BRIDGING THE ABORTION DIVIDE
A Modest Proposal for the Abortion Divide to Unite the USA
How to balance the scales in the pro-life/pro-choice dispute
What’s good for the goose is good for the …
It is a hallmark of conservative belief that policymakers should be risk-averse, arguably far more so than liberals. As such, they should be true to their convictions and carry that inherent caution to the risk of unwanted pregnancies.
So, if pro-life absolutists should also subscribe to banning contraceptives, then equity demands — even more — some compensating measure for females bearing the burden of abortion bans. Ergo, our dearest principles of justice mandate a masculine method to preclude innocent girls and single women from suffering unwanted impregnation.
This must involve a requirement for universal and mandatory vasectomies.
I’m aware others have suggested this is as droll commentary: little more than a tit for tat — or testicles for a teat, so to speak. This proposal, in stark contrast, prescribes what the states can do to reconcile equal treatment under the law with the post-conception lockdowns of female loins.
And, unlike being forced to carry an embryo to term, vasectomies can be medically reversed. So, even after meeting the urologist’s scalpel, teenage boys and men still will have the better part of the bargain.
Just a tad less liberty — but equity for all
Southern whites once considered racial integration an unacceptable intrusion on their way of life. Yet the destruction of racism’s legacy demanded that they adapt — and many have. This son of a Black registered Republican benefited from that national evolution.
So, American males may march on the same path of initial resistance. But we can remind them that over a century ago, the federal government established the Select Service registration system (aka, the draft). That provided precedent for government control over the bodies of able-bodied males.
Just as the draft was a necessary response for defending American interests, universal vasectomies will protect what conservatives believe is human life.
Moving from voter IDs to VASTIDs
Accordingly, I propose the universal registration of American males, along with their genitals, commencing upon reaching 13 years of age. I do not, however, anticipate it will be necessary to stamp those private parts with serial numbers or other identifying markers. That would be extreme.
But just as our modern political right has advanced voter ID laws, as they suggest is required to prevent voter fraud, we can institute a system of vasectomy IDs — or VASTIDs, to anticipate what would be a useful acronym for the TV ads to promote the program.
VASTIDs would be issued during male adolescence and to adults as documentation that their vasectomies were performed. The procedure could be expedited, administered, and verified by local physicians — preferably certified urologists.
However, to avoid inordinate delays in implementation — particularly during shortages of available medical specialists — school nurses might be trained to perform the necessary tinkering on school-age boys.
Thus, American schools will become a central point of access for rolling out the new anti-abortion regime. All public and private high schools, registered by the education departments of every state, would be required to have their male populations show proof of VASTIDs. This might even be required as a condition for receiving a high school or college degree.
Admittedly, throughout the healthcare system, there could be shortages of vasectomy clinicians. And they could exceed the post-Roe shortages of medical personnel in red states — that is, available to girls and women for servicing pregnancy-related complications.
But that disruption should not hinder other physicians, such as podiatrists, from learning on the job how to complete the vasectomy procedures. As with any new skill, practice will make perfection.
Supporting conservative equity with law and order
For the vasectomy mandates to be effective, broad enforcement mechanisms will have to be established.
Thus, VASTIDs should become essential for accessing all of the following: social security numbers, bank accounts, gun permits, passports, driver’s licenses, or for working in law enforcement. And, as well, keeping and obtaining voter IDs in those states that require them.
During a brief transition period, I understand this may result in adult males being unable to legally drive — which, ironically, would be the converse of the ban women have faced for decades in Saudi Arabia. But those men should be able to rely upon their spouses, girlfriends, and mothers to take the wheel until the inconvenience is resolved.
So let me now, again, anticipate the most vocal spasms for this proposal’s birth: I have no intention here to halt the perpetuation of the population. The American gene pool is not at risk by this plan.
An on-off switch for empowering women
As already stated, medical science has demonstrated vasectomies can be reversed. That genie corked in the bottle can always be released.
Consequently, licensing for reversal could be obtained from local governments by adults: upon application for a marriage license — and with a countersignature from the bride. However, that must be subject to quarterly renewal exclusively at the wife’s discretion.
(And, perhaps, until she reaches menopause.)
By necessity, failure to obtain that approval for renewal of fertility would result in a summons issued to undergo the procedure, once again. Further failure to comply with the government summons would have to result in some form of hefty fine, inclusive of arrest for the worst offenders.
Those warrants might be flagged for enforcement, to illustrate, upon the occurrence of police stops for speeding committed by motorists. Florida, under Ron DeSantis, has provided a potential model and precedent: the use of police to arrest citizens deemed to have voted illegally. So, Florida should be the first state to adopt this.
Clearly, the institution of this new VASTID regime would both diminish unwanted pregnancies and protect unborn life. That, undeniably, approaches gender equity. And females would no longer carry, like some desert camel, the exclusive burden for the new abortion bans.
Hence, males of all ages would do their part to balance the scales. But, we still have key details to discuss of how legislators can introduce this plan: That will come in the next post. The previous installment (Part 3) can be accessed here.
Thanks for your attention, and I welcome your response. To follow future posts, you can press the button. — Geronimo Redstone
