As I sit here reading about the Texas woman who was charged with murder after self-managing an abortion, my heart goes out to her. Lizelle Gonzalez, a woman who should have been given support and care during a difficult time in her life, instead found herself embroiled in a legal battle that could have destroyed her future. The fact that she was accused of murder for making a deeply personal and difficult decision is abhorrent. I hope she wins her lawsuit against the prosecutors who initiated this unjust case.
It is disturbing to think about the violation of privacy that Lizelle experienced when the hospital reported her abortion to the district attorney’s office.… Continue reading
This story breaks my heart in ways I cannot even articulate. A 13-year-old rape victim having to endure the trauma of not only the assault itself but also the burden of carrying and giving birth to a child is a level of cruelty that should never exist in our society. The fact that this situation is unfolding amid the confusion over state abortion bans adds another layer of horror to an already unimaginable tragedy.
The policymakers who pushed for these abortion bans, the ones who thought they were doing the right thing by protecting the rights of the unborn, seem to have willfully ignored the real-world implications of their actions.… Continue reading
This case of the Texas judge ruling that a school district can restrict the length of a male student’s natural hair has raised many eyebrows, including mine. How is it possible that in this day and age, we are still dealing with such archaic and discriminatory regulations? The fact that the ACLU had to intervene in a similar case in Texas previously shows that there is a pattern of targeting male students for their hairstyle choices.
The issue of gender-based discrimination becomes prevalent when looking at how this ruling targets male students specifically, without imposing similar restrictions on female students. The Texas CROWN Act, which was enacted to prevent discrimination based on hairstyles associated with race or culture, seems to have been completely disregarded in this case.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker