Let’s begin all this by considering the simultaneous and of course “coincidental” pile on from all of these Republican-run states on crushing women’s control over their own bodies. They are trying to outdo each other in having the most oppressive government crackdowns on the independence of women…including legislating mandatory cruelty against young girls who are victims of rape and incest (you know, the real guilty parties in a rape).

Some of these laws declare that it is a crime, once the mother just knows she is pregnant, to have an abortion, even in the early weeks. Some laws, like the Alabama law, state that a doctor who performs and abortion can be imprisoned for 99 years…while the rapist of an 11 year old girl spends just a little time in prison before he gets to claim his parental rights and entwine himself in the life of his 11 year old rape victim and mother for the rest of her life. Ah, the smell of Alabama justice!

Even spraying a crate of air freshener wouldn’t help.

By no means do these white male legislators (notice the two things that these anti-women voting Alabama legislators in the image above have in common?), who would never personally accept government restricting their freedoms, represent everyone in Alabama. But as in Missouri, Ohio and the other states now pouring their residents’ tax money into taking away women’s rights aren’t concerned in the least that they are steering their state’s focus and resources away from helping existing citizens with their many issues (Alabama is at the bottom of the list in education, infant mortality, health care, standard of living, poverty, etc…but at least child molesters can be assured of being rewarded with fatherhood there!).

It’s clear that this is a coordinated Republican war on Roe v. Wade, to bring it down as soon as possible. Mitch McConnell has abused his office to shove two right wing Supreme Court justices onto the court and give the extremists a 5-4 majority they are anxious to take advantage of.

But why is this such a high priority not just for Republican politicians and the Right Wing power brokers but for the corporate Right Wingers like the Koch brothers? Why has this issue been so persistently a top cause?

Plainly, it is an emotional issue that provides a sense of outrage and moral superiority for their base voters. However, it is interesting to explore the politicians’ motivations. Let’s begin by testing out the proposition of whether this is about an earnest moral value for Republican politicians. Because if it isn’t, then there has to be another motive.

The view they present is that they are pro-life because all life is sacred. Proving that proposition false takes little effort. These same politicians refuse to pass gun safety laws because it would “infringe on the rights of gun owners” despite between 30,000 to 40,000 “sacred lives” of innocent Americans being taken every year and that number is rising. And somoe of these victims are pregnant women and young children. Why aren’t these same Republican outraged by this ongoing loss of sacred life ad limiting gun rights the way they’re limiting women’s rights, to supposedly save lives?

These Republican politicians also oppose and do their best to cut benefits to provide food and health care to children in poverty. In Washington DC, they try to slash the nominal income and health insurance keeping the elderly alive through Social Security and Medicare. They support the death penalty and military conflicts where not only are their own residents killed in conflicts but innocent men, women and children (including pregnant women) are murdered. We don’t see a “pro-life” principle applying in any of these cases. Apparently, there is an unseen but big asterisk on their “pro-life” label.

If, for a moment, you put aside the abortion issue for Right Wing Republican politicians (which is nearly all of them at this point), what you see is pretty consistent support for allowing the deaths of others. Their “pro-life” position on abortion is an anomaly…and that’s because to them, this issue isn’t really about core beliefs or empathy, it’s about something else far more crass and cynical.

It is about power.

Plain and simple, these Republicans embrace anti-abortion fights so aggressively because it is such a perfect con job for them to benefit from. What could be better cover for those primarily chasing more power for themselves and their party and wanting to payback those wealthy people who fill their pockets with money? What could be better for them than exploiting abortion for personal gain and being able to hide behind the fake morality of standing up for a defenseless fetus? Of course, once it’s born, these politicians run into a conflict with taxing the rich to help pay to sustain that life so then it suddenly isn’t really that “sacred” anymore when life competes with campaign contributions (if newborns donated to politicians, that could change things…how about an infants’ lobbying group/SuperPAC, “Babies Urging Reproductive Parents”…BURP?).

And the motivation for power doesn’t stop there. The chauvinism that gushes out of the mouths of these RW Republican politicians is a reflection of the other power-related issue driving them. They have claimed that rape is consensual, that a woman can’t claim rape if it’s her husband, that women share responsibility for rape because of how they dress or if they drink alcohol and they even claim that women can’t get pregnant from rape if they simply decide they don’t want to.

