It can be as ugly as a group of boys reaching out to reach for a women’s crotch, on a dare, as she’s walking down the street. A sense of privilege, a lack of respect for a female’s autonomy.
At age sixteen I was too intimidated to say anything when our family dentist squeezed my right breast, before he inspected my teeth. Incidents like this happen in some shape or form to every woman in America sometime in their life.
One thing I’ve learned with age is the importance of speaking out to record what you’ve witnessed.
Don’t assume because we have more women in leadership positions that women are now respected. They’re still being judged by a different standard: too emotional, too temperamental, too high pitched.
We are not treated as equals. As with the other “minorities” in our culture, women have to be smarter, more attractive, and accomplished than their competitors.
Progress has been made, but with every step forward, there are also steps backwards.
The recently leaked Justice Alito Supreme Court opinion that basically overturns the 1973 Roe vs. Wade opinion is one of those backward steps.
If a woman is raped and becomes pregnant, is she guaranteed the right to terminate the pregnancy? If she is the victim of incest, emotional abuse, or trauma, does she have the right to choose what health choices are appropriate for her?
If a woman’s right to privacy, guaranteed by the 14th amendment of the United States constitution, is interpreted by the current Supreme Court as not considered pertinent—women in the United States will no longer be guaranteed the right to make their own decisions regarding their health care.
This is scary. It is about to become a reality. The right to privacy as guaranteed by the 14th amendment is about to be taken away.
The forthcoming Supreme Court decision politicizes a woman’s personal health decisions. And it specifically discriminates against lower income women who do not have the money, time and means to travel to a medical facility that will be able to provide the care she chooses.
Shame on the politicized supreme court justices. Shame on the politicians who approved their appointments.
Our country was founded on freedom of religion and a separation of church and state. The religious values of the extreme right are not held by the majority of Americans.
If you care about the future, pay attention and vote in the mid-term elections.
Follow me on twitter at SN Maril.
Nadja Maril, Writer & Author 