*Note* This is a multi-part
series that's taking days to maybe weeks to write. Currently, three parts are
in mind: The Women, The Others, and then The One
Oh! It's just turning over the ability to have an abortion over to the states again is all! I've heard it over and over. That and how precious all life is. Yes, all life is precious, very much so.
But this ruling had only partly to do with abortion and the politicians who repeatedly deny support to the children and families
once the babies are born or do anything substantial to make it easier to
prevent the pregnancies to even begin with. It partly has to do with what
happens next with those women and families to keep them controlled by certain factions. And, it has even more to do with the vagueness of the
14th and what is likely next.
In the end, it affects Everyone.
The ruling blew the door open
to everyone's privacy, autonomy, and basic rights. It says that, depending on
the state you live in, you may not have any rights or have limited ones to plan
a pregnancy. Your ability to handle a crisis pregnancy from rape or incest or carrying a child who will suffer before dying young in a state where that same party cries over the cost of the disabled is even more restricted or outright gone there. To prevent pregnancy in the
first place is restricted and controlled by someone else totally disconnected and the other half of what it requires to get pregnant... the
male... has nothing holding him back and even is supported with tons of
options to make them want more sex. There's little consequence to them when the
pregnancy happens, though, and lots of blame on the woman. Also, if you're needing to take a hormone for other
medical reasons, there's now fear of repercussions. And what about those who
want to protect their already existing family or frail future from the narrow-minded
"should have taken better care then" who are themselves not caring what caused the situation in the first place? All of the above is scary enough. It's now worse in
these states.
And, no, you can't just
"vote" it away. And those who are most affected cannot just
"move out" of the state or leave it temporarily. These are the at-risk, the lower income, the minorities, the children, those caught in religious extremism, and more. This goes far beyond
the right to have an abortion.
It affects situations like the 11-year-old
two counties over here in VA who just gave birth to a girl conceived by her 13-year-old brother raping her. There are so many aspects of their lives being
covered up with "religion" as the excuse so three young lives are in
crisis. Even away from it the governmental system is so broken, their situation is
bleak. I could write an entire blog alone on the scenario around her and others
like her now more stuck than ever in a system engineered to bring a baby to
birth under "Pro-Life/Anti-Abortion" but with politicians who will
not support them after the birth and this system set up to devastate the victims like children and disabled.
Here is an example: In my own
first pregnancy, which thankfully ended in miscarriage, I was on birth control
but also an antibiotic. It failed the night my first husband went into a drug
and alcohol spurned rampage through the house, then took me against my will,
leaving me bruised and knowing I could not say a word, or it would be much
worse. Had the miscarriage not happened, I would be the mother to a now 19-year-old, having been stuck and dealing with custody arrangements, forced to
engage with someone who abused me for years ... or without him, because he
didn't pay anything else so why pay child support and the struggle that would
also bring on.
At least I had a family and college education and career, though. Imagine someone who didn't have a
supportive family or a career that paid enough for childcare and insurance. Who
would be working multiple jobs and barely gets to see their child to raise them
and leaves them in the hands of strangers for all but a couple hours a day. Who
has to handle one political party's refusal to keep or expand help like
childcare vouchers, housing help, SNAP, Medicaid, welfare, paid parental leave,
etc., and watch both parties' refusal to set up transitional
programs. It is an ALL or nothing system- you live ALL on the system or none
and the results are often catastrophic. There is no real in-between. The
desperation and knowing end up with women trying to get an abortion be it the
pill form that terminates before 10 weeks or one more involved. This is
especially true before ACA when birth control wasn't required to be covered,
but even now after because it can be so costly.
My second situation was when
the decision was made to stop trying for kids in my second marriage. Both of us
had genetic illnesses they could inherit. I was getting sicker constantly and
knew I'd be unable to give a child the attention and upbringing they deserved.
He had his own issues that needed more focus, and it wasn't fair to put a child
into that. We were called selfish by family members and churchgoers. Then
my OBGYN hit me with the "I need your husband’s permission for you to get
your tubes tied" when I learned I couldn't take most birth control anymore and an
IUD was out of the question with my condition. This was because I was still
child-bearing age! Never did get that done. So many others end up with this scenario, and now they and their lives and children's lives are at more risk.
In some states with these politicians who are banning abortion, some are already restricting certain birth control, two are criminalizing some parts of having a miscarriage, some are eliminating emergency contraception. They've been restricting what is being presented in public schools and eliminating handing out free condoms while students who give birth have to be back in class within a week. Pregnancy does not qualify for homebound instruction in most states anyway so education is interrupted.
So what are women to do? The painful progress forward around abortion, not just the ability to get one but the ability to prevent one from even being needed, has taken steps back.
Families everywhere are going to suffer. Our country will suffer.
In Part Two, there is "The Others" a side of this that is just as scary... the next steps already being promised pursual by one Justice. The ramifications of weakening the 14th are just getting started.
