Let's move it, move it

Our lives have become increasingly comfortable physically compared to our ancestors. We don't have to constantly move for food or live in constant danger of being attacked by predators as humans have managed to put themselves at the top of the food chain. However, this all came with a cost, our lives have become more sedentary, we move less, and day by day it is becoming lesser and lesser. We move so little that most of us have to join a gym or include some regimental exercise routine in our day-to-day lives to get that required dose of physical activity. Joining the gym is easy, but regularly going to the gym is not, planning to exercise is easy, but doing it every day is not. This is why we all plan but fail to execute, then, plan again, but again fail to execute, and this cycle continues. I was trapped in this cycle. 

Once I join any gym, I go regularly. However, for me, the big challenge is to find a gym close to my apartment as I am not an enthusiastic driver. It is hard to find a gym that is open when I want to go and also reasonably priced as I don't need any fancy stuff. Rarely any gym used to fit these criteria. Also, I think that one does not need to join any gym or any other club to remain fit. Hence, I started to have my own exercise plan. There is only one routine, do it every day, no fixed time, no fixed routine, no fixed place, just move. I feel the biggest hurdle to being physically active is that we don't move. Many of us have desk jobs, we either drive or take public transport, we watch TV sitting on a couch or chair, and we do most of the stuff where little or no movement is required. Therefore, I feel it is important to move, no matter how, when, and where, just move. 

I plan to do at least 30 minutes of physical activities every day. This can be walking, skipping on the spot, weights, yoga, stretching, dancing, or a combination of any of these activities. There is no set routine, it depends on how I feel and what I want to do on that day, I just need to do that every day. No breaks, unless there is a compelling reason to take a break (like travel or sickness). This has helped me a lot. First, I don't have to join any gym to remain physically active. Second, I can do my exercise any time of the day, so, it is flexible, it is not like after some time I cannot do it as the place is closed. Finally, I can choose my routine and set my own daily targets. For everyone who is struggling to remain physically active, my suggestion is just to start moving, regularly, diligently, and with intent. Include physical activities in your daily routine, for example, walking instead of driving, or exercising while watching TV, rather make a rule, your first hour of TV watching will include at least 30 minutes of physical activity of your choice. 

If you struggle to find a time slot for your exercise, don't keep exercise as a separate task, club it with something that you love to do or you have to do. Make your exercise a part of any daily activity, like work, watching TV, or talking on the phone, so that your exercise happens while you perform that activity. Mix a variety of physical activities so that you don't get bored with your routine. Include things that you enjoy, if you like to dance, pair it with aerobics, if you like yoga, club it with weights, and so on. Start with small and reasonable goals. The goals that are achievable for your age and physical abilities. Once you get into the habit of achieving those goals, then, gradually ramp up the speed and time that suits you. Don't start with a lofty target to show off, that will only make you feel frustrated and dejected after the first week. If you have time, read about the research related to the effect of movement on our general well-being. The research suggests that movements affect almost every system of our body, mental as well as physical. The best physical activities are where we also involve our mind, this gives us a wholesome workout. So, friends, let's move it, move it. Let's make our general well-being a mission. 

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

Negative bias

A negative bias is something we all have it. We may not be happy to accept this or would like to believe that we are not the ones with any negativeness in our personality but that's not true. Negative bias is not about being negative or anything bad, this is a natural tendency of humans to compare. We naturally compare ourselves with others around us, with the advent of social media people don't even have to be around us, we can compare ourselves with anyone we want. However, the problem is that we tend to compare upwards more than downwards and often find ourselves at the bottom of the comparison ladder. We do this futile exercise, again and again, knowing that it is only going to bring anxiety and despair. Even after all this, it is hard, if not impossible, to get rid of the negative bias. 

Comparison is a double-edged sword. It can motivate us to do better, and we can learn so many things from each other to improve and enrich our lives. On the other hand, it can make us feel disappointed in our choices and think that others are doing much better than us with much less hard work and talent. Mostly success stories are shared with a lot of flare and glitter, whereas failure is only whispered. Also, we always tend to compare upward, that is with people who supposedly doing better than us. It is obvious to find ourselves at the bottom of the comparison ladder when we always compare upwards. Instead of getting motivated to continue our journey for our dreams and happiness, we get entangled in the vicious cycle of comparison and regret. Social media does not make this any easier. We see others posting about their amazing lives and feel what the heck is wrong with us. We feel our life sucks whereas others are having the time of their life. We forget that we are also doing the same and someone looking at our social media posts might be feeling jealous about the amazing display of our life on social media. 

