Dim, Dark Days

I am continuously upset with the born-again Christians who seem to have gained enormous power in this country, and especially with the present administration. They, like their Führer Trump, are without compassion, without brains, and, worst of all, without any sense of rationality.

They believe that they alone should have the right to live above the law or even to change it in order to suit themselves. Take the case of Roe vs. Wade.

They rant and they rave about the growing overpopulation of the world, the endless line of people asking for handouts. And at the same time, by fighting to outlaw abortions, they reserve themselves the right to increase that population as they wish.

These people are trying to take this country back into the dim dark days when abortion was illegal throughout the nation. Women had to resort to illegal abortions, international trips, wire coat hangers, self-harm, and any other means they could find to end unintended or unwanted pregnancies.

Then the Supreme Court passed Roe vs. Wade, which gave women the right to take control of their own bodies. I have never in my long life ever known a woman who wanted an abortion. But women should have the right to decide whether to take a pregnancy to term, whether they are carrying child who has a terminal prenatal diagnosis or debilitating deformities, or if they have been violated and raoed raped, or molested and impregnated by a family member, or if they already have more children they can afford. They may be too young for the financial and emotional burden of parenthood, or any one of a thousand reasons for having an abortion.

These lawmakers are trying to put all of the responsibility on the women for these pregnancies. It is THEY who don’t want to take care of the child; they want to the woman to carry the pregnancy to term without any responsibility on their part. And then complain about the overpopulation, and do nothing to take care of them or provide financial assistance or support.

These right-to-lifers support the death penalty, support wars, support gun lobbies that are killing people all over America; the only life they support is women’s pregnancies for which they take no responsibility.

Historically, men have considered it their right to control women. Banning abortions is just one way of them taking no responsibility for unwanted pregnancies. The fact of the matter is that it takes two to tango – so it is critical that men are included in these conversations around abortion. It seems that the last time they were was in 1992, when the Supreme Court overturned a law that required a woman to prove that she had the permission of her husband before she could have an abortion. It seems as though men want all of the control in the decision-making process, but none of the responsibility after the baby is born.

To make sure they take that responsibility, here is my solution. Every boy at the age of 12 should undergo a vasectomy. This would only be reversed after he has reached a certain age, has been married legally for a period of time, and is now ready, willing, and able to have a child for whom HE will take responsibility for their entire childhood. If he does not want to take responsibility at all, he can have a clinical castration. This would put an end to the problem of teenage pregnancies, as well as other unwanted pregnancies and pregnancies from rape. It would largely solve the problem of abortion.

What right do a group of male politicians have to rule the lives of women? This is the last developed nation in the world that does not give women the right or access to safe, medically processed legal abortions.

Italy and France (both Catholic countries) show more humanity and compassion toward women than do the so-called religious fanatics of this country, the pro-lifers of America. How can America ever again be great as long as we are under the rule of neanderthal men?

I grew up in a family of boys, two of my own brothers and two adopted. I have two sons and two grandsons. None of them have the demeaning attitude toward women that is evidenced by this Republican congress which is totally dominated by the born-again Christian missionaries who have bought their way into the congress of the United States.

I say shame on a nation that allows its values to be corrupted by their own lawmakers. These people care more about a seat in the Senate than they do for the integrity of the Republican party, or the benefit of the nation. Shame on the Republican party for having capitulated, and for their failure to act as individual members. They have surrendered their independence and moral standards to allow religion and prejudice to control their duty as the governing body of the USA.

Hit the streets, people. Stand up, vote them out. Every last one of them. Make your voice heard. Call your senator. Call your congressperson. Let it be known, by one and all, that you will not allow your country to be taken over by irresponsible, uncaring, unpatriotic self-seekers, whose agenda does not serve our nation.