Thaindian News

Feb 15 (THAINDIAN NEWS) A law which is currently under consideration in South Dakota is receiving a great deal of criticism by those who insist that it would expand the definition of “justifiable homicide” to make it legal to kill abortion doctors. The bill, which is backed by the Republican Party, actually is made to make it a “justifiable homicide” to kill someone who is trying to harm a fetus in a violent situation, where another person is trying to protect that baby.

The legal definition of justifiable homicide as outlined by the bill actually says that the homicide would be permissible if it were committed by a person “while resisting an attempt to harm” their own unborn child, or the child of their spouse, partner, parent, or child. This bill was sponsored by state Rep Phil Jensen and is expected to be voted on soon by the House of Representatives.

Jensen does not agree with the interpretation of the bill, and explains “This simply is to bring consistency to South Dakota statute as it relates to justifiable homicide. If you look at the code, these codes are dealing with illegal acts. Now, abortion is a legal act. So this has got nothing to do with abortion.”

Essentially this bill would make it legal for a mother on a subway to kill a criminal trying to stab her in the stomach, but would not make it legal to kill a doctor performing an abortion. It would also be legal for the parent, child, partner, or spouse of that woman in the subway to kill the attacker, because the attack was an illegal act. Since abortion is legal in America, this bill would not apply.