What Happened Today?

I can’t say I didn’t know it was coming. I was certain that Roe vs Wade would be overturned. And so, it was, today, June 24, 2022.

I don’t know a lot about the elements of the case of Roe vs Wade but what I do know is that it was entered into the United States of America as a constitutional right for women to obtain an abortion. What I don’t understand or accept is that six individuals have the “right” to decide that this established constitutional right should be dismissed. How is it that five people have the “right” to tell me I cannot make my own life decisions?

I am not a fan of abortion. My personal belief is that life begins at the instant of conception. I do not believe in using abortion as a birth control method. However, I do not live under a rock, and I am fully aware that this issue, which for these five individuals is a “black or white” issue, contains a huge amount of “grey.” For them it is either right or wrong to have an abortion and they are saying, it is wrong, without allowing any thoughts to the many reasons why a woman chooses an abortion. I don’t need to go into the depths of those reasons, you already know most of them. Rape. Incest. Possible death of the mother. These are just a few of the “grey” issues.

A nonviolence study group I am leading was just about to hold a meeting where we would examine and discuss the word, “free” as described in the Universal Articles of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

Here is the description: Free – “able to do, act or think as one pleases; not under the unwanted control of another.” Seems simple, doesn’t it?

There are other words in the Articles that may play into our examination of our basic human rights. Rights – “claims (things you are legally allowed to have) or freedoms to be, do or have something.

The right to life is the third Article of Human Rights. It says, “We all have the right to life, and to live in freedom and safety.”

Looking at these words I see that on the one hand I am “free” to do and act as I please and furthermore these are rights that are mine by law and are part of my basic freedom to live in safety.

Today five individuals say that by law I am not free to do or act as I please in relation to my own decisions about my health and welfare and therefore do not possess the freedom to live in safety.

I am not going argue the question of the right to life of the unborn as I believe there is no one on earth who can safely guarantee that we know exactly when life begins regardless of my personal beliefs. I still feel I should have the basic human right to make my own decisions as to the life of any unborn that I might conceive. I have the right to make that decision knowing well that I may have to ultimately face the consequences of my decision. Five individuals do not have the right to take that away from me.

I couldn’t help but wonder if it is so easy for five individuals to disallow me my freedom in this fashion, wouldn’t it be possible for those five to also take away the right written in the second amendment to the United States Constitution, the misunderstanding of which lately has led to wholesale slaughter of many people disallowing them the right to life. I am quite sure these five individuals would not go for this.

We have ourselves concerned with the wrong rights. Every human being on this planet has basic human rights. There are 30 of them defined. They were recognized as early as 539 BC. Look them up. Find out your real rights.