The insecurity of these men at witnessing the empowerment and equality of women has been an ongoing threat to them. They do not want to see women as being equal to them, as being as competent and powerful and being an equal competitor in the career arena.

They liked it better when women were seen as second class citizens who served the man and could be patted on the head and told “how cute she is” when she tried to do things that of course only men can do well.

So there is another power-related benefit for these RW Republican men as they enthusiastically pursue their anti-abortion agenda, it knocks women back and away from them. Women lose and that’s what they want, men get to decide for women what they can do with their own bodies and what they specifically can’t do. In this pursuit, women have no control over men’s bodies while men take control of women’s bodies and affirm them to be lesser, just helpless vessels for a man’s reproductive use.

The comparisons to A Handmaid’s Tale have been well made and don’t need to greatly expounded upon here but as so many Trump voters have expressed, they really want to see America return to a time when white male Christians had supremacy over all other Americans, when women were considered inferior and had less power…along with minorities of course.

The old saying applies here, “Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.” If these selfish, power-minded men eventually succeed in having the SCOTUS tear away the rights of a woman over her own body, legally making women the only class of citizen whose body the state has authority over, the political landscape changes.

No longer will the abortion issue energize the Republican base, once you get what you want, you’re not motivated to go out to protest against something that’s not going on anymore (at least not in clinics but in more dangerous, secret places again by people who aren’t doctors). At the same time, women and those who respect them, who represent a majority of voters, will gain an intensity of righteous enthusiasm to reclaim their equality and independence from government control when they’re pregnant. This is likely to become a force and a movement rarely seen in politics, in terms of scope and power.

Support for abortion rights grows as some U.S. states curb access: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Americans have become more supportive of abortion rights over the past year, even as a wave of Republican-controlled state governments have imposed new restrictions, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Sunday.

The poll found that 58% of American adults said abortion should be legal in most or all cases, up from 50% who said that in a similar poll that ran in July 2018.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-abortion-poll/support-for-abortion-rights-grows-as-some-us-states-curb-access-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKCN1SW0CD

For these craven politicians, if they win in the short term, they will lose eventually, one way or another. That’s the way it often works out in politics for those who would harm the many to profit themselves. This is ultimately a losing issue for these Right Wing Republican politicians, at least on a national scale. Around 60% of Americans think abortion should be legal, at least in some situations like first term, in the case of rape or incest and when the life of the mother is at stake. Many of these recent state bills fly in the face of what the majority wants.

The American people and women in particular, will in time, make their will the law of the land. Those Right Wing Republican politicians who are showing such spite towards them to benefit themselves…may be made to wish they’d never been born.

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Rashaad Hadee
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Rashaad Hadee

“Pro-life” seems to be a term used by some to control something that cannot exist outside the womb. I would argue the term should apply to the over 400,000 children that are in foster care. They’re actually living outside the womb, but in need of a loving family and home. Women should have the right to determine what happens to their bodies instead of white male legislators trying to control their reproductive rights.

Lizzeee
Member

Much of this is framed as a love of life, but it is not. The right has done everything possible to shred the social safety net. This is a direct hit to a single parent, especially when they are paid 80 cents on the dollar. There is a lack of affordable housing snd a lack of paid maternity leave. The much maligned Planned Patenthood provides low / no cost pre-natal care, or can help women to locate local programs. They also offer access to birth control and reality based sex ed. Why would those who hate abortion, be so unsupportive of those they would force to carry a pregnancy to term?

It becomes clear that life is not a blessing, but a weapon to punish a woman for what the right perceives as promiscuity. They care not about the woman, the child is but a weapon.

Rashaad Hadee
Member
Rashaad Hadee

Life is a blessing for the women who are ready to have child or for the men and women who planned together to produce a child. Pregnancy is a way for white males that are in power to control women for fear of genetic annihilation. They do not care about the child or woman once the child is born. This is why there are so many children left in foster care.

Planned Parenthood is a great facility for women of all ages, especially those that are of low income. Our current society wants us to believe their primary focus is on abortion, when it is to ensure women has the proper care throughout life. For centuries white males worked to co trip women and their reproductive system. Now is the time to put it to an end.

Lizzeee
Member

There are times, when it endangers a woman or her living children. No paid maternity leave, exorbitant child care costs…… I couldn’t blame a wonan for terminating her pregnancy A child of rape ot a young unprepared girl. It isn’t a choice made lightly, but it must exist for so many reasons.

