CULTIVATING COMPASSION
We are the Calvary: Saving Our Democracy in 2024!
on a building, let alone working as the project manager. Quite frankly, unless you’ve graduated from medical school with a specialty in OB GYN, I don’t think we can rely on your “expertise” for legislation im - pacting womens’ medical care. To quote one of my favorite political pins: “Politicians make crappy doctors.” After Roe became law of the land in 1973, the targeted and mean-spirited work of using access to abortion as political manipula- tion began. In 1976, when the Republican convention was convened, public opinion polls reflected that Republican voters were actually
BY NIKKI HARRIS
Over the last 40 years, reproductive healthcare has become a po - litical football for political gain. Shamefully, it has become the wedge issue for our many elections, despite the overwhelming majority of Americans supporting access to safe and legal abortion. Elections now hinge on this single issue and culture wars . Voters deserve better! I recently left Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT ) in western North Carolina after 9 and half years, and I saw first-hand
more pro-choice than their Democrat - ic counterparts. Hell, even the chair of the 1976 RNC, Mary Louise Smith , was a supporter of abortion rights. De - spite the Republican Party’s pro-choice leadership, and despite strong support for abortion within the party, the GOP adopted a platform that was out of step with their party and public opinion. After all, there were elections to win, no matter the cost. In the Journal of Policy History , Daniel K.Williams writes, “The par - ty’s leadership viewed the measure as a temporary political ploy that would increase the GOP’s appeal among tra - ditionally Democratic Catholics, but the platform statement instead became
how political agendas impacted the healthcare our clinics were able to provide. Sadly, the 45th president was able to do what he promised: stack the Supreme Court and proudly over- turn Roe v Wade . In April of 2023, a longtime Democratic member of the NC House (who ran on abortion and LGBTQIIA+ rights) switched parties, giving the Republicans the super ma- jority and rendering our Democratic Governor’s veto useless. NC Senate Bill 20 was passed a month later, reducing the 20-week limit to 12, and dramati - cally reducing abortion access for the entire southeast. The Associated Press reported in August that since the 2022 Dobbs decision, more than 100 preg -
a rallying cry for social conservatives who used the plank to build a religiously based coalition in the GOP and drive out many of the pro- choice Republicans who had initially adopted the platform.” It wasn’t until I was in my mid-thirties that I began to understand the scope of my privilege. I was raised in a liberal, educated and well-resourced household, and I wasn’t going to be defined by my mis - takes. I now know that it was an absolute privilege to be able to plan my parenthood. Novel concept, right? After 17 years on birth control, my partner and I welcomed our first and only child. Even though people have been giving birth since the beginning of time, we felt like we were the first to discover this primal and disorienting act. It was an incredibly scary and transformational experience in every aspect of our lives. Even with an extremely sup- portive and hands-on partner, even with eight weeks of parental leave, even with all the things that make parenting easier, it was and contin- ues to be damn hard. Parenthood isn’t for the weak, neither is pregnancy. The long sleepless nights, the worry over every cough, sneeze, or suspect bowel movement. When school let out for summer break, our 10 year old son asked me what the word “pu*sy” means. I nearly had a heart attack. The playground is no place for the faint of heart, and apparently poli- tics aren’t either. Could you imagine being 6 months pregnant knowing your baby had no chance of surviving outside the womb? Or carrying your rap - ist’s baby to term because you live in a state that has zero exceptions? Or simply being pregnant and not wanting to be? For many birthing people in the US, this has become a horrific reality. Who do these laws benefit? Anyone? Fighting to protect reproductive healthcare reaffirms the Demo - crats’ commitment to victory in upcoming elections by loudly standing
nant women have been treated negligently or denied treatment from emergency rooms despite federal law. There’s a human toll to these culture wars, and quite frankly, it is daunting that one person could yield that much power. My time at PPSAT was meaningful, and it was also emotionally taxing. It was scary when protestors lurked outside of the clinic with the sole purpose of harassing patients and staff. Sometimes protest - ers’ megaphones were so loud we could hear them inside the clinic. We would have law enforcement on site during abortion clinics; and sadly, during my time with the organization, we made the decision to put a fence around the entire building. It didn’t stop protestors from bringing a ladder so they could see over the fence and continue the abusive rhetoric. It’s hard not to think that if this type of behavior happened anywhere else, it wouldn’t be tolerated. Growing up, my parents voted for different political parties de - pending on the issue. It was assumed that regardless of which party or candidate claimed victory, elected officials would work together respectfully, across the aisle, and with good intentions to address the challenges affecting Americans. We expected they would have nu - anced debates about policy. We took for granted that those in government could come up with ideas and implement policy benefiting the most people and reflecting the will of the people. We took for granted the fragility of our democ- racy. Philosophically, elections shouldn’t come down to a single issue, but here we are. With less than 60 days (by press time) left until the single most important election of our lifetime, it’s clear which party stands for the health and safety of children and their caregivers. It’s evident which party values science, data, and medical expertise. I’ve yet to understand why we have politicians making medical policy and law. I have a BA in Sociology. You don’t want me to be the engineer
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PATHWAYS—Fall 24—9
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