Thread by @Archimedes2020

With @KamalaHarris being such an inspiration the last couple days, I thought I’d try to put this into words something I’ve been pondering for a while so here it goes, we all must remember ROE VS WADE IS NOT JUST ABOUT ABORTION!

Yes, the woman who brought the case to #SCOTUS needed an abortion, but the court decision was about so much more, the ramifications ARE about so much more!
The decision said the privacy granted under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment applied to the right to an abortion

In a greater context it said women have a right to privacy, guaranteed by The Constitution, they have a right to privacy to control their bodies Yeah, I know it’s ridiculous that this is even a question, but it is. Think about it think about how people walk

up to a pregnant woman and just touch her stomach, as if she is communal property Think about how everyone has an opinion on what a pregnant woman should or should not do…and are very vocal and judgmental about it…is there any equivalent for a straight man?

Think about how a woman breast feeding is subject to abuse in public, or a woman who bottle feeds is also derided…but a man, bottle feeding a baby is applauded for being a good father.

Think about how people police our clothes, how we express our opinions, our voices, about how our bodies are judged, how we are blamed for people sexually assaulting us, while the “boys are just being boys”

Think about how random men feel it is ok to touch us, to tell us to smile, to make comments about us on the street, to engage in “locker room talk”It’s exhausting. But is all part of a similar problem, women are viewed as public property and in need of advice and protection

Deep seeded cultural misogyny infantalizes us Something as personal as our bodies is considered to be fair game for public ridicule, private abuse and generalized judgement. So, when SCOTUS made that decision

about women having a right to privacy under the Constitution and could make a reproductive decision it didn’t just set a precedent for abortion, it set a precedent for the full emancipation of women in society. It said we were full Americans. And if Roe goes down….

so does that precedent.

Already there are people who want to pass laws about how much women can drink if they are pregnant, whether a woman can wear religious coverings, school dress codes are aimed at preventing girls from distracting boys…not making boys behave.

Already there are laws about what Drs. have to say to us (even if it is lies) about how long we have to wait to make sure we are “sure”, about how we must look at an ultrasound. Laws aimed at limiting our ability to say no. Judges who give our abusers a pass

We see the backlash against “me too”, weakening protections against victims of rape. Crazy “Men’s Rights activists” actually getting a voice and a “president” who thinks if you are famous you can assault women.

So, yes, the main focus of Roe is abortion-that is what the anti-choice activists have made it about. Because, let’s face it, abortion is a horrible decision for any woman to make. But, if it’s just about abortion, why isn’t the focus on preventing the needs for abortion?

Make birth control accessible, have good sex ed, teaching men and boys about their responsibility if they choose to have sex empowering girls and women to have full control over whether to have sex or abstain, and respecting whatever decision they make.

Research the causes of birth defects that might result in abortion.Give us the resources to raise children, feed them, give them education, help us with child care! And teach men not to rape! Teach our consensual male partners to be equal participants in child care!

If folks are so set of stopping abortion, why isn’t the focus on these actions…that would actually prevent abortion?

Because it is not just about abortion, it’s about putting women in their place, silencing our voices, shaming us into submission. EXERTING POWER.

Don’t teach sex ed, it will give them ideas, don’t give out birth control that will make them sluts, don’t make men responsible for behaving if a woman says no.

Abortion is just an emotional tool is just a tool people use to manipulate people to believe women’s behaviors need to be policed. That it is our responsibility to not get pregnant, or just forget about the rest of our lives and have children.

If Roe goes down, many many women will die because no matter what everyone tells us, we WILL control our bodies even if it is fatal-the whole Live Free or Die thing that is ok for men to say when the want guns, but not ok for a woman to say when she wants to decide how to live

If the government decides it can decide that we must have a baby, they can also make decisions about all other things, because they will have decided that the right to privacy, promised by Roe, does not extend fully to women

It can decide that you shouldn’t have a baby Don’t think it can’t happen. The US government has been known to inflict forced sterilization of women, especially the poor, POC and disabled. (Google it)

But…but…you say…what about the baby, this involves a baby! Why yes, it does! This is another thing that is insulting…do you think women don’t understand the seriousness of their decision? Do you think we don’t know our responsibility? Seriously??

So, when you hear about Roe, no matter how distasteful or awful you think abortion is, remember it is not about abortion. It is about whether you think women are actual human beings. Trust women. And women, trust yourselves and your sisters. We are in this together

PS: I realize that LBGTQ and POC also experience issues with body and behavior control. However, I don’t want to speak for you so I’ve focused on what I know. Please, please add your thoughts and experiences. We are in this together!