Slavery, rape, and abortion bans

What does slavery do? It forcibly takes a person and puts them to work for rich people’s purposes with no compensation. They are deprived of their autonomy.

What does rape do? It forcibly takes a person’s body for their assailants’ purposes with no compensation. During the attack, the victim is deprived of her or his autonomy.

What do abortion bans do? They forcibly (even if legally) take women’s bodies for the purpose of procreation with no compensation. Such bans, nearly always instigated by men, deprive women of their autonomy.

We can note further that some people are exempt from these assaults: rich people, men (for very much the most part), and men. Furthermore, rich women can find cooperative doctors to provide safe abortions even when illegal. Rich women can afford bodyguards to protect them from rape. Rich people are never subject to enslavement.

Within the outward form of force in combination with other people’s purposes in combination with the lack of compensation in combination with the deprivation of autonomy, we see distinctions of race, gender, class, and particulars of attacks. But the outward form for all of these is the same. Their effects on their victims are profound and long-lasting.

I see no reason to distinguish between them.

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