By Ruth A. Sheets
The Roberts Supreme Court conservatives did a lot of damage to this nation when they overturned the 50-year precedent Roe v. Wade last summer. They knowingly let Americans see that the Court conservatives care nothing for precedent, will go after any rights they don’t personally or ideologically care for, and put many women’s lives at risk. Women, particularly poor women and women of color of reproductive age are vulnerable to the whims of old white men who dominate the legislatures in the former Confederacy and confederate wannabee states. By declaring that there is no constitutional protection for abortion the SC conservatives could depend on those old white red-state guys and their surrogates to do their dirty work of taking away women’s rights. The SC conservatives, if asked, could lie, ”It wasn’t us, the states decided to outlaw abortions!”
Alito and friends were well aware of the make-up of red state legislatures as he/they “researched” and wrote their pathetic decision. I suspect Alito, and possibly the other conservative justices gloated silently when Alito leaked (“accidentally” let someone, maybe his wife, get hold of the draft) nearly 2 months before the actual ruling came down. The final document was nearly identical to the draft, which means Justice Alito and his crew didn’t even have to clean up the poorly-reasoned, poorly-written draft. Why, because Alito had succeeded in informing the red states of what was coming so they could be armed and ready with legislation, and they were. In reality, he and the other SC conservatives just didn’t care about quality. Only their supposed victory over abortion mattered. The mostly male and one female justices had little concern for the havoc their ruling would cause so many women and families. They dismissed the fact that a majority of American people do not agree with the decision. That’s a lot of not caring!
This is Women’s History Month when women are supposedly celebrated. Most women are not feeling celebrated this year. More states are targeting women’s right to bodily autonomy, mothers are threatened for providing help for their trans and non-binary children, and trans people and drag queens are being criminalized. Women still face harassment at work and in the public sphere, earn less than men, and very often live the double role they have been expected to live if they choose to work outside the home.
The problem for conservative men is that women are everywhere and are chafing at their assigned roles which are usually seen as less valuable than the work men do. Women run the households: care for the children and the spouse if there is one, care for older parents, do the shopping and meal preparation, clean the home, and on and on. These tasks are not so hard, right? And, why should a woman need or want more?
However, in addition to all that, our economy depends on women holding down jobs: teaching in our schools, nursing in our hospitals, doing the grunt work for businessmen, the jobs women were permitted gradually over time. They did this while men did whatever it was men did.
What a blessing that women were not satisfied to stay in the roles men and their female helpers laid out for them. From ancient times, some women ignored the narrative and acted for themselves, their families and their communities, often putting their lives at risk.
In American history, how many know of Ida Wells Barnette, Antoinette Brown, Alice Paul, Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell, Phyllis Wheatly, Deborah Sampson, the Grimke sisters, Edith Wilson, Ella Baker? These women were pioneers in moving into the male world, doing what men do. We don’t know the names of the millions who were doing the same kinds of tasks as these amazing women with little or no recognition: taking care of pregnant women, growing herbs to soothe those who were ill, fighting for civil rights, spying for and serving in this nation’s military, protecting their neighbors, rescuing people from danger, and leading from behind and beside the throne. I think these women’s consistent actions scared and continue to scare men and some women, especially those in power. If women can help each other plan and end pregnancies, limit family size, and support their children in positive ways to grow into the adults they are meant to be, they may not be as easily controlled and manipulated as in the past. Can’t have that!
Since last June, I have been frustrated that there have not been larger, more vocal protests from women to the uncaring, misogynistic, racist, homo/transphobic, pseudo-Christian actions taken by our Supreme Court’s and state legislatures’ mostly white male conservatives. When I finally stopped to think about it, I realized what a monumental task it is for women just to balance all the components of their lives. Where would the energy come from to participate in the high-level protests for bodily autonomy that are needed? Unfortunately, the anti-abortion crowd has the momentum at this moment, draining the energy of a significant portion of the population, those striving to put out all the fires right-wing ideologues have started.
Therefore, women of child-bearing age are going to need a whole lot of allies among older women, men, and people in power to carry a lot of the weight. The media will be of minimal help because of their warped “balancing act,” trying to cover as many anti-abortion figures as pro-choice persons even though there are many more pro-choice, even pro-abortion Americans than anti’s.
That’s where local prosecutors can really help. You all can quietly dismiss cases where the people who bring the suit or complaint have no standing (not directly involved with the women they are accusing). You don’t need to shout what you are doing to the heavens because there are a lot of haters out there who will go after you, bring even harsher laws against women, and force you to act against them even when you know it is wrong to do so. The old white men who are legislating want to keep women down as far as possible. You need not help them.
Let’s be honest, those old men are ignorant of women’s lives. They will never know the hell of being forced to carry a fetus that is seriously impaired or dying. They will never feel the pain of carrying the fetus of a rapist or incestor. They will never have to face needing an abortion because their own life is at risk and their doctor fears treating them. They will never be denied medication for a chronic condition because the medication might end a pregnancy. They will never know the pain of trying to figure out how they will manage to care for one more child when they already have 3 or more. They won’t have to try to figure out how they can afford the prenatal care and birth of the baby when they have no medical insurance. They will not find their education or career in jeopardy because they are pregnant. Those who are passing these outrageous laws have no clue, and don’t want one.
We need you prosecutors to help to nullify the Supreme Court ruling which should never have happened in the first place. We need to stop these self-righteous a-holes who had the gall to cite Medieval and 17th century bigots who were OK with killing women as witches to affirm their decision to take away a woman's right to bodily autonomy. That is insane but what can one expect from old white guys who hate women, a Black guy who was put on the SC as a slap in the face to African-Americans and a misogynistic white woman whose appointment was shoved through to squeeze her in before the 2020 election to stir up the base? On the current Court, there's a credibly accused sexual offender and a sexual harasser, a chief justice who cares nothing for the law he claims to know so well and convinced so many people he did. (I guess a pretty white boy can convince nearly anyone of anything.) The wives of Roberts and Thomas are activists against policies that one would consider democratic. There is more, but you all get the point. These right-wing justices do not represent the American people, just a minority, the ones who are closed-minded, hate science unless it is specifically helping them or their family, think the Constitution can be twisted to say whatever they want it to say while claiming they are “originalists” who know the Founder’s minds, believe in witches and outrageous conspiracy theories, and see women only as baby factories to be controlled.
So, prosecutors, there was no pressing need that led to the anti-Roe ruling as there should have been if a precedent was going to be overturned. Nothing had changed recently except that the majority in the SC became super conservative. And at least 3 of the justices lied to Congress about their responsibility to precedents. The Court’s anti-Roe decision represents the prejudices of 6 justices who think they are holier than anyone else. You know they’re not, so prosecutors, be an ally to women in general and pregnant women in particular. Abortion should be a woman’s decision with the scientifically-based advice from their doctor and other medical personnel. You all could make a difficult life a lot easier by stopping the Republican war on women and our bodily autonomy.
Prosecute violence and vigilantism against women while ignoring the tattle-tailing and vengeance-seeking and hatred of women that could fill your community's courts if you permit it.
You prosecutors could be the bulwark standing against the anti-woman nonsense the Republicans are pushing like a drug these days. I guess fighting meth, heroine, and their other favorite drugs just wasn't enough excitement for Republicans/conservatives. Don't prosecute women for seeking the healthcare they want and need. Then, fight for your right to support them.
We the People will be watching to see which of you actually cares about women (and human beings in general), by what you and other local officials choose to do or not do.
Yo, Prosecutors, we need some heroes right now and we’re looking to you!
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