Hi, my name is Kimberly Blessing. I'm a computer scientist, Web developer, standards evangelist, feminist, and geek. This is where I write about life, the Web, technology, women's issues, and whatever else comes to mind.
Apparently, I’m just a breeder
South Dakota lawmakers have just signed a law that could make nearly all abortions illegal. I want to vomit. I want to scream!
South Dakota lawmakers, and others that support this type of legislation, clearly see it as their right to enslave women of reproductive age, making us into nothing more than breeders. In the case of the SD law, they’d force women who have suffered through rape or incest to carry and birth a child. This puts SD on par with countries like Afghanistan and Iran, where women’s rights are often restricted in other ways. What’s next, South Dakota, what’s next?
And tell me, South Dakota lawmakers, is access to birth control going to be improved? Would sex education be improved?
And what legislation are you proposing to punish men who commit rape and incest? Forced vasectomies? Castrations? What requirements do these men then have in assisting financially in raising the child that they helped create? Or in assisting the mother with medical bills, lost wages, etc.?
If you have no answers to these questions, South Dakota lawmakers, you’ve been foolish in your policy making, and you are clearly unfit to fill your jobs. I hope that the people — women and men of your state — will vote you out in upcoming elections.
If you feel as I do about South Dakota’s abortion law, I encourage you to join Planned Parenthood’s National Day of Solidarity with South Dakota. Or post signs, write letters, post to your blogs!
South Dakota can’t repeal a woman’s right to free speech!
