It Made My Day

Cartoon about South Dakota.

I laughed. A lot. Those are his real phone numbers.

And, while I've been silent on the legislation in South Dakota, I know that by publishing this cartoon I'll need to clarify my position.

First, let me start by saying that I am an Iowa resident who just happens to live in South Dakota to go to school--which means that instead of my tuition being $100 per credit hour, it's $330 per credit hour. So, I don't have any voting rights in this state.

I am pro-choice.

I don't approve of abortion. I would never have one unless the pregnancy would a.) be endangering my health or b.) would result in termination naturally and the abortion would help stave off uterine infection (like with a d&c). I, however, would also feel inclined to have an abortion if I was raped or became a victim of incest--both of those cases are illegal in the South Dakota abortion ban.

I don't think a group of middle aged white men should be able to tell me what I can and cannot do to my body. They do not own me.

Furthermore, I don't think that the legislators have been sufficiently informed how hard abortion is on the body--and how hard it is emotionally. Abortions are serious medical procedures and counseling is involved. There is some bleeding after the procedure and a small chance for infection. And, I know from experience that when you go into clinics, they do not advocate abortion as a form of birth control--contrary to what many pro-life advocates say. Maybe those legislators should read A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That by Lisa Glatt and see how it affected the different women before making a decision. I'll lend them my cherished copy.

Also, have the legislators decided to look into the reasons WHY women have abortions? During my senior year at Dana, abortion was an issue in our senior seminar course. Many women have abortions because of the situation of the relationship they're in. And, while we, as outsiders, say that it's so easy to just pick up and leave a man, he also will have a bond with that child. Maybe we should have more outreach centers for these women... or offer low-income birth control options.

I won't lie, either. In my early twenties when I thought I was pregnant (I'll be the first to admit I didn't hit my rebellious age until college.) I was in a horrible--mainly mentally abusive--relationship with one of the world's biggest idiots, and even though I knew I could never have an abortion, it was nice to see that option open for me. Consequently, if some divine intervention happened now and I ended up pregnant, this wouldn't be an issue. I'm in a very stable, healthy and serious relationship where I know a child could grow in a loving home.

I also can't advocate making abortion illegal with the idea that it will end them. Women have been having abortions since the beginning of time. Read some literature from the Victorian period...it's called 'accidentally' falling down the staircase or...eek, using a coat hanger for a d&c which would sometimes result in infection. If women are going to do it anyway, why not let them do it in a sterile environment where they can be watched?

Since I'm feeling facetious today, I wonder what would happen if South Dakota outlawed sex... except sex for people who are married and only used for procreation purposes, since sex is the cause of pregnancy? That would definitely end abortion, right?

And...the Pine Ridge Reservation in south west South Dakota is cracking me up. They're going to build a Planned Parenthood on their land since South Dakota government can't tell them what to do. Hehe.