Brickner: Reversing Roe is not the end game

Pendulums swing, left and right. The shift can be dramatic.

Before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, how often did I hear conservative Christians talk about the reversal of Roe as the holy grail: the chief political aim. When overturned, “pro-life” advocates celebrated, some swigging champagne in the streets.

But I knew the so-called pro-life advocates were still thirsty for more.

Locally, we see some conservative North Dakotans pushing for “persuasion” in public schools. As The Forum reported, House Bill 1265 would add a new section to the North Dakota Century Code that would require a school district's life science and/or sexual education programs to have human growth and development discussion that would include a high-definition ultrasound video at least five minutes long showing the development of the brain, heart, sex organs and other vital organs in early fetal development.

I wonder would these same advocates allow books like Frederik Backman’s “Beartown” that deal with the cruelty of teen sexual assault. Doubtful. That would probably be deemed “inappropriate.” Pregnancy is divorced from the trauma or difficulties that sometimes produced it.

Often the female is ignored. When, years ago, I asked for prayer for a 14-year-old, who had been abducted and raped by two men, my request was ignored. She soon slit her wrists. In their fetus focus, they forgot the girl is still in the picture.

Many at the recent March for Life in D.C. seek a total, national ban :

Justin Rino and Hallie Gift, 18-year-olds who were among the students from Liberty University leading off the march, told CNN that it was “necessary” as Christians to make their voices heard.

“There are still states that legalize abortion. This is only the first part. Overturning Roe v. Wade wasn’t the last victory,” Rino said. “So, yes, we can celebrate that Roe v. Wade was overturned, but there’s still a lot more work that needs to be done before we can celebrate.”

So, a theocratic extremism would prevail over any circumstance, every woman.

Besides an absolute ban on abortion, some want an absolute ban on contraception, a ban that would also hurt men, women and children. Poverty, choice and health would be affected. For instance, women with excessive bleeding due to fibroid tumors often take birth control pills. And most do not want to rely on the rhythm method or have 12 kids.

Ultimately, this pendulum swings to restricting women in broader ways. The Missouri State Legislature now has a dress code only for women, forbidding “bare arms.” One pastor had formerly supported a well-known female congresswoman then decided she should be home obeying her husband.

The pendulum swings.

Do we really yearn for the days when we had ads like an old shoe commercial with an apparently naked, smiling woman lying by a pair of shoes, with the slogan, “Keep a woman where she belongs” – apparently at a man’s feet? Do we want women barred from owning credit cards or property or stop great surgeons like Fargo’s Dr. Roxanne Newman, who saved my husband’s life?

It’s time to grab the pendulum, before it lurches further right in the now smoke-filled rooms of the Capitol building.

Yep. They reversed smoking laws, too. Change can happen fast.

Tick-tock.

Interested in a broad range of issues, including social and faith issues, Brickner serves as a regular contributor to the Forum’s opinion page. She is a retired English instructor, having taught in Michigan and Minnesota.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.