It completely baffles me that people are still trying to decide what a woman should do with her body. Why are they even revisiting that case? It’s scary that they can do that because that means they could even overrule other cases like Brown v. Board of Education. It’s scary. I feel like we’re going back in time. The video “Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa” was heartbreaking. I wanted to cry for all those women that didn’t have enough for an abortion. The irony is that the vast majority of men who vote against abortion are frequently quick to force abortions on others. like mistresses, for example. They wouldn’t want to be caught in the scandal, or oftentimes, they don’t want their wives to find out. So they send these mistresses to get an abortion and they foot the bill for it. I’ve always been pro-choice because that’s what I believe in. And circling back to what Bell Hooks said, “If feminism is a movement to end sexist oppression, and depriving females of reproductive rights is a form of sexist oppression, then one cannot be anti-choice and be feminist.” I agree because how could one be a feminist but agree to take away a woman’s right to her body? It defeats the purpose of calling yourself a feminist.

Abortions are needed. Some women aren’t physically or mentally stable enough to have a child. And don’t get me started on lifestyles. Some women are in domestic violence relationships, and having a baby would further complicate the situation. For example, Michael Apted’s “Enough”. It has Jennifer Lopez in it. I watched that film years ago with my mom. It was about a woman in a domestically abusive relationship who tries to protect herself and her daughter. I can imagine leaving an abusive relationship would be a lot more complicated if a child were involved. Something I’ve always heard when asking people why they were against abortions was that “abortions are selfish.” I think it’s the opposite. The decision to have an abortion is a difficult one, and many women make it because they know it would be wrong to have a child knowing you couldn’t provide for them or provide a stable life for them. It would be selfish to have children when you know you can’t care for them and lead them into a life of suffering. On a lighter note, this topic reminded me of a Seinfeld episode where abortion was the main topic. One of the main characters, Elaine, is pro-choice and decides that she won’t support anyone that is against a woman’s right to an abortion. The episode is timeless. Especially the pizza debate between Papi and Kramer, which was obviously about abortions. Anyway, I think the fact that our bodies are still up for debate has shown that we really haven’t made as much progress as we thought we had. I feel helpless. Especially after hearing that the Democrats lost today while trying to codify Roe v. Wade. Things are changing and it makes me scared of the decision that’s to come. Lives will be changed forever if they overturn it. 

This is a clip from the debate. : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lOG3rD5CrQ

** It’s kind of blurry but you can watch the full episode on Netflix

While reading this week’s reading and seeing the initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito, it is truly a letdown to have all those struggle and oppression women faced go to waste by this one decision. Women came so far just for the Supreme court to go back ten steps back and not even give the rights for women to decide on matters of their bodies if the ruling is in the favor of Samuel Alito. When I first heard of the leaked document about Roe v. Wade I was horrify and felt powerless because I understand the struggle that women face when they are not making good in come and become pregnant but have no means to support the unborn child, it is hard for them. It is women who are jobless, poor and have no medical insurance who struggle if the release rulings of this still-unresolved cases go through. Women must be able to have the choice on what is it they want to do legally without the fear of being convicted for exercising their rights. Not only would the supreme court oppress women more but give a harder time on the mental health of those who have spontaneous abortions who unfortunately had to face miscarriages and stillbirths. 

The readings plus the announcement provided gave me a history on why abortions were illegal in the first place. I did not know that it came from a time of slavery, a way to control and produce more children for the enslavers to have “more property.” As women all I know is that our rights are always threaten and I never really thought of when it began because since I can remember woman always had to fight for fair wages, to have a voice, to be respected and it still not easy in the twenty-first century. Both the readings and video keep me up to date on what is going on and helping organizations. out there that help women who struggle with having the money for an abortion. It is readings and videos like this that show you a new side to something you thought you had knowledge of. Towards the end I thought to myself that just because you do not see it, does not mean it does not exist. It reminded me that it is important to acknowledge my surroundings in a way that it helps not just my generation but future generations, this draft is a way of threatening our freedom to choose over our body and to help organization or find ways to help those women that have no way of making it happen. 