Some or most of these obstacles could be removed, but it seems that some are more invested in punishing the woman as well as her children, for daring to have sex, consensual or not.

Rashaad Hadee
Member
Rashaad Hadee

That goes back to my initial point. “Life is a blessing for the women who are ready to have a child or for the men and women who planned together to produce a child.” For me it’s all about women’s right to choose. Pro-life is about taking care of the lives that are already here and preventing people from dying prematurely.

Lizzeee
Member

Pro-life is a lie, they don’t care to support the living, only the unborn. If anyone doubts me, all they have to do is take a gander at the border and the orphans the sane bunch of “pro-life” {sic} neo-cons have purposely created.

Rashaad Hadee
Member
Rashaad Hadee

I disagree, I am pro-life. You’re referring to people that are anti-life anti-women’s choice.

Lizzeee
Member

I am referring to the movement as they define it. I consider myself pro-life, as i also support the living and the breathing. I am sure those in their movement would disagree.

Rashaad Hadee
Member
Rashaad Hadee

In my opinion the Conservative Pro-Life Movement doesn’t exist because they abandon the mother and child after birth.

Lizzeee
Member

I don’t doubt their existence, as I’ve had my share of back and forth with them over the years. Whether they’re actually women or even human , is another matter.

Rashaad Hadee
Member
Rashaad Hadee

How could one be pro-life, if they want to take away a woman’s right to choose and fail to adopt the living. Also, if they are pro-life, why come they haven’t found a way to prevent miscarriages?

Lizzeee
Member

No clue, and no they can’t seem to do anything about miscarriages, other than attempt to assign blame, which is beyond cruel.

Rashaad Hadee
Member
Rashaad Hadee

That’s why I don’t consider them pro-life.

Rashaad Hadee
Member
Rashaad Hadee

I understand Lizzeee’s position, I am off the belief that Conservatives are phony as well. It’s hard for one to be pro-life if they are willing to abandon them after birth or focus on those that are in foster care.

Liberty Over Safety
Member
Liberty Over Safety

Couldn’t keep reading the article once the racism and sexism of the author became evident. There is no room in civil conversation for such hate based on a person’s skin color or gender.

Nelson humphreys
Member
Nelson humphreys

What a load of gibberish. Republicans support prolife policies because the overwhelming majority of the base are church goers, and churches are almost uniformly against abortion. Abortions are seen rightly or wrongly as intentional killing of a baby.

On the subject of “power” and the quest for, its the democrats who want more and more control over the population. Are democrats pro choice on the subjects of:
School choice?
Owning and carrying a firearm?
Having or not having health insurance?
Who you do or don’t do business with?
How you treat the environment?
Union membership?

See the pattern? The only thing that liberals want the folks to be able to choose, is sex and if you want to murder your kid.

kesmarn
Admin

A few points to consider: The allegedly “pro-life” GOP is quite happy with the death penalty. If “all life is sacred,” that’s inconsistent to say the least. They also haven’t met a war yet that they haven’t fallen in love with.
The GOP is all about keeping the “dam guvmint” out of our lives when it comes to gun control (after 12 more people were killed in Virginia Beach over the weekend). But welcomes government control over women’s reproductive organs. Possibly because women are not viewed as equal citizens?
The role of males in causing pregnancy is completely ignored by the Republican party. Perhaps when there are legal penalties (including heavy fines and mandatory prison time) for males who refuse to use birth control, people on the left will take their “pro-life” rhetoric a little more seriously.
That rhetoric would also be taken more seriously if people on the left EVER saw anti-choice Republicans adopting the handicapped and/or biracial babies they are forcing to be born. Neither I nor anyone I know has ever met a Republican who has adopted one or more of the children who result from their anti-choice policies. Not one.
Those “church-goers” in the GOP base should take a look at the verse in Matthew that states that hypocrites “place heavy burdens on the backs of others that they would not bear themselves.”

Kalima
Admin

To your point about adoption, kes.

A woman who grew up in foster care explains why the ‘adoption not abortion’ argument doesn’t fly.

https://www.upworthy.com/a-woman-who-grew-up-in-foster-care-explains-why-the-adoption-not-abortion-argument-doesn-t-fly

A bunch of misinformed white guys deciding the reproductive fate of millions of women is a very unchristian thing to do. As is the judging of others through your own beliefs.