Social media does not cultivate authenticity for most of us. Actually, most of us perform on social media. Very few of us dare to show our true selves on social media, most try to showcase only the best versions, even if they have to fake them. This is the biggest problem of social media, it is not as social as we imagine. It has become a place where people perform for validation from others, it has become a form of entertainment. There is not much interaction, there are performers and there is an audience. 

When we only watch others perform and believe it is reality, we exacerbate the problem of negative bias. It is like watching a fiction movie and comparing it with our day-to-day life. Of course, our day-to-day life is not as entertaining as the movie because the movie is scripted, acted, edited, and polished. It is a refined product that is meant to entertain, but our real life is not meant to entertain others. So, relax, take it easy, and don't fall into the trap of negative bias so much that you get disconnected from your own reality. Compare but be aware that you are comparing, use the comparison for motivation and encouragement. Occasional jealousy is normal, but don't be in a mode of constant validation from others. Likes or comments on social media do not define our life or who we are, we define it, this awareness and control are valuable, so don't surrender them.

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

Courage is to speak when it's easy to keep mum

Bullying is a type of abuse, physical and mental abuse. It is also called ragging or many other names, but the fact is that it is a type of abuse and torture. Bullying is also different than many other types of abuse, it happens in the full public glare. It happens in schools, colleges, universities, neighborhoods, social media, families, locker rooms, and many other public places where others are present, but they either don't react or watch as mute spectators. It is also true that it is not easy to stand up against a bully or resist raging. When most don't resist. When most surrender, ignore it as a minor nuisance or a necessary evil and try to justify it as a junior-senior interaction or friendly banter. It is hard to resist it. It is hard to stand against it. Even people subjected to bullying or ragging try to downplay it as they feel resisting it is much more damaging than tolerating it.

People justify their lack of action as a choice of the lesser evil. They feel standing up for abuse is more damaging than tolerating it, they find obedience more convenient than resistance. They may have their own reasons for behaving like this. However, not everyone thinks and behaves that way. Not everyone tolerates abuse wrapped as friendly banter or a necessary evil. Some chose to speak while the rest chose to keep mum. They do it at the cost of their mental peace and without any support. It is not easy to stand up for something when you see everyone accepting the status quo and obliging. It is not easy to resist when people who should resist try to convince you to keep quiet and tolerate it. Despite all this, some show this courage, and they are heroes. They choose to speak up even when it is scary, even when they feel threatened and intimidated, even when there is no support from friends and colleagues, and even when they know that speaking up may have unfavorable consequences. 

It is not easy to stand up against a bully, but that's the choice we have to make. This bully can be anyone, it is not always a human. In many cases, it is a person or a group of persons, like your seniors or even your own family, but not always. The bully can be a religion or some age-old tradition that may force you to do something against your wish, or we may get ridiculed or heckled by society or the community just for raising our voice of dissent against such practices. We must stand, we must resist, and we must raise our voices against all forms of bullying. Why? Because that's the right thing to do. It may not be easy or convenient, but it is the right thing. Nothing may change even after we register our dissent. It doesn't matter. We must stand, not because we will see that change, but to initiate that change. Someone must initiate the process of resistance, it may take years or decades to bring that desired change after the initiation, but initiation is important. I stand in solidarity with all those who show this courage. The world may never recognize or appreciate our actions, but every place we speak up, it changes something, may be a trivial change considering the vastness of the problem, but still, it is a change. The change that is initiated by us. We did the right thing when others chose to ignore and that is what matters the most. This post is dedicated to all who chose to stand up when it is not convenient to stand; to all who speak up when it is convenient to ignore and keep mum; and who resist when it's easier to oblige and surrender. Be proud of your actions, tell your stories to kids, and inspire them to resist suppression and injustice in any form and size.  

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

Don't be a prisoner of your gender stereotype

Gender bias is still a pressing issue in most countries, including developed and developing countries. Gender stereotyping is one of the reasons why gender bias exists. Different cultures and societies tend to associate certain characteristics only with specific genders. For example, men are supposed to be more aggressive, emotionally and physically strong, natural leaders, and masculine; women are supposed to be more gentle, passive, emotional, physically weak, non-masculine, and unwilling to lead. Like all stereotypes, gender stereotyping may have some historical context for it, but it should be clear from the list that I used as an example that it is not proper to generalize the qualities of all genders just in two sets. For example, a man can be gentle, non-masculine, emotional, passive, and unwilling to lead; and a woman can be aggressive, emotionally and physically strong, masculine, and a natural leader. The point is that we should search for our own identity, and should not become a prisoner of our own gender stereotypes. 

