The End of Roe, the Murad Code, the Fracturing Right
KTF Weekly Newsletter
Hi everybody,
We know that emotions are pulling people in many, many different directions with the news this week that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade. Some thoughts on that news below. And a lot more on that subject is coming in one of our first episodes of Season 2 of Shake the Dust (more info very soon). For now, let’s get to this week’s highlights.
Jonathan’s recommendations:
Last week, the 538 Politics podcast released the episode “Where is the Political Right Headed? Here’s Where It’s Been.” Host, Galen Druke and author Matthew Continetti give a crash course on the right side of the American political landscape for those trying to figure out what the qualitative and quantitative differences between the right, conservatism, and the Republican Party actually are. The episode introduces to Continetti’s book, The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism, and dives deep into what it has to say. For followers of Jesus who are trying to disentangle political ideals from the teachings of Jesus and the Kingdom of God, a basic understanding of the historical, political context is essential to resist the idols of power and control. Without interrogating the goals, intentions, and contexts of those who seek and possess political power, we too can conflate our desires with God’s desires when often they are not the same.
May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month and this article by Michelle Yang features Stop AAPI Hate co-founder Russell Jeung along with a wonderful set of resources to help children engage and celebrate our friends in the AAPI community. In the article, Trina Patel of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco says, “Hate is so often the result of isolation, disconnect and a lack of understanding.” And the first step in loving our neighbors is listening to them and taking their stories seriously. The resources shared here are especially necessary for we who desire to help children remove the colonized lenses from their eyes when perceiving those who hold AAPI heritage.
Suzie’s recommendations:
This recent Wall Street Journal article provides a window into the world of blind fashion influencers. Their presence on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok serves to contradict some prevalent preconceived notions about blind people. The piece also exposes the beauty industry as an accessibility black hole. People with disabilities should be able to choose for themselves whether or not they would like to participate in that space, and the ability to do so normalizes their experience. This piece is a reminder to stretch our empathetic muscle and recognize areas of our lives that we take for granted and barriers that prevent others from having the same access. If you hit the Wall Street Journal’s paywall trying to read the article, you can look up some of the featured influencers like Molly Burke, Brittney Ellis, Lucy Edwards, and blogger Ming Wu directly to learn more.
In recent weeks reports of sexual violence related to the conflict in Ukraine have emerged in horrific detail. While sexual and gender-based violence is, tragically, often an element of war, there are times when it is perpetrated at random. There are also times when sexual violence is inflicted as a systematic weapon of subjugation and social control. Both are disgusting, grievous, and unacceptable, but the latter amounts to rarely prosecuted war crimes. This NPR article provides important context for understanding the weaponization of rape in Ukraine. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad launched the Murad Code at the UN last month as a step towards accountability for such crimes, providing clear guidelines on how to gather evidence and protect victims from further harm. However, there is still so much to be done. Lord, grant us the strength and courage to not look away, to safeguard the vulnerable, and to pursue justice.
Sy’s recommendations:
This week’s leak from the Supreme Court informed us all that the federal constitutional right to abortion in America is about to expire. This means that the fury and polarization over abortion that used to spike every four years with the presidential election will now be a constant fight at local levels. And not just in legislatures. Many states criminalized abortions before Roe, and those laws will immediately resume their effect sometime before the end of next month. But usually county-level prosecutors enforce criminal laws. So, many progressive DAs, elected in blue areas of red states, will not prosecute abortion. This interview with one Michigan prosecutor lays out how complicated this will make things for the hundreds of thousands of women across the country who, as in the days before Roe, will continue having abortions.
A few helpful and interesting thoughts from Twitter this week on abortion that are a little outside mainstream commentary. First, former Shake the Dust guest Kyle Howard with strong words for Christians who fought to overturn Roe for decades while creating a world where more abortions happen. Here’s a thread on how abortion access is actually understood to be required by Jewish law under a common interpretation of Exodus — the subsequent argument being that criminalizing abortion violates religious freedom. This thread tells the story of Savita Halappanavar, a woman Ireland’s abortion ban killed in 2012. Her story helped motivate the relaxation of that country’s laws. And, shamelessly, this is my own thread on the bizarre and incorrect idea among Christians that becoming a foster parent is somehow linked to reducing abortion.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
The KTF team