Sectarian Stupidity

Sectarian: of or relating to or characteristic of a sect or sects; "sectarian differences"

Sect: a subdivision of a larger religious group

Prior to yesterday I hadn't heard the word "sectarian" more than 5 times in my entire life. Maybe 5 times. Tops. Between yesterday and today I have heard the word AT LEAST 7 times. NY Times headline, Washington Post headline, NPR yesterday (twice), and NPR this morning (three times! in less than 30 minutes!!!). It's like everyone forgot this word existed and now there is mad dash to see who can use it the most.

Some headlines from around the world:
Iraq Imposes Daytime Curfew to Stem Sectarian Violence (Voice of America)
Curfew in Baghdad after sectarian violence (Telegraph - UK)
Iraq sectarian violence kills 130 (Reuters)
Analysis: Iraq sectarian bloodshed not yet civil war (Middle East Online)
Iraq Imposes Curfew to Stem Sectarian Violence (Update1) (Bloomberg)
SECTARIAN VIOLENCE EXPLODES ACROSS IRAQ (SF Chronicle)
Iraq under curfew to quell sectarian violence (CNN International)
Sectarian Violence in Iraq Limiting US Military Response (ABC News)
Nigerian Muslims flee city as sectarian violence subsides (Irish Examiner)
Nigerian Muslims Flee Sectarian Violence (Washington Post)
Sectarian violence continues in southern Nigerian (Jeruslem Times)
NIGERIA: Dozens dead as sectarian violence continues in southern Nigeria (Reuters)
U.S. Envoy Says Sectarian Violence Threatens Iraq's Future (NY Times)

And the two that started it all:
Sectarian Fury Turns Violent in Wake of Iraq Shrine Blast (NY Times)
Shrine Bombing Sparks Sectarian Violence (Washington Post)

I mean, WTF?!? And speaking of "sectarian violence." I have the sneaking suspicion we are about to witness some here in the good ol' US of A. Apparently the state of South Dakota (is that even still a state??) is going to pass a law that makes performing an abortion a felony. Yes, that's right. Good ol' political antagonism. Apparently pissed off that Tom Daschle got beat out for the Senate seat in South Dakota the Republicans are on the warpath there and are going to piss off the entire country. It's called cutting off your nose to spite your face. But, the Republicans think that now that they have a stacked deck in the Supreme Court they can finally get that damned Roe v. Wade case over-turned. Even if they COULD get Roe v. Wade overturned, how many states would ban abortions? South Dakota? So, the South Dakotans who need abortions sneak over the border into North Dakota. Or Minnesota. Or Wyoming. Or Montana. Or the doctors there perform them and take the risk. Seriously, what purpose do these people think banning an abortion would serve? Congratulations, you have forced someone who doesn't want a kid and probably can't afford the kid to give birth (additional medicare expenses) and raise it (more welfare) in crappy living conditions (low-income, low-literacy). And if they give it up for adoption there's even MORE strain on the state budgets. I'm not saying we should all be out having abortions; it's not like it's fun and games. I'm sure the people who go through with them think about the consequences very, very seriously before doing so. And hopefully they are having them done by competent medical professionals. But now, this ban would prevent competent medical professionals from performing them. And quite frankly, if I were a competent medical professional I wouldn't move to practice in South Dakota. And, as an attorney, knowing there are fewer competent medical professionals in South Dakota, I might just move there - seems like a money-making proposition for me. So, congratulations South Dakota, you've added another social cost to the stupidity - increased medical malpractice costs from suits and increased insurance premiums.

Oh, I guess I'm not the only one to draw the connection.