This week we witnessed an assault on women's rights by the state legislature of South Dakota. South Dakota's new law, which won't go into effect until July 1, is the most sweeping since Roe v. Wade became law in 1975. It bans all abortions unless the mother's life is endangered, leaving out any exceptions for rape or incest. This law is an obvious move by the right to take down Roe v. Wade and a woman's constitutional right to privacy.
South Dakota Gov. Michael Rounds became an enemy to women this week. We agree with Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, who said to the Chicago Tribune on Monday, "It's a sad day for the women of South Dakota. We had really hoped that the governor would weigh women's health as more important than politics." It's a sad day for the women of American when self-righteous legislators force others to conform to their moral beliefs.
Our nation was founded by people who were trying to gain religious freedom. Those ideals are rapidly disintegrating in our government today. Attacks on abortion rights can only be seen as coming from the increasingly fervent religious beliefs of conservative members of our government. Despite the conservative records of the two newest Supreme Court Justices, we trust that the Justices will uphold their own precedent- that women have the same right to privacy as men have.
It will be a sad day for Americans when we have to cross our borders for religious freedom.
