Happy Fortieth Birthday Roe vs. Wade

It was forty years ago today…

We’ll be needing a mighty big cake with a lot of candles for Roe vs. Wade — It’s the Big Four Oh.

Whatever anyone thinks about the Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade decision — and nobody is neutral — it might be responsible for the crime rate going way down starting in the 1990s.  This is according to the authors of Freakonomics.  Their reasoning?  Unwanted children are the most likely to become criminals.  Fewer unwanted children = fewer criminals.

Ironically, in a lot of states it’s more difficult to obtain an abortion now than it was in 1973.  It depends on which state, whether it’s an urban or rural area and — most importantly — the woman’s income level.

Urban California — no problemo.  Washington DC — abortion is readily available but public funding is prohibited.  If you’re poor and pregnant, just remember:  human life is sacred from the point of conception to the moment of birth.

Anywhere in South Dakota — Fugeddaboudit!  South Dakota has one medical clinic that performs abortions, and it’s only open part time.  On top of that, anyone seeking an abortion has to plow through oceans of delays, stalling tactics and “counseling.”

A spokeswoman for the Guttmacher Institute said:

“There’s very much a class divide.  Women who have money and resources and are used to the health-care system will be able to access abortion.... Women who are poor — these restrictions make it more difficult for them.”

Also, four states have laws already on the books which ban ALL abortions, no exceptions.  These laws will take effect immediately on that magic day when Roe vs. Wade gets overturned.  Thirteen other states still have their pre-Roe v. Wade anti-abortion laws on the books.  These laws aren’t being enforced, but on that aforementioned Magic Day…

Nationwide, there are fewer abortion providers today than there were in 1974.

But cheer up.  Did you know:  George W. Bush thought Roe vs. Wade referred to George Washington deciding how to cross the Delaware River.

(This was originally a Dan Quayle joke, but it got modified after the 2000 election.)

Washington — Assisted Suicide Law

Washington will soon become (if there’s a God) the second state to have an assisted suicide law. Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act has been in effect since 1997.

The initiative has already gotten more than enough signatures. Assuming enough of these signatures will be valid, the assisted suicide law will be on the Washington ballot this November. It’ll be known as Initiative 1000.

Under this law, if a person is terminally ill (two doctors would have to agree on the diagnosis) and wishes to end his/her suffering, a doctor can prescribe lethal drugs with which the patient can end his/her life.

And the battle is heating up. The State of Washington requires that people be identified when they contribute money to a political campaign. Who could possibly have a problem with that? I’m not in favor of campaign finance regulation (I used to be, but then Freakonomics changed my mind). But if a person or group has the right to make a huge campaign contribution, the public has the right to know about it. The best way to make an informed decision is to follow the money and see who’s financing whom.

But Washington’s election law seems to be a huge problem for Neurotic Busybodies With Too Much Time On Their Hands Human Life of Washington. The name sort of gives them away. Yes, even the liberal Pacific Northwest has a few of these wacky cult groups who think your life is sacred when: A) you haven’t been born yet; and B) you’re terminally ill, wracked with unbearable pain and would like to put an end to your misery.

Here’s the website for Human Life of Washington. Maybe these fetus-worshipping snakehandlers are actually concerned about war, poverty and disease; but if they are they don’t mention anything about it on their website. Mostly they just talk about saving fetuses and fighting the assisted suicide initiative.

Several wealthy opponents of this initiative have donated large amounts of money to Human Life of Washington. Actually, nobody knows yet how many donors there’ve been, who they are or how much they donated. Human Life is trying to make it their little secret. A federal judge has ruled against them; they must disclose this information in compliance with Washington law.

Human Life is claiming that they will suffer “irreparable injury” if they’re forced to disclose their contributors. WTF??? This makes it even more intriguing. Who ARE these mysterious donors? Who WAS that masked Biblethumper?

cross-posted at Bring It On!