An African-American Child Had A Better Chance At Life During Slavery:" Just Some On The Right's Abortion Argument

August 18, 2011]-----"An African-American child had a better chance of survival during slavery than today." This and other sharply prejudicial slogans are now being used by the anti-abortion crowd on the Extreme Right. "An African-American woman's womb is where a child is most at risk, most endangered."

Yes, these slogans were shockingly put up on billboards in New York City before a huge outcry caused them to be yanked down. To equate slavery, that deep, dark, dirty stain woven into the fabric of America's history with abortion left me speechless. Some Republicans like Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and others have signed pledges with this kind of highly flammable rhetoric as backdrop.

But what is wrong with this picture? I recently read an article here that followed in this same vein. Copious questionable 'statistics' were put out to back up the writer's claim that African-Americans were being led like mindless sheep to the slaughter--that we women were so mentally deficient that we were aborting our babies at an alarmingly high rate--all the while not knowing we were unwittingly part of a master scheme to deplete our gene pool.

We were master murderers. Well according to the article. These type of rhetoric seems to be gaining in volume and pitch. It is the new ruse used by some on the Right to blatantly spread prejudicial opinions as fact and I find it deeply offensive.

Offensive because under the guise of fighting for life, this growing argument flippantly malign and marginalize a group of people. To say that "Black" women simply race to abortion clinics is disingenuous and downright dangerous for it totally skewers a topic that has myriad layers to it-- just to promote an agenda, an ideology.

It is stunning to me that Republicans are lobbying hard to slash programs that benefit the working poor and needy in America--programs like Planned Parenthood; homeless shelters and food subsidies; health insurance like Medicaid while at the same time hypocritically protesting abortions.

Any country's socio-economic health has everything to do with its medical, educational and financial 'health.' Continually giving to the super rich while fighting to take away from those who have none does "not a balanced country make."

The U.S. faces a 9.1 percent unemployment. In the African-American communities, it is 16 percent.

So if those Ultra Conservatives in Washington and beyond advocate massive cuts in social programs, they're saying have babies just don't ask for help if you desperately need it. I also wonder how many of those loud anti-abortion advocates would adopt "Black" and "Brown" babies? Help feed the hungry? The homeless?

If they don't care about the lives that are already here, how could they care about what's not even here yet? I would love to hear the same high octane noise about the 20 percent children living in poverty. The millions who may be hungry right now because their only meals were eaten in school cafeterias and school is now closed for the Summer across this country.

Children whose only doctor visit is in the over-crowded hospital emergency rooms. Children whose schools are serving up a substandard education and 12 graders read at a 4th grade level and below. Where the high school graduation rate gap between "Black" and "White" schools is so shockingly wide, it should be a national crisis.

To spew questionable statistics and boost billboards with blatant offensive slogans without honestly examining the 'why, who, where, what, when and how' of a problem is irresponsible, highly hypocritical.

Ex Republican Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, recently criticized actress Natalie Portman for having a baby out of wedlock. He not only verbally whipped Ms. Portman's choice, he also lambasted unwed mothers. See the paradoxes I'm referring to? Some on the Right criticize unwed mothers and in the same breath, call down eternal hell and brimstone on women who have abortions,.

Unless one fits into their ideological view of what a family' should look like--on what they consider right and holy--be prepared to feel their 'evangelical wrath.'

Furthermore, abortion is no longer a legal debate so trying to undermine and circumvent the law with questionable bills that attempt to re-define rape, is treacherous.

I am extremely puzzled by the "Right to Life" folks who fail to see the connection between poverty, lack of insurance, adequate housing, poor education and abortion. Then again perched so high on that self-righteous 'horse,' it may be difficult to see what is actually going on down below.