The Judge

Some have said all of Trump's immoral behavior is worth it, because he nominates conservative judges.

Many Evangelicals and other Christians hope conservative judges will overturn Roe v. Wade. It could happen, but some conservatives doubt it. I doubt it, because the issue has been such a motivator for the conservative vote. Would Republicans want to get rid of this incentive? Some would, but not the crafty ones.

Conservative judges also fairly consistently vote in favor of providing influence for the rich, while ruling against the disenfranchised. I'm thinking, for example, of Citizens United and the travel ban. Perhaps you have better examples. Let's agree, at least, that conservative courts tend to be business friendly, and businesses with the most influence are the largest, most profitable ones.

Another side of conservatism has been to reduce funding for the poor. In this case I'm not talking about courts and judges so much as conservative politics in general and the Republican Party. The right also votes against concerns for the environment in favor of business, and the effects of an unhealthy environment take a greater toll on the poor than on the rich.

The persistent favoring of rich over poor has put me off from the Republican Party for some time. Because I felt strongly about abortion, I still often voted Republican. Until I concluded that I was being manipulated.

Many conservatives decry sex education and impede the provision of contraceptives. In the US, we don't offer much in the way of health care for mothers. We require them to get a job to qualify for assistance, and then don't provide child care. The primary reason given for having an abortion is that the mother or family cannot afford to have the child. Sex ed, child care, better health care, and contraceptives could reduce the incidence of abortion, but more and more we simply blame the poor for being poor and pregnant and convince ourselves that a little cruelty will teach them their much-needed lessons.

There is much talk about the evils of abortion with very little effort to do much about it.

Nonsense, you say, we support laws against it.

But where do those laws get us? Abortion is illegal in Argentina, yet the rate of abortion there is much higher than here. Simply having laws won't cut it. Laws do achieve stigmatization, and I suspect that is the goal. To criminalize women in rocky straits, we cheer for a president who has defrauded thousands of people, abused women, lied without ceasing, and boasted about all of these as accomplishments.

Let's suppose Roe v. Wade is overturned. What then? Those who want an abortion may have to travel to another state. If abortion were banned nationwide, they might have to go to another country. That would reduce abortion—for poor people. People of means could travel for the procedure; only the poor could not.

Which, come to think of it, makes an abortion ban the perfect Republican solution: only the poor are affected.

I guess a conservative judge would help ensure that poor people had fewer rights and rich people had more opportunity. So, if one believes that this is the divine order, then one might do just about anything to get such a judge.

Is this our witness? Don't expect it to appeal to those who labor and are heavy laden.