America, land of the free, with equal justice for all. Are we really appreciative of the freedom we have in this country? Do we tend to believe that this will always be the case? Or are we complaisant to the point that we ignore what is happening around us? And much like the Germans who awakened too late to the reality of what was happening in their country, will we fall prey to that same negligence?
We look at other countries that are immersed in turmoil, shake our heads, and think what a tragedy it is. African countries as well as those in Central and South America are dealing with increased violence and civil unrest. This is exacerbated by famine and drought.
Statistics report that in Syria, which has undergone a decade of war, 75% of the population is unable to meet basic needs. Afghanistan’s entire population is living in a state of poverty. Even some countries not considered to be third world, such as France, are dealing with daily civil unrest.
And this doesn’t include Ukraine where horrific destruction by the Russians is taking place. The list goes on and on. Sounds like we have it pretty good, … and we do. But now is not the time to be smug.
So what about those freedoms that America seems to accept as a matter of course. Are they eroding before our very eyes and are we too blind to see? In reviewing last week’s happenings here in the USA, I’d like to explore that question.
In Tennessee, two young black state representatives were expelled from their governmental positions because they had the temerity to voice their displeasure over a gun law that permitted, dare I say almost “encouraged,” the shooting deaths of six people in a private school, three of whom were 9 years old.
I will stand by my use of the word encouraged because very frankly, if gun laws were stronger, the perpetrators of these mass shootings might be discouraged from trying to obtain that assault weapon that is meant for military use. But this argument is old stuff by now, so back to the dismissal of the two young black representatives AND the retention of the white woman who joined forces with them.
I cannot sing the praises of Gloria Johnson enough, and it didn’t surprise me one bit that she is a former teacher. But as she pointed out when asked why she escaped dismissal: “It might just be the color of my skin.” I can only imagine those who rolled their eyes and muttered, “Well, bless her heart.”
The pompous and flagrant actions of those in the Tennessee legislature should be seen as just one example of how freedom is beginning to deteriorate. Yes, these young men were reinstated, but never forget the reason they were removed in the first place.
So whose “freedom” are we going to support, that of the gunman or that of the innocent children and those three adults who lost their lives trying to protect, something the legislators refuse to do?
Our next move on the “freedom” express is to Texas where Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement, ruled against the FDA approval (20 plus years ago) of Mifeprex, the drug used almost universally to terminate pregnancies. This Judge chose to use such inflammatory language as “killing/ starving the unborn human until death.”
Greer Donley, University of Pittsburgh law professor, specifically FDA law, noted, “Here is a judge who has no scientific expertise overruling an agency that has a ton of scientific expertise.” He added, “This is the first time a judge has unilaterally, against FDA’s objections, removed a drug from the market.”
Which begs the question: what drug is next, should this ruling hold? And the further question: how is it that one man can deny the need of so many women?
It’s no secret that the anti-abortion movement has moved quietly, steadily, and yes, stealthily over the past decades, waiting for the right time to remove the right of a woman to make her own decisions regarding her reproductive health. And yes, make no mistake, when Roe vs Wade was overturned, their glee turned to vengeance.
Draconian measures became a game of “one-upsmanship.” By all means, make the woman carry a rapist’s child or that conceived through incest … no exceptions! Six weeks? Ten weeks? Spin the wheel!
The fetus is determined not viable? Tough, sweetie, you just have to soldier on! Your mental health? You know, the condition we want to focus upon rather than access to guns? Well, this is different. Why? Because we say so.
I’d like to propose an alternative. How about mandatory vasectomies for boys at 10 years of age? They are, after all, reversible, and that reverse-procedure could be done, let’s say, at age 22. It would certainly dramatically reduce the abortion problem. Do I hear the moans in the distance? Shall we revisit the concept of freedom?
You may have gathered by now that I am vehement about this topic, and I will be until I take my last breath. I have daughters and granddaughters, and while the former are no longer of child-bearing age, the latter are. Over and above the personal aspect, I resent that women have come as far as we have, only to have our “freedom” to choose ripped away.
And so we have two very volatile issues of freedom confronting us: one pits the ownership of firearms, crafted for military use, against what has sadly become a weekly massacre of our citizenry, small children included. The second is also a right or freedom, that of a woman to control her own reproduction. These are challenging times as we try to wade through the quagmire that surrounds each.
I’ll conclude with two quotes that I believe should cause introspection on the part of all of us. It was Eleanor Roosevelt who said, “With freedom comes responsibility.” And secondly, William Faulkner noted, “We must be free, not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.”
All the symbols we so proudly point to – the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty, our flag – these mean nothing if we don’t practice it.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
