Operation Rescue Supports South Dakota Pro-Life Measure

Some pro-lifers and pro-life groups have experienced some hesitation about supporting South Dakota's pro-life measure, Initiated Measure 11. This is understandable, since IM11 doesn't protect the lives of children conceived in rape or incest--children with the same humanity as any other child.

Yet the voters in South Dakota in 2006 rejected a bill that would have protected these unborn children as well. In lieu of the most consistent bill, pro-lifers in South Dakota have come up with a measure which, according to the latest statistics from the South Dakota Department of Health, would protect more than 98% of the children currently being aborted in South Dakota.

Many pro-lifers like myself have come to the conclusion that while we'd like to save 100% of the children, saving 98% is better than saving 0%.

Operation Rescue has also reached this conclusion, according to LifeNews:

South Dakota's Measure 11 is about saving many babies from certain death. Since that is the mission of Operation Rescue, it deserves our unwavering support," OR president Tory Newman told LifeNews.com.

"Measure 11 is a well planned and reasonable step toward the abolition of abortion. Statistically, Measure 11 will save nearly every child scheduled to die at Planned Parenthood," he added.

Newman said those who, like him, oppose abortions in cases of rape or incest, should appreciate that the drafters of the measure included strong language to ensure that provision isn't abused.

"Additionally, the strong fraud provisions for so-called 'tough choices' of rape and incest would prevent Planned Parenthood from exploiting legal loopholes as they have in many other states," he explained.

While not everyone who is pro-life is on board with the South Dakota legislation because of the exceptions, Newman says the pro-life movement should rally around eliminating virtually all abortions.

"The pro-life community must vote for legislation that would save 99.9% of children that would otherwise be killed. It would be immoral to condemn hundreds of babies to die each year that we have within our ability to save with this measure," he said.

IM11 provides exceptions for rape, incest, the health of the mother and the life of the mother. While they allow abortions when these circumstances are reported to law enforcement authorities and are medically supported, as appropriate, they are written so that the exceptions cannot be used as loopholes to continue providing abortion on demand as is the current practice.

The rape exception requires that the rape be reported to law enforcement and that DNA evidence from the child be preserved for a match to the perpetrator. The incest exception contains similar requirements. Rape and incest made up 0.4% of the abortions done in 2006.

The health exception specifies that it is only allowed when there is "serious risk of a substantial and irreversible impairment of the functioning of a major bodily organ or system" which could be prevented by an abortion. This must be certified by a doctor.

A KELO poll taken in 2006 before the election found that 75% of South Dakotans said they would support a measure with the exceptions IM11 has.