There are a variety of reasons you might have landed here today. Regardless of why you came here today, you might wonder why I would say anything about Roe v. Wade, the federal right to have an abortion that was recently overturned. What does this have to do with education? I will tell you if you can manage to get through my next statement.
I’m a Christian, and I am pro-life. I had a hysterectomy in December 2020 three weeks before my dad died. I can no longer birth children, but when I could, I knew this was an action I would never take and it is an action I don’t want any other person to take. However, I believe in free will, and I believe people should have the right to live how they want and choose their own actions.
There is a parable in the Bible where Jesus challenges others to participate in stoning a person if they were sinless. I’m not sinless. All I do is try to live the best way I can and share thoughts about education and education resources. If you are out in the world and especially if you are an educator, do not take anything at face value. Dig below the surface and dig deep.
The video below featuring Jane Elliott explains the book “The Birth Dearth” (it is currently out of print), and it should also help you understand The Replacement Theory. Do you remember the white terrorist who intentionally killed Black people in Buffalo, New York? Hopefully, you haven’t forgotten so soon. This white terrorist did it because of his belief in the Replacement Theory which is the belief that white people will become extinct.
Roe v. Wade is about WHITE FEAR. When it comes to race, the leading groups of abortions are by white women and Black women. It is important to note that white deaths are exceeding white births in many states. Get this … the fetus at the center of Roe v. Wade was NOT aborted. The mother gave birth and put the child up for adoption. Last year, she decided to reveal she was the “Roe baby” and share her story.
Much of my education work centers around culturally responsive pedagogy and practices. I offer it knowing that some will resist, but they have free will and choice. I assert the resistance is rooted in fear. It’s the fear of what will happen if white people lose their power. At the end of this video clip below, Elliott addresses that fear.
If you need further evidence that white people are fearing their numbers declining check out this video below where Illnois Republication Representative Mary Miller, standing next to former Presdient Trump said, “I want to thank you for the historic victory for white life in the Supreme Court yesterday.” Of course the clean-up crew arrived and claimed that she misspoke and meant to say, “victory for right to life.” There are a lot of white people saying their hidden thoughts out loud and then claiming they misspoke. The fear is shaking the truth in their hearts out of them.
The dialogue surrounding Roe v. Wade IS an education issue and needs to be important to educators. Hopefully, after reading this, you will be a bit more critical.
Many conservatives who claim to be pro-life aren’t; they are pro-birth. They don’t care about those babies after they are born. Real pro-life people, like me, do which again brings me back to the education work I do. The quality of life for too many kids is deplorable. What is the point of forcing a woman to give birth when there are no guarantees the child will have a good education and when there are no guarantees the child won’t die in a school shooting?
Also, let’s move from being reactive to being proactive. The same people who are against abortion are also against comprehensive sex education.
I have had two students during my career that told me they were pregnant, and I was the first person they told. Yes, we talked about abortion. Many pregnant teens worry if they should do this or if they will be forced to have an abortion once their parents discover they are pregnant. I said to them and to adults who have talked to me that I wouldn’t do this, but they have to choose for themselves. Me being pro-life shouldn’t impact others. Banning abortions does not stop abortions; it pushes people to have unsafe ones.
I host the podcast Brazen Education. The last episode I completed before I wrote this and the first two episodes of this year were about sex education. I ensured that I had multiple viewpoints because I wanted my viewers to choose for themselves. Even if people didn’t agree with certain viewpoints, and people sure did write in to let me know, I believe most people understood that all guests were saying that we, as a society, are not doing a good job of talking about our bodies and our reproductive systems with children to the level that we should.
My most recent guest, anatomy teacher Ali McDillon, shared that students asked if the pull-out method was a viable method to prevent births. In a scientific way she explained and told them no. Isn’t it better for children to understand concepts like this so they are not putting themselves into a situation where they are having an unplanned pregnancy which could lead to the contemplation of abortion?
Whether you or pro-life or pro-choice, I do not care. What I care about is what is in your heart especially if you are a teacher. I want to know if fear of white supremacy and white power crumbling is the driver for teachers’ actions in the classroom and their resistance to celebrating diversity, ensuring that representation of the students in the classroom is in the curriculum, and using culturally responsive practices. I want to know if they really care about doing their best for the children who were born and show up every day in their class.
Just for a second, I need my so-called pro-life folks to listen up. If you are really pro-life and do not care about ensuring that babies have a chance at a good life after they are born and you do not plan to take any action, then please take this action: shut your mouth and get far away from me.