#MNR: A WOMAN'S BODY, A [WHITE] MAN'S WORLD

#MNR: A WOMAN’S BODY, A [WHITE] MAN’S WORLD

“Had to kill the baby, cuz I couldn’t afford it...”
Lil’ Keke

In perhaps the biggest leak since Nas’ Death of Escobar album, America was given early notice that the US Supreme Court plans to rule against Roe v. Wade, effectively ending the right to abortion at the federal level and leaving the right to abort up to the individual states. Texas was at the forefront of the controversy, having already implemented legislature that makes abortion illegal in the state after six weeks, often before a woman is even aware of pregnancy. It leaves doctors who provide abortions after the six weeks open to litigation. It even goes as far as to allowing for whistleblowers to report (snitch) on those who may aid in a woman receiving an abortion after six weeks. Oklahoma recently passed a similar bill (from a weeks of pregnancy standpoint). Several other states have followed suit, albeit not as restrictive as Texas or Oklahoma, effectively outlawing abortion after fifteen weeks of pregnancy. Some states have “trigger laws” which will immediately implement anti-abortion legislation as soon as the Supreme Court makes its Roe decision official.

The leak, still courtesy of sources unknown, has been proven to be credible and accurate. Justice Samuel Alito, a conservative appointed by former president George H.W. Bush in 1990 (a Republican), is the author of the draft opinion. The word is that the other four traditional conservatives (not including Chief Justice Roberts, who often tends to side with the liberal justices) have sided with Alito, making the decision 5-4 in favor of striking Roe down. The irony (smh) is that three of the more recent Supreme Court appointees, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett, were each asked about their views on Roe during their individual confirmations. All three stated that Roe was established law and that they wouldn’t tamper with or overturn it. Syke, they lied (Hollow Da Don voice). Senators Collins and Murkowski may be shocked by their about-faces (smdh), but I’m not. The game is extra dirty at all three federal levels – judicial, legislative, and executive. I suppose it always has been, but four years of #45 blew the veil off the face of politics. There are no refs for those who make strange bedfellows. The reality is that very shortly it will be hard if not damn near impossible to receive an abortion in more than half the country after just under four months of pregnancy. Contraception may also be on the chopping block in some states. It’s finna get crazy outchea.

Abortion and the right to an abortion are simple arguments. Whether pro-choice or pro-life, many can agree that matters of rape, incest and the health of the mother and/or fetus are reasons to justify an abortion, and even that can be a divisive topic depending on who is asked. For the sake of this blog, we are going to assume that you (the reader) have no objection to abortions under those circumstances. We’ll stick to normal “I don’t want the baby” for whatever the reason may be abortions. I think the most obvious argument against is religion. All the monotheistic religions I’ve studied are “pro-life.” But in all fairness, there were no abortion clinics in the times of Confucius, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad or any other religious figure. This is a modern debate. Still, many purists believe that abortion is wrong -- simple, and plain. To them it’s murder.

I’m not going to mince words when I say that, from a believer’s standpoint, I’m not a fan of abortion. Life is precious. That’s my sentiment, and I’m sticking to it. The thing is, though, that my personal opinion does not mirror my political opinion. I believe that a woman has the right to do whatever she pleases with her body. If she desires to abort the fetus, I agree with her decision from a political standpoint. Unlike many, I have a clear understanding of the separation between church and state. I also understand that it isn’t my body that’s in question. I am equally resolute in both my political reasoning and my spiritual reasoning. I make no apologies. I do not have the right to tell a woman what she can or cannot do with her body. That is a decision she is entitled to make on her own, and only the Lord can divinely judge her. If I were a US Supreme Court justice, I would vote in favor of maintaining Roe.

The ultimate smack in the face about this discussion is that men (mostly white) are almost always the ones to make decisions on what women can do with their bodies. The immediate irony is that a man will never have to experience what it’s like to carry a baby to term. A man plants his seed and his physical job concerning pregnancy is done. He doesn’t have to side with a woman’s right to abortion. He can just abandon the woman and child after pregnancy. A woman must deal with nurturing and caring for that child until it reaches adulthood. Women have been subjugated for millennia, way before John Stuart Mill wrote his timeless piece of political theory. It’s outright despicable. This is the latest example.

Alito’s draft opinion is sordid in the eyes of many. His opinion is tantamount to Plessy v. Ferguson overturning Brown v. Board of Education. For those unfamiliar with either, the Plessy case essentially established the “separate but equal” precedent which allowed for racial segregation to continue in America during post-Reconstruction America that began in the late 1870s. The Brown case outlawed segregation in public schools in 1954 and paved the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Plessy “trumping” Brown sounds absurd, doesn’t it? Of course, it does. Alito also said that overturing the Roe precedent would mean more Black babies would be able to be born, as if the right to an abortion is solely a Black issue. What Alito and many other white men won’t speak on is the absolutely underwhelming healthcare in many of the states that are licking their chops for his opinion to become law, namely many southern states. Race doesn’t matter, per se. Outside of the wealthy and professionals, most women altogether in most of these states are already at distinct healthcare disadvantages compared to many liberal-leaning states. Outlawing abortions will only exacerbate the situation. Almost all of these states are already lacking when it comes to Planned Parenthood. EVERY southern state other than Texas has 0.5 or less Planned Parenthood clinics per 100,000 women aged 15-49 (Texas peaks at one per). It’s been this way for decades. I can’t see how on earth ending legal abortion would make these situations any better. Alito and his cronies are hellbent on forcing a diverse nation to conform to the beliefs of white evangelical Christians.

If anything, it will be interesting to see if this forthcoming decision will galvanize the Democrat base for the upcoming midterm elections in November. They needed something, as Sleepy Joe’s approval rating is currently lower than Chris Dudley’s career free throw percentage. This may just be the spark that is needed. Outside of the Black vote (which is at historically low approval rating numbers), the white suburban female vote is usually the game-changer. Those ladies are pissed. We shall see exactly how much in under 200 days.

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