Canvassing in Spearfish

Wednesday was a great day to be campaigning for South Dakota Healthy Families!  It was sunny, a bit chilly, and all in all a beautiful day to be out walking in Spearfish.

One of the things I noticed while out talking to voters is the lack of understanding about this bill’s so-called “exceptions.”  Some voters mistook these “exceptions” as cut and dry.  Incest, rape, and health of the mother – end of story.  This mindset is dangerously inaccurate, however.  For example, the wording of the bill states "a serious risk of a substantial and irreversible impairment of the functioning of a major bodily organ or system of the pregnant woman" (Section 4) is the so-called “exception” for health of the mother.  What do you consider to be a "serious risk" for your family member or loved one?  Personally any potentially life-threatening or impairing risk seems “serious.”  Are we willing to leave it up to lawyers removed from your household to determine what level of risk is acceptable for our families to take?  Is 5% ok?  10% or 15%?  We need to work hard to ensure that women and families are the ones making these decisions that activists would like the government to seize.

Along with being a wonderful day educating voters, we had some pleasant company as well.  Reporters from all three West River news stations – KOTA, KEVN, and KNBN – joined our canvassing.  It was nice, if a bit overwhelming, to have multiple cameras on us.  One of our volunteers  was excited to get out the message that Measure 11 would only impair women’s and families’ abilities to decide for themselves, even if she was a bit camera shy.