is choice. Plain and simple.
When a faction of any populace aims to deny, remove, or otherwise block the ability to choose from any other faction of a populace, it is inherently and unquestionably working to deny freedom and promote oppression. I don’t know how to break it down any simpler.
I’m not just talking about abortion rights, though that is often the topic that comes to mind when referencing “choice” in America. I am talking about all choice. Any choice.
UPDATE: 6/24/2022—Roe v. Wade has been overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States. It appears SCOTUS intends to continue its attack upon American privacy rights by going after other landmark cases next, including Obergefell, Lawrence, and Griswold.
America, The Land of the Free
for a select few.
The collective “they” has been peddling this vision of freedom my entire life. It’s what they taught us at school. It’s what we supposedly celebrated while grilling burgers and hotdogs; arranging those cute little trays of berries and cream to mimic the red, white, and blue of the revered American Flag; dancing around the yard drawing patterns in the air with the white-glowing light trails of our sparklers; and sending up all those bright, colorful, booming firework displays into the July 4th night skies while everyone excitedly oohed and aahed.
For the most part, I’d been buying what they were selling. In fact, some of it I’ve even been taking for granted.
The freedom many of us experience has never been the same as the freedom enjoyed by other factions of our same society.
This is a capitalist nation and, as such, the almighty dollar is by far the most worshiped idol. There is a direct and undeniable connection between the amount of money someone has and the number and variety of opportunities they can successfully access, the amount of respect and admiration they are likely to receive, the amount of power and control they are likely to wield, and the amount of criminality they can—and do—participate in without fear of any real consequence.
If you have money, you have more choices.
If you’re white, you have more choices.
If you’re male, you have more choices.
If you’re straight, you have more choices.
And if you’re a straight, white, male with lots of money, well then, the world is pretty much your oyster. Bonus bennies if you add Christian to the mix.