South Dakota’s Republican governor was pressed by CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday whether she thinks child rape victims should be forced to endure pregnancies, just days after the existence of such a case has been reported in Ohio.
Kristi Noem was asked about the issue in response to heartbreaking media reports of a 10-year-old victim who was forced, along with her family, to cross state lines and find an abortion clinic in Indiana. due to Ohio’s restrictive abortion law.
After several attempts to dodge the question and accuse the media of “not reporting” on the rape that had occurred and the need to prosecute these criminals, Ms Noem admitted that she would not press for child victims of rape be allowed to terminate their pregnancies under South Dakota state law, which banned all abortions statewide without exception after the Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade. The law is by definition one of the most restrictive in the country.
“What I would say is that I don’t believe that a tragic situation should be perpetuated by another tragedy,” the governor finally told CNN. “And so there’s more we need to do to make sure we’re really living a life that says every life is precious.”
The question represents a startling and immediate look at how conservatives are quickly confronting the reality caused by the outright restrictions and bans on abortion that state legislatures across the country are pursuing in response to the reversal. history of the right to abortion by the Supreme Court at the federal level. . Many experts warn that more cases and others involving women who will die if they do not receive abortion care will arise in the near future due to these new restrictions.
Abortion rights supporters have pointed to these cases with fury and desperation as they hammer the Biden administration and congressional Democrats over what they will do to reverse this trend. So far, Democrats have offered little immediate concrete action to protect women’s abortion rights beyond calls for their supporters to run again in November in hopes of winning. a stronger majority in the US Senate.
Anger over the Supreme Court’s decision and the perceived hopelessness of the situation have led some activists to damage or deface the headquarters or offices of anti-abortion organizations, as the likelihood of action at the federal level appears remote. .
The Independent Gt