Harris to Kavanaugh: "Can you think of any laws that give the government the power to...

[DesertRat]

Remembering the time Sen. Kamala Harris asked Brett Kavanaugh: Can you think of any laws that give the government the power to make decisions about the male body?

Link to tweet

[LongtimeAZDem]

1. The Selective Service Act of 1948

Which gave the government the power to conscript males and use them as disposable weapons of war.

[emmaverybo]

5. This.

[mahannah]

9. Good point. But Kavanaugh could not come up with it.

[LongtimeAZDem]

10. True, but I didn't expect Kavanaugh to be the reasonable one in the exchange

[tymorial]

11. Yup.

I remember receiving my notification letter reminding me of my obligations to register. I specifically remember the penalties, finds potential jail time and inability to access federal student loans. My girlfriend laughed that she had no such obligation. Compulsory registration for males only must end or be expanded to all regardless of gender identity.

[Ferrets are Cool]

12. Yes, but when I read her question, I was thinking "current

which would not make your answer applicable.

[LongtimeAZDem]

15. It was current law at the time of the hearings; Harris is lucky Kavanaugh didn't think of it,

because she would have looked really stupid.

Edited to add: It is still current law; while a judge rejected the male-only provisions as unconstitutional, he did not order and end to registrations.

[Mosby]

2. drug use, selling organs, assisted suicide

I never liked the "my body, I do what I want with it" argument to support reproductive rights.

I think a much better argument is that, in most situations, the government should not be trying to control doctor/patient relationships.

[PoliticAverse]

3. Which is why Roe v Wade was decided on the basis of the right to "privacy"...

and not on a basis that you have the right to do anything you want with your body.

(And don't forget laws against prostitution also).

[Mike Nelson]

4. For one..

… the Draft... Vietnam. I knew some people who would rather not have gone... and died there. I believe in service, but people can decide how to serve their country. It's not in effect now, for everyone, but the draft can be brought back. For most people, though... not men like Kavanaugh or Trump.

… but don't get me wrong, I'm for people making their own decisions about reproducing - especially women. I also like Harris!

[Doodley]

6. Yes, the government is culpable of allowing male genital mutilation

(circumcision) performed on infants too young to have a say.

[Leith]

8. Unless the government has mandated that baby boys be circumcised

or not circumcised, it's not the same.

Military conscription is a much better argument.

[tymorial]

13. You know the government is not culpable because it is not a requirement

If you want to argue societal/cultural pressure then that's fine but the government is not to blame for the persistence of male circumcision

[emmaverybo]

7. I am concerned most about what happens to a fully conscious, little being born

to a mother who does not want her baby, is not ready or willing to parent, or into conditions
that can compromise her health and welfare, or that of children already existing in the family.

[tymorial]

20. Sadly this happens now. Pregnancy denial

Last edited Sun May 19, 2019, 08:46 PM - Edit history (1)

I remember reading a study during my masters where pregnancy denial fell somewhere between 1 in 2500 to 1 in 500. The age of the pregnant mother is most often the determining factor. These laws are only going to make the situation worse and it's a travesty.

Most family and Social Services departments are already overwhelmed. The truly scary part is that sometimes by the time social workers get involved the child has already experienced neglect to the point that they are developmentally and behaviorally delayed. Behavior and mood disorders are not uncommon attachment disorder etc.

Of course I don't expect Republicans to give a crap about this considering they are legislating abortion bans while also cutting Social Services. But they care about life... fucking liars

[emmaverybo]

30. They don't care about pregnancy prevention outreach, family planning services, pre-natal health,

Childcare, or as you say, child social services of any kind. They are fixated on the womb stage. And even then—health care services for pregnant women, no.
These might also avoid the late term abortions I think most of us agree we would rather prevent with early detection, choice exercised in the earlier stages.
Pregnancy denial is not an issue I knew was so prevalent, and which, aside from health issues, would impact the number of late term abortions.
Again, universal health care with support for women’s reproductive care would contribute to decreasing abortion rate. But they eschew any common sense approaches to problems, preferring
to deprive a nd punish.

[TalenaGor]

14. let's make one:

All men must have vasectomies only to be reversed once they are ready willing and able to care for the child

[DesertRat]

23. lol

[Clash City Rocker]

27. Honestly, that would fix a number of problems

[TalenaGor]

29. yes it would lol

[George II]

16. I loved the dumbfounded look on his face as he struggled for an answer.

[Initech]

18. I'd love to see him and Tucker Carlson in a contest to see who can blank stare the longest.

[pangaia]

22. He looked exactly like that trying not to answer EVERY question..

Fuck him

[DesertRat]

24. He almost looked like he was going to break into tears again

I still can't believe someone acting so dumbfounded and raging and blubbering their way through a job interview and still getting the job.

[erronis]

17. It's a pity this is relegated to the Democratic Primaries forum since it pertains to all of us

whether or not we are endorsing a candidate.

[Nitram]

19. That's when Brett screwed up his face and was like, "Huh? I have no idea what you are trying to say.

[pangaia]

21. And this dumb, lying, ignorant fuck sits on the SUPREME Court!

god/ess, if you exist, HELP US !!!!

[DesertRat]

25. For life!

If ever we needed divine intervention, it's now. May god/dess keep Ruth Bader Ginsburg strong and healthy.

[sop]

26. Check out one of the Men's Rights forums (I don't recommend it)

if you want to find thousands of whiny incels going on and on about how men are legally disadvantaged and oppressed by the State in favor of women.

[Honeycombe8]

28. Not the same thing. That's not men wanting to do something to their body...

but the govt has a law that doesn't allow it.

Drafting men isn't stopping men from doing a medical procedure.

But it's fair to say that there is no draft for women, like there is for men, because of gender. So the same would be true about something done to the female body, because it is uniquely female. It would also apply to men, if they could get pregnant.

But I get what Harris is saying. Throughout American history, the govt has been involved with controlling women in one way or another, that it hasn't done with men.

[DesertRat]

31. I think you responded to the wrong person

My OP that you replied to says nothing about drafting men. And, I agree with your post.