Groans and Fist Pumps

Check out the new look! It's books because I love books and am a shameless dork. But they're colorful because they look fun, and I like fun too. Books and fun are not mutually exclusive, people. (You're probably already groaning...)

Anyway, sometimes I read things and they just make me groan. And then I read other things that make me fist pump and break into a fit of bellowing laughter. Let me explain.

First, Britain just voted for female heirs to have equal rights to their throne after many many years of antiquated laws. That means under the old system, my younger brother would have taken the throne, but if we were royalty, it'd be mine now. Fist pump.

Here comes the groan.

This recent campaign for a "personhood" amendment to Mississippi's State Constitution is absurd. It's the newest anti-abortion strategy, to declare a fertilized egg as a legal person. Whatever meathead drafted this one deserves some special sort of award. 

Taking Public Health Law has given me a new respect for the US Constitution and the hierarchy of authority in our government. I certainly don't understand nearly as much as many other people, but I appreciate the interpretation of the Supreme Court in previous reproductive rights cases. Apparently, the law is all about being "reasonable" and they have decided time and again that women have rights, with an implied "Duh!"  

This amendment would not only illegalize abortion with no exception for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest but also certain forms of birth control, such as IUDs and the morning after pill, which prevent fertilized eggs from implanting, aka making a little home for itself on the wall of the uterus. After studying previous cases, and understanding the well respected right to liberty to make reproductive choices without intrusion by the government, I have slightly more confidence that this will be struck down if it ever gets voted in. 

What these people probably haven't even considered is the invasion of privacy that enforcing this would entail - theoretically, every sexually active woman of childbearing age could be considered more than one person. Also, when is someone's birthday if they're declared a person upon fertilization? Does this mean they have to change their age to be able to drive, vote, and drink?

BUT - people much smarter than I in the law world have more hilarious questions for the dummies, I mean, advocates for "Yes on 26" which can be found here. Fist pump and laughter.

Happy Halloween!