The New York Times magazine printed an
important article, “Pro-life Nation”, dealing the realities that women
face when abortion is made illegal, in this case in El Salvador.
What is presented there is exactly what the
Christian fascists have in mind for the US. In fact, some of the exact
same people responsible for the situation in El Salvador are playing
important roles in building a theocracy here. Even if this was the only
thing that the Bush Regime was trying to do, it would be sufficient
reason to drive them out.
There are many lessons in this article, but
a striking one is the total capitulation of the FMLN to the anti-women
agenda. In the name of keeping some seats in government, they are now
functionaries in a state that effectively criminalizes women, one which
the article notes has an “active law-enforcement apparatus ( the
police, investigators, medical spies, forensic vagina inspectors and a
special division of the prosecutor’s office.”
Does anyone really think that if the
Democrats have to choose between keeping their seats in Congress and
protecting the rights of women that they wouldn’t do the same thing?
Does anyone think that Hillary Clinton would do more than ask,
politely, for more “humane” “forensic vagina inspectors”? What happened
in El Salvador is a text-book example of how NOT to defend the rights
of women, or anybody.
What was needed there, and what we need
here, is a movement of millions taking independent historical action
and which doesn’t limit itself to the (literally) killing confines of
politics as usual.
The World Can’t Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime!
[One final comment – the article totally
obscures the US role in El Salvador. As an example, it says that
Archibishop Romero was killed by “right-wing death squads.” This is an
old lie, part of the propaganda designed to obscure the reality that
the US was supporting a government that ruled by torture and terror,
and which killed tens of thousands of people in the 1980s. Romero was
killed under the orders of Roberto D’aubison, a leader in the El
Salvadoran government who was trained at the School of the Americas
(also known as the School of the Assassins).]
(Source: “Pro-life Nation“, By Jack Hitt, New York Times Magazine, April 9, 2006)