Initially the first emotion that  I felt was anger while reading the leaked article.  Seeing the opinions people had over something they would never be able to do, which is give birth . I felt confused that while a woman can only get pregnant for one baby at a time a man can continuously impregnate women and to me it would make immensely more sense to support the birth control of men but we do live in a patriarchal country. I learned from the information that was presented to us that we will always likely always  have to fight against people who feel entitled to our body and space and time. While we are resilient and prepared to rebel against unjust laws that imagine most women are feeling like i am feeling at the moment which is tired, exhausted of consistently  fighting for autonomy over ourselves. The worry over not being able to protect young girls from feeling those emotions as well.  I feel worried that if something this ludicrous is being undone at this point in our country how much more may be at stake. Certain aspects of the law have been used to justify the jailing and killing of black and brown bodies and this feels like another way to get away with violence and murder. Women are being sterilized in immigration detention centers against their will and we are making laws against abortion? Children are disappearing and being separated from their families and we are forcing women to give birth , someone make it make sense. It’s super simple in my mind, if your against abortion don’t have one. If you are not able to even get pregnant you should not have a vote. I liked the reference the professor made about the “medicalization” of bodies. Historically in my opinion culturally black and brown bodies have always been safer in the hands of the healers, the doulas, the midwives. Medically we are forced to have C-sections, give away after birth (placentas) when in some cultures it is believed that using placentas has health benefits. Women are often ignored when expressing their needs and doctors overlook them. If men in our lives do not consciously decide to hold themselves accountable for the privilege and use of privilege in this issue then their words of seeing us equally are just words.  Bell hooks’ quote is absolutely correct. You cannot be feminist and not be pro- choice, you are then just saying you can allow women to pretend they are free until you believe they are going to far. Inadvertently still holding them to someone else’s word over their own autonomy.  This week’s reading and information is heavy because I’m emotionally and physically invested in the outcome of when the supreme court publishes this information and what it will mean for women in the future. 

This week’s topic at hand is something that is remarkably close to my heart. Currently there is a war against women. I am incapable to fathom what is going on in the world today especially in the United States of America. I cannot help but think this is the land to control and keep people down, specifically women. After watching the video, the Abortion Helpline, this is Lisa with each woman that would call and ask for help because they have an unwanted pregnancy and due to their medical insurances not covering abortions because of one white man decided to make the Hyde Amendment, which prevents women with governmental insurance including Medicaid cannot use it to pay for abortions. Abortions were legal for centuries until again a white man decided to make it illegal. Why do men have any rights to make decisions on women’s bodies, I will never understand this. This documentary shows how all the Lisa’s try their best to work with what funding they have received for the week. This organization is one of a few that exist in the United States to help women receive some financial help with their abortions. It cost six hundred dollars at least to have an abortion in the us. We learned that the Hyde amendment supports the abortion of rich women but “saves” the lives of the poor woman’s baby. The rich women in America can afford and have access to abortion but the poor woman living paycheck to paycheck is punished in a way to keep an unwanted pregnancy because she cannot afford to pay for the procedure. All women deserve the right to having a safe abortion. 

Learning about The Dutch physician Rebecca Gomperts and her Aid Access was truly inspiring and goes to show that women are resilient and innovative human beings. Dr. Gomperts has provided women all over the world with safe abortion pills due to their countries ban and or unavailable access to abortions. I have to say I loved how she goes about charging women, she makes it so affordable and asks how much they can even afford. I love a woman in power who uses their power for a greater cause. She has even donated ten to fifteen percent of abortion pills due to women not being able to pay at all. She has also been on trump’s radar and was sent a written warning about sending abortion pills through the mail and was advised to stop. I found this hilarious. Obviously, Dr. Gomperts was unfazed and continues to provide access to affordable abortion pills.     

In this week’s discussion board, we discuss what has been going on regarding abortion laws, my thoughts about this make me upset. It’s 2022 and the government is still making laws about woman’s bodies. Instead of focusing on the pandemic, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and other tragic moments they focus on woman’s bodies. When reading about the brief history of abortion I had no clue that the law for abortion exist until the 1860s. When hearing about overturning abortion rights, I am not surprised it will come down to this, yet it’s very frustrating! Women are at risk whether carrying the baby or wanting to get rid of the baby, what’s worst about the overturn is the fact that women are allowed to keep the rapist’s baby knowing they won’t afford it, and if a woman decides to take it away in the foster home. Foster homes are going to increase because abortion is banned, they will leave the kids to die and not have a family to love. Banning abortion is taking away the 14th amendment. In America, we have the freedom of speech and the rights as US citizens but do they want to make laws about woman bodies? It doesn’t make a scene. There was also a plan of banned plan B but I’m not sure if it’s true, but they are willing to put a female through prison time even if they have a miscarriage. It’s not a woman’s fault if a woman ends up having a miscarriage and making a woman serve time in prison over a miscarriage is beyond disgusting. It doesn’t make a scene to me that a woman has to go to jail for abortions and miscarriages but the rapists end up getting away with crimes. The first time hearing about a leaked document of abortion being overturned was upsetting especially for the women who aren’t ready to be parents. The government has been wanting to ban abortion for decades and it seems like they will never stop until they get what they want. People try and control what woman should do or not do with their bodies and there are other things they need to worry about such as wars, climate change, an increase in crime, etc. This fight isn’t going to end any time soon and women will keep fighting for their rights, for a way to protect our bodies from the law.

