미국 민주당 의원들의 반 낙태 시위(Gardian)

지난 달에 있었던 미대법원의 낙태 불법화 결정으로 주로 진보와 중도의 낙태를 지지하는 많은 미국인들은 충격에 빠져있다. 그도 그럴 것이 지난 73년 로대 웨이드 판결 이후로 반세기 동안 법적인 당연한 권리로 여겨지던 것이 한 순간에 사라진 순간이 었기 때문이다. 더욱이 보편적으로 인권과 평등의 역사는 자연의 순리대로 물이 아래로 흐르듯 진보가 추구하는 방향대로 흘로 왔는데, 이번의 대법원의 판결로 인해 그 흐름이 깨어져버린 것이다. 그래서 진보측 인사들에게는 더 받아들이기 힘든 상황을 생각된다. 아래에 보면 민주당 소속의 하원의원들 18명이 대법원 앞에서 판결 반대 시위를 벌이다 연행된 일을 기사화 했다. 그 중 오카시오 코르테즈라는 여성의원은 도발적이고 질설적인 태도로 진보를 지지하는 젊은 층에 특히 인기가 많은데, 그들에게는 아래 사진속의 그녀가 분연히 여성의 자유를 위해 싸우다 공권력에 탄압당한 여신처럼 보일 것이다. 

 

사실 이 낙태 문제는 어느 한쪽의 입장이 있을 뿐이지 타협안이라는 것이 생길 수가 없다. 어떻게 보면 진보와 보수의 문제가 아닌 인권대 인권의 싸움으로 볼 수가 있다. 태아의 생명권이라는 권리과 여성의 자신의 신체에 대한 권리의 싸움인 것이다. 태아를 생명으로 보느냐 아니냐가 포커스가 아니고, 어떤 편의 권리에 누구의 인권에 손을 들어주느냐 아니냐 하는 것이 포커스다. 결국 어떤 편에 손을 들어주게 되면 다른 한편은 피해를 보게 된다. 물론 태아는 말을 하거나 시위를 할 수 가 없기 때문에 보수와 중도층의 제 3자가 대신 그들의 권리를 위해 싸워 주는 것이고, 도널드 트럼프 임기동안 공화당 성향의 대법관이 과반수를 차지하게 되면서, 반세기 만에 다시 태아의 손을 들어주게 된 것이다. 그리고 보수주의자들은 태아의 손을 들어주는 것은 결국 생명 존중의 가치를 높이는 것이라며 인지하든 그렇기 않든 그 근원에 뿌리박고 있는 신으로 부터 온 생명의 존엄함이라는 가치를 지지하고 있다.

 

원문 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/19/aoc-arrested-protest-abortion-rights-democrats

Democratic members of Congress arrested during pro-choice protest

The legislators were engaged in peaceful civil disobedience against the loss of abortion rights in front of the supreme court

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was one of the members of Congress detained after participating in a pro-choice protest. Photograph: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Several prominent Democratic members of Congress were arrested on Wednesday during a protest in support of abortion rights in front of the supreme court, in the aftermath of the historic overturning of Roe v Wade last month.

The politicians gathered in front of the US Capitol before marching to the court building, chanting “our bodies, our choice” and “we won’t go back”.

 

The group, which included the prominent progressives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush, proceeded to stand along a crosswalk, or pedestrian crossing area, in front of the court, which is surrounded by a large black fence claimed to be unclimbable and erected to keep protesters away.

 

The group sat down in the middle of the street as an act of peaceful civil disobedience, as a group of police officers gathered around them, broadcasting a pre-recorded message announcing imminent arrest for blocking the street.

The officers then began to arrest the lawmakers, cuffing them and leading them to an area taped off away from the street.

 

A livestream of the protest was posted online by CPD Action, the protest-centered arm of the Center for Popular Democracy, a social justice organization, which coordinated the direct action.

CPD Action said 18 members of Congress were arrested. Seventeen were women. Andy Levin of Michigan was the sole congressman among them.

In a statement, Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York who was also arrested, said: “I have the privilege of representing a state where reproductive rights are respected and protected – the least I can do is put my body on the line for the 33 million women at risk of losing their rights.”

Jackie Speier, a representative from California who was also arrested, said on Twitter: “Proud to march with my Democratic colleagues and get arrested for women’s rights, abortion rights, the rights for people to control their own bodies and the future and our democracy.”

 

It has been less than a month since the supreme court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade ruling, which protected the right to an abortion under the constitution. Abortion is now banned or under threat of being banned in 60% of states.

 

Backlash against the supreme court, which is now dominated by six conservative justices, including three appointed by Donald Trump, intensified in May when a draft of the decision to overturn Roe was leaked. Soon after, the court installed the 7ft security fence.

Immediately after the release of the official decision, massive protests swept the US from New York to Los Angeles, including in large cities of Republican-led states such as Missouri and Texas.

Joe Biden has announced and the House has since passed bills offering federal protections – but these are largely symbolic as long as the Senate is all but certain to reject such legislation, and as the individual states now have the right to dictate abortion regulation.

Analilia Mejia, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy Action, said the protest “sent a powerful message to Republican lawmakers and [the supreme court]: we will not back down.

“Our rights, our freedoms, and our reproductive autonomy matters. Abortion is healthcare and a human right – and you don’t represent the vast majority of Americans who believe we, not the government, should dictate our own health decisions.”

Polling shows consistent majorities in favor of abortion being legal in at least some cases.

Mejia said: “We will not stop fighting for the world our communities deserve – one that honors our right to decide our futures.”