ll be glad to know that 6 of the 7 majority judges were President George W. Bush appointees. The 7th was a President George H.W. Bush appointee. Now, of the dissenters, 2 are Clinton appointees, one is a Reagan appointee and one is a W. appointee. (And, get this, the Reagan appointee is actually a conservative South Dakotan.) While this is a mixed bag, I think it is still very clear that Presidential elections are so important. If you think it doesn’t matter who is appointing these judges, think again.