Saturday, February 25, 2006

South Dakota Impatience

The state of South Dakota is about to enact a law banning all abortions except to save the life of the mother. Clearly, the intent is to force the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to re-examine and hopefully overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. While I share the goal of seeing Roe overturned, I am concerned that this action is premature and will have unintended consequences. At this time, there is no guaranty that there will be five votes to overturn Roe. I would even say it is unlikely that there will be five votes. However, it is possible that before President Bush leaves office, there will be another vacancy on the court. If South Dakota's attempt fails, it may be more difficult to challenge Roe when the odds favor the Pro-Life cause.

"Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning."
~ George S. Patton, Jr. ~