Once again, I feel compelled to speak out. The latest revelations from the Supreme Court are beyond disturbing.
If you haven’t read Margaret Atwood’s book, The Handmaid’s Tale, or seen the television series based upon that novel, I suggest you do either, or preferably both. The document purportedly leaked yesterday from the U.S. Supreme Court drafting a majority opinion resulting in the overturning of the landmark decision, Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion in the United States 50 years ago, is a major step down the path towards a society such as that brought to life in Atwood’s novel.
If this decision becomes a reality, it will be a disaster for this country on many different levels. I am willing to bet huge sums of money that many of the people who are supportive of this decision and believe that it will be a ‘victory’ for the pro-life movement, will be surprised and ultimately come to regret this reversal as the ‘law of unintended consequences’ takes hold with a vengeance.
First, a little background. There are currently about 600,000 abortions performed in the United States every year1. Although the figures vary, there are about 100,000 to 150,000 adoptions that take place in the US every year2. You don’t have to be a mathematical genius to recognize the disconnect, i.e., do the math. So, the first question has to be, what happens to all of these ‘extra’ babies that will be forced to come to term? There is no way the number of adoptions will increase to close that gap. Who is going to take care of them?
Should the United States start the Department of Baby Care? Or, I guess given the current trend, this responsibility would fall to each of the states. Ironically, the conservatives who are championing the overturn of Roe v. Wade, are the same people who tend to want to reduce social welfare programs. So, again, I ask, who the hell is going to take care of all of these babies? Do the math!!
And, of course, just like after Prohibition was enacted when the 18th Amendment was adopted, a black market will develop to facilitate abortions. Anyone who thinks this won’t happen is a fool. Black market and criminal enterprises arise any time there is a profit to be made when things are outlawed or unreasonably restricted. People involved in these enterprises will occasionally be caught, prosecuted and jailed. Given that the United States already houses more people in prison than any other country in the world, I guess we’ll have to build more prisons. Maybe we can build separate ‘abortion prisons’!
Although the pro-life movement seems to care so desperately for babies, it’s apparent that they don’t give equal weight to the value of women’s lives. It is a given that women will die from back-alley and illegal abortions. Again, anyone who doesn’t believe that will happen is a fool. If a woman who already has a couple of children gets pregnant with another child that her family can’t afford, tries to have an illegal abortion and dies, who will care for that family? The law of unintended consequences at work again.
Beyond the immediate and devastating effects on women and families, the issue on the table is much bigger than this decision. If this court is willing to overturn a legal precedent that has been in place for 50 years, what is next? Will they next outlaw same-sex marriage? Will they outlaw interracial marriage? If some, or all of these decisions are left to the states, will some states just outlaw birth control entirely. Everyone seems to think things like this could never happen in the good ‘ol United States of America, a beacon of freedom and democracy, but there is absolutely no doubt that there are states where such discussions are underway. Where will it stop?
The Republicans have often railed against ‘activist judges’ who legislate from the bench and here we are with a slate of conservative judges who are doing exactly that. If these justices are willing to overturn 50 years of legal precedent, what else are they capable of? The entire credibility of the Supreme Court is on the line. If this decision becomes a reality, the Supreme Court will be viewed as a partisan tribunal versus an apolitical adjudicator of complex legal issues. And, remember, in virtually every country that started as a democracy and ended up with an authoritarian leader, one of the first things that happened was stacking the highest court with partisan judges.
I recently read a book, Principles for Dealing with The Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail, by Ray Dalio, in which the argument is made for why the United States is in its declining phase. If this decision is allowed to stand, it will just kick the country further down that curve. If anyone is naïve enough to think this decision is solely about abortion, I would argue, you are very, very wrong. This decision is about the future of democracy in the United States and it appears that the conservatives will take us yet another step towards the abyss of authoritarianism.
I fear they don’t understand what they have set into motion.
There is no wrath that unlike a woman’s.
Based on what I have seen from some of my FB friends, before I deleted my account (thank you Elon Musk for convincing me Social Media has become evil – at least for the time being) – they have set the political wheels in motion for a true calling of action for a very large group. May equal the the right that has support that crazy evangelical nut house.
In the mean time, while supporting my Pills Anonymous groups creating websites to help draw people to meetings, and because domain names are cheap and websites are cheap – I have also created “The Church of the Severe Wrath of God” site – my friend Dan Pastor, myself Deacon – and we have some plans. Technically, thanks to the power of 1 click internet shopping, I am an ordained minister recognized by Ca. (OMG – yikes, danger Will Robinson). Sites will also be created to slam Trump, Cruz, DeSantis (de-sanity, or de-sanitation), and Abbott / Castello. I have all the Adobe tools, and willing to invest in Animation tools for cartooning in my retirement spare time – I will not go down without a fight. I live to torment others.
First project after church will be DT and his press conference on the Bleach therapy for COVID – they let him get away with the Ultra Violet “into parts of the body to kill it”. Think about that – where exactly would that be… The next sentence was the bleach so folks did not think about it and he got away with that one – but I won’t let it happen. There will be a replay of the video, with an animation of him at the protologist (Darth Vador) stuffing an Ultra Violet Light Saber (or equivalent) up his butt hole mouth piece as he’s bent over in some embarrasing manner publicly demonstrating how this is performed and not so bad. Or something – suggestions are welcome. We’re hoping someone else can make it go viral pre-mid term election if we do a decent job on it. Since I refuse to be counted in either Elon’s or Suckerberg’s stats for revenue anymore !!
Cheers! Hope your knee is healing !
Bob
If you would like some insight on abortion vs crime rates, check out this link below:
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/abortion-and-crime-revisited/