Roe V Wade Now What
I refuse to spew hate regarding politics furthering the divide that the men in charge must have in order to retain power over us. Instead, I will speak from experience and education. I spent ten years working in community mental health treating families and children who were suffering from mental illness and in the last month I have worked with a homeless one year old baby and other homeless pregnant women. For framework, there are dogs with better health care than these women.
With that being said, the decision that was made clarifies that we care deeply about babies. As a reminder, babies live in the bellies of women so this decision also must mean that we care deeply about women. Since we have made such drastic decisions in the name of life then I have extremely high expectations of those who back this. First of all, if you’re new to caring about women and children welcome! I am so glad that we are finally going to be on the same page when it comes to their care.
Here are things that need to be done immediately:
For starters, we must demand affordable healthcare to those who are most vulnerable. In Ky, in the words of Charles Booker, that means from the hood to the holler. It is those in the most vulnerable areas that will be most affected by this. We must ensure that our lawmakers are providing top quality healthcare to these already underserved women. This will mean things like transportation to doctors appointments, better hospitals and birthing centers in these areas, mental health services to help those cope with their trauma from the rapes that have occurred, post partum services, and more. With that being said, those people who are most fired up about a baby’s life must demand that no baby live on the streets with his/her homeless mother.
We will need to raise the minimum wage and cut childcare expenses. Single women will need money to feed their babies and so that also means they will need affordable quality childcare. We must extend maternity and paternity paid leave so that mothers can adequately heal and babies can bond. Children who were born to trauma victims or women with addiction will need an array of quality mental health care and physical health care. We will also need lots of government funding to increase the quality of child welfare services because some of these unwanted babies will be abused and horribly neglected and will need to be removed from their homes. We will need rich and affluent men and women to step up as foster and adoptive parents (because we can’t place this burden onto the poor and vulnerable).
We will need every woman and man to be on high alert. Our sisters, aunts, friends, co workers, daughters, and neighbors may have a pregnancy that is at risk. We need to take food, offer to provide childcare, provide support, and be by their side as they experience painful, long, and sometimes life threatening miscarriages. We will need to be ready to stand outside of funeral homes of the women who die due to pregnancy complications (which will most likely happen in areas of poverty and to women of color). I expect to see signs about pro life there. I expect to see outrage when this happens (not from the people who are already outraged) but from those who wanted this-from the SCOTUS in particular, those who are pro life.
We MUST promote sobriety. A large percentage of unwanted pregnancies start with drunk boys. So those of you who plan to have wine spritzers out by the pool today in front of your sons better think about abortion. We must fund government programs for free supportive addiction services to women and mothers. We must ensure that our sons don’t mistakingly get women pregnant when they are drunk. We may consider making it illegal for men to drink with severe harsh punishments if/when they do.
We must take sexual assault seriously and start charging men with severe punishments. Men need to face the same type of consequences that women will now face which, in many cases, will mean a death sentence. We will believe and support women who come forth about sexual assault.
We must stop incarcerating innocent black men and ensure that they are able to be present for their children and their partners. Black women will need their support now more than ever.
We MUST sever the funding that backs these decisions. Even if it means boycotting your favorite vacation spot or not eating at your beloved restaurant. We may believe that these decisions are backed by party interests, but they are really backed by money and power. We have to wake up. Research where your money goes before you spend a dime. We vote more with our money than with our angry facebook posts.
This is the short and non extensive list of just a few IMMEDIATE needs. I’m eager to see new faces around these services. I’m eager to meet people who care about women and babies so much that they want them to live. I can’t wait to see the beautiful world that we offer them once they are born. If this is something you backed but hadn’t thought about the impact and the needs that it would require then this might feel overwhelming.
You may have mistakingly thought that abortion was just about lazy moms killing unwanted babies. That’s what your news station has told you. Or maybe you thought it was just about God and religion in which case I will remind you that pro life is also about babies outside of the womb and the life of all humans. I am excited to see your conviction in places offering quality life. I fault no one for their beliefs, but when someone chooses to back something that is so harmful to the health and safety of women and children then we must use the fight and concern across the board. In other words, you cannot back something like this and walk away. I’ll see you in the streets and at the rallies fighting for the rights of women.
You can start by donating to the places listed below.
