The government of the United States of America has always been “the good old boys club,” and I mean that literally. However, on June 24, 2022, they proved once and for all that women have no rights in America. A biased and politicized Supreme Court removed a basic human right from all women while giving men involved in an unwanted pregnancy a free pass. The word is misogyny, and the action is unforgivable, once again moving our nation backward and farther to the extremist right.
The ”king of sexism” may be the Attorney General of the dark red government of the state of Texas, Ken Paxton.
“Today we celebrate life and the protection of the unborn with the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade,” begins a letter sent out on behalf of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office. “In memory of the millions of lives lost since 1973, General Paxton is closing all Office of the Attorney General (OAG) offices today at noon. “Going forward, today will be an annual agency holiday to commemorate the sanctity of life.”
As you might imagine, the comments from progressives and regressives, calling themselves “conservatives,” are very different. Right-wing extremists on the Court, including Justice Clarence Thomas, are not finished. He announced that attacks on birth control and marriage equality are next.
In a previous article, I suggested that all women who are afraid of an unwanted pregnancy should demand documents proving that the man involved has received a vasectomy before engaging in sexual activity. Men should have some responsibility in this disgusting decision directed at the Constitutional rights of women.
Ten red states have already passed “trigger laws,” making all abortions illegal after Roe v Wade was repealed. These states include Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Dakota, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Utah.
One free-thinking citizen said: “Living in a state with a ‘trigger law’ makes me want to fight for reproductive justice even harder.”
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez offered this undeniable fact. “Overturning Roe and outlawing abortions will never make them go away. It only makes them more dangerous, especially for the poor + marginalized. People will die because of this decision. And we will never stop until abortion rights are restored in the United States of America.”
This day has once again made me embarrassed to be an American. We are a backward, ignorant, arrogant, and misogynist nation that has lost my respect and the respect of people all over the world.
The international community spoke out later on Friday. “UN Secretary General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Friday reiterated the organization’s position on abortion: “That sexual and reproductive health and rights are the foundation of a life of choice, empowerment and equality for the world’s women and girls.”
“It’s also important to note that restricting access to abortion does not prevent people from seeking abortion; it only makes it more deadly,” Dujarric added. “UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) tells us that some 45 [percent] of all abortions around the world are unsafe, making it a leading cause of maternal [death].”
It disgusts me that our nation has become a sexist country, again. The physical and mental health of a woman has less importance than a one-celled organism. It wasn’t until 1919 that women were given the right to vote. Will the Court repeal a woman’s right to participate in the decision about who governs America next?
Between the 2016 and 2020 elections, women rose up in huge numbers. Men joined them, but women deserve the credit for organizing the campaign to get out the vote and defeat the fascist and sexual predator who defiled our White House for four long years. More women are running for office than men, and over time will hold the majority in both the House and Senate. I’m sure you are not surprised that for the first time in history, more women than men are attending our colleges and universities.
In the 21st century, women refuse to be ignored. My granddaughters are activists and are just 16 and 14. Their mother raised them well. When America has a woman president, and the majority in the House and Senate, we will have effective gun legislation, free education for all, universal health care, and women’s rights will become a reality, including the right to care for their own bodies.
Op-ed by James Turnage
Edited by Marrissa Kay
Sources:
CBS News: World leaders react to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade; by Zoe Christen Jones
Daily Kos: Texas AG Ken Paxton celebrates end of abortion rights with mandatory ‘pro-life’ holiday; by April Siese
Daily Kos: The difference between what progressives and Republicans are saying online right now is breathtaking; by Marissa Higgins
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Victoria Pickering’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Victoria Pickering’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
