Saturday, May 7, 2022

Chattels of the State?

 


One of my friends recently asked some very good questions about this pending decision re Roe v. Wade. Lots to think about.

Suppose a young girl from a poor family is raped and pregnant.  Her state has banned abortion totally. Will the state pay for her hospitalization and care? Suppose she dies in childbirth. Will the state pay for her funeral?

Suppose in that same state, a woman with a medical condition that makes pregnancy and childbirth an almost certain death sentence is unexpectedly pregnant. If the state forces her to continue the pregnancy, doesn't that make her body a chattel of the state. Suppose she dies--can her family sue the state? Will the state then raise taxes to cover the costs?

How can the states say they can't enforce mask wearing but they can force women to continue and unwanted pregnancy?

My friend's comment about women's bodies as chattel is so on point. Could a woman be forced to donate organs to save a child's life? Could she be refused birth control? Could the state determine that she is not fit to bear children and force her to be sterilized? (It was legal in NC till 1977.) Could the state mandate that she stay home to care for the child --nah, that wouldn't happen because all Republican in the forefront of this movement care about is getting rid of abortion to satisfy the rabid base. They have little to no interest in caring for the results of unplanned pregnancies. 

Will birth control be next in the Supreme Courts crosshairs? Gay marriage? Gender identity? 

Be afraid. Be very afraid.



6 comments:

Barbara Rogers said...

It's a sad time of women's rights becoming again the target of SCOTUS. Yes these are Civil Rights.

Anvilcloud said...

A nation run by crazies.

Marcia said...

Your friend raised some very good questions. It is all very worrisome.

Sandra Parshall said...

I hate to see young women having to fight this battle we thought we had won 50 years ago. But I'm happy to see so many young women among the protesters. I hope they will think long and hard about who they vote for and which politicians they donate to. This is not over, by any means.

Vagabonde said...

I am surprised because when I became a US citizen I was told the US government is by the people for the people. Almost 70% of the people support a woman’s right to her body so how can 5 Christian zealots SCOTUS try to ban this law? I was also told that no US law is based on anyone’s religion – Christian, Muslim, Jewish or whatever. Many other religions and people with no religion don’t believe an embryo is a baby, only after its first breath – all those people pay taxes. I think that even if this law is overturned, it will come back. This country cannot continue to claim it is a free country if women are considered no better than cows and denied a fundamental right – the right to decide what happens to their bodies.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

It's truly alarming what has happened: a crazy minority bullying a lucid majority. It's unthinkable. And yet, it's really happening.