Abortion is not Racism

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Protests are an American tradition reflecting the passions of people seeking justice. Unfortunately, with protests come counter protests that all too frequently prove true the original protesters’ claims. Unlike the 60s one does not have to march in the street to carry a sign. One can protest through social media and a virtual campaign. It is that kind of campaign that is occurring against people who seek justice. Unfortunately, some are using the serious issue of abortion as a racist attack.

While pointing out statistics in itself is not racism, when one post a photo that only addresses abortions in African Americans and Hispanics it is not a question of whether it will be followed by racist rants, attacks on black male leaders, attacks on liberals, and women being called “sluts,” but how vehement the attacks will be. If one knows this and then allows the posting of such comments that is inciting racism and thus in itself is racist by intentionally demeaning or promoting the antagonistic statements toward a race of people.

Rather than promoting racism in prolife posts it would be better to explore what part white privilege has played in both the abortion rates and the disproportionate placement of Planned Parenthood clinics in minority communities. In general, Planned Parenthood places clinics in close proximity to the greatest need and where they can get affordable space. The greatest demand for Planned Parenthood services is not solely based on abortion, but the need for health care for men and women. In addition to contraceptive services and abortion, they also provide treatment for STDs, anemia testing, cholesterol screening, diabetes screening, physical exams, including for employment and sports, flu vaccines, smoking cessation, high blood pressure screening, tetanus vaccines, and thyroid screening. It is certainly true that Margaret Sanger supported eugenics and was a controversial figure. However, that is not the case with the people at Planned Parenthood today. They sincerely believe that by providing women with options they are helping them to make rational reproductive choice. There aim is to reduce unwanted pregnancies and not to diminish a race. Clearly, this does not justify abortion, but it clarifies the motives of Planned Parenthood. This leads me to the conclusion that bad policy and white privilege is adding to the abortion rates and the success of Planned Parenthood.

Among the leading reason given for having an abortion are the feeling of being unable to afford a child (73%) and not wanting anyone to know she had sex and got pregnant (25%). We should examine why minority communities remain in generational poverty and the policies that are at least partially at fault, such as: zoning that disadvantages minority communities, unequal pay, unequal access to public transportation, and shameful differences in schools to name a few. Look at the differences in public and private funding spent in white and middle class communities and then acknowledge that that inequality is privilege that actually does harm minorities, keep them in poverty, and lead to feeling an abortion is necessary. And then we call them “sluts” for getting pregnant. I wonder, if you knew you were going to be called a slut, would it encourage you to have the baby?

If we really value life then we should show respect for people. Rather than standing in front of Planned Parenthood, we should build healthcare clinics and hospitals in underserved communities. Rather than voting for anyone that opposes new taxes, willing pay them to build community infrastructures that work. Rather than paying an African American less, try paying them the same and ensuring it is a living wage. Rather than saying abortion clinics are racist try working with the city council to change the policies that advantage white communities and disadvantage minority communities.

If you claim to be Pro-Life and you pay women, minorities, or any disadvantaged person less because you can, then you are not Pro-Life. You are Pro-Self. If you think it is acceptable to have substandard schools in minority communities, or inadequate infrastructure then you are not Pro-Life because the policies you accept continue generational poverty and thus encourage abortion. If you call a woman that gets pregnant outside of marriage a slut you are not Pro-Life, but you are encouraging abortion by your actions.

Abortion is not racism. Using the serious issue of abortion as a club to beat up on minority communities and those that actually serve them is.

Privileged and White Benefits Me and Disadvantages Others

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I am privileged and white. I examine my conscience and recognize a need to be an active member of my community and committed to social justice, but that is different than recognizing how my privilege negatively impacts others and how it favors me. It is easy to be an active and committed member of a community, but much harder to reject privilege.

Our laws, policies, and practices intentionally, or maybe unintentionally, favor Caucasians and especially those in upper income levels. I can walk the streets, enter a department store, and walk through a neighborhood without anyone questioning my presence. I’ve never feared the police, been served last, or felt excluded because of my race. When I was active duty the uniform alone resulted in me being given preferential treatment from boarding planes first, to free upgrades, to being treated with respect by total strangers.

We passed laws to protect voting rights not because we wanted to make things equal, but because we needed to end the inequality. No law will end the biases that live one’s soul and so long as that bias is present in human beings there will be those that justify their attempts to keep their privilege intact. No one questions if a Caucasian person should vote, nor are voter ID laws intended to stop people like me from voting. I’ve lived in states that required ID to vote and still haven’t been asked for mine. Voter ID laws are about fear that all others will vote. Essentially we are saying we trust you if you are Caucasian, but we don’t trust others. This may seem like a minor inconvenience that anyone should accept to maintain the integrity of the system, but it also maintains white privilege. I will feel no stress when I go to vote. I know with or without everything I need I will be allowed to vote. Not only does that benefit me, but it disadvantages others. If they, out of stress or fear, do not show up to vote then my vote is favored not just because I showed up, but because my privilege made someone else fear showing up.  How hard would it be to insist that they not only take my ID, but take the time to check it?

Health care is much the same as voting. My privilege results in greater access to care in areas that are convenient to me. Yet, if I lived in a poor or predominantly minority neighborhood almost anywhere in the country I would have less access. The overabundance of health care facilities in predominantly Caucasian areas results in an inadequate number in predominantly minority communities. My privilege has an adverse impact on the access to health care of others. How different would Federally Qualified Health Centers look if all of us had to get our care at one? What impact would it have on health care outcomes if facilities were evenly distributed?

When we consider laws, policies, and practices we need to consider how privilege is not only benefiting us, but adversely impacting others. Standing for justice matters, but not as much as renouncing our privilege.

Lent Approaches: Should we cast out the unclean or bath them in compassion

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Lent is a few days away and the readings on this cold and snowy Sunday were about leprosy. The once dreaded disease is now treatable and there is no longer a need to shun people with leprosy, put them in isolated communities, or have them shout “unclean, unclean.” We like to imagine that times have changed and we would never be so uncaring or inhumane, but are we and should we be?

Racism and bigotry are diseases able to infect the young and the old alike. The virus enters trough the brain and infects the soul. It multiplies until where once existed love there is only hate. I often wonder if it is better to isolate the one that is infected to avoid unintentionally spreading the disease through social media contact or if it is better to engage and see if love and compassion will slow the infection or even cure the illness.

Racism and bigotry are far more dangerous than any disease of the body. It is a disease that kills the soul of the infected and takes away the human dignity of all it touches. We have much work to do to cure this plague on our communities, our country, and even our world.

Lent is a good time to pray, sacrifice, and offer our time to change the policies that support racism and bigotry and to join in solidarity with those that stand for justice.

Reading 1LV 13:1-2, 44-46

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
“If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch
which appears to be the sore of leprosy,
he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest,
or to one of the priests among his descendants.
If the man is leprous and unclean,
the priest shall declare him unclean
by reason of the sore on his head.

“The one who bears the sore of leprosy
shall keep his garments rent and his head bare,
and shall muffle his beard;
he shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’
As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean,
since he is in fact unclean.
He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.”