The American Taliban practicing Sharia Law is what I call it when so-called Christians legislate based on their religious beliefs. It’s unconstitutional, morally wrong and as Jesus himself said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”.

kesmarn
Admin

Excellent points, Kalima! Especially the idea that making laws based on one sect’s religious beliefs is contrary to the intentions that the Founders express in the Constitution. These SCOTUS “Originalists” are anything but original if they cooperate with this agenda.

kesmarn
Admin

Kalima, I meant to add as well: thank you! For this excellent article. As the author says: “A life is not saved just by letting it be born.”

It goes far beyond that.

Retired669
Member
Retired669

RWNJ’s only support pro life policies because they use it as a campaign tool every election. Most church types and RWNJ’s I’ve come across are flaming hypocrites and then some. Those people have a different face for every side of every issue.
Speaking of controlling people I don’t see RWNJ’s giving people the choice between medicare for all, instead they want everyone to have to choose between which insurance company will screw them the least.[power]
Using taxpayer money to fund for profit schools isn’t about choice it’s about taking care of your big money donors{power}.
I don’t see the democrats using election fraud/voter suppression tactics to keep everyone from voting they can they know won’t vote for them, it’s your party of criminals who is doing it. [power]….This is exactly why this country has such a worthless piece of white trash installed in the white house.
I could go on but to be honest with you, you right wingers are not worth wasting any more time on. Your views are still not based in fact or reality.
BTW, watching faux news “fox” isn’t fact or reality or neither is right wing hate radio.

Rashaad Hadee
Member
Rashaad Hadee

It’s difficult to be pro-choice in the areas described when the legislators are taking them off the table. Democrats can choose their schools when it’s available. Sometimes vouchers are need to facilitate it. They choose to own or not own guns, while many actually have them.

Democrats choose to carry or not carry healthcare. many times that choice is dictated by their employment and or income. When it comes to business, I don’t think most business owners are honestly willing to share their political affiliation with the country. If they do, it helps people to choose whether or not to do business with them.

Everyone regardless of political affiliation makes a conscious choice regarding how they will treat the environment based upon the products they purchase. Democrats can opt out unions, which is a choice. So can Republicans.

Retired669
Member
Retired669

That was one heck of a good read.
I enjoyed it.

Kalima
Admin
Dajuan Candle
Member

The main reason for the rush of new state laws led by Republican dominated state legislatures across the land is the current make-up of the high court. They see now–with the imbalance of the court in their favor–as an opportune time to overturn Roe V. Wade. Trump having put two, more, conservative white males on the court, the misguided party of fools have visions or restoring America’s image to one of their own reflection and making again.

Conservatives use abortion as a cause and political weapon because of its religious overtones. Many of the faithful believe that terminating a pregnancy is equal to malice murder. Is ungodly. Tying their political causes to the faith of many Americans is another of the schemes extreme measure conservatives use to push their covert desires (America needs to be redeemed and good men like us returned to power) and win over faith based voters in the process. It is soul stealing for a political purpose.

The men who vote for such fool hardy laws are at war with the souls of men (good and evil, them against us and God), the ideal of a certain order is their wish. To that end they are using pregnancy as a storm-front.

kesmarn
Admin

I’ll start off with the superficial. Why do they always have names like “Garlan Gudger” and “Shay Shelnut”? (Yes, those are real names up there in the image.) Is that essential to winning an election in these states? Are these guys even real? Or are they less than successfully programmed bots? I think we need an investigation into their DNA…if they have any. And if morality is hard-wired into us, someone fell asleep on the assembly line.

Years ago, my kids and I were talking about the abortion issue and each of them made a good point. My daughter said: “Even when Republicans who have campaigned heavily on making abortion illegal, once they get elected, never actually then do anything about it. They never follow through on that promise.” My son said: “Of course they don’t. They can’t afford to “solve” the abortion issue once and for all. Because then they’d lose the most valuable tool they have for manipulating lower income voters. Why else would many of these people ever vote GOP?”

This is the point you also made, AdLib. Once the majority of states pass laws like the ones in Ohio, Alabama and elsewhere, they’re screwed. They’ve killed the goose who laid the golden eggs (thus aborting many goslings in the process).

And as you and others have also noted — the fact that they are in love with the death penalty, and with endless war, and with denying babies health care proves that they don’t have the slightest notion of what moral consistency looks like. I think voters are starting to figure this one out already.

