3 Terrible Developments Hidden by Our Government Behind Roe v. Wade

The overturning of Roe v. Wade is a horrific moment in history. Our so-called leaders knew that this would lead to outrage, and they used that fact to overshadow the other atrocities that they are committing. Reproductive rights are not the only thing at stake right now. While we all struggle with anger, guilt, and fear, the government is attacking us, manipulating us, and bulldozing us. As challenging as it is, we must attempt to split our focus to accommodate all that cannot go unchallenged. Here are three other developments in government which require our attention:

1. The Supreme Court Police Parity Act of 2022

On June 19, Congress passed a bill called the Supreme Court Police Parity Act of 2022 which allows the Marshal of the Supreme Court to grant protection for the immediate family of members of any justice on the Supreme Court. This bill came in the wake of a recent threat to Justice Kavanaugh. Still, this is an awfully convenient development, coming just before the official confirmation of the majority opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade. Congress should be focusing on protecting the people, not just protecting governmental powers. They are actively tearing apart the safety of their own people while demanding to be coddled. While we as a nation are being attacked, our attackers are receiving extra security. Even when we peacefully protest in this country, we are in great danger. The police are here to protect and serve, alright, but only for an elite few. 

2. Vega v. Tekoh

On June 23,  the day before overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court came to a decision on the case of Vega v. Tekoh which states that citizens who have not been read their Miranda rights at the time of arrest can no longer sue the officer responsible for this omission. In the original case of Miranda v. Arizona, the Court ruled that beyond requiring officers to notify individuals of their rights, there must be some system in place for seeking justice should this not occur. Now the Court rejects this, stating that while officers are still technically supposed to read people their rights, they will face no punishment if they fail to do so. Why bother having a rule in place if there is no means to ensure justice on the matter? To placate the people.

3. Involuntary Servitude Amendment in California

Also on the very day before the Roe v. Wade ruling, the California Senate rejected a proposal which would protect those convicted of a crime from being subject to involuntary servitude. Involuntary servitude is slavery. Currently, the state’s constitution disallows most slavery. Most? There is no acceptable reason why “most” should be part of a sentence about banning slavery. In California today, slavery is unacceptable… unless you have committed a crime. At the risk of sounding too sensible, I would say that slavery is always unacceptable. Keep in mind that the government would still be able to force people to work under this amendment. The only thing they refused is to simply pay them as well. 

When will the people of the United States get to feel properly governed by our government? When will our most basic rights stop being contingent on so many things? When will we be “allowed” to seek justice? When will our own government care more about us than saving a little money? If anyone has the answers, I think we’d all love to hear them. In the meantime, we cannot let any of these developments conclude without a fight.