One Bible Fits All

By David Glenn Cox

There is only one reason reproductive rights are an issue of public debate and tearful fundraising church appeals. And to me at least, that’s almost the most cynical part of it. It is an issue of health and not an issue of morality. It’s an issue of privacy and what if the government doesn’t like your new tattoo? Can you be personally banned from the library? Government isn’t supposed to be in the morality business, but in the health business as in, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

So, let’s cut out the crap and quit pretending these politicians give a raging shit about babies. These people wouldn’t piss on their mothers if they caught fire while freebasing cocaine.  Down in Mississippi, Governor Tate “Pappy O’Daniels” Reeves. Wants to remind America, “We’re still just as backwards as ever! Maybe even worse! Don’t even think of bringing a job around here.”

Pappy, he just loves those little babies. Even babies born into shocking Mississippi poverty and hopeless horrible rat infested fecal stained situations. Even babies born to teen mothers who were raped. Every baby deserves the right to grow up in Mississippi squalor. To be poorly educated with almost no opportunity in life without for a Greyhound bus ticket out of state.

He’s only pro-life as a means to and end. A way to feather his nest and lighten his load without actually doing anything at all. Except inflict real hardship and emotional suffering into a voter’s already difficult situation through government intrusion. It becomes an article of faith and the foundation rock. You’re either Pro-Furher or you’re out of the party and we know where that leads. Each leap frogging the other to attract attention with more and more punitive restrictions. Restrictions the politicians know full well, will never apply to them or to theirs.

Fascism requires an enemy and you wouldn’t think women would be a wise target to vilify. It’s actually diabolical genius, turning women against each other. The old versus the young and the married versus the un-married. Liberal versus Conservative, religious versus sensible. Why is a medical condition a political issue? Only one reason and that’s religion. And what did we learn in middle school civics class about the separation of church and state? The church can’t decide what time the liquor store or the titty bar closes.

Little known fun trivia fact about the separation of church and state. Did you know that it was originally invented by Jesus? When he said, “ render unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar.” That Jesus: always full of surprises, but just don’t rile him with any loose talk about bankers. Jesus was a pacifist, who only got pissed off and wrecked the place, overturning stalls and whipping people just that one time. Other than that, he was cool. It was safe, you could invite him over to your house.

But it’s the public pressure to believe. Show of hands how many believe in the Christian God? Now, how many went to church last Sunday and every Sunday? A quick drive around in Sunday morning traffic is gonna show a slight disparity in those attendance figures. There was an episode of Candid Camera with a waiting room. Those in on the gag would stand every time a bell rang. Sure enough, soon everyone stood when the bell rang. “Oh shit, I forgot to feed the dog!” Some of us, just want to conform no matter what! It makes us want to run for stunted council and other Fascist alarm bell sounding behaviors. “Mom, Dad, I really want to control people.”

“Look, I tried to get you to have sex with me, but you said no. This is your own fault, don’t ask me to sacrifice my religious principles now, because of your irreligious prudish behavior. Now shut up and let me throw you into that volcano. We’ve got an eruption festival planned for this afternoon, and you’re gumming up the works.”

If the issue is framed in anyway as a religious or moral question, it loses all legitimacy as legal question, being none of the government business. If the issue is framed any other way, then ask the Internal Revenue Service when life begins. Can I take that tax deduction now if my wife is pregnant? Ask your healthcare provider when life begins. Ask when the child is covered separately from the mother. Try and enroll your fetus in daycare.

The law can’t have two meanings and pointing at opposite directions at the same time. On the one hand, financially, life begins at birth, settled law case closed. On the political emotional, church vote getting, pew filling Bible thumping front. Life begins at conception and the fetus becomes a super being, destined to lose its status and privileged rank at birth.

Either you have the right to privacy, or you don’t. If you do have those rights, reproductive health care is nobody’s business but your own. And if you don’t, you don’t. And then that tattoo could get you arrested. If the issue is law minus the headlines and political ambition, the issue has already been decided.

Either you have religious freedom, or you don’t. I don’t have to adhere to your religious beliefs. The Hindus truly believe that cows are their reincarnated ancestors. And yet, allow all of the McDonalds to sell their ancestors cooked to a juicy perfection with that secret sauce and a side of fries, through the drive thru. “Happy Meal! You people are monsters!”

The subprime court appears as a childish moon bounce. A court wooed with partisanship, lies and deceptions. If they’ll lie about this, they will lie about anything. A court so obviously partisan, that any ruling on any case, either way appears illegitimate. In overturning Roe, they have overturned the legitimacy of the court. Clarence “Gate Mouth” Thomas says America should just get use to court rulings they don’t like. Or as Marie Antoinette once famously remarked, “Fuck Off! You peasants!”

 One hundred and two years ago, Prohibition began in the United States. A government inspired program to clean up the morality of the average citizen through active government coercion. Which in turn inspired a rapidly growing criminal sector, which in turn, funded government corruption. Politicians looking to make a name for themselves as a crime buster, publicly tough on Speakeasy’s, but still on the take.

Here’s the thing about speakeasy’s, you could drink or gamble, smoke weed or snort cocaine or sell heroin or pick up a prostitute. There’s no cops around in a speakeasy. In an attempt to take control, they lost all control. They thought their good intentions would be enough to carry the day. They held the moral high ground with thy leatherette book. They’ve read the book. Have you read the book? Then you should really read it, because no matter how much you have read it. They still know better about your life and your particular situation, than you do. One Bible fits all.

It’s called religious bigotry, the belief that only they (The holy and sanctified) can save the world with their glorious righteousness. A rube from out of town quickly spotted by the ambitious politician or cunning patent medicine salesman. A wrestling match, a battle royal between the insincere trying to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. And those trying to get ahead the wrong way, for the wrong reasons. Each willing to forgo any principles to the other to obtain their goal.  

“Attention all planets of the solar federation; we have assumed control. We have assumed control.”

“Keep the company of those who seek the truth- run from those who have found it”
― Vaclav Havel