by: Kimberly Gadette
Back in 2006, I wrote a political commentary entitled “Long Arm of the Law Reaching Up U.S. Women’s Skirts”
While my initial commentary was a reaction to an ’06 South Dakota abortion law, though the names have changed, the song remains the same. Rather than Gov. Mike Rounds, it’s now Gov. Dennis Daugaard, governating his state into trying to control what women do and don’t do with their bodies.
But gee, look how far we’ve come. Forget about long arms of the law … now we’re getting long arms of vaginal probes. Colder, and so much more punishing — and in so many new and delightful ways.
Back then, I wrote: “When one man puts an uninvited hand up a woman’s skirt, it might be considered harassment, molestation, assault, perhaps even rape. But when one U.S. government puts an uninvited hand [or probe] up all women’s skirts … these days, it’s considered business as usual.”
Like prospective home buyers during a Sunday open house, it seems everyone’s entitled to barge on into women’s private parts and take a good, long look around. Like a veritable womb with a view. Does it have solar panels, too?
If this were terra firma, I’d be able to call on the Fourth Amendment to legally defend my property rights. But since this is terra “femma” I’m expected to simply lie there, gracious hostess to the last, while all manner of judges, legislators and tea party-ers probe at will. Gracious me, there’s so much traffic going on, I’m surprised they haven’t put up a stoplight.
Someone could get hurt. Seriously.
Let’s hope that enough people, woman and men, recall that Roe v. Wade happened forty years ago — and that we now all raise our voices in vociferious indignation.
I can’t wait to see the results when these same legislators attempt to reinvent fire.