By Bill Oakey – June 25, 2022

The focus on anti-abortion radicalism will eventually shift to its aftermath. What will become of the millions of forced-to-be-be born children? And what will become of their parents and their families? You never hear extremist Republicans speak about either of those concerns.

There is one thing we can count on without question. Republicans will do absolutely nothing to help protect the “precious lives” of the newly born. The shallow and heartless reality is precisely the exact opposite. Republicans will do everything in their power to hinder the well-being of the women who are forced to give birth, and their unwanted or unexpected children.

The so-called “Pro Life” movement should have always been labeled “Pro Sad Life.” Take a simple look at the big picture of life in America today. Then, plug in millions of new children, mostly born into poverty.

Wealthy investors are sweeping through neighborhoods across the country, and buying up blocks of homes. They are outbidding young would-be homeowners who are starting new families. These same investors are scooping up apartments, trailer parks and every other type of housing. Their plan is to trap the next generation of Americans into entire lives burdened with ever-increasing exorbitant rental costs.

Just close your eyes and try to imagine the added burden of forced-birth children into the lives of these families. Even before a new pregnancy is discovered, tens of millions of families are struggling to make ends meet. The wages for middle class and lower-tier workers have been stagnant for a generation. These folks often have to work two jobs to get by. The additional cost burden of forced-birth children will only compound the hardships imposed upon these growing numbers of people.

But we won’t see Republican lawmakers at any level of government stepping up to help. On the contrary, they will try to obliterate the Affordable Care Act. They will continue to restrict and curtail Medicaid and other safety net programs. And all the while, they will attemp to claim the moral high ground. As pathetic and utterly despicable as one could imagine, these Republicans will dare to invoke “Christian values” as the foundation for their heartless actions. Make no mistake about it. There is nothing even remotely Christ-like in their motivations, their behavior or their legislative agenda.

Many women with health complications will die if their doctors are forbidden from performing abortions. Scores of children will grow up knowing that their father was a brutal and savage rapist. Or a perverted molester within their own family.

The ultimate result of taking away freedoms and replacing them with one-sided, misguided ideology is a breakdown of our entire culture. Broad-based, escalating poverty leads to increased mental health issues and widespread crime. Trapping single mothers and low to middle income families into a cycle of unaffordable living conditions will cripple the overall economy. When workers are squeezed with high housing costs, diminishing educational opportunities and insufficient health care, we can only expect trouble on many levels. That includes more suicides, domestic abuse, gun violence and homelessness.

Republicans will try to shrug it all off and turn away from these realities. In fact, reality itself has disappeared from their mindset. But, the social unrest and the devastating economic repercussions of their actions will serve to energize Democrats. Reality and truth are pretty tough adversaries to defeat. Polls show that overwhelming majorities of Americans do not support the extreme policy positions of the far right. These angry and hateful souls are not the only ones who know how to fight! We will have to work hard to ensure that love and compassion prevails.