I hadn't the opportunity to see how the ground battle for South Dakota's proposed abortion law was being fought in South Dakota itself. One commentary I read was that those who opposed the law often did so for not providing enough of an 'escape clause' for women pregnant from rape and/or incest. I wonder how prepared the pro-life side was to counter this particular argument. Did they have women who'd become pregnant from rape speaking about how abortion was probably one of the furthest things from their minds, and certainly misplaced 'compassion' from a society that is often looking for the easy way out. I expect that there are probably enough women who've experienced rape, both those who birthed and those who aborted, who would be willing to address the misconception that abortion is an effective way to help a rape victim. I hope that other jurisdictions (and perhaps SD itself again, in not too long a time frame) will seek out these women, and give them a platform to tell their story. Although not quite in the same vein, Norma McCorvy ("Roe" of Roe v. Wade) should be given the secular pulpit to tell her story, how she was used by pro-choice attorneys to overturn abortion laws, misrepresenting her as a rape victim in dire need of an abortion.
