South Dakota's monkey wrench (William F. Buckley)

Townhall.com ^ | 3/7/06 | William F. Buckley

[Mr. Silverback]

I could have put it less bluntly, but he already tried to cram Miers down our throats, I have no confidence he will appoint another conservative. He doesn't make it easy for us, the great unwashed base.

Liberal and conservative is a different thing from activist and constructionist. Just because he's not as conservative as we'd like doesn't mean he will appoint an activist judge.

[starfish923]

I thought Elvis might have been the king of boring, silly, puerile music, but nothing much else.

[Lurking Libertarian]

If it's "murder", is it really acceptable that one can step over a state line and commit it with impunity?

There are killings that are, today, considered legal self defense in some states but murder in other states. Besides, the South Dakota statute does not make abortion "murder"-- it punishes the doctor, but explicitly states that the woman cannot be prosecuted.

[Mr. Silverback]

If it's "reproductive freedom" is it really acceptable that a woman has rights in one state and not in another? If it's "murder", is it really acceptable that one can step over a state line and commit it with impunity?

Excellent question. It's unlikely the Court would overturn Roe by deciding abortion is murder. More likely, they wouyld turn the issue back to where it was in '72--a state by state decision. I know you know that, but my point is, the reason it would be a right in one state and a crime in another would be because the states would decide what it is, not the SCOTUS.