When They Came For (xxxx), I Did Nothing
No Me Digas. Op-Ed: Keith Price
Women of Texas woke up to the reality that if they are in a position of being pregnant after 6 weeks and don’t want to keep the baby, then they better get over it. Of course, women don’t generally know that they are pregnant that early in the process, but The Texas state legislators have done everything to ensure that women will HAVE that baby, no matter how it is conceived. To make it even more ridiculous, the state is going to sanction arrests and allow citizens to sue anyone who assists in helping said women get abortions. They are deputizing and incentivizing citizens to report on formerly pregnant women. It’s THE HANDMAID’S TALE meets THE CRUCIBLE by way of DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER.
I am not going to pretend that any of this makes sense. I am not going to scream at any of those yahoos who think this is what God/Jesus wants, because that is categorically false according to their own texts. Please try and find any anti-abortion sentiment in the Good book. My friend, comedian colleague, and Biblical teachings savant, John Fugelsang, consistently slaps the religious experts down with their white, hetero, patriarchal interpretations of what Jesus said. He also reminds them that many of Jesus’ teachings, like caring for the sick and feeding the poor, are not being accomplished by these religiously motivated governing bodies, so they should really stop using them. These religious extremists in our governing bodies are suffocating the life out of our Democracy while white supremacists are hiding in the thick of it. They probably feel that this draconian action will help restore the white population to some sort of glory.
In Texas, men are now able to force women to have their babies, even in the event of rape and/or incest. They are losing their minds about putting a mask on their 12-year old daughters, but if they got pregnant after being violated by a family member with boundary issues, then they are having those babies. How’s that for family values?
If that is the case, then it means that these men who voted for all of this are content with violating and impregnating their wives, daughters, nieces, and in some instances, granddaughters. Wait a minute, not THEIR female relations, because THEY can afford to leave the state to keep the mistresses from destroying their families or at the very least, keep grandpa from becoming a father and great-grandfather at the same time.
I am not even going to guess what is in the heads of the women who voted for this foolishness, except maybe Stockholm syndrome. For the Game of Thrones fans out there, the incest option will cause the state to eventually be overrun by King Joffreys, and we all know what that was like.
In full disclosure, I stopped watching Game of Thrones after they killed the kid king. Rooting for a child’s death felt weird to me, but I digress.
Do you see the insanity of all of this? The Supreme Court made this possible by upholding this foolishness and letting the Texan Republicans make a perfect pitch through the judicial strike zone. Five Supreme Court justices have essentially sanctioned bounty hunting by other citizens in order to stop those pesky abortions. The laws are on the books in Texas. Justices Gorsuch, Kavenaugh, Coney Barrett are probably licking their lips, because their religious takeover of the nation’s highest court has truly begun.
In reflection, the lives of marginalized people BEFORE the passage of the civil rights bill, the Stonewall riots, or Roe v. Wade is completely lost on generations who have been fortunate to enjoy the rights that those movements brought forth. Those who do remember that life are more than angry because the work that they did to get those rights is now being threatened on all fronts. As we admonish the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the return of some version of Sharia Law 2.0, our government is essentially doing the same thing. It’s the faux religious nutjobs who are ruining it for us all.
Generally speaking, as an African-American male citizen of this country who happens to be gay, this whole abortion thing is an issue with which I will never really deal, except when trying to help a female family member or friend. It would be simple to ignore this and focus on the impending threats to my lifestyle that are most certainly coming, too. Ignoring the signs and attempting to fight fairly with people who NEVER fight fairly are how we got here in the first place.
While twirling his mustache, Sen. Mitch McConnell in his insidious wisdom successfully packed the courts from top to bottom with a bunch of sycophantic judges who have no problem sticking to the game plan. Many state legislatures already have anti-abortion bills as draconian as Texas’ on their dockets. The clock is ticking to start enacting them. “They” want to elevate their foolishness through the court system.
If this is the Supreme Court’s response to abortion rights, then what do you think will happen when black folks arrive at the courts to deal with voting rights? We already see what Florida, Georgia, and Texas have done to mess with voters. How about when the next Anti-Trans bill passes or some bakery refuses to make a cake for an LGBTQ event, will the courts sit silent?
In addition to the stacked courts, there is a thin Republican minority in the US Senate that votes consistently with keeping any benefits to the impoverished from passing. Luckily the thin Democratic majority has it, but what about the filibuster? Who gains the most by keeping it in place?
So as you can see, the fight is really going to be on all fronts. We all better be getting ready to throw down. We can prepare for battle by making sure folks register to vote and then actually exercise that right. Get involved on some level in some fashion to combat some of this insanity. The best thing may be to figure out what of your strengths an organization might need to advance your common cause and jump in and help. There are over 150 organizations that are in the fight for Pro-choice. Click HERE for the listings. If you care about voting rights, then click HERE. If you are worried about the fight as a member of or ally to the LGBT community, then click HERE.
Get Vaccinated. Wash your Hands. Wear a mask when indoors at public places other than your own home.
