Roe vs. Wade
Garden Spices could not publish an issue on a day representing pseudo-independence without speaking to the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe vs. Wade. Women’s freedom of choice was usurped by a process that did not account for the majority of people it served. It is a devastation and threatens to be a precursor for the dismantling of democracy on so many levels.
Emotions run high, but it is now that we must look to the future. In her Facebook post, Guest Contributor, Liz LaRue, speaks to our issues and eloquently proposes necessary action. Gate open – Victorine
Photo by Jasmine on Unsplash
To my Sistahs across my FB family:
I want to offer my condolences to you for having to go backward in the history of 50 years banning your right to determine the health of your own body. To those of you fighting polycystic ovarian syndrome, Endometriosis, hormonal fluctuations in pre-menopause, who have no access to good consistent family planning, or find yourself in the absolutely untenable situation of having been raped, or a victim of incest, sexual abuse, have no funds for birth control, or the funds for another child, and that there is no male birth control, or are faced with hormonal needs during cancer treatment, transitioning to female, severe acne, needing estrogen or androgen hormonal balancing, or ectopic pregnancies…I am sorry that you have to face no access to these important medical services depending on the state you live in.
Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash
You see, when many of us as young women in the 1960s-1970s all knew of one of our sisters dying of botched abortions, or forced to carry a rapist’s child, denied treatment for debilitating syndromes like Endometriosis, or had fertility issues, we went to bat for you. We thought the battle was finished. The only thing we needed to do was to fight to get equal medical care for our Black, Native American, Latino American, Trans Sisters, and rural sisters who have to travel hundreds of miles for a check-up.
Unfortunately, our society has not done due training about women’s health needs for everyone. It is a hidden subject in schools, national conversations, families, etc. How hidden? Well, considering there is a U.S. shortage of menstrual supplies, which few national networks are reporting on, or finding ways to help shows how hidden our needs are. We mothers also have not done a good job of educating our sons about our physical health needs….because if we had done so adequately, we wouldn’t even be in the problem of the Supreme Court reversing Roe vs. Wade in the first place. Reach out any way we can to our sisters who are suffering right now. Realize we WILL lose some of us from non-treatment of ectopic pregnancies, rape and incest trauma, and important conditions needing birth control aftercare hormones, especially our young girls finding themselves in unfortunate deadly circumstances.
Talk about this. Keep the conversation open and going. Realize that reversing Roe vs. Wade is setting back OUR healthcare 50 years and silencing our healthcare by about 75%. But, unfortunately, we still don’t have what we need yet.
We thought we were through with this. But the fight for our bodies continues on a path of ignorance. Put a light on that darkness with education, info sharing, and common sense knowledge. Do not depend on knowledge coming from centuries before, as the new must eclipse and build on the old for a better future.
Christine “Liz” LaRue
Christine “Liz” LaRue is a clay artist and illustrationist. She is known for her intricately textured figurative sculptures and emotionally illustrative drawings. Chicago born though also raised in Utah and Idaho, Ms. LaRue is of Creole/Cuban descent. Her art has been influenced by her Afro-Latino heritage. Ms. LaRue’s interests has been in Pre-Columbian art of the Olmec, Maya of Mexico, Nazca and Moche face pots of Peru. This also includes the bronze sculptures of the Ife of Nigeria, and Tā Moko tattoo art of the Maōri.
Ms. LaRue got hooked on ceramics at the age of 10 at the Hull House Art and Music Camp. She earned a B.A. in Latin American Studies with a Ceramics Minor from the University of Denver. She has a Master’s degree in clinical social work specializing in multi-cultural families.
Though she lived briefly in Mexico pursuing ceramic art studies, she brought the knowledge
back to Chicago to teach wheel throwing and handbuilding a various ceramic studios in
Chicago. Ms. LaRue’s art work spotlights the beauty of the African American portraiture so
ignored in American mainstream society.