Roe vs. Wade: American exceptionalism is exceptional
By Dele Ogunremi
Many voices from the Canadian Prime Minister to the Scottish Prime Minister have condemned today’s ruling of the United States Supreme Court that overturned Roe vs Wade, the 1973 ruling that granted the right to women to choose abortion if desired.
Many may not know, and those who support abortion rights are loathe to let people know, that “Roe”, real name Norma McCorvey, regretted ever being involved in championing abortion rights, and even in instances in her life when she expressed support for women to have a choice, Norma was against abortion at her death bed and had her funeral conducted by an anti-abortion priest. But this is really not the thrust of this write-up. What is also not for discussion, but yet imperative is the humaneness and care for those who are bearing the high spiritual, emotional and financial burden that is pushing them to pursue abortion.
Rather, we are looking at how the US continues to be a beacon of hope for humanity with the way it treats its laws.
The law of any land, in the end, is what people want it to be. Now “people” can be many, all of 330 million, and it is only in a dictatorship where one man (we are yet to see a woman) arrogates that power to self or to a clique to decide what is good for the people. The process of making laws needs to be necessarily complex but robust, painstaking and deliberate but with an outcome to be realized at the end, and be backed with another process of striking down an unwanted, unnecessary or injurious law. The idea of a potential injury can be advanced, as in this case, to victims who might suffer, even if only in their perception, should a law (e.g., Roe vs Wade) be struck down.
What is exceptional about America, the land of the brave and the free, is that not only are these perceptions legitimate and protected by the law of the land, they are protected, even when there may not be a consensus. The key is that the laws are made to be consistent with what the Constitution, that instrument crafted by the founding father, says. Of course, this constitution itself is not sacrosanct having been amended 27 times now, yet the remarkably low number of changes for a geographically diverse, economic, technological, and military powerhouse speaks to the enduring nature of the document. For that reason, the republic is not about to stumble anytime soon. And a republic it is: the people exercise power through their elected representatives. Not the Supreme Court. Not a cabal. Not some corrupt delegates.
What should change often enough in a republic, even if it takes 50 years as in this case, are elements that are inconsistent with the integrity of the nation, with how it makes those laws. Suddenly now, an issue that appeared “settled”, the right to abort babies, has come full circle to dominate the discussion and shape the politics.
Is this retrogressive? Not at all. In fact, it is brilliant.
It is both brilliant and refreshing because it speaks to the need for people to be actively involved in the laws by which they are governed, and it speaks to the need to assess the views and character of men and women chosen to lead as elected representatives.
If it is not in the constitution, then if it was wrongly decided, and if a law is not consistent with an agreed-upon process, then it is no law to live by, it needs to be expunged and free people must justly exercise freedom and not be in chains.
But, friends, it takes courage to be on this type of journey. It is not for the lily-livered, not for those that will run to the hills because it is just dawn.
Freedom means people must be prepared to be a part of their future, how they are governed, and in this particular instance, who best makes a law.
Today’s ruling will not stop abortion as much as I would love to see the unborn protected. Rather, the ruling just says that there is nothing in the US constitution that protects those who want to terminate a pregnancy. They are on their own.
But people in American democracy are never existentially on their own. They have elected representatives that will take up the fight, no matter what side you are on.
It is the same old beacon of Hope but the politics of abortion has only started. It will fill the airwaves, but that is exciting.
My prayer is that the representatives of the people will be filled with wisdom and not keep on “wrongly deciding” on the appropriate laws for the people.
A more earnest prayer, one affecting all, is that people will exercise the freedom already given to all by the Creator, especially in a way that benefits others even when we are ridiculed, maligned, or even made to pay for it.
The greatest of all costs has been paid in full. Thank you, Jesus.
Dele Ogunremi contributed this piece from Canada.
24 June 2022