The First Swim
Summer is my season. Every year, I anticipate the time when our pool opens in Georgia and I can swim for about an hour, catch up on some reading, work on my tan, and slow down. I work a lot during the year. I work hard. This is the time when I can slow down and enjoy life.
I also volunteer two hours away at the only independent abortion clinic in South Carolina, the Greenville Women’s Clinic. The antis never get to me. Nothing that they say or do bothers me. In fact, I find their antics hilarious. There may be one brain cell between the group. However, politicians who pass laws that they know nothing about get under my skin every time. Politicians who would rather have a fetus that resembles a blob of snot take precedence over a patient’s life and disregard science and history are the ones who stress me out. They are the ones who make me stressed to the point of being sick. They are also the ones who make it hard for me to enjoy my first swim.
While temporarily blocked, South Carolina’s abortion ban could become law. It’s scary to know that we are officially at the mercy of the state’s Supreme Court, who could decide what happens to our patients. Where will the teenagers enjoying their last day of school and the first day of summer go if they have an unintended pregnancy that they feel the need to terminate- whether due to abuse or any other reason?
Where would I go if my best efforts to be responsible and use birth control failed? I’ve known for many years that a pregnancy would likely not physically or mentally be compatible with my body nor would a fetus likely grow into a happy, healthy child. However, this is irrelevant in Georgia and many parts of the Southeast. Our politicians and religious extremists could care less. All that they care about is tricking the public and forcing patients to carry children for their own ego.
They want a participation trophy to feel good about themselves. They want praise for their False Prophet-Led churches that force women into servitude for their husbands. They force those very husbands into the closet and keep women trapped in relationships that are often fraught with abuse, infidelity, and hypocrisy. Many of these marriages are the epitome of a sham marriage. They are not based on love, but control. They want this for society- control and an illusion of power.
None of these people care about life. I see it all the time as a clinic defender- few of those women look happy. Many are not educated and have limited work experience. They are simply encouraged to marry as soon as possible, have as many children as possible to replenish their movement that no one wants to join, and to keep them stuck. They don’t get their news from professional/medical journals or reliable news sources. Instead, they worship at the altars of Tucker Carlson, Libs of Tik Tok, Fox News, and other bastions of fake news.
Instead of democracy, they want fascism. How do I know this? I monitor their social media accounts. Words like “final solution” and “re-education camps” are frequent. Mentions of Putin’s laws against the LGBT community and how “maybe he’s the good guy” are frequently mentioned. Allusions to the Holocaust are commonplace. Calling clinic escorts, defenders, staff, doctors, and patients nicknames like “Wood Chipper” and “Target Practice” are common in many comment sections. I know- I read them.
When Roe v. Wade was overturned, I knew that Georgia was possibly no longer safe. I knew that I might have to move, after tying up some loose ends and saving. The question was where. For a while, Illinois was the front-runner. Then, New Mexico, Colorado, and California became potential options. Even Washington! However, all of those are too far from family, which is important as an only child. Now, it’s up in the air. Honestly, only time will tell. For now, I’m staying here. However, I would be lying if it wasn’t scary at times. In all honesty, nowhere feels safe anymore.
Regardless of where I go or if I leave, I know that I will support choice and do my best to split my time between my home and closest clinic and wherever I end up. I also know that I will do whatever it takes to keep abortion legal. If you want to support choice in South Carolina, please check out our linktree: https://linktr.ee/upstateclinicdefenders. We also have links to the Palmetto State Abortion Fund and other resources here.
