Years ago, George Carlin summed up one of the core beliefs of Republicans quite well. If you’re pre-born, you’re fine. If you’re preschool, you’re fucked. That’s what came to mind when the ultra-conservative supreme court ruled 6-3 that South Carolina can withhold public funding from Planned Parenthood over the mere fact the agency offers abortion services. Doesn’t matter that Planned Parenthood offers help to poor mothers in need of health care, or that they *gasp* offer safe sex courses. Republicans, like some pilots, have target fixation. They focus on the abortion services. Keep in mind, these same republicans always target programs like head start and others when it comes time for slashing the budget. It’s okay for the government to force a woman to carry the fetus to term, but the government becomes a deadbeat dad when it comes time to helping the mom make sure all of the needs are met. As you sit there and read this blog, the government is insisting they should dictate what a person on food stamps purchases. That’s one of the measures the so-called “Small government” Republicans have fought hard for.
Trump is entertaining request from “Right to lifers”, a name whose irony is lost upon the group members, to ban Planned Parenthood from all federal funding. Which is clearly a bad idea based on all the other services planned parenthood provides. Unless these so-called “Right to Life” folks are aghast at poor and middle-class women getting cancer screenings. Screenings that save their lives.
Before I continue to explain that the “Right to Life” crowd in reality, doesn’t care about saving lives, there’s something that needs to be explained. There are so many people that have been duped into believing that Planned Parenthood is an abortion mill that provides abortions on call 24/7. Trump has managed to get his base to actual believe that Planned Parenthood engages in infanticide, which is the act of killing a live baby after it leaves the womb. Doesn’t matter that it’s false, that Planned Parenthood engages in such acts. His base has been conditioned to view Planned Parenthood as an evil entity that slaughters babies and their employees consume the remains. Don’t laugh, many of these folks that are protesting Planned Parenthood actually believe that. Because Trump claims so in his speeches, they believe it. Hell, Trump could say that Planned Parenthood is in league with Aliens from Saturn in a plot to eliminate the human race over the next 1,000 years, and they’d believe it. They have been conditioned that well.
Now, let’s move on to the “Right To Life” crowd. Such irony that many of those same people celebrate the death penalty. Or that many of them have no qualms about military action that will claim many lives. Don’t see those folks protesting the multitude of military actions the U.S. engages in. I guess “Right To Life” has limitations. Especially when it comes to those extremists of the crowd, that engage in acts of terrorism. Acts like bombing clinics and shooting doctors. It was never about “Right To Life”. It was about the “Right to control others”.
The stories about women dying in back alleys is true. That was life before Roe. But then again, the Right To Life crowd doesn’t care about that. For them, the mother is disposable. If saving the fetus, no matter what condition its health is in, cost the mother her life, so what. They don’t care. And they seem quite self-assured that when (or in some cases, IF) the baby grows up, they’re going to appreciate the “Right To Life” crowds noble sacrifice of their mother so they could live.
I’ve steadfast believed that the decision comes down to the individual woman. Her body, her choice. The government should not be able to walk in and dictate to anyone what they can do with their vital organs. Women in America are already looking at a roll-back of their rights. Joel Webbon, a popular podcast host amongst MAGA, has called for the 19th Amendment to be repealed. Andrew Tate, currently facing charges of sex crimes, but Trump considered him a nice enough fellow to stay at Mar Largo free of charge, has said many times that women lack the intellect to vote. And Tate, like Webbon, have said that women are born to be submissive. And thanks to Trump giving them platform, there is a growing movement, and it shockingly, does consist of some women, to repeal the 19th Amendment.
This SCOTUS has declared itself hostile to women’s rights on a national level, and that should frighten you. Doesn’t matter gender, it should frighten you. MAGA and Trump have slowly fought to erode all of the civil rights victories of the last 100 years. Please, by all means, read that again, it feels vaguely important. Donald Trump is using the office of president to attempt to roll back 100 years of civil rights. He’s already got a good majority of the country to believe a poll tax when it comes to voting is a great idea, though that pesky constitution forbids poll taxes. He’s declared war on immigrants, would love to make it easier for police to conduct warrantless searches, and is leading the charge to erode women’s rights.
As cliché as it may be to say the obvious, but these are dangers times ahead for America. As the conservative branch of SCOTUS showed today, they are willing to roll back women’s rights to health care. And I know that you might consider that statement an overreaction, but remember this: Even the largest avalanche starts are a mere snowball.
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