Driving backwards to the future
…And losing focus of the present.
It appears Roe v Wade is poised to be overturned and I have come to the realization my granddaughters will grow up with less rights than when they were born. I consider that a travesty of justice and the beginning of social demise for America.
But what was Roe v Wade really about? Was it birth control? No, condoms were already available and the Birth Control pill was approved in 1960. Roe v. Wade was about choice. Roe v Wade was about privacy. And although privacy is not mentioned in the US Constitution, the Due Process Clause in the 14th Amendment encompasses a woman’s right to choose. In writing the majority opinion for the Supreme Court, Justice Henry Blackmun wrote; “We, therefore, conclude that the right of personal privacy includes the abortion decision…” (For those who do not know, Blackmun was appointed to the bench by Republican President Nixon.) Obviously there’s more to the quote and decision and you can find the complete text here.
Still, today’s anti-abortion advocates purport to be “Pro-Life.” But, as Inigo Montoya said in The Princess Bride; “I do not think it means what you think it means.” To be honest, I don’t either. Because to me, Pro-life means; No one dies unless it happens naturally. And some, not all, Pro-Lifers are also the ones who are heavily favorable to the Death Penalty. But that’s topic for another blog. Pro-Lifers are really more “Pro-Birth.” But that’s only as long as they’re not the ones doing the birthing. Let’s just call them what they really are, anti-abortion-political-social activists. They believe their opinions or ‘facts’ are the only ones with any worth. They’re the same ones who will scream “I have a right to make my own decisions, live the way I want and without government intrusion!” But when it comes to Roe v Wade, they’re all about letting the government intrude in your privacy and decisions.
I said in my opening statement “my granddaughters will grow up with less rights then when they were born.” But what if the current generations suffer the same fate? Will POTUS, SCOTUS, or Congress reverse the Civil Rights Acts dating all the way back to 1875? Will they reverse Loving v Virginia? How about the 19th Amendment? What about labor laws? And while we’re at it, let’s knock out the 18th Amendment and bring back prohibition and go back to the days of bootlegging and revive future Al Capone’s? I fear that America’s piety and hubris will do nothing but interfere with our progress (or stifle our evolution.) SCOTUS is getting dangerously close to legislating from the bench and is virtually tearing up the very Constitution they are sworn to uphold. POTUS is becoming increasingly ineffective. And Congress keeps tripping all over themselves in their effort to preserve their jobs instead of serving their constituency. America is too big to fail and too far along to reset. We need to shift past the roadblocks and move forward.
But, while everyone is up in arms about Roe v Wade. We’re losing sight of the immediate issues and events affecting our nation. We’ve all but forgotten our failure and evacuation of Afghanistan. We’re losing sight of our rampant inflation. We’ve stagnated on our path toward energy independence. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Housing costs are increasing at such a rate that homelessness is increasing. Our Immigration system is severely broken. COVID’s wake is causing unforeseen and long-term health issues on those whose health was severely affected by COVID. Our supply chain has yet to recover. There’s a shortage of baby formula. Our education system is either lacking at the public school level or too expensive at the college level. There’s a shortage of law enforcement officers nationwide and an increase in crime across the board. We’re pouring money to support Ukraine and I fear eventual, physical involvement. Now, this may just be a broad-brush observation of things I feel should really be addressed and not in order of importance. But as for Roe v Wade… Leave it alone! There are more important things for America to tackle than a 50-year old decision that has actually saved more lives than the Uber-Right claims it has taken. The fact is, there were no counts of all the back-alley abortions before Roe. So, all the powerful elite better be sure to have birth control. Especially those with mistresses.
Humans may be on top of the food chain, but we aren’t born with the ability to walk within minutes after coming into the world. We’re on top of the food chain, but helpless in self-sufficiency until years after we’re born. The Pro-lifers may be correct when they say that the unborn child may someday be a great scientist, artist, etc. But they don’t take into consideration the flip side. The unborn child may someday be the most vile and evil person to affect society. Pro-lifers cannot predict the future, nor do they consider the present of the woman who makes the decision to end her pregnancy. Pro-lifers just want their way, and only their way. But while they’re at it, they better think about how society is going to handle the increase of unwanted children in America. Or, they better get ready to Foster.
