South Dakota nears abortion ban vote

The measure would allow abortions only to save a pregnant woman's life. It makes no exception for other health concerns, or for cases of rape or incest; a doctor performing illegal abortions could face five years in prison.

The Legislature passed the law overwhelmingly in February, expecting it to be challenged in court and perhaps lead to a U.S. Supreme Court reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. Instead of suing, opponents swiftly collected signatures to force a referendum; the law will be scrapped if voters reject it.

Each side depicts the other as dominated by out-of-state groups — and indeed such forces are active, viewing the vote as an unprecedented gauge of public sentiment on abortion. The Rev. Jerry Falwell has urged his conservative followers to donate in support of the ban; Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America have raised funds to oppose it.

"We're David, they're Goliath," contended Leslee Unruh, head of the campaign group supporting the ban. Parked outside her VoteYesForLife.com office in Sioux Falls were cars with a blunt bumper sticker: "The Killing Stops Here."


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/nation/4244716.html

It was my first visit. Sioux Falls was my first stop. To me, Sioux Falls seemed typical of any other small city near Chicago. The anti-abortion hoopla was a big preconception in my mind about SD, so I was a little surprised that the people of Sioux Falls seemed so....so...not backwards, I guess. I spent time in some medium-to-small towns, then Rapid City. The west side of the state has a much more WESTERN and rugged feel, which sounds obvious, but I found the transition interesting.

The medium to smaller towns seemed like fairly nice places, but not much open on Sundays. Sundays are still church days there, I suppose. More older folks. Not too many young adults. Most 25 year olds would go crazy of boredom if they had to live there.

Anti-choice billboards are all over, all throughout the state, mostly along highways in the middle-of-nowhere places. I have never seen so many anti-abortion signs and billboards in a 2 week period.