A Time Unhonored Truth

I do not know where to begin. Since my previous column voiced the value and humanness of vulnerability, I’ll start there. I’m afraid, very afraid, angry, overwhelmed, and in despair.

Indeed, it is vulnerable to state these feelings in print. But at least I have the liberty to do so. To speak out and not be silenced. Let’s pray, I don’t lose that right as well.  

For those who think that’s overdramatic, rest un-assured. The Supreme Court’s recent decision to deny a woman’s basic human right to control her own body (and future) forewarns further atrocious discrimination to come. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is the canary in the minefield of this extremist court.

The June 24th decision by unelected justices eviscerated my constitutional right to bodily autonomy. And my daughter’s rights and my granddaughter’s rights. And every woman in this country who copes daily with inequality, sexism, and fear. Today, we are less safe.

Our president called this ruling “a tragic error,” and said, “Let’s be very clear: the health and life of women in this nation are now at risk.”

Agreed. Though I dispute the word “now,” Mr. President, as women have long endured inequities in these United States. Ones that undermine and debilitate a woman’s economic security, personal safety, and health. 

Unfortunately, we women have had to take what we can get, including getting paid 84% of what men receive for equal work.

If you’re a man, imagine that loss of income simply because of your anatomy. Now, imagine you are one of the 15 million single mothers in the U.S. and, just in case life isn’t hard enough, your Constitutional right to manage your own body is stripped, impacting your health, your financial future, your very life.

Worse is that people of color and those in marginalized and low-income communities, who already face barriers to healthcare thanks to the same people who take our rights, will suffer the most from this heinous Supreme Court decision. So too will people with disabilities and transgender individuals. And, if that’s not enough, women with medically dangerous pregnancies will die. If you’re unsure about that, read what the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have to say about abortion and the treatment for ectopic pregnancies.  

Oh, the fairytale that this ruling is all about the sanctity of life. Were it true, it’d mean that those who have hijacked a woman’s bodily autonomy would make it their mission to care about the children who come from those fetuses, right? They’d never allow schoolchildren to be slaughtered because it’s more important they have access to firearms, right? They wouldn’t endorse an immigration policy that puts children in cages, right? They’d behave as if the lives of women matter and create legislation that feeds children and takes responsibility for the most vulnerable among us, right? And, certainly, they’d lead in such a way that over a million Americans wouldn’t have had to die from this pandemic. Wouldn’t these be caring for the sanctity of life?

The consequences of overturning Roe v. Wade gets more heartbreaking by the day. A 10-year-old rape victim, forced to travel across state lines to have an abortion, went from Ohio to Indiana, where they’re also likely to ban the procedure. 

Many states’ bans contain no exceptions for rape or incest survivors. I am an incest survivor and I’m brought to my knees knowing that our government sanctions forced birth. Let one man experience the terror of abuse and see how policy would change.

In the current polarized political landscape, it’s essential to remember that the majority opinion in Roe v. Wade was written by a lifelong Republican and that five of the seven justices who made the case for choice in 1973 were Republican appointed. Even Reagan, when governor, signed into law one of the most broad abortion laws in the nation. And federal funding for family planning programs was part of George H. W. Bush’s landmark legislation, Title X.

Polls show the majority of Americans did not want Roe v. Wade overturned. So who is leading this attack? I see mostly men, in power, using the faux-cloak of “pro-life” and Christianity as their rallying call, all while dismantling democracy.

What’s next on their agenda? Justice Clarence Thomas is clear. He advocates the court reconsider rescinding other rights, such as same-sex marriage and access to birth control. The canary is getting louder.

Of course, we women, and others treated to subjugation on a daily basis, must continue to fight injustices while being aggressed against. On a daily basis. A time unhonored oppressive truth.

I ask all men to actively stand against the atrocity of this ruling. To care about this injustice with as much fervor as if they took away your inalienable rights. Because they will. 

Carole Vasta Folley’s column In Musing has won awards from the Vermont Press Association, the New England Newspaper and Press Association, and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.