The Last Fair Deal Gone Down: Robert Johnson, Racism and Abortion

Late American Blues guitarist/singer/songwriter Robert Johnson, a Negro, died at the tender young age of 27, in 1938. There are less than 50 recordings of his, of which historians are aware. Among musicologists, researchers and others, his performances are considered treasures and remain the subject of great debate, even today.

If Robert Johnson’s mother were alive today, living in New York City and in the prime of her childbearing years, the flower of her youth, and were to become pregnant with him today… the cards would be stacked against poor Robert – and quite tragically so.

Why?

Black women in New York City have an abortion rate of nearly 60%.

In a New York Times article entitled “Religious Leaders Call for New Efforts to Lower the City’s ‘Chilling’ Abortion Rate,” by Paul Vitello, and published January 6, 2011 the city’s health department released statistics that showed women in New York City have twice the national average rate of abortion, 40%.

The ordeal of abortion has been ongoing in this nation for quite some time, and many believe the seeds that bore the fruit of Roe v Wade were planted in Griswold v Connecticut.

Nevertheless, over the years, and increasingly, voices decrying abortion have arisen. Adding fuel to that fire has been the release of horrific photographs, and most recently, the shockingly stunning news of an abortion mill in Philadelphia that was actively complicit in the deaths of women, the murder of babies born live (during what is misnomered “late term,” or third trimester abortions), under filthy conditions and utter disregard of all health standards by regulatory authorities, has set the nation on it’s ear.

Toward that end – the cessation of abortion – people have thought, considered, opined, studied and more – all to bring an end to this tragedy-filled chapter in American history. From an historical perspective, abortion is nothing new. Even in the annals of Christendom, in the early days of the faith, abortion was regarded as an evil act (ref: The Didache). In those days, abortions were exclusively elective. Today, it’s a mixed bag, and a particular oddity in health science, because no clear official statistics exist (though I would imagine the vast and exceeding majority are elective).

Some may have wondered how abortion will end, whether it will “go down fighting,” or whether there will be “a whimper,” or it simply the wind will be taken out its sails, and rather be intellectually deflated. I happen to believe abortion will be defeated on an intellectual basis – not with mere philosophy, but upon an increasing body of scientific evidence as the foundation.

I have written about where I think this path will go, about how the events will unfold.

Previously, I had addressed the issue – citing the above referenced article as the basis of the brief discussion – on a FaceBook page I maintain.

In it, I had incorporated one of Robert Johnson’s recordings “Last Fair Deal Gone Down,” which lyric in part describes events upon “that Gulfport Island Road,” as well as a partial quote from former President William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton – in a tone of sarcastic mock to illustrate the reality.

‎”Abortion should not only be safe and legal, it should be… HOLY SHIT!! FORTY-ONE PERCENT?!? DAMN!!”

‎41% Abortion Rate in New York City Prompts Meeting

www.nytimes.com

“The gathering of various religious leaders was prompted by the release last month of city health department statistics showing a 41 percent rate of abortion overall in 2009, including a rate close to 60 percent for black women.”

• • Friend #1.) : Instead if fighting the funding, they need to move to educate and provide actual alternatives instead of forcing people into more desperate situations, making matters worse

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    Me) : My take on this ordeal is fairly straigthforward, and simple. The separate and unique DNA of the unborn child unmistakably identifies it a separate and unique human being.

    Period.

    Therefore, any argument arising from that point is based upon Constitutional law.

    That’s how this “last fair deal” is gonna’ go down. It’ll be an issue of Constitutional protection, and the establishment of personhood. Such arguments – as you and others now reading may be aware – harken back in our our nation’s history to the days when slavery was allowed, when women couldn’t vote, and when any non-white person was considered less than a whole person.

    There are “options” available. One is called CONTRACEPTION, the other is self control. But, contraception fails, as does self control. And when it does – and it will – there are additional helps available – outside of terminating pregnancy.

    My personal opinion on such matter is that there are not now enough laws sufficient to protect the pregnant woman. No, not the unborn child, but the pregnant woman. Consider, for example, what genuine helps exist to support women – legally, and socially – during parturition (pregnancy)? In my estimation, the FMLA doesn’t go far enough in that regard.

    Further, when one considers the origins of abortion and those involved – Margaret Sanger, a well-known racist and eugenenics proponent (the same garbage-thinking asserted by Nazis) – and the highly documented abortion rate for black women… nah, it’s not genocide. Couldn’t be!

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    Friend #2.) : Well said.

  • Friend #1.) : Let’s start with adequate sex ed first and foremost and ditch the abstinence only because that is where it fails most [red states, aka bible belt] — CDC stats report where abortion/ sex ed/ et al are most restricted (they tend to go hand in hand) the highest divorce rates, std rates, pregnancies, abortion rates, etc. exist

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    Friend #1.) : And let us agree there must be medically necessary exceptions as well as rape and incest — 8 year olds need not to be having their step father’s babies and a bishop should not be telling a doctor that he will be excommunicated for aborting the 8 year old’s fetus (the stepdad was not ex-communicated presumably because he did not use a condom)

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    Friend #2.) : Good point, it’s easy for us to say what is right and wrong as men. If we were women things might be different. We are like arm chair quarterbacks.