"Your Children Are an Endangered Species"

Question: What if a stranger came up to you on the street with a picture of baby of the same ethnicity as yours and told you he or she was an endandered species? How would feel? How would you react? Would it even make sense to you what they were trying to say?

Well, it didn't to me either when this happened to me the other day.

No, It wasn't a random "crazy" person on the street. I was in my own little bubble of law school and I just so happened to venture into a Women in Law meeting (which I was dragged into by the way) and I was immediately compounded with the below image:

Hmmmmm..... My first question was: "Is this forreal? And where is this billboard located?" Then I asked myself: "How does this make me feel?" Immediately the first thing I thougt of was the Zoo. I mean think a bout it, where are most endangered spiecies  kept for protection? Zoo or Animal Refuges, right? Right! So, I thought they were trying to say our children belong in the zoo. If this is not what you thought, please let me know. It even looks like a Zoo ad to me! But anyway....let me tell you about what the billboard is really about.

Abortion! 

Yep, you guessed it, the #1 Hot Topic of all time. Abortion. The billboard is sponsored by a public interest group by the name of Georgia Right to Life (GRL). The billboard is alerting "women of color" that too many of thier children are killed before birth through abortion procedures and that if they do not "take action" that soon black children will become extinct. Right? Because, according to this billboard they are already endangered and what is the next step after that? Extinction? Yeah.

This billboard is political backing for Georgia Senate Bill 529 [SB 529- Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act]. Some  Reproductive Justice activists have coined it the " OG/GYN Criminalization and Racial Discriminization Act." More about Reproductive Justice here. They fear the Bill targets "women of color" by limiting their resources to seek abortions. Let me explain: The bill (which I cannot locate on the internet but only see it referenced in other blogs and news articles)  imposes criminal sanctions on any person, doctor, freind, or foe who  (1) coerces a woman into having an abortion, or (2) performs or obtains an abortion for the purpose with the intent to prevent the birth of the child based upon the race, gender, or color of the baby, or (3) any parent who coerces their child to seek an abortion based upon the race of the father (or mother).

Ok, so what is so bad about that? I mean, none of the above reasons are valid reasons to have an abortion correct? Would you agree? Does it matter that over 18,000 abortions were performed on women of color in Georgia last year? Who account for 59% of all abortions, but are only 30% of the population. Of course the numbers are skewed because private care providers do not have to report abortions unlike Planned Parenthood, so there will be disparity amongst the numbers. Again, what's the problem with that?

I strongly suggest (if you are interested) to follow the provided link above to learn more about the Bill and also read some insight on why this Bill is so bad, because it could be coming to a neighborhood near you. The bill has piqued some interest with other  states, namely Tennessee. But check out the article, cause I'm tired of writing and I have to study.... toodles.

~ Brooks