Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that he intends to “eliminate rape” in his state amid criticism that a new law banning abortions at six weeks does not include an exception for victims of rape and incest. https://t.co/L9r1f9rwOK pic.twitter.com/oNBc3FHB5C

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) September 9, 2021

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Roe versus Wade will probably come down.

The right to a legal abortion will very likely dissipate in this country in the near future, once the Supreme Court, with its majority of extremely conservative judges, three of whom had been appointed by former President Trump, have ruled in this case. Never mind that those three judges had emphasized during their Senate hearings that they would observe and respect the precedents—hence would support the law of the land, i.e., Roe versus Wade.

Now they are the spearheads of radical evangelicals and might not observe the principles of democracy—especially when it concerns women. Unborn life obviously counts more than the lives of pregnant women, or of women at large.

Unfortunately, the entire issue has become much too politicized, and the arguments pro or con abortion are often based on much too polemic points of view. But it is the strategy of both political parties to embrace stark perspectives and to ideologize the matter.

The photo posted in the Arizona Daily Star on December 2, 2021, showed a bulky male protesting against abortion, which tells dramatically what is wrong with the entire public debate.

To abort a fetus is a tragic decision, and I as a male would not want to be in the situation of the poor mother.

Medical science has increasingly made it more difficult for a woman to opt for an abortion because of the viability issue—from 23 to 24 weeks it has reduced down to 15 weeks according to the Mississippi law, meaning before some pregnant women would even know about their condition.

Abortion is not something any country in the world is taking lightly, but espousing an absolute ban on abortion—aligning the United States with Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other repressive countries—proves to be a dangerously blunt instrument in the hands of conservative ideologues who are definitely not fighting for “life,” but for “birth.”

Once a woman has delivered a baby she faces enormous physical, economic, and psychological challenges—whether she is supported by the child’s father or not. Our government has increasingly failed to support young life, which makes all calls to abandon abortion altogether ring rather hollow.

Concomitantly, it is absurd to consider that in our day and age we still have to deal with abortion in the first place—an indication that our education system has failed (or intentionally blinds young people about what sex entails), and that access to birth control is still not as easy as it should be. By the same token, using abortion as an alternative to birth control is equally terrible, and basically wrong in ethical terms.

Pregnancy is a critical condition in human existence, and anyone who dares to issue radical, black and white decisions is either (deliberately) ignorant or has a political agenda.

When a female teenager is forced to deliver a child as a result of rape (possibly incest), then there is a profound moral dilemma for her and for society at large. When a mother’s life is at stake, or when the fetus is not viable, or is to suffer from bad birth defects, who would dare to speak up and force the woman to deliver, or impose a governmental decision on her? I sense here a form of cruel self-righteousness, especially by male judges and politicians.

When the Catholic church (or other churches) argue against all abortions, then I would like to ask when there will finally be a female pope to allow the church to see things through a female perspective. When the authorities fight tooth and nail to ban ordinary forms of birth control, even the morning after pill, I clearly recognize male chauvinism and arrogance to repress women, to force them to stay home, and to not work or vote.

Of course, under ordinary circumstances, the fathers also have a right to be involved in the decision process, and medical professionals along with psychologists need to participate in the discussion about if, and up to when, abortion should be allowed.

Why, if I may ask, is there not more research on male birth control? Why don’t men take more responsibility?

Well, the entire abortion issue is no longer really about the preservation of unborn life, but about how the government can control women and repress all political efforts to give women equal rights.

None of the Supreme Court judges are trained in medicine or human ethics, and none are going to face the situation of unwanted or life-threatening pregnancy—and yet they are expected and empowered to make profound ethical and legal decisions affecting young women’s lives across the country. That is astounding to say the least.

I can sympathize with the notion that Roe versus Wade is probably a too liberal legal privilege for pregnant women to abort up to three months, but the plethora of new laws in Texas or Mississippi do not signal a heightened sensitivity and care for pregnant mothers—instead, they are driven purely by religious and political ideologies directed against women.

When Texas Governor Abbott was recently asked about the situation with pregnant rape victims, he said that Texas would soon see no more rapes. That is just laughable and mean-spirited—it is the epitome of toxic male hypocrisy.

Help women avoid pregnancy in the first place and support them when they become pregnant against their wishes—and impose more responsibilities on men who cause the pregnancies in the first place!