Insert Mad Cackle Of Glee At South Dakota Abortion Politics Here

[filkertom]

I got this from markbernstein, who got it from supergee, who got it from anne_jumps.

Remember South Dakota State Senator Bill Napoli? Well, he's made a new friend -- not:

When Governor Mike Rounds signed HB 1215 into law it effectively banned all abortions in the state with the exception that it did allow saving the mother’s life. There were, however, no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. His actions, and the comments of State Senators like Bill Napoli of Rapid City, SD, set of a maelstrom of protests within the state.

Napoli suggested that if it was a case of “simple rape,” there should be no thoughts of ending a pregnancy. Letters by the hundreds appeared in local newspapers, mostly written by women, challenging Napoli’s description of rape as “simple.” He has yet to explain satisfactorily what he meant by “simple rape.”

The President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Cecilia Fire Thunder, was incensed. A former nurse and healthcare giver, she was very angry that a state body, made up mostly of white males, would make such a stupid law against women.

“To me, it is now a question of sovereignty,” she said to me last week. “I will personally establish a Planned Parenthood clinic on my own land which is within the boundaries of the Pine Ridge Reservation where the State of South Dakota has absolutely no jurisdiction.”

Strong words from a very strong lady. I hope Ms. Fire Thunder challenges Gov. Rounds and the state legislators on this law that is an affront to all independent women.

(article by Tim Giago of The Native American Times.)

Update: kathrynt called and got contact and support-donation info.

Comments

[solarbird]

You may want to ETA something about this; kathrynt, who I can vouch for personally, contacted the Oglala Sioux tribal government and spoke directly to President Fire Thunder, and got contact and donation information.

They're apparently stunned that anybody outside South Dakota knows or cares.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Many thanks. I'll pop that up in the main post.

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

Simple rape? So there is such a thing as complex rape?

[alymid.livejournal.com]

according to mr napoli -

" brutally raped, savaged. The girl was a virgin. She was religious. She planned on saving her virginity until she was married. She was brutalized and raped, sodomized as bad as you can possibly make it, and is impregnated."

that is apparently complex rape - the type that might earn you the right to get an abortion

[marahsk.livejournal.com]

So are they really saying that it's a worse crime to rape someone who is religious, or is it just that they're more comfortable legalizing abortions for people who are more likely to be pro-life?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

are they really saying that it's a worse crime to rape someone who is religious

Of course! Because all those non-religious heathens have no moral code, which means their women must be all skankhos in the first place. Or they're the kind of cocktease who cries rape after leading the innocent guy on, like that girl in the Haidl case. The defense there (almost successfully) argued that the underaged, unconscious girl had consented to being raped, sodimized, burned, and having obscenities written on her skin simply because she wasn't a virgin before it happened. Just because she was so out of it in the tape that someone thought she was *dead* didn't mean that she hadn't consented before the tape began to roll!

Actual court case... and not only did the guys almost get away with it despite the videotape, but presumably because she was neither religious nor virgin, presumably if she got preggers South Dakota would make her "accept the consequences of her actions."

[alymid.livejournal.com]

I seems to me that they are saying that you are only deserving of an abortion if you a virgin on a pedestal worshiping the one true god and some beast decided to desecrate you.

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

Yup. He did detail an instance where rape is acceptable. I believe he brought religion into it, actually.

Someone should tell him that "sodomized as bad as you can possibly make it" actually doesn't lead to pregnancy. So maybe sodomy is okay. *ugh*

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I can hear it in a Kevin Smith script now: "No, no, she had the good sodomy...."

[admnaismith.livejournal.com]

Evidently, in Mr. Napoli's world, it is possible to be sodomized so hard that you get pregnant.

Also, if enough of those godless homosexual men rape another man enough times in one night, it is possible for the male victim to get pregnant. If such a thing were to happen, then Mr. Napoli would allow the man to abort. Because that would be, you know, unusual circumstances.

Ain't Governor Rounds up for re-election this year? Any idea who's challenging him? I hear Tom Daschle's looking for a job...come to think of it, "Governor Fire Thunder" has a nice ring to it...

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

The idea of being able to sodomize someone hard enough that they get pregnant would be funny, if it weren't such a horrifying mental picture.

I'm glad I put in my two years in Hell South Dakota and got the hell out.

