Elayne Clift (elayne-clift.com) has written this column about women, politics, and social issues for almost 20 years.
BRATTLEBORO-Remember the political organization some years ago created by Republicans who called themselves the Moral Majority while critics' responded that they were neither? Or the Democratic cri de coeur that Republicans cared only about children from conception to birth?
Well, the time has come to recall those responses.
It's clear that the Trump administration is embracing a pro-natalist position taken straight out of the Hitler playbook. Adolf rewarded German women who birthed lots of Aryan children, and now Donald is embracing the idea of incentivizing primarily white women to have at least six children.
At the same time as the president blathers on about "traditional family values," he's on a diabolical mission. If American women meet that goal, he will consider rewarding them with a $5,000 "baby bonus," and possibly a scholarship for mothers who are married with children.
But what mother of six would have the time or energy to attend college or work outside the home? Her time would be devoted to the kitchen, the kids, the laundry room, and making more babies.
To top off this offer, he would give them "motherhood medals." Who could resist that?
To support baby making, he vowed to also bump up financial support for more in vitro fertilization, because he is, after all, the "fertilization president" and the "king of IVF." This delusion flies in the face of women going to jail for miscarriage or dying from lack of prenatal and birthing care.
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The fact is, laws relating to miscarriage in many states have proliferated since Roe v. Wade was overturned, despite the statistic that about 30% to 50% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. That's a lot of women who are at risk of criminal prosecution.
The hypocrisy doesn't stop there.
The faux IVF maven and his gang of goons are simultaneously slashing every program that helps children and their families, including cuts to maternal and child health programs, the Head Start program for low-income families, child care support, paid maternity leave, and day care, as well as Medicaid.
It's relatively easy to increase the fertility rate through personal choice, but where does protecting our progeny fit into this Draconian plan?
There is a diabolical motivation to this insane proposal. Writing in The Guardian in May in a piece headlined "Trump is using his assault on government to retaliate against women," , Judith Levine makes a good case by citing evidence that underscores the connection between the massive cuts the president wants to make and his misogynistic plans to keep women out of the workforce, the academy, and elsewhere so that they are politically powerless.
To that end, she says, he tried canceling grants that support the defense of victims of domestic and sexual violence.
He promised to shut down Planned Parenthood, cut funds for child care programs and child health, and to drastically reduce parental leave. The list goes on and is supported by another Guardian writer, Moira Donegan, who wrote a piece headlined "Republicans are raiding childcare funding - to push women out of the workforce."
As Levine said in her powerful, documented essay, "Trump II is both a personal and political misogynist - a chimera with the soul of a snake and the brains of a policy wonk, transplanted from the authors of Project 2025."
Not convinced? In March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut $500 million from the Emergency Food Assistance Program and cut more than $1 billion from two programs that help food banks and school meal programs, including $660 million for schoolchildren. Hundreds of school systems and food banks now face rising food prices and food insecurity, according to a Stateline report.
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It's obvious that this White House and its inept people in high places in this dystopian administration are incapable of making moral decisions, understanding connections or caring about them, and realizing that only by having sound, humane, inclusive policies can we continue to be a respected, functional, free and safe nation as we forge ahead toward a fragile future.
There is no room for tyranny, ignorance, cruelty, and fear in every aspect of our lives, from safety nets, vital resources, accessible health care, quality education, lifesaving research, women's autonomy and the implementation and sustainability of policies that ensure a government that is grounded in the principles of democracy as our founders understood those principles.
As a 19th century clergyman named Frederick Robertson noted, "There are three things in the world that deserve no mercy: Hypocrisy, fraud and tyranny."
Nelson Mandela knew that. He put it simply, with a focus on children.
"History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday life of children," he said. The history of this moment will also judge this administration for its overwhelming hypocrisy, fraud, and tyranny, coupled with its lack of integrity, compassion, humanity, and morality.
As for bribes for babies, I wouldn't start making any motherhood medals.
This Voices column was submitted to The Commons.
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