It's finally happened, the six reactionary religious fanatics of he Supreme Court have overturned Roe vs Wade, which almost two-thirds of Americans support. It's the most egregious example of minoritarian rule- six individuals lording it over 64% of the populace. Republican states have already put 'trigger laws' into effect, laws which will ban abortions as soon as Roe has gone the way of the dodo. If you had asked me ten years ago, I probably would have opined that I suspected that Republican opposition to abortion was merely a culture war issue to rile up the base and get them to the polls, but that was before the GOP gained a critical mass of authoritarian fundamentalists on the Supreme Court. I was disabused of this notion before the 2016 election.
Thankfully, states such as New York and New Jersey are adopting safe haven policies for red state girls and women seeking abortions. Of course, without organizations such as the Brigid Alliance, which help patients in need seek abortion care, this is only helpful to girls or women who have the ability to travel. Abortion bans only effect poor women, the daughters and mistresses of Republican senators can always go on 'spa vacations' to terminate unwanted pregnancies.
To compound the danger, the GOP Supreme Court won't be content to abolish legal abortions, Clarence Thomas has already announced that he will try to overturn legal birth control, same-sex marriage, and even sex acts that deviate from heterosexual vaginal penetration with the penis:
Justice Thomas calls on SCOUS to overrule Griswold (right to contraception); Lawrence (invalidating anti-sodomy laws); Obergefell (marriage equality) pic.twitter.com/xOXEwbfL24
— Leah Litman (@LeahLitman) June 24, 2022
I don't exactly know how this will all end up, these unpopular policies are being supplemented by voter suppression policies, so even overwhelming numbers at the polls might not be sufficient to move the needle in Republican-ruled states. In the short term, I would suggest boycotting Red States, and the products they make, all the while pressuring corporations to push back against this War on Women. I also support a general strike, in which non-essential abortion supporters (if you are in a state that bans abortion, I'd even skip essential work) refuse to work, or even to purchase non-essential items.
The Republican war on bodily autonomy and privacy has been ramped up considerably, it's time we start fighting back in earnest.
3 comments:
Nobody needs Wisconsin cheese.
I buy New York extra sharp cheddar, myself.
A strike is definitely in order, yet again.
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