Rounds was elected in 2002, so he should be up for re-election this year. Wikipedia indicates he hasn't made a formal re-election announcement yet, nor had any candidate made one to oppose him.

Also, I just noticed a poll indicating that 57% of South Dakotans surveyed said they'd vote to overturn the ban if it were on the ballot in November. Too bad the last I heard, the drive to get it on the ballot was being pursued by some folks out of Wisconsin; I think that might hurt its chances.

[kengr]

"Governor Fire Thunder" can't happen for the same reason that the abortin clinic *can* happen. The reservation isn't part of the state.

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

I do believe I hear war-drums...

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

That's wonderful!

We all know this law is bullshit and this is just the first chink out of it.. it'll crumble.

But its still scary that any legislative body in this country would pass it in the first place.

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

They don't plan on the law standing. They plan on the law making it's way to the SCOTUS and overturning Roe V. Wade. And for that, it's perfectly crafted.

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

Hooray for her! I hope she does just that, and that other reservations follow suit. That would tickle me endlessly!

[renquestor.livejournal.com]

*salutes Cecilia Fire Thunder*

[nuveena.livejournal.com]

Good on her!

And a telling little story... when the governor of SD signed the bill, they heightened security in the capitol of the state, SURE that there would be all kinds of violent protests, and that the governor would get death threats etc.

There was nothing of the kind. At all. None whatsoever. Just some annoyed letters, and angry editorials.

It makes one want to write the governor and say, "No, we're not violent lunatics. That's the fringe on the OTHER side of the debate."

[ericthemage.livejournal.com]

"We're not the ones who kill doctors in order to ensure that a rapist can pass on his genes."

That reminds me . . .

[janet-coburn.livejournal.com]

I always get annoyed when a newscaster says someone was "brutally raped." As opposed to what? "Gently raped"? Or is it a code word for "stranger- (not date-) raped?

Re: That reminds me . . .

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

"Brutally raped"="She wasn't asking for it." Or "she's pro-life but she's my kid so she can have an abortion."

Personally, I like the term "simple rape." I mean, if you were only raped, geez, what do you want? Pity?

(AND WHAT THE HELL can his justification POSSIBLY be for not having an incest clause?)

Re: That reminds me . . .

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Word. There are actually some sick fucks out there who will basically say, "My daughter was askin' for it, the whore".

Re: That reminds me . . .

[chaotic-nipple.livejournal.com]

Usually if they're the ones doin' the rapin'. I can't find the statistic, but I remember reading that the younger the rape victim, the more likely it was a family member who was the perpetrator.

Re: That reminds me . . .

[catchild.livejournal.com]

I always get annoyed when a newscaster says someone was "brutally raped." As opposed to what? "Gently raped"? Or is it a code word for "stranger- (not date-) raped?

brutally raped= broken bones, cuts, severe bruising, and tearing of the vaginal and or rectal area.

Personally haveing survived both "types" I wouldn't wish either of them on anyone. And i had a harder time healing from the "simple" one because so many people dismissed the attack because i wasn't bloodied by it.

[eibii.livejournal.com]

YES! FUCKIN' YES! The chair-dancing and exuberant pumping of fists is embarrassingly noticeable on this side of the monitor. Now where the hell is my checkbook...

[joecoustic.livejournal.com]

Now that is pretty cool news!!

Have you seen this:

http://www.minimumsecurity.net/toons2006/6034.htm

Someone posted it to a community I belong to (happy_feminists), and included the link to the original site so this is the link to the cartoon on the cartoonist's page.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Bwa ha ha ha ha.

[blackpaladin.livejournal.com]

And apparently the numbers are accurate.

[beldar.livejournal.com]

I wonder, if S.D. passed a law such has been proposed in other states to make transporting a woman across state lines to have an abortion illegal, would that affect any who cross the line into the res to the Pine Ridge PP clinic? Wouldn't surprise me that this would happen if Ms. Fire Thunder goes through on her plan.

[salkryn.livejournal.com]

Chief Fire Thunder, my hat is off to you.

[jeffr23.livejournal.com]

'simple' here is a legal term of art; as opposed to aggravated, not complex. (More or less, for 'simple' the victim was not otherwise injured, was conscious throughout, and no weapon was used.)

So by all means castigate for the bizarre distinction or underlying policy, sure, but the word choice? Not his fault. Blame centuries of legal tradition if you must blame someone.