Many are in a conundrum. Why is there so much divisiveness in the country? Why does our President and his Republican party tear down people, ignore science, insult minorities and women, threaten to disrupt the voting process when they supposedly want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN?
The latest proof that we have is the GOP Senators are in lock step going along with the egregious act of confirming a Supreme Court Judge despite all of them blocking Obama's choice for the office in 2016. Ruth Bader Ginsberg was the epitome of an excellent Supreme court judge. principled, courageous, fair, and who fought for equal justice for all. When she was dead one hour, the GOP administration announced that they were going to push ahead with the nomination, immediately. Just four years ago, high minded reasons were given for not allowing President Obama's choice for the Supreme Court. "It's too close to the election [it was Nine months away] and the new President should have the right to choose the SCJ." Now amnesia and false justification has taken over and, guess what?The Republican party is most probably going to approve a Supreme Court nominee ONE Month before the election. The rage that some of us feel, this betrayal, over yet another slap in the face to integrity is overwhelming. When overwhelmed, I say ACT.
The nominee is Amy Coney Barrett a woman who is part of the group of Catholic women who believe that the "men are the heads of the household and make all the decisions". [see the most conservative of views in the 1950's] Apparently, this is the pick we'll be stuck with. Goodbye to Roe vs Wade that we worked long and hard to pass, farewell to the ACA so imperatively need in this time of the pandemic and forget about your concern about the environment, the laws will continue to be sabotaged.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, when abortion was illegal, women died in desperation. The women and sometimes young girls had no choice to safely terminate an unwanted pregnancy. I, myself had a legal medical abortion many years ago. A baby I was carrying died inter utero at four months. Had it been just five years earlier, 1972, I would have been required to carry that baby to 'spontaneous abortion' which could have cost me my life.
Let's reverse roles here. Wonder if women were cruel and had the power of the laws behind them and wouldn't allow a man to have a choice of what to do with his reproductive rights. The husband comes to her and says, "I've been diagnosed with testicular tumors, probably cancerous, can I please have an operation to free myself from worry and pain?". The woman coolly appraises him and says, "NO, that might interfere with my right to have more babies, let nature take it's course!". That's the position all women were in until 1973 when they won the right to have say over their own bodies. The right to privacy with their physician was a hard fought battle. It still is in many states, a very hard fought battle.
Another truth: a woman can get pregnant once a year at most. Ironically a man can impregnate many thousands of women, if he chooses to in one year. Why is the pregancy burden always on the woman? That is some pretty fancy footwork to blame the woman. As we all have seen, people piously and obnoxiously stand outside the abortion clinics waving signs and begging women to not abort. Ah, but where are these pious people when that child is born? I can state emphatically--- they're not there to help that woman. Her reasons for the abortion are many. It might be that she couldn't either afford the child, or was in ill health, or was so very young and ill equipped to raise a child. Good reasons. The pious and obnoxious ones are actually only pro birth, not willing to aid or give any help to that woman or girl after that child is born. Couldn't we agree to shift the blame. WHO got that woman pregnant? Why isn't the emphasis on the men?
Years ago I'd go into the high school and talk about the dangers of drugs and alcohol during the teenage years. Inevitably the subject of girls drinking to drunkenness would come up. Some cocky boy would smirk and I would lead the discussion about the the responsibility of boys having or attempting having sex with an impaired girl. What about responsibility? The consequences of having sex? I let them know that the lowest incidents of teen pregnancy in the world were in Japan. Also, at that time, the only form of birth control in Japan was the Condom. A hush fell in the room, No one but me was willing to speak to the obvious: it's clearly not just the woman who can do birth control, Japan proved that.
We all want loving relationships, don't we? We all want our children loved, fed and taken care of. Don't we also want truth, justice and the American way? What has become of the American way? For parts of this country the American way is thought to justify racism, ignore the unfair advantages given to people of wealth and allowing women, minorities and people of color to be discriminated against. This had got to stop. I urge you to take action. Vote the rascals out, donate to the Democrats and at least we have hope that this country can become, again the admired country. Right now we are a grieving country and our leaders have failed us miserably. 200,000 dead. The worst in the world, and why? Because someone doesn't want to tell the truth and, oh yeah, muss his hair.
susansmagicfeather 2020 Susan R. Grout all rights reserved
