Governors in blue states are stepping up to create safe havens. Gavin Newsom just signed a law to protect out-of-state patients who visit California to get an abortion. I would like to propose an exception.
There should be a list of every Republican congressman, governor and senator who supported taking away a woman’s right to control her own body, and refuse to offer abortion services for their daughters, wives, and/or mistresses from seeking an abortion in their state. Of course there can be an exception for rape, incest, and mother’s health, which STILL offers more protection than that of every other woman living in a red state would receive.
To be clear, this overturning of Roe was never about “life.” The party that is celebrating this awful ruling was perfectly fine putting babies in cages a few years ago. The Alabama law that banned abortion made a specific carve-out for fertility clinics, which destroy thousands of fertilized eggs a week. It’s fine because rich, white women primarily use those.
I will point out that the “pro-life” crowd has no problem with mass school shootings and wants no protection for children from weapons of war. I will also point out that this same crowd opposes any kind of taxpayer-funded healthcare for children, SNAP benefits, or even paid maternity leave. A clump of cells is precious, but once a baby is born— screw ‘em. That’s not pro-life, it’s forced birth.
Almost all of these anti-abortion laws make no exception for rape or incest. A man can now legally rape a young girl in several states and be forced to carry the rapists’ child.
Yet Republican lawmakers and Supreme Court justices don’t care because they know if their family needs an abortion, they will be able to get access. No, I don’t think that’s very fair.
Okay, I doubt the blue states will keep a list and deny abortions for family members of those who took this right away. That’s just not how Dems operate. (And yes, I know we likely wouldn’t even know who the mistresses are at that point, so spare me the comments.)
My point is that women are looking at the Democratic Party to do something. They are angry. This isn’t a time for poems and the standard spiel about voting. At the very least, our leaders can take some action:
- Promise to expand the Court when they are able. Biden made no mention of this. (It was set at nine because there were nine circuits—there are 13 now.)
- Eliminate the Hyde Amendment from congressional appropriations bills, so abortions can be provided at Veterans Hospitals. Then make that happen!
- Establish a network to ensure women can travel to states where the procedure is legal.
- Eliminate current FDA restrictions (outlined in a letter Elizabeth Warren wrote to Biden) on FDA-approved abortion pills, like mifepristone, that to women in need in red states. Pharmacies currently must have a special license to distribute.
- Right now, Democrats need to put bill after bill forward to make things very uncomfortable for the GOP.
- Put a bill forward that protects birth control (Plan B and IUDs) from any state ban, which is the next target of the anti-abortion crowd.
- Put a bill forward that protects the right to an abortion for ectopic pregnancies (outside the uterus and not only not viable, but deadly)
- Put a bill forward that protects the right to an abortion for rape victims
- Protect doctors for offering reproductive care and women for terminating a pregnancy. (I should point out that even Brett Kavanaugh said in his concurring opinion wrote that states can’t impose liability or punishment for abortions.)
As for us little people:
- Organize
- Push companies to offer relocation or funds to seek abortions in blue states (many have announced they are doing this already)
- Donate to abortion funds
- Help those seeking safe passage. Open your home even.
- Oh yeah, vote. And get others to as well.
If Democrats can somehow hold the House and expand the Senate by two seats, we can reverse this. Despite the gerrymandering, a dozen House seats that the GOP holds that Biden won are the key. Yes, it’s a tall order to be sure, but so was taking away an established legal precedent like Roe. The senate, however, actually looks to be in great shape in 2022. Even before this ruling, Democrats held the leads in Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Colorado, Nevada, and are tying in Georgia. Now, I can safely predict that the suburbs are gone for the GOP, so please spare me the doom and gloom talk about a red wave.
We can pass a law protecting women’s rights. We can curb the filibuster. We can expand the courts. We can finally make DC a state, and bring in Puerto Rico, which voted for statehood. We can fight like hell and save our nation. There really is no other alternative.