Forty years ago

the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision on Roe v. Wade. In that decision, the court found in favor of a woman's right to privacy in the matter of whether she sought an abortion, putting what may be only a temporary end to the era of women dying of botched illegal abortions in back alleys or in other unclean places. Prior to that time, many of the women who had abortions died or were maimed such that future childbirth was impossible.

Today, there are clinics in larger cities where women can see specialists who know how to do this while maintaining the woman's integrity.

There remains a battle, however. Religious zealots have found an outlet for their inner bullies, and swarm around anyone seeking family planning services that don't follow their own dogmatic ideologies. These bullies hurl invective designed to demean and verbally bludgeon women who already know their options. These bullies have no real knowledge of the women's situations, and don't really care. The bullies would tell me that they are trying to "save the babies," when their deeper goal--even deeper than they themselves often realize--is to wrest control over the less fortunate.

I have no right to make the choice for any woman. My government has no right to make that choice in my name. The anti-choice bullies certainly have no right to impose their religious-based zealotry on any woman.

Today's Courier-Journal has several editorials and op-ed pieces regarding the anniversary of Roe v Wade. Some of the positions are frankly scary in their misogyny and patriarchy.