March being Women’s History Month, I’ve been focusing my thoughts on women and their accomplishments. In “Genesis” we read that after creating Adam, God created Eve from nothing more than a rib he took from Adam. Since then, women have had a hard time proving that they are men’s equals.
In the 15th century, Joan of Arc, a 17-year-old French peasant who, in obedience to what she thought was God’s command, cropped her hair, dressed as man and helped the French defeat the English at Rouen. Instead of being recognized for her bravery, she was prosecuted, found guilty of witchcraft and the crime of crossdressing, and burned at the stake, only to be canonized 500 years later.
On and on women distinguished themselves. In our times, Temple Grandin, an American academic and advocate for autism who, early on, called herself “a recovered autistic,” wrote books on animal behavior and the humane treatment of livestock. Not to be overlooked, Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman who served on the Supreme Court of the United States. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, Associate Justice O’Connor served nearly 25 years on the Supreme Court. In 1992, she joined with four other Justices to uphold Roe versus Wade, thus protecting women’s reproduction rights.
Since then, the composition of the Supreme Court has changed, and abortion rights are no longer protected by the highest court. Thanks to Donald Trump who, in 2020, appointed Amy Coney Barrett, an anti-abortion jurist, to replace Ruth Bader Ginsberg on the Supreme Court.
Women have long proved that they are capable of making their own decisions regarding their bodies. They do not need the Supreme Court to meddle in their personal life.
Monique Begg
Moorestown