Once we stereotype anything, including a gender, we attach specific characteristics to that group and create barriers around it. Anyone without those characteristics is considered an outlier or abnormal. This forces many who don't have these characteristics to feel bad about themselves or insufficient, suffer from mental health issues, or make them feel like a failure. Instead of being proud of what they are, people try to fit in, just to get accepted. They really try hard to fit in by concealing their true identity. This is the worst thing a society can inflict on any person. Imagine living in a prison for no fault of yours where you are forced to act in a certain way, wear certain clothes, eat a certain food, and live the life of someone who is anyone but not you. This is what we do when we live as a prisoner of our own gender stereotypes. Try to be free, and explore the world. Think about what is good for you, what makes you happy, draw your own boundaries and respect them, value your identity, and don't allow anyone to dilute or change it. Respect others and command respect from others. We should not tolerate nonsense and discrimination for ourselves or for others. It is we who should decide who we are, what qualities we want to have, and how we want to express ourselves. One can be a strong leader and emotional at the same time. One can be physically strong and feminine at the same time. A man can like to wear makeup and a woman may hate it. One can be of any combination, the possibilities are endless. This is what freedom is, this is what civil societies do, allow people to flourish. We all deserve to live free of fear of expressing ourselves. I don't think anyone of us wants to go back to the era where transgenders or homosexuals were forced to conceal their identities or used to get secreted when their identities were revealed. Therefore, don't be a prisoner of your gender stereotype, be free, express yourself, and let the world learn and accept your true identity. 

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

 

India's problem was never her politicians

Since my childhood, I regularly hear one theme in conversations about India, everyone talks about India's potential. Everyone says that India has a lot of talent, rich history, diversity, and whatnot, but somehow can't live up to its true potential. Most Indians also keep on repeating the same lines again and again without realizing that it is they who need to help their country realize its potential, not some outsiders. However, most are happy just debating these issues, blaming each other or their political opponents, and complaining about politicians and bureaucrats. However, most Indians are okay with corruption and corrupt politicians regularly get elected in various elections. It is a common perception that politics is a dirty game and that politicians are dishonest. To be fair, India is not the only country that has this perception about politicians, but it is definitely one of those countries that blame its politicians for all problems, for example, the problems of corruption, communalism, poor infrastructure, poverty, unemployment, brain drain, and whatnot is blamed to dirty politics. However, India's problem is not its politicians, but the people who elect these politicians, again and again, from different political parties. These people not only support such corrupt, many times, with criminal background people, but idolize them, worship them, and even after that, expect their society to be just and fair. Also, in India, it is very common to change political parties, unbelievable, but people thirsty for your blood can become your die-hard supporter once you switch to the party they support. Unbelievable, but true.

Once elected people with a criminal background become lawmakers, no matter how many laws exist in the law book, how many courts function, or how many police personnel work, it is impossible to have proper law and order. This is because no elected person will allow to law to take its proper course unless it hurts their opponents. When people of any country start reacting to crime based on who has committed it, not what is the nature of the crime, that country is sure to get doomed today or tomorrow. Once people see crimes through political, racial, religious, or any other bias, they are not looking at the crime, but at the criminal's identity and react based on that. That means the reactions are not based on the nature or gravity of the committed crime but on the identity of the accused. The same crime based on who has committed it generated drastically different reactions, people either try their best to downplay or justify the crime or try to demand the harshest possible punishment possible. Politicians make very good use of this, they instigate polarized emotions within society and benefit from dormant hate that many organizations silently brew within the society. Hate is a very potent social weapon, politicians, religious fanatics, and terrorists all use it very well. People knowingly fall into this trap so regularly that one can hardly blame anyone but the people themselves for being a toy in the hands of antisocial elements. This is the point of today's post, India's problem is not its politicians but people who support these politicians and don't dare to speak when a politician or the party they elected does something wrong. Things don't change overnight, but to start any change people first should start from themselves, only complaining about the system hardly initiates any change. Once people change their attitude and demand accountability from the politicians they elect, things will start changing. Until then, the evergreen argument of India has potential, this is how things are done in India would continue for many more decades.