Which is one reason why I hope they will stand up to Mitch McTurtle when he tries to ram through another Kavanaugh-like SCOTUS nomination in an election year, even though that was “totally impossible” when Obama was President.

jerryab
Member
jerryab

“Are the right wing Republicans really against abortion?”

“If so, then why don’t they support giving out free birth control to men and women?”

Key point not mentioned: If contraception was provided free of charge, a 2017 report said that would save the govt about $12B/yr. So it is not the money–which could be used to build a WALL.

The following explains why the right is opposed to abortion:

Doing *anything* to interfere with “God’s will” is contrary to their *religious* beliefs. Have all the sex you want with your wife–so long as there is NO attempt at contraception. If *God* does NOT want another child, then there will NOT be another child. You see the fallacy (LOL !! or would that be phallusy?) of their *purely religious* argument. No matter how it is put, it is an argument based on RELIGIOUS beliefs.

Thus, their argument fails the basic test of the First Amendment. There are other major religions that do NOT support those same beliefs. Adopting ANY law that prevents adults from doing as they choose in this area would violate the First amendment because it would be establishing a religion for the US.

So, if the govt establishing and promoting a religion is allowed, start by imposing *strict* Sharia law on the right–and then watch the sparks fly.

The RIGHT WANTED A RELIGION–but they did NOT get the one they wanted (TOO BAD !!!).

choicelady
Member

I am not unsympathetic to people who truly do believe life begins at conception, ends at death, who, in the middle support the “least and the lost”, who uphold support for families in need, who oppose the death penalty, and who live their beliefs in positive ways. I, a very prochoice woman, have a number of beloved friends like that.

They are NOT GOP politicians.

NOTHING about the main “prolife” movement is pro life. It’s merely anti abortion. It seeks control of women despite the OBVIOUS fact that men, not women, are 100% responsible for all pregnancies. Hey guys – we can’t do it without you.

How we move on from here is through highlighting these issues. The MAJORITY of people nationwide want abortion legal and safe for women. This has to be tied to the cuts in supports for the children already here, the disregard for tiny kids in cages, the cold blooded willingness to execute felons, even those with developmental disabilities, to show the anti life drumbeat that is today’s GOP.

We will win this. The people of America WANT us to win this. So vote out the women hating curmudgeons and vote IN people who are supportive of those for whom abortion is unthinkable as well as for those who are OK with it. Support for women and children is paramount. THEN we will win this argument because we have taken the high ground for life in all its varied and wonderful forms.

SueInCa
Member

I totally agree on your points about Dominionists and it is frustrating that people still cannot see these people spread out all across government right now. I keep thinking about the book I read about how things changed with people like them in government and I think we might know with the 2020 election. Even if other takeovers are not religious-type coups, they think alike and will persecute anyone who disagrees with them. I also saw an interview with Angela Merkel where she talked about the rise in extremism in Europe. We also see it in South America. They are not all Dominionists but their ideas meld with Dominionists especially when it comes to people who disagree or are not “like them”.

It sounds mixed up because it is. We have a mixture of evil people asserting their dominance in countries all around the world.

SueInCa
Member

Good piece for discussion. While I agree this is mainly about power, since any Republican would run their mistresses to an abortion doctor as soon as the line turned in to a plus sign, it is also about overturning Roe v. Wade. Elections have consequences and all those people who thought Hillary was just not good enough, have only themselves to blame for what is now going on. The very same people who call Republicans corp pigs are the same people who helped to make it all possible. They could not see the big picture or just plain did not care and took their toys home. I lost respect for a lot of people in 2016.

choicelady
Member

Hey Sue =- Well said! Good to see you, and great to read your views!

SueInCa
Member

Hey, long time no hear from, good to see you here!

Lizzeee
Member

I couldn’t agree more. We all had the opportunity to vote for a well qualified, thoughtful, intelligent candidate. Most Americans did. At least 3 million more Americans, did just that, by voting for Hillary. I am still not convinced that he won the votes they said thar he did.

Water under the bridge, jt wasn’t enough. It remains unclear what “enough,” would have been, “enough.” Sometimes, “enough,” keeos me up at night . As for the corporate pig bunch, i can only assume they only recently slithered out from under some God forsaken baseboard as I heard nothing from them in the previous three elections that I have been online.