Media Contact: Erin Smith +1 202 986 6093

For Immediate Release
8 November 2006

South Dakotans Speak--"It's Time to End the Abortion Wars"

Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice, issued the following statement this morning on the South Dakota abortion referendum.

Washington, DC - South Dakotans spoke their mind clearly yesterday and rejected efforts to outlaw all abortions in the state. A narrow provision that would permit abortions only when a pregnant woman’s life was directly endangered was not enough to save this bill. South Dakota voters joined the majority of Americans who believe that abortion should be safe, legal and rare.

We are hopeful that the results of this referendum will send a clear message to state legislatures that the right to choose abortion was not only correctly affirmed by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, but also reflects the values of the American people who understand that whatever one may believe about the morality of abortion, our laws must uphold the right to choose.

It is time to end the abortion wars and move beyond the question of whether or not abortion should be legal. It is time to make it less necessary.

That’s why Catholics for a Free Choice is promoting Prevention Not Prohibition. By making contraception readily available and affordable, ensuring that everyone has access to childcare and healthcare and teaching young adults to approach sexuality responsibly, policymakers create an environment that both enables women to avoid unintended pregnancies and supports them in their decision to carry a difficult pregnancy to term.

In this situation abortions aren’t illegal, they’re prevented. Isn’t that the best choice of all?

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Catholics for Free Choice (CFFC) shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to women’s well being, and respect and affirm the moral capacity of women and men to make sound decisions about their lives. Through discourse, education, and advocacy, CFFC works in the US and internationally to infuse these values into public policy, community life, feminist analysis, and Catholic social thinking and teaching.