As we get closer to the November elections, I believe it's crucial to remember the following points. Firstly, many important issues are on the ballot this November, and I think our democracy is at stake. The MAGA extremists are aiming for a white nationalist, Christian society, leaving no room for any outsiders. Additionally, abortion is a driving force for women going to the polls. It is also a significant issue for me. When I was 17 years old, I became pregnant during my senior year of high school in 1973, just a month after Roe v. Wade became the law of the land.
The ultimatums given to me by my mother were, in this order, marriage, adoption, or an abortion. My heart told me that marriage was not going to be a viable option. Adoption may have been an option, but I don't think I could bear giving a child away. And as far as an abortion, it was an adamant no. For no other reason than that, I didn't believe an abortion was a crucial choice for me at this time.
Eight years later, when my daughter was eight and I was a 26-year-old single mother, I became pregnant again. Without hesitation, I decided to terminate the pregnancy. I was in no situation to have another child; I was barely able to support myself and my daughter as it was. The critical aspect of this story is that I made my choice. I, not my government, decided what was best for me in both circumstances.
After the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, women are now facing limited options. They may have to resort to seeking unsafe and illegal abortions, forgo their own health and safety, or be compelled to carry a pregnancy to term regardless of the consequences. Alternatively, they may need to travel to states offering healthcare services for pregnant women. The Supreme Court stated that in 1973, Roe v. Wade made an incorrect assertion regarding privacy as a constitutional right, failing to consider public sentiment about abortion care and viewing abortion as a zero-sum game.
The recent decision by the Supreme Court feels like a major setback for women's reproductive rights, pushing us back fifty years or more. Conservative justices argued in favor of giving states control over abortion rights, leading to widespread chaos. Now, it seems they are also targeting access to birth control. Just imagine a world where there are no tools or means to prevent pregnancy.
Over the years, various "Pro-Life" organizations such as the Foundation for Life, Right to Life, and Operation Save America have advocated for their cause. Jason Storms, the current director of Operation Save America, believes that a woman should be punished, potentially even facing the death penalty, for having an abortion. I think that these extreme measures, advocated by fanatical and radical activists, show no regard for the reasons why abortions are a necessary part of women's healthcare. They simply want to end all abortions and control women's reproductive rights.
Overturning Roe v Wade has been in the works for decades, and Samual Alito's fingerprints are all over this. Trump installed three justices who lied about their position on Roe v Wade, and there you have the recipe for dismantling a fifty-year-old precedent. SCOTUS is no longer a non-political branch of our government. It has become the epitome of partisanship and is on full display.
Every time I hear a news report or story about the consequences of this horrific decision, I become nauseated. I am well beyond my childbearing years but have a seventeen-year-old granddaughter. The very age I was when I conceived her mother. I hope she will not have to face a pregnancy where she will not have the choices that were available to me and her mother. Luckily, last year, Ohio enshrined a woman's right to an abortion into our constitution. For others, they are not so lucky.
Trump's convoluted position on abortion and birth control demonstrates how ignorant he is about the issues. He brags about being the one responsible for overturning Roe v Wade like it's a badge of honor. I doubt his involvement with abortion has been entirely ethical. The hypocrisy makes my skin crawl. What Trump and the Supreme Court did to women is nothing short of cruel. Katie Cox, Samantha Casiano, Lauren Miller, and many others have shared their traumatic and devastating experiences regarding their compromised pregnancies. They were held prisoner by laws that prevented them from accessing the necessary medical treatment.
The irony is that these disconnected pro-lifers are not genuinely concerned about "life" at all. They give no thought to the life of the mother. After the child is born, women are often denied access to programs that could help support the child due to cuts in programs such as WIC, SNAP, and public assistance by indifferent lawmakers. Stigmas are attached to women, such as accusing them of not keeping their legs closed or simply not knowing their place in the household, as noted by the Chiefs' kicker, Harrison Butker.
If you thought "The Handmaid's Tale" was a work of fiction, you're about to learn that we're living in a similar reality. I foresee a time when couples will be forced to have children. The government will monitor their sexual lives and require check-ups to ensure no birth control is being used. Women have been relegated to second-class citizens and are now required to have escorts to ensure their behavior during pregnancy does not harm the fetus. This is not a futuristic scenario; it is happening now.
In conclusion, I no longer trust the levers of our government. I once believed that checks and balances would prevent extremism and corruption. I never woke up afraid after a presidential election, but in 2016, I was very afraid. The rhetoric Trump was spewing was dangerous. He knew how to throw out the red meat to stir the racist, homophobic, xenophobic population, making their grievances his. The con man came to our doors, televisions, and social platforms. He had no convictions, principles, or values about anything. He just wanted power. So, yes, there is so much riding on this election. Abortion may bring voters to the polls, but democracy must prevail.
Yorumlar