My reaction to the leaked document was honestly disgust and fear for the future. My mind went to the long term, and then to the present state of the world we are living in. I think about all of the homeless and mentally unstable people as well as the deranged people who already have nowhere to go, then I think about all of the children who will be birthed into the world and suffer hardships/ feeling unwanted or unloved and being thrown away in the trash etc. because they are forcing a person to have undesired children. The documentary “Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa” sheds light on how the Hyde amendment serves as a barrier for allocating government  funds to abortion services many of the women were unemployed and already struggling you can hear the distress in the callers voices. I would never call a child a mistake but mishaps happen and situations change there could be so many reasons for an abortion some are even health based.  I think many of these laws are selfish and profit based Rebecca Gomperts, says exactly what I was thinking in a sense in her interview about being an online abortion provider” she says “If you can prevent abortion you can keep people poor, if you can keep people poor you can control them”. She is absolutely right you make abortion illegal you can arrest the person who tries to get rid of the baby in whatever way they choose now its beneficial because the prison gets paid from having another inmate. On the other hand, they keep the baby and now they are struggling and needing government assistance and remain stagnant in life it is outrageous!! The most insightful thing I learned is abortion was illegal in the 1860’s  to benefit slave owners and allowing them to monopolize off of their slaves by raising their babies into slavery and I have no doubt this overturn of the law is to target minorities more than anything else and continue the cycle of inequity. Now don’t get me wrong all women will suffer but the loop holes and ways around the law are far more accessible or obtainable outside the urban community 9 times out of 10. 

  What was also interesting to me was the drug being used for the at home abortions (Mifepristone). It helps with fibroids and endometriosis among other things and yet it is banned in many countries. Probably because the profit is greater to treat it in longevity rather then immediately. It makes me feel like we are pawn pieces being monopolized off of and because not enough of us realize to make a change it will continue to be a domino effect of regression and capitalist/ the government will continue to benefit off of our suffrage!!

I would say my initial reaction to the leaked draft was that of fear and helplessness. I was immediately struck by the enormity of the impact this decision will have. My fear stems from the scores of women who’s lives this will affect, the hardships they will face as access to abortions is denied, and the frightening alternatives to legal abortion that will follow. Though I know the judicial branch is part of our democratic system, something seems decidedly undemocratic that this can all happen with the stroke of a pen. My fear also comes from this, in recognizing how quickly so many of the other rights that we had secured in recent decades can be dismantled. All of which left me feeling helpless.

I did not know that abortion laws originated during slavery to force pregnancy upon slaves. This historical context heightens my disgust at Alito’s argument that abortion advocates might have eugenics based motivations. Firstly, abortion is not preventing women from having children, it is providing them the ability to determine the time that is right for them to do so. Secondly, denying women access to abortions is many cases condemning them and their families to poverty. If women of color are more likely to seek abortion, then you are disproportionately condemning them to this fate. It is hard to see this policy as anything other than racist. “Because if you can prevent abortion, you can keep people poor. And when you keep people poor, you can control them”, as Gomperts says,

Though I knew payment was sometimes an obstacle for women seeking an abortion, I was unaware of the Hyde Amendment, or how much women could face paying out of pocket. “Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa” perfectly illustrated some of the many reasons women might seek an abortion. I feel this is an important thing to keep in mind at this time. Too frequently I feel the media sensationalizes the topic by bringing up the most extreme cases of rape and incest. While I understand the logic in mentioning it, I think it diminishes the other reasons women and families might make this choice and creates a space where rape and incest are the only justifiable reasons to seek abortion. I think we need to continue advocating for all women to have access to abortion, as otherwise we face further reinforcing stigma. I think it is also important to keep in mind that, regardless of what laws or rulings come to pass, women will still get abortions, though access will be limited to people of means. The result will be further reinforcing racial class lines, with disproportionate burden and punishment falling upon women. Female oppression is inescapable if women do not have control over their bodies and the ability to shape their own path in life.