The Radical Minority

Following is a portion of Heather’s recent newsletter. While she always seems to have her finger on the pulse of this nation, sometimes her insights are so clear and direct, it’s uncanny.

But as the last ten months have made clear, the right wing does not really intend to let the voters of the states make decisions that contradict right-wing ideology. 

After the Dobbs decision, Republican-dominated legislatures immediately began to restrict the right to abortion, although it remains popular in the country and voters have rejected extreme abortion restrictions in every special election held since the decision. Now Republican legislators in Ohio are trying to head off an abortion rights amendment scheduled for a popular vote in November by requiring 60% of voters, rather than 50%, to amend the state constitution. 

Gun safety shows the same pattern. A new Fox News poll out yesterday shows that 87% of voters favor background checks for gun purchases, 81% favor making 21 the minimum age to buy a gun, 80% want mental health care checks on all gun buyers, 80% want flags for people who are dangerous to themselves or others, 77% want a 30-day waiting period to buy a gun, and 61% want an assault weapons ban.

And yet, Republican majorities in state legislatures are rapidly rolling back gun laws. Republican lawmakers in the Tennessee legislature went so far recently as to expel two young Black representatives when they encouraged protesters after the majority quashed their attempts to introduce gun safety measures after a mass shooting in Nashville. But they were not alone. Last week, when the Nebraska senate passed a  permitless concealed carry law, Melody Vaccaro, executive director of Nebraskans Against Gun Violence, shouted “Shame!” multiple times. She has since been “barred and banned” from the Nebraska statehouse. 

The attempt of a radical minority to enforce their will on the rest of us, who constitute a majority, by stealing control of the states and then, through them, control of the federal government is precisely what the Confederates tried to do before the Civil War: it is no accident that one of the insurrectionists who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, carried a replica of a Confederate battle flag.

Although what she has written is not surprising or exceptional to many of us, it is still worrisome. One  can’t help but wonder where things will eventually end up.  I suppose all we can hope for is the Party with the most common sense will be the victor in the end.

Abortion Ruling

CNN recently reported that on Thursday (1/5/23), the South Carolina state Supreme Court ruled in a 3-2 decision that the state’s six-week ban on abortion violates the state’s constitution.

YAY! (Would that more of the courts ruled similarly!)

One of the dissenting justices penned, “Abortion presents an important moral and policy issue.” He added that “legislature, not this court, should determine matters of policy.” (Of course he would say that since “legislature” is the one that banned the procedure.)

In any case, his remark got me to thinking. “Moral” is defined as “concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles.” The question that automatically comes to my mind is … who (or what) defines those “principles of right and wrong”?

A large segment of the population (I think most of you know who I mean) would naturally point to “God.” However, since there are those who dispute such an entity, does it not seem more logical that such principles be defined by majority rule?

(Oh the horrors of it! The conservatives might actually lose a few of their battles!)

There’s little doubt the struggle related to WOMEN and their ABORTION RIGHTS will continue on into future generations. Hopefully, one of those generations will enable a nationwide ruling that allows women to choose what happens to their own bodies and prevents others from intervening.

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Image by Venita Oberholster from Pixabay

Finally! A Sensible Approach to Abortion

Religious Groups Take a Stand for Reproductive Rights: “It’s Time to Change the Conversation”

I just read the above article and am elated to discover there are those in the religious world who are taking a sensible approach to abortion.  

A coalition of faith groups has been formed whose members are interested in speaking up in favor of abortion rights, contraception access, and comprehensive sex ed.

It’s about time!

Yet, in the same article it’s worrisome to read that despite public outcry, some states have passed record-breaking numbers of restrictions on abortion and family planning … and this very narrow religious view of abortion and sexuality is increasingly being enshrined into law.  This dramatic increase has been mainly driven by just a handful of states that have a particular focus on enacting the harshest laws against abortion since Roe vs  Wade: North Dakota, Texas, Arkansas, and North Carolina.

Regarding their objectives, Rev. Harry Knox, the president of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, and the spokesperson for this article, made this comment:

“For too long, the extreme Religious Right has dominated the public conversation about religion and sexuality. But the truth is that most people of faith, like the majority of Americans overall, support access to contraception, comprehensive sexuality education, and reproductive health care — including abortion.”

He concludes:

“Our campaign is very much based on the idea that compassion begins at home.”

Certainly those who adamantly oppose abortion will look with disgust and horror at this group. However, for me it’s extremely heartening to know there are those in religious circles who are willing to be a positive force for compassion and understanding and who are interested in promoting respectful dialogue about this very controversial topic.