By: Samantha Inesta Human Rights Fellow,
Founder & Executive Director of BeaSister2aSister
Here we are again. The looming demise of Roe V. Wade and the right for women to have safe access to abortion, should they find themselves in a situation where their options are limited. This time the game is different. The Supreme Court has been packed with more conservative judges with more power than we’ve seen in a long time. The Trump presidency made sure that the rights of women were going to be nearly impossible to access and even more challenging to fight for. Panic erupted when the “leaked” document was put on center stage revealing that judge Alito will be taking the necessary steps to overturn Roe v. Wade. Women and young women all across the country filled the streets protesting and decrying that reproductive rights are once again on the chopping block and how a hefty price will be paid if this law is overturned. And they’re right.
These judges that you see who are more than willing to deny a woman her right to an abortion or any other reproductive healthcare weren’t chosen because they are good at what they do. They were chosen because they uphold the white christian values of this country, or should I say white male christian values. There has never been a separation between church and state in this country, when presidents are surrounded by “spiritual leaders” who are pastor or priests they are basically saying they will rule the country under guidance from the church not listening to the people. This is the chance for the church to have the power over people, mostly women, that they have been desiring all along. Their version of God is one that punishes, condemns and is drunk with power. Not really the God of the bible. Abortion has been a political football in the religious arena for years and now they see, with this supreme court, they have a chance to have it all and be in control.
But, there’s one thing that they overlooked-WOMEN. Women are not strangers to this fight, they know that at any moment this government can turn all of their lives into the Handmaid’s Tale. This is why from the start women are demonized for having an abortion, they are looked at as hating children, murders and evil. There is no consideration to that fact that she cannot afford to take care of another child, that’s right, a lot of women who get abortions already have children. Maybe there is a life threatening situation that can hurt both her and the baby-or maybe just her but as we all know no one cares about the woman in this situation. She is supposed to give up her life for the child so it can grow up without a mother and a father who is just lost without his wife. Anyone who thinks that being a single parent is a piece of cake, is obviously delusional. Here’s the thing. When a women chooses to have an abortion, it is not a decision she makes lightly or without deliberation. She knows what’s at stake and what that will mean for her physically and emotionally but she does it because in most cases she wants to spare the child of a life that they will have to succumb to because she cannot do the things needed to give the child the future they deserve or maybe she’s not mentally or emotionally ready to be a mother-or even financially. That is serious a thing when you have a child and your mental and emotional state is not stable enough to be a parent, think of postpartum depression which to this day there are not many medical professionals to help women get through it. Then we come to the case of rape. Forcing a women to give birth to a child who was conceived out of rape is cruel and pyschologically debilitating. There are women in other countries that are forced to do this and the toll it takes on them is tremendous.
Now let’s talk about support. So many right-wing ultra conservative Christians love to talk about how children are a gift and joy from God-and children are wonderful, if you are ready for them. But they NEVER talk about how a struggling family or single mom or single young women will be able to support this child after it’s born. Because, once that life if here, it is no longer precious to the church, the government or the limited resources that are out there to supposedly aid in helping you raise them. The government already is leaving the struggling out in the cold, imagine how much worse it will be when women start having babies they can’t afford. The strain it will put on government systems that are constantly being de-funded will be astronomical. The solution to that? Adoption and foster care. Now, most of us know how this works. This is a risky solution considering how many children end up is abusive homes that scar them for the rest of their lives. This begs the question, why have the child if they may end up in an abusive home? But here’s the caveat, children who are born and with parents who are not ready to be parents for a myriad of reasons, can end up in the same situation. Where are the Christians speaking out against that? Where are they when a child is killed because of gun violence, abuse, sexual abuse or just plain murder? There are small children dying at a fast rate and you don’t see laws being written to stop it. This is because your child is no longer precious, a joy and gift once it’s born. It is a burden, a statistic and a drain on society.
Why would we grow a population when most of the country is struggling to live? Cutting abortion doesn’t stop there. All of the medications and life saving procedures could be taken away in the name of “It’s against God”. Because that is what this fight is really about, that’s what it’s always been about. The church trying to force women to acquiesce to their rules and purity standards while ignoring life threatening consequences, mental and emotional instability and economic turmoil. Overturning Roe v. Wade could be a precursor to eliminating birth control which does more than prevent pregnancy, it regulates menstrual cycles and shrinks cysts in the ovaries. This is reproductive healthcare, it has nothing to do with killing a fetus. Now, I know there are women out there who chose against an abortion and they are happy with that choice and that’s they way it should be-her choice. I also know women who have had an abortion and felt horrible but knew it was the right thing to do given the circumstance. Then there are women who have quite a few kids and wouldn’t choose it for themselves but want other women to have that right. Whatever your stance you should be fighting against this ruling because if you think it will stop at abortion, I can honestly say it will not. They will come for your breast cancer treatments, they will regulate what your OBGYN can an can’t do on your visits and they will make it impossible for you to get the care you deserve and dignity with which it should be given.
Don’t let the church win.
Thanks for reading! Please check out the GlobalSisters podcast on Spotify where I talk about how human rights affect women’s rights all over the world. BeaSister2aSister is a 501(c)3 non profit that helps survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, exploitation and abuse cut the cycle of inter-dependency and find a life of self-sustainability. If you would like to know more about our work, partner with us or support the work that we do, please email me at: samantha@beasister2asister.org.
W.A.R. 