South Dakota legislators may propose a "fetal pain" bill that would outlaw abortion after 20 weeks. Even GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum would tell them that any such ban must include an exception to protect the health and life of the mother. In 1996, When Santorum's wife Karen was 19 weeks pregnant, doctors discovered a fetal defect. The Santorums tried intrauterine surgery, which caused an infection that threatened Mrs. Santorum's life right around week 20:
Unless the source of the infection, the fetus, was removed from Karen's body, she would likely die.
At minimum, the doctor said, Karen had to be given antibiotics intravenously or she might go into septic shock and die.
The Santorums were at a crossroads.
Once they agreed to use antibiotics, they believed they were committing to delivery of the fetus, which they knew would most likely not survive outside the womb.
"The doctors said they were talking about a matter of hours or a day or two before risking sepsis and both of them might die," Santorum said. "Obviously, if it was a choice of whether both Karen and the child are going to die or just the child is going to die, I mean it's a pretty easy call" [Steve Goldstein, Philadelphia Inquirer, 1997.05.04, quoted on Our Silver Blog, 2011.04.15]
It would not be an easy call if South Dakota legislators pass the anti-abortion legislation they crave. Actually, it wouldn't be the husband and wife's call at all; it would be the state's call, and the state's call would be, "No, you should suffer and die for the sake of our political posturing."
Bonus Santorum Battiness: Santorum says our state legislature should be able to ban birth control. What's next: Rep. Lora Hubbel writes legislation to make it illegal to chart fertility?
Then go to court and obtain a death penalty ruling against the criminal.
I think you're advocating exactly what we're trying to avoid, requiring women to get state permission to exercise their bodily autonomy. Second-class citizenship.
When even a Santorum is for an exeption for the life of the mother it is quite obvious that everyone would be for that exeption. But to be for abortion is to say the baby has no-class citizenship. Biologically the mother and the baby are two separate individuals.
When I was farming there were statistics on death rates on the pigs. If the death rate goes up on any particular part of the life span would be the quick signal that there was a problem in that area. The first stage was the embryo. Any death lose in the embryo stage affected future sales of hogs per year just as much as when the mothers would accidentally lay on and crush a new born, or if a thirty pounder would die of phenomia in the nursery. Every death lose was a lose in numbers of possible future sales.
"Second-class citizenship."
The pre-born citizen without due process. Even illegals and terrorists have more rights.
Even illegals and terrorists are actual people. The unborn are not. Preborn citizens and other terminology is fog to produce a feigned balance between rights of a living, independent human with a collection of dependent chemicals and electrical switches.
Douglas, what's it going to take to get more people to say gutsy things like that?