SCOTUS Ruling on Texas
Abortion court cases are tests by overreaching state
legislatures waging an ideological war seemingly forever. Texas is the latest example over the past
several years. They keep pressing for abortion limits. For some reason Texas legislators have
taken on the business of protecting society from abortion.
First of all, abortion is legal. So no one needs protection
from the procedure itself. Second, it is legitimate to set standards of
performance for the procedure itself so as to protect patients from botched
abortions. But that assumes protections are not already in place. They are.
Third, protecting the fetus is the actual goal of these legislators but so far
the fetus is not a being legally in need of protection. It is such ONLY if your
theology/philosophy/social make-up says it is so. Last I checked that doesn’t
meet the test for legal protection.
It appears that Texas
is all about outlawing abortion itself. It has made it expensive and nearly
procedurally impractical to provide. That is the basis of the SCOTUS ruling:
the protections went too far and created an overwhelming burden on the patient
to get reasonable, affordable and accessible care.
Why conservatives – who feel all government is an intrusion
to private life – should insert their government into the lives of women, their
bodies and their reproductive practices, is a complete mystery to me.
The solution is simple. If you think abortion is wrong, then
don’t get one, and teach your kids to avoid abortions at all costs. Let other
people live by their beliefs as you are free to live by your own. Pretty
simple. If you are right and abortion is a sin punishable by death and eternal
damnation, then that is on the conscience of those who believe in abortion. Not
on you, them. Get it?
More Brexit Fallout
Brexit is testing definitions of agreements, standards,
legal concepts, intellectual property
protection and a host of other topics. What does a nation agree to and give up in
a trade treaty? Is this a life or death issue for all? I doubt that.
Collaboration and cooperation is something the NATO partners
have been living for generations, now. So too educational agreements and
intellectual sharing. Research and development practices have soared and
prospered in the past 30 years or longer. And the European Union streamlined a
whole lot of law, commerce rules and currency issues all at once. Living with
it all has been a test of wills but in time most became smooth operationally.
Politics is an entirely different affair. That’s where
personalities get involved and along with that emotions, resentments and
common, ordinary fears that someone is taking advantage of you. Truth be told
very little ‘taking advantage’ of anyone else has occurred in the past 40 years
in the EU. Rather the opposite. Partners learned how to act in concert with one
another. Bonds were strengthened, not weakened. And the only nigglers for upset
were the politicians using the EU as a wedge issue to win local and regional
elections. The shame is on them. But also on the voters who fell for it and now
suspect the EU as a bad deal for England . It isn’t. Only the normal
changes that visit all of our nations and societies are happening and they are
not all comfortable.
It is natural to blame the discomfort on someone. But here’s
the truth about that: if a change is happening that challenges us to become a
different person or acquire a different skill, then we should embrace that and
get on with life. Change is healthy and good for us. It sharpens the brain and
our senses. We are much more capable and creative people than we give ourselves
credit for.
Embrace change and get on with life. Playing victim covers
only a little time frame before it gets destructive. And the victim then becomes
yourself.
North American
Economic Integration
Various forms of cooperation and collaboration are already
written into protocols, policies and some trade agreements among Canada , the USA
and Mexico .
Even without such pacts there is much collaboration among these three nations.
And rightly so.
As it is American corporations freely manufacture their
goods in all three nations however they determine their cost/benefit analyses.
These are business decisions and all three nations benefit from such movement
of commerce among the three trading partners. Making it more collaborative is a
good thing. Whether formal trade agreements are needed I am not knowledgeable
about. So, continue the practices; develop trade pacts as needed, but keep the
progress moving forward.
Sharing educational, research, trade, manufacturing and
economic development freely among the three nations will only produce a more
stable, sustainable and vibrant innovative economic revolution. That is good
for all of us – worker, investor, manager and policy maker.
This development is to be cheered not feared.
July 1, 2016
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