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In The Beginning There Was Literature [1]

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Date: 2023-10-31  

Before the American revolution, independence, or the United States of America there was literature; there were pamphlets, newspapers, almanacs, and books. Then as now people often compiled information from literature other than books and reprinted it in books. Books contain an enormous range of thought and human experience, and literature of all kinds documented and shaped the culture of our great republic. In what I consider to be a wonderful celebration of literature and literacy the Library of Congress has compiled a list of “books by American authors that provoked thought, controversy and change throughout American history.” The list is entitled, “Books That Shaped America,” and it includes a brief description of each of the books.

I like to think that I am well versed in American literature, but I have to admit that I knew little or nothing about some of the books selected by the Library of Congress. One of the books I was not aware of is Family Limitation by Margaret Sanger, and the description of it really caught my attention:

“Margaret Sanger, “Family Limitation” (1914). While working as a nurse in the New York slums, Margaret Sanger witnessed the plight of poor women suffering from frequent pregnancies and self-induced abortions. Believing that these women had the right to control their reproductive health, Sanger published this pamphlet that simply explained how to prevent pregnancy. Its distribution through the mails was blocked by enforcement of the Comstock Law, which banned mailing of materials judged to be obscene. However, several hundred thousand copies were distributed through the first family-planning and birth control clinic Sanger established in Brooklyn in 1916 and by networks of active women at rallies and political meetings”

The subject of Ms. Sanger's pamphlet and her reasons for publishing information on birth control speak volumes about the importance of a woman's right to plan her family and limit the number of children she will bear. The thuggish censorship by paternalistic theocrats also speaks volumes about the danger posed by they who do not want a separation of church and state, and by they who want to control women. This censorship, this violation of women's rights, was also a violation of the rights of entire families – men, women, and children. Ask any man if he wants his wife to know how to avoid pregnancy other than through abstinence, and you are more than likely going to hear a resounding, “yes!” Men, like women, do not want to have more kids than they can feed.

I would like to say, “Boy, how things have changed since 1914.” Unfortunately the MAGA extremists are attacking our freedom as individuals, our system of government, our education system and our freedom of say, write and publish anything with which they disagree. Make no mistake about it, the Republican Party fully intends to undo all of the progress we have made in regard to human rights during the entire the twentieth century. When the undemocratic, sanctimonious triumvirate of Moscow Mitch McConnell, Leonard Leo of Federalist Society infamy, and former President Donald Trump packed the federal judiciary and particularly the U.S. Supreme Court with theocratic fascists, they effectively took a hammer to the fragile separation of church and state. The result was exactly what the fascists wanted. The corrupt, MAGA court overturned Row v. Wade with the Dobbs decision. This horrible decision to ignore over fifty years of precedent in order to deprive women of their reproductive rights, even when doing so causes women serious harm and sometimes kills them, has greatly emboldened the theocratic fascists. Throughout much of the bible belt draconian laws prohibiting all abortions are being passed in defiance of the objection to such laws by a majority of the voters in those states. And it gets worse, because the theocrats, particularly Clarence Thomas, actually want to ban birth control.

As the 1914 publication date of Family Limitation suggests, there is nothing new about the despotic theocracy movement. It has been with us for a very long time, but it has now taken over the Republican Party. Forget this nonsense about Republican moderates. They either do not exist or they lack the courage and conscience to do what is right for this country. Jim Jordan was rejected as speaker of the house because even spineless conservatives consider him to be a bellicose pain in the ass. What the misnamed Republican moderates have deemed acceptable is a mannerly theocratic fascist ( MAGA Mike Johnson) who holds views that are even more extreme than those held by Jordan. And the Republicans made MAGA Mike speaker of the house with a unanimous vote. Lets just take a look at some of Johnson's dangerous and abhorrent opinions. As ABC reported:

“Johnson is “a supporter of former President Donald Trump and a 2020 election denier.” SNIP “In a podcast recorded in September 2022, Johnson referred to the 'so-called separation of church and state' and said 'the founders wanted to protect the church from an encroaching state, not the other way around.' “ SNIP “Johnson has a long history of opposing abortion rights and has earned an "A+" rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. He has endorsed a bill that would ban abortion nationally after 15 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. Johnson's home state of Louisiana has a total abortion ban, with limited exceptions. He has also endorsed anti-abortion legislation that would effectively ban abortions nationwide after six to seven weeks.” SNIP “Prior to joining Congress in 2017, he spent years fighting against gay rights, which he staunchly opposes, citing his Christian faith.”

Just how morally and intellectually bankrupt has the Republican Party become? Well, in addition to making MAGA Mike the speaker of the house, their presumptive presidential nominee is the twice impeached, four times indicted former President, Donald Trump, who was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a civil suit, has boasted about grabbing women in their private parts, and has been found liable for business fraud in a civil suit brought against Trump, Trump's children and Trump Enterprises. What is even more astounding is that many of the MAGA's say they will vote for presidential candidate Trump even if he is convicted on any or all of the ninety one criminal charges brought against him.

Is this the America shaped by the wonderful literature we celebrate? It must not be so. We must not let it happen. As some you may have noticed, next year, 2024 will be the one hundred and tenth anniversary of the publication of Margaret Sanger's, “ Family Limitation . ”What a perfect time the election of that year will be to protect our democracy, our 14thamendment guarantee of privacy, a woman's right to choose, our education system, and our freedom to say, write and publish whatever we want by handing the theocratic fascist Republicans the worst election defeat in history! Vote for the dignity of all people and destiny of democracy. Vote for Democrats!

Note: I do not believe that most religious people are theocrats, but you can bet that the ones who are will cal me a “Godless Liberal.” – mainly because “Godless Commie” has lost its sting.

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