On the Sidewalks of New York is a weekly feature at Human Events wherein Jacqueline Toboroff, a native New Yorker, will share her observations and candid commentary on the goings-on in our nation’s largest city. Wherever you live, and whatever you feel, there is no escaping the fact that New York City matters.
The Left’s response to the likely overturning of Roe v. Wade might actually make Democrats and Independents in New York City come over to the Right. Here’s why.
For 2 years, we have seen women and children’s rights stripped by local governments in blue cities and states. The battle cry, “My body, my choice” turned out to be nothing more than a bumper sticker and not an action item. In New York City, 68% of registered voters are Democrats. From Governor, to Mayor, to DA, to AG, to City Council, New York City registered voters elected one party Democrat rule that has made it clear; it’s not “My body, my choice”, it's their body, their choice.
Essential workers who refused to vaccinate, boost, and show vaccine passports, were fired. Women who wouldn't jab and show proof were sidelined, kept from earning a living, traveling, and dining in restaurants. Prepubescent children, whose parents said no to an experimental vaccine, faced being thrown out of private school, inability to partake in sports, after school clubs, and go to museums. Everyone in New York City was forced to mask. Toddlers in New York City are still mandated to mask. All these infringements on freedom and bodily autonomy, from masks, to vaccines, to boosters, were enforced minus individual consent. They’re still upheld despite concrete evidence of little to no empirical efficacy of making things better. In the case of children, all these measures made things worse. Created were developmental delays in speech and education. Health risks are only now coming to light despite media suppression.
The Left’s attempts to disingenuously claim to be the female protector is no longer remotely believable. We witnessed a Supreme Court justice and Harvard graduate state she couldn’t define a woman. We’ve been saturated with messaging saying anyone can be a woman, that men can lactate, gestate, and menstruate. Taxpayers are now funding tampons to go into children’s school bathrooms - even the boys under the Menstrual Dignity Act. The Left has shown us how treasured women and girls are; men and boys can play and compete on girls' sports teams, hurting chances of the physically weaker females from securing scholarships, impacting higher learning.
Infusing the pro-abortion stance with kooky rhetoric like, “the Right will now go after interracial marriages and effect gay marriages” isn’t helping the Left. It’s hurting. During the 1st trimester of pregnancy, there were solid arguments on both sides to be pro or against abortion. But aborting after the 1st term in pregnancy is viewed by many women as anathema. 2nd, 3rd and even post birth abortion is just too gruesome for many mothers to entertain. Had the Left stuck with rape and incest, it might have held its ground. But again, 2 years of attempting to mainstream pedophilia, which the Left refers to as “young love”, shows it actually doesn‘t really care about rape or incest. As the Left and teachers unions work in tandem promoting CRT (critical race theory), teaching kindergartners about masturbation, anal sex, and “porn literacy” (this is an actual class), Democrat and Independent women can no longer accept the Left’s pro choice words to be in favor of women or children.
New York Governor Hochul and New York City Mayor Adams are busy stumping for pro-abortion rights. Someone should let them know, NY isn’t one of the 28 states in danger of banning abortion. And these two have done more to take away rights than almost any other current local politician. Just ask the mom of a four-year-old.
Finally, in the absence of objective mainstream media, social media is explaining the reality. It’s this; Roe v. Wade is not banning abortion, it is returning the issue to the states. And here is where the Left’s argument falls apart entirely. If the majority of people want abortions, in our Democratic Republic, they must elect pro-abortion candidates who will then decide the state’s abortion position. Now, Majority Leader, Schumer, with no understanding of an opinion not yet finalized and belief that the majority of people feel like “him”, says he’ll schedule a vote in the Senate to codify Roe v. Wade as Federal law.
What used to be a genuine wedge issue 50 years ago is no longer. The Left has spent two years apple bobbing for issues. Supporting tyrannical covid measures, borders for Ukraine as America is invaded, gender confusion, and racism. Our heads can’t swivel that fast to keep up with its desperation to gain and retain power. In New York City, the fear isn’t being able to get an abortion. It’s being able to make it out of the subway alive, let kids breathe unencumbered, get an education devoid of racism and sex, and afford rent and groceries.
