Keeping Enough Rubber On The Road

Today starts with another life lesson from cycling. Balance and performance are related, and, odd as it might sound, staying grounded.

Over time, I’ve had my share of falls. I relaxed too much on a quiet road, the road surface suddenly changed, or a mechanical issue.

Any one of these could have a rider greeting the road surface quickly. And depending on the conditions, said rider would return home with a few battle scars, some that will follow him for the rest of his life. Ultimately, it all comes back to how much of the tire was in contact with the road surface, how grounded was the bike, even while in motion.

I’m again having the same question about people and the expectations of those who govern us. As this goes to print, the headlines of the Supreme Court’s “leaked” draft is about a week old. And so far emotions are overruling the interest in the biggest of questions: Why?

If the draft is true and comes to pass, why are the Supreme Court Justices looking at overturning it? Why are people of all genders and cultures losing their mind over the possibility that Roe V. Wade gets overturned?

I’d like to say there is a simple answer. I’d like to say as well the options are Door No. 1, or 2, or 3. Births are celebrated because in the best of situations, there are risks. It doesn’t take a seasoned doctor to understand that. It is possible a child is delivered and significant, life-threatening issues are detected. Does the original Roe V. Wade case allow procedures when complications are that serious? I offer that many supporters don’t know that answer. They are quick with what they believe or want it to say, but can’t say with certainty even the summary.

So lets go back to the beginning. Why did the Supreme Court approve case to begin with? History.com shows the U.S. has a history in abortion medicine. This particular article shows procedures dating back to the 19th century, legitimate procedures, until the forming of the American Medical Association in the 1850s. Prior to that, abortion was legal in the U.S. Up to about the fourth month, when the mother could first feel movement of the fetus.

Roe V. Wade was decided by the 14th Amendment, the right to privacy. What’s not explained is how privacy affects a woman’s right to an abortion. To the average citizen, it might seem like a connection to the future HIPAA clause. HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, is a federal law that restricts access to a person’s private medical information. So are the two related? Not on the surface. Does it matter? That is a deeper question.

The question us general citizens should ask is how does this interpretation of the 14th Amendment balance with the 10th Amendment? How does privacy affect the legal ability to have an abortion? Privacy is the justification for the 14th Amendment legalizing abortion nationwide.

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” — Amendment 10 of the United States Constitution.

Again, as the illustration early, where is the balance? Is the debate grounded enough to stay upright?

There is clearly an abundance of emotion on both sides, and depending on the context. The Constitution was written for the average reader to understand. It becomes convoluted with the number of amendments added to it, then the case law defining “what it really means.” I don’t have the answers, nor am I a law expert.

But I am often guilty of asking why. In this case, why is there a need for a national standard? Why are the Republicans blamed and then President Biden implying the union is about to fall apart, that states left to their own will pick and choose what rights to recognize? The 10th Amendment is written that way.

There’s a saying about putting the rubber on the road, implying when a person gets serious, when the stakes get high. The stakes are high, but for whom and why?