They aren’t concerned

People pleased by the SCOTUS ruling overturning Roe v. Wade may bask in the satisfaction of saving unborn babies, but they may be personally impacted more than they think. It’s not likely a “pro-life” senator’s mistress will be denied a safe abortion, but poor women will die, be driven into further poverty, or suffer other disastrous consequences.

What is the intent of those who have packed the court, hypocritically and unscrupulously, with those chosen and willing to do their bidding? Like other passionately defended distractions — guns and LGBTQ — the abortion issue is used by the extreme right to distract from the already indefensible and growing wealth disparity. Stagnant wages are tied to the billions amassed by CEOs trading currencies and hiding profits in tax havens. Are ultra-right lawmakers really concerned that an impoverished woman may abort her fertilized egg?

They couldn’t be concerned about saving babies. If they were, they’d be ruling to ban assault rifles, and secure the right of children to grow up in a world free from toxic chemicals and disastrous levels of CO2. The ruling Thursday against the EPA’s ability to regulate CO2 emissions demonstrates that real-life conditions of the people, even of the planet, aren’t of concern to these five regressive members of the court, parsing and manipulating abstract interpretations of constitutional law to justify opinions that favor corporate over human and nature’s rights. For the sake of our children, we have to see through this racist, misogynistic, anti-environmental and anti-poor smokescreen.

SHELLEY BUONAIUTO

Fayetteville