Tuesday, April 18, 2006
ABORTION ACCESS: THE BOARD GAME
USA Today.com posted an in-house analysis of likely changes in abortion statutes in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned:
“'Roe v. Wade': The divided states of America”
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-04-16-abortion-states_x.htm
If nothing else they have a nice map…
The article does a fairly good job of stating the obvious: As a lot of us have pointed out, a Roe reversal would likely turn a single national debate into 50 state debates with various resolutions – unless, of course, the Federal Congress acts on the matter…
Several states have already passed “what if” legislation - some designed to protect abortion, others to restrict or even criminalize it. And already new, unexpected players have entered the game…
Abortion access… The new board game…
South Dakota, where abortion bans have been legislatively popular for some time, was first to test the new Supreme Court waters by recently enacting a very strict abortion ban. Soon after, the President of the Oglala Sioux Nation, Cecelia Fire Thunder, announced the Sioux will, in the event that South Dakota’s ban becomes enforceable, open it’s own Planned Parenthood clinic:
“Tribal leader rallies for abortion clinic on reservation”
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/03/25/news/top/news02.txt
This interesting development roused my curiosity…
Wikipedia provides another nice map – tribal holdings Nationwide:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bia-map-indian-reservations-usa.png
What if you put them together? What if you assume the tribes respond as they have to other boneheaded moralizing bans of the larger Nation by turning them into a business opportunity? Those casinos may be sprouting a new wing or two…
Most reservations are in the west, which, according to USA Today is safely pro-choice in any event. But along with South Dakota, several states in the intermountain and plains regions are expected to enact restrictions ranging from moderate to complete.
South and west of the Dakotas, every state likely to enact bans except Texas has a significant reservation presence. Every state likely to enact restrictions except Nebraska has a significant reservation presence.
The rust belt is another stronghold of anti-abortion sentiment. Michigan and Wisconsin are likely to enact bans – but both states have numerous small reservation holdings.
Then there is the south – solidly anti-abortion according to USA Today. Florida and Mississippi have many reservations; the Carolinas, Louisiana, and Virginia have a few. And let’s not forget Jack Abramhoff’s old buddies on the Mississippi River… Floating abortion clinics, anyone???
A new business opportunity for the “perpetually depressed” First Americans’ economies… Clothed in social justice… Does it get any better?
Or worse, depending on your viewpoint… Jill Stanek, writing for WorldNetDaily, accuses the Sioux of abetting white supremacists in their own slaughter:
“Sioux tribe plans to scalp its own”
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49489
Downright vitriolic, Ms. Stanek is…
All of which is offered as a comment and a caution: No matter where this argument is steered and no matter by whom there will certainly be unexpected outcomes. Consider: South Dakota today only has one abortion clinic. If the State Legislature’s will becomes law, South Dakota will still have one abortion clinic… And it will be beyond the power of that legislature to affect…
But wait! Perhaps the legislature will order the South Dakota State Police to stop women at the reservation line for mandatory EPT’s!!! After all, if you really think its murder…
Expect anything, especially when government meddles in the ungovernable… Pregnant in Austin? Knocked up in Knoxville? 747 clinics, now departing Seattle with stops in all major cities! Fly OOPS Airlines, and lose your problem in flight!
You may soon be unable to separate parody from reality. And it may not be necessary…
“'Roe v. Wade': The divided states of America”
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-04-16-abortion-states_x.htm
If nothing else they have a nice map…
The article does a fairly good job of stating the obvious: As a lot of us have pointed out, a Roe reversal would likely turn a single national debate into 50 state debates with various resolutions – unless, of course, the Federal Congress acts on the matter…
Several states have already passed “what if” legislation - some designed to protect abortion, others to restrict or even criminalize it. And already new, unexpected players have entered the game…
Abortion access… The new board game…
South Dakota, where abortion bans have been legislatively popular for some time, was first to test the new Supreme Court waters by recently enacting a very strict abortion ban. Soon after, the President of the Oglala Sioux Nation, Cecelia Fire Thunder, announced the Sioux will, in the event that South Dakota’s ban becomes enforceable, open it’s own Planned Parenthood clinic:
“Tribal leader rallies for abortion clinic on reservation”
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2006/03/25/news/top/news02.txt
This interesting development roused my curiosity…
Wikipedia provides another nice map – tribal holdings Nationwide:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bia-map-indian-reservations-usa.png
What if you put them together? What if you assume the tribes respond as they have to other boneheaded moralizing bans of the larger Nation by turning them into a business opportunity? Those casinos may be sprouting a new wing or two…
Most reservations are in the west, which, according to USA Today is safely pro-choice in any event. But along with South Dakota, several states in the intermountain and plains regions are expected to enact restrictions ranging from moderate to complete.
South and west of the Dakotas, every state likely to enact bans except Texas has a significant reservation presence. Every state likely to enact restrictions except Nebraska has a significant reservation presence.
The rust belt is another stronghold of anti-abortion sentiment. Michigan and Wisconsin are likely to enact bans – but both states have numerous small reservation holdings.
Then there is the south – solidly anti-abortion according to USA Today. Florida and Mississippi have many reservations; the Carolinas, Louisiana, and Virginia have a few. And let’s not forget Jack Abramhoff’s old buddies on the Mississippi River… Floating abortion clinics, anyone???
A new business opportunity for the “perpetually depressed” First Americans’ economies… Clothed in social justice… Does it get any better?
Or worse, depending on your viewpoint… Jill Stanek, writing for WorldNetDaily, accuses the Sioux of abetting white supremacists in their own slaughter:
“Sioux tribe plans to scalp its own”
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49489
Downright vitriolic, Ms. Stanek is…
All of which is offered as a comment and a caution: No matter where this argument is steered and no matter by whom there will certainly be unexpected outcomes. Consider: South Dakota today only has one abortion clinic. If the State Legislature’s will becomes law, South Dakota will still have one abortion clinic… And it will be beyond the power of that legislature to affect…
But wait! Perhaps the legislature will order the South Dakota State Police to stop women at the reservation line for mandatory EPT’s!!! After all, if you really think its murder…
Expect anything, especially when government meddles in the ungovernable… Pregnant in Austin? Knocked up in Knoxville? 747 clinics, now departing Seattle with stops in all major cities! Fly OOPS Airlines, and lose your problem in flight!
You may soon be unable to separate parody from reality. And it may not be necessary…
Comments:
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PP, an interesting post. I am conflicted about the abortion issue, and feel that the Supreme Court decsion in Roe has prevented political accommodation and promoted polarization. Republicans have gotten a bigger political kick out of that the Dems, but we'll see what happens. I had not considered the American Indian jurisdictional issue in this at all - a definited wild card.
As for the high incidence of abortions on reservations, that like the inner city I see as a reflection of the choice of women not to give birth to babies for which there is likely to be little paternal support. The answer is to focus on strengthening the social fabric, including marriage. In both cases, the problem is lack of sufficient economic opportunities; on the reservation, a big aspect is that land is held in common so that mortgage financing and development projects are difficult.
I followed you over here from "Leaning Straight Up"; in my view his blog is misnamed.
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As for the high incidence of abortions on reservations, that like the inner city I see as a reflection of the choice of women not to give birth to babies for which there is likely to be little paternal support. The answer is to focus on strengthening the social fabric, including marriage. In both cases, the problem is lack of sufficient economic opportunities; on the reservation, a big aspect is that land is held in common so that mortgage financing and development projects are difficult.
I followed you over here from "Leaning Straight Up"; in my view his blog is misnamed.
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