YOU HAVEN’T COME A LONG WAY, BABY!
By Theresa
Hulme
As International Women’s
Day passes with nary a nod from the boys in charge: The White House, Congress,
Senate, the heavy majority of CEO’s/Board’s of Corporate America,
the Corporate Media, most governorships, state legislatures, the Supreme Court,
etc., women are facing an Axis of Evil. But this time, its not a lie, not mere
propaganda or a public relations blitz, nor is it happening in a poor, distant
nation.
The war being waged on America’s
women has been carefully planned, strategically laid out and almost inevitable,
if the Bush Regime has its way. Like the war on terror, the war on women has its
roots in a patriarchal, Anglo, neo-conservative, fundamentalist Christian belief
system. The direct recipients of this and any war, Cold or Bloody, are women and
their children.
This war on women
begins in the trenches of U.S. Courts. As political payback for a George W. Bush
second term, right wing extremists expect Bush to fulfill his 2000 campaign
promise to end abortion in the U.S. So far, Bush has nominated 213 right-wing
judges to lifetime appointments on the federal bench. If this isn’t scary
enough, that translates into one-fourth of the total number of federal judges in
the country! 200 of these will be confirmed by the end of June. Anti-choice and
anti-civil rights judges will dominate the Circuit Court of Appeals, for now and
the next generation. (courtesy:
NARAL)
Justice Harry Blackmun, author
of Roe vs. Wade revealed how dangerously close we have come to the overturn of
Roe on several occasions. Blackmun, in his recently released papers, was
especially aware of how narrow the votes protecting it have been. Since his
death, things have worsened.
Today,
there is a very delicate 5-4 majority in the Supreme Court in favor of Roe. This
slight majority is threatened as the aged Supreme Court is ready to retire 3 or
4 of its present Justices. Even one new Justice appointed by Bush, can overturn
Roe, or commonly understood as a woman’s right to choose what is best for
her body. The precarious state of the Supreme Court is perhaps more terrifying
than 4 more years of George
Duh!bya.
Here’s how the present
U.S. Supreme Court stands (facts courtesy of NARAL -
www.prochoiceamerica.org):
Support
Women’s basic right to choice
John Paul Stevens, Age
84
Appointed in 1975 by Gerald Ford, and one
of the most progressive justices on the court, he has voted consistently during
his tenure to support Roe. He has worked to prevent states from unduly
restricting a woman’s choice. One of the longest serving and oldest
justices on the bench, at age 84, he could be the next member to
retire.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Age
71
Appointed in 1993, she had previously been
an active supporter of women’s rights. One of only two members of the
court appointed by a pro-choice president, Ginsburg has voted to protect safe
access to health care for women and limiting the restrictions a state can place
on abortion providers. She has upheld the constitutionality of Roe v. Wade.
Stephen Breyer, Age
66
The most recent appointed member of the
Supreme Court, he was the second appointee sent by Bill Clinton. He has
staunchly upheld the constitutionality of Roe and has resisted state efforts to
ban safe abortion procedures. Young for a Supreme Court justice, he should
remain on the court for many more years.
Swing
Votes
Sandra Day O’Connor, Age
74
A Reagan appointee in 1981, Justice
O’Connor has carved out a reputation of a centrist. She has ruled to
support restrictions on a woman’s right to choose, yet has unwaveringly
defended the constitutionality of Roe v Wade. She often acts as the swing vote
in 5:4 decisions on abortion issues. It is rumored to believe that
O’Connor wishes to retire during a Bush
administration.
Anthony Kennedy, Age
68
Justice Kennedy has demonstrated that his
support for abortion rights is highly unreliable. Like O’Connor, he has
ruled to restrict a woman’s right to choose in some cases but has
supported constitutionality for Roe in others. He has joined fellow justice
Scalia in dissenting on court decisions that protect “free buffer
zones” around entrances to health clinics. His inconsistency is expected
to remain on the court for many years to come.
David Souter, Age
65
The third in a trio of the centrist
‘swing bloc,’ Souter has ruled to uphold Roe and voted to allow
“fixed buffer zones” around clinic entrances. The second youngest on
the court, he will be with us or against us for years to come.
Opposed to women’s
choice
William Rehnquist, Age
80
Originally a Nixon appointee, Rehnquist
was promoted to Chief Justice of the US by Ronald Reagan in 1986. He is the only
sitting justice to have participated in the actual case of Roe v. Wade in 1973.
He dissented from the Courts opinion in that year and was subsequently credited
with structuring the Court’s conservative shift. He feels a woman’s
right to choose is not guaranteed by the Constitution. Ate age 80, he is
reportedly waiting for a conservative president, such as Bush, to guarantee an
anti-choice replacement. Rehnquist brings truth to the old adage “only the
good die young.”
Antonin Scalia,
Age 68
The most staunchly conservative member
of the bench, Scalia believes that Roe v. Wade is unconstitutional and a
woman’s right to choose should be decided by the states. Scalia has
dissented in opinions upholding “fixed buffer zones” – areas
created around entrances to health care clinics to protect patients, doctors,
nurses, and volunteers from harassment and potential harm by aggressive
protesters. He could be a possible Chief Justice should Rehnquist retire.
Whether promoted or not, we can look forward to many more years of his
anti-choice terror reigned upon us. Scalia is also credited with the dramatic
rise in female homosexuality.
Clarence
Thomas, Age 56
Infamous for Long Dong Silver
and his Senate confirmation hearings, Thomas has consistently sided with
Rehnquist and Scalia in ruling against a woman’s right to choose and has
boldly stated his position in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade. He has also
joined Scalia and Kennedy in dissenting against “fixed buffer zones”
and has ruled in favor of nearly every effort to limit a woman’s right to
choose. Commonly referred to as ‘the House Negro,’ he brings
undeserved embarrassment and bitter irony onto America’s mostly democratic
black population. As the youngest member of the court, we have plenty of time to
fondly remember Thomas as putting sexual harassment into the national
consciousness.
Posted: Tue - March 1, 2005 at 09:00 PM