There is a 7-11 close to where I work and sometimes I stop there for a protein bar and coffee before I go to work. One morning I noticed that one of the young women behind the counter who was usually very cheerful appeared to be agitated and nervous. i asked her what was wrong and she told me that her babysitter had not shown up that morning and she had to take her kids to her sister's house and have her sister watch them.
"That's great that you have a sister that can help out," I responded.
"No, it's not great. My sister is an alcoholic and I can't trust her," she said. "I can't wait till I get off work."
Then she added, "I would have called in sick today, but I can't do that because I'd lose my job so I'm stuck."
What a choice this single mother has to make to feed and house her children. I don't know any of this mom's background and what other choices she has made in her life as to the father of these children, etc but I didn't need to know. I, too have been there as a single mother with all the responsibility it entails.
In the book SOPHIE'S CHOICE by William Styron which was made into a movie with Meryl Streep playing Sophie, a Nazi officer at the train station orders Sophie to decide which of her two children will live. She has to decide between the baby in her arms and a young boy holding her hand. If she does not choose, both will die.
Today's Sophie has to sometime choose between losing her minimum wage job or putting her children at risk. This is an American Gothic Story playing out daily in every city and every state because there is no safety net for child care facilities for the working poor.
And you can bet the so-called Religious Right, the Tea Party, and all of the conservatives would not support child care facilities for the working poor. So single mothers will continue to make these choices and feel the stress and anxiety that ensues.
And if these moms make another choice to end a pregnancy because..well, just because, for a myriad of reasons, (usually poverty) and because they have to work to take care of the children they already have, now thanks to the Supreme Court, they can be subjected to being harassed for making that choice.
There is a streak of cruelty that runs through our American society and today it was on display with this decision by the SCOTUS.