Oscar’s Midwest Abortion

One word for the Oscar show: Boooooo… I’m not going to blame it on Jon Stewart, as one has to respect what he just did, and how much he could get away with saying. His “And none of those issues were ever a problem again” comment was a brilliant jab at Hollywood’s self-congratulatory status quo. Don’t get me wrong. The entertainment industry, represented here by the movie industry, continues to do a lot towards opening minds around the globe to social issues and such. However, perhaps they could build a few houses in New Orleans instead of hiring a few “locals” to help make disaster movies that will put profits into the pockets of the producers. If I see anything about these productions donating their profits to hurricane charities, I’ll be sure to let you know. Don’t hold your breath.

Now let’s do a quick 180-degree shift, and check out South Dakota’s latest contribution to progressive thinking. Today, Governor Mike Rounds signed legislation making almost all abortions illegal in S.D. Abortions will only be available if they are necessary to save the mother’s life. Raped? Too bad. Incest? No problem, you shouldn’t have teased your dad, now you can shut up and bear his child. The law is scheduled to take effect July 1^st (a wonderful addition to our own Canada Day celebrations), but will likely be suspended by a federal judge during the ensuing legal challenges. Large sums of cash have already started to pour in from abortion opponents across the country to bolster a legal fund set up by the S.D. state legislature. This is the big one, people. We’ll soon get to see which way the wind really blows regarding John Roberts and Samuel Alito, the recently appointed conservative justices on the Supreme Court. Governor Rounds issued a short written statement, but refused all media requests for interviews.

Good night and good luck.