After the dust settled from the Supreme Court's egregious yet expected ruling on Dobbs, it seems everyone has at least one contrarian take on abortion and what our society owes women as regards reproductive health care. I can't help but compare the debate over abortion to the fight over drinking in the early 20th century which led to Prohibition.
Both the pro-life movement and the anti-drinking forces represented small minorities who implacably opposed fairly popular policies. Working behind the scenes as well as in national campaigns, proponents were able to convince state lawmakers to implement policies which in the case of Prohibition led to mob control of alcohol production and distribution. The Supremes have now set the stage for a nationwide ban on abortion which could conceivably spark another civil war between blue and red states.
In both cases, politicians felt they could control the movements which supported them. Prohibition and now pro-life have proved them wrong. Politicians reacted like the proverbial dog who caught the car. They were and are unsure what to do next. Thousands died during Prohibition due to a band of zealots taking over the system. Thousands will die in coming years due to another band of true believers. Why do we have to repeat the mistakes history shows us are avoidable?
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