Devolving

Help me to understand this, please. An eleven-year-old girl is raped, and becomes pregnant. Unless her pregnancy is discovered by six weeks she carry that baby to term. That is now law. Most eleven-year-old bodies are not yet developed enough to safely carry a baby to term. Perhaps this was her very first cycle and she’s never even had a period. Statistically, the rapist was a relation or other trusted adult. Now she is pregnant. Being only eleven it is doubtful she fully understands how she became pregnant, much less what pregnancy entails. At age eleven she still plays with Barbies. She still plays make-believe. She cannot care for a real infant, nor should she. If she is placed in protective services because the rapist is also daddy, or grandpa she will go through a pregnancy in a child’s body with a child’s emotional development with no support. Trauma on top of trauma,on top of trauma.

Let’s give her caring parents who respond appropriately . Their little girl has been through hell. She played with dolls before the assault. Now she wakes up at night screaming. They are not going to risk her ability to have future children when she is an adult. They are not going to watch her suffer through that pregnancy. Can the rapist sue them if they take their daughter out of state to end the pregnancy that is an additional trauma? Will their concerned neighbor sue,or their pastor?

An adult woman who has an unplanned pregnancy is always the villain. If she has been raped it was her fault. She shouldn’t have walked there, worn that, trusted him. If she has consensual sex and becomes pregnant she is also the only one who has done wrong. If she is poor she is doubly guilty. Only males are allowed to have sex without consequences. Now it doesn’t really matter if the pregnancy ends in miscarriage or she takes a trip out of state. Anyone can sue her. There are always the self righteous who make it their business to create additional suffering in God’s name. What if her rapist sues? Are we going to force women and girls to marry their rapist next?

Let’s not pretend this law is about protecting the unborn. It is not to protect the health and safety of women. This is about male fear and loathing. Loathing those who point out their inadequacy. Fear of losing their power and dominion over others. They must kick down. Causing additional pain is the point.

Cave men with clubs are writing our laws and we are letting them.