Nice try, Josh Hawley

| 10:22 pm EDT June 26, 2022
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In what should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Someone had already leaked the draft opinion, and if you have any sense at all, you knew what the final opinion would do. The religious right is likely rejoicing, but the sad thing is that these are the same people who will provide no assistance to the mother and child who is ultimately born. Josh Hawley believes this decision will benefit Republicans, according to Business Insider (“BI”), but the truth is this may finally do in the Republican party.

BI quoted Hawley as saying that the Roe decision will “polarize the country in a way that benefits Republicans in the Electoral College.” Oh, it’s going to “polarize” all right. It’s going to polarize people to vote Republicans out of office once and for all. Republicans are not “pro-life,” they are “pro-birth.” Once that birth occurs, Republicans wash their hands of the very child they want brought into the world. They continue to cut benefits for mothers and children, yet they want more children born into families that cannot afford to feed, educate, or otherwise care for them. Why is this such a good thing? It’s not. Republicans just want what their out-of-touch constituency wants with no thought to the majority in this country. While we cannot do anything about the current makeup of SCOTUS, several are in a place where they will soon be forced to retire or die.

Alito wrote that Roe had “damaging consequences.” Now, we all know Alito has been around long enough to be aware of backroom abortions where women died trying to control their own bodies. There can be nothing more “damaging” than that, but they don’t care. They want what they want, regardless of who it hurts or the resulting damage. Robert Reich said it best: “Forced birth in a country with no universal healthcare, no universal childcare, no paid family & medical leave, one of the highest rates of maternal mortality among rich nations. This isn’t about ‘life.’ It’s about control.” That is exactly what it’s about, and it is shameful. These people need to mind their own business and focus on governing for the good of most of the people in this country.

This really comes as no surprise, nor do the comments of Clarence Thomas, who now wants to go after same-sex marriage, which he considers another decision “to be reconsidered.” Yet, as Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the landmark lawsuit that legalized same-sex marriage, told BI: “Justice Clarence Thomas omitted Loving v. Virginia from his list of Supreme Court decisions to ‘reconsider’ because it affects him personally.” Loving is the case that legalized interracial marriage, and Thomas is married to a white woman, so that makes perfect sense.

These people don’t care about you or me. They care about what they believe and what they want, and nothing else. It is imperative that we get people who think like Alito and Thomas out of power, and though neither Alito nor Thomas can be removed, time will take care of them.