Punishing Female Sexuality

It's International Women's Day, and this year's theme is the role of women in decision making. Looks like nobody gave South Dakota a heads-up about it. In passing an abortion ban, the state has sent a clear message that women aren't to be trusted with making even the most personal decisions.

I'm the mother of three children, and I'm opposed to any abortion ban. It's not that abortion is wonderful. It's that abortion should be available as an emergency measure in very difficult situations—situations that powerful male politicians can in no way fathom.

In passing an abortion ban, South Dakota is saying that women are valuable only as conduits for babies, that their lives are otherwise worthless.

South Dakota is saying that the father or uncle or a neighbor who rapes and impregnates a girl or woman is worth much more than she is. She will have to raise or give up for adoption a child created by hate and brutal force.

South Dakota is not saving babies. It is punishing female sexuality. If politicians truly wanted to reduce the number of abortions, they would ensure that contraception and medically accurate sex education were readily available to everyone.

Please, please go to this site, sponsored by Planned Parenthood, and use the tools there to write a letter to South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds and your state's governor and to write letters to the editors of your area newspapers.



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