[PsychoLandlord]

A law under consideration in South Dakota would expand the definition of "justifiable homicide" to include killings that are intended to prevent harm to a fetus—a move that could make it legal to kill doctors who perform abortions. The Republican-backed legislation, House Bill 1171, has passed out of committee on a nine-to-three party-line vote, and is expected to face a floor vote in the state's GOP-dominated House of Representatives soon.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/south-dakota-hb-1171-legalize-killing-abortion-providers

Well now, this ought to be an interesting discussion.

[General Battuta]

Let's abort this thread 

(and no you're not breaking any rules, you've done nothing wrong, just GenDisc and its history and this topic)

[Shade]

What. Isn't abortion legal in the states?

[sayoqod]

It is legal. Yes. Just saw this article the other day myself.

[PsychoLandlord]

Let's abort this thread 

(and no you're not breaking any rules, you've done nothing wrong, just GenDisc and its history and this topic)

Well the topic of Abortion is one thing, but I figured a topic on a law like this would be another thing entirely. Even if there is a bit of a precarious slope into the Former topic here. But hey, you need to lock it, lock it. I'm new here, so feel free to call me out if I do something stupid.

[General Battuta]

Oh I'm not locking anything, just going to cover my eyes and quiver over here

[PsychoLandlord]

Oh I'm not locking anything, just going to cover my eyes and quiver over here

Oh god now I'm afraid.

On topic though, what the hell? Personal beliefs are one thing, but who thought THIS was a good idea?

[Bobboau]

What. Isn't abortion legal in the states?

yes, however there is a large portion of the population who want to change that though.

[Topgun]

Oh I'm not locking anything, just going to cover my eyes and quiver over here

Oh god now I'm afraid.

On topic though, what the hell? Personal beliefs are one thing, but who thought THIS was a good idea?

Yeah Im pro life but I think this is stupid.

[Shade]

Well then, so it's legal. And this law would apparently, due to poor wording, make it legal to kill people for doing something... legal. I'm assuming here that the whole killing of doctors bit is unintentional (call me naive if you will), so in all likelyhood it'll be fixed up now that attention has been drawn to the fact. Or just voted down if it goes up for a vote unchanged.

After all, the consequences of passing it as-is would be severe - If a group of people are legally allowed to murder another, then strictly speaking wouldn't that also allow the latter group to pre-emptively kill the former in self defense if they see them anywhere near themselves? As I recall, the US is rather permissive of deadly force when threatened, and if this bill were to pass into law then any anti-abortionist going anywhere near a person affiliated with abortion could certainly be considered threatening. Somehow, I don't see any sane politicians letting that happen, regardless of their opinions on abortion itself.

[Topgun]

I think this law was made to protect people who use deadly force to protect others, so you are probably right.

[PsychoLandlord]

Call me an Idealist, but even if the Sane politicians shoot this down, it's a horrifying thought that this law even came into being in the first place. I would hope that those with the power to put this thing on the radar would be capable of taking the time to think "Hey. This could potentially cause a lot more trouble than it's worth. Not to mention the way many people will interpret it."

Instead we have this causing a stir all over the south, Hell, the nurse in the next room over is talking about it loudly with a gunshot victim, and now the Vocal Minority that always loves to scream its rhetoric on topics it has no real knowledge of is likely to have a field day. It's just sad.

[Bobboau]

(call me naive if you will)

you are naive. I can promise you who ever came up with that wording did it on purpose.

[MP-Ryan]

Even if it passes, it won't survive a USSC challenge on constitutional grounds.  It's creative, I'll grant them that.

[StarSlayer]

If we're legalizing murder couldn't we start with the Westboro Baptist Church instead?

[redsniper]

sane politicians

Sane politicians

[PsychoLandlord]

Yeah, Quotation marks should have been inserted a few times. Sane-er is more apt, I believe.

[Bobboau]

If we're legalizing murder couldn't we start with the Westboro Baptist Church instead?

this law was made by people roughly on the same side as the westborough people.

[Mars]

And I'll bet you that the of the people who really like this bill. . . at least one of their wives or girlfriends secretly made use of abortion at some point.

The fact is this is part of the logical progression if you honestly believe fetus's are people; of course you'd kill someone before you'd let them kill your child. People will be convinced of the need for this legislation until, at the very least, people don't grant full humanity to fetus's

[sayoqod]

They're also pushing this:

http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2011/02/04/new-bill-will-let-doctors-refuse-to-save-the-lives-of-pregnant-women/