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

This is an attack on freedom of expression

On Friday, August 12, 2022, a  24-year-old man attacked Indian-born British author Salman Rushdie. The actual motives of this attack are not clear, but it is not difficult to guess why Mr. Rushdie will be attacked. He is an author who has written some books that created controversy in the past. Especially, his book, The Satanic Verses, first published in 1988, created controversy, and some countries like Iran issued a fatwa for his death. Various people related to this book (translators of the book in different languages) have been already attacked in various countries. This display of religious rage and hate is not new, freedom of expression is not guaranteed in many countries, even in some so-called democracies, books are banned and authors are attacked for what they write. However, the attack on Rushdie happened in the USA, a country with one of the best freedom of protection laws. Therefore, the attack is not just on Mr. Rushdie, it is an attack on the USA's core spirit, and it should be treated as such.

Freedom of expression is not an easy pill to swallow for everyone. Most people want this right for themselves so that they can say what they feel, and criticize whoever they want, but are seldom happy when others practice it, especially to say offensive stuff. Hurting religious sentiments is a timid and often-used excuse to curb freedom of expression in many countries. This is such a lame excuse. Religion is a centuries-old institution, it has survived violent attacks from each other (one religion attacking another verbally as well as physically), so, how does one more book or a speech or movie or anything expressed by anyone matter? If religions are not able to tolerate a book, movie, or speech against it how strong it is in reality? These are the questions religious people need to ask themselves, maybe they will find this post itself offensive, you never know. If we are serious about freedom of expression, we need to defend books like The Satanic Verses and authors like Mr. Rushdie. The USA has one of the best freedom of expression laws, these laws make this a special place for many like me who want to express and appreciate the expression of others. Defending freedom of expression is not easy, especially when things are being said that are offensive to us, but that's when it matters the most. If people around us only express things that we like or agree to, do you think there will be a need to protect free speech? Our commitment to freedom of expression is tested when offensive things are being said and when something despicable is said about things we revere or respect. Otherwise, why do we need such right? 

Protecting and celebrating freedom of expression is as important as defending the freedom of a country. Without freedom of expression, there is no real freedom. It really doesn't matter how old or how big of a democracy you are, it doesn't matter how old or how liberal your history or culture is, if there is no freedom of expression, there is no freedom at all. The USA has benefitted a lot due to its strong policies to protect freedom of expression. If it fails to do so the effect will be disastrous. I hope the attack on Rushdie acts as a warning to America and it acts accordingly to protect its most valuable aspect.

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Empty nest?

Both my kids are in college now. Graduating from high school and going to college is a milestone in every student's life. The student and their parents give their best to achieve this moment. Going to college is an emotional moment for parents, they are happy to see their child graduate from high school and also a little sad because most kids leave their homes to attend the college of their choice, hence the metaphor of the "empty nest." Nests and homes have something in common, both are places where families live. Generally, nests are built to protect the eggs and newborn birds until they can fly on their own and feed themselves. However, there is one significant difference. Homes are not temporary residences, of course, people move and change their homes, but this is just a shift from one home to another. But the nests cease to be useful for birds once the newborn birds learn to fly and feed themselves. This is why I feel the metaphor of an empty nest makes sense but doesn't show the complete picture. Hence the question mark in the title.

Every phase of life changes the dynamics of our relationships. Every relationship, for example, between child and parent, friends, spouses, our surroundings, or our colleagues changes over time. Kids start their lives completely dependent on their parents or guardians, but slowly they get independent and pursue their own journeys. Parents are supposed to facilitate this process, but the journey has to be the kids' own. Unfortunately, not many parents are brave enough to allow their kids that free choice. Most instill them with their fears and insecurities, force their religious and political values, brainwash them with their cultural and social biases and prejudices, pass on their own stereotypes, and worst, use them as vehicles to fulfill their own unfulfilled dreams and expectations. Even after all this, every parent-child relationship is special in its own way as most parents do these things thinking that they are doing good for their child. 

When kids graduate high school, they are supposed to embark on their own journey. This journey is supposed to be special as they will be living out of their homes for the first time. In the US most colleges require living on campus for at least part of their four years of college as they believe that living separately from parents is a part of a student's growth. I did not get to do this, I lived with my parents until I left for the US to pursue my postdoctoral work. It had its own pros and cons. I never got to live an independent life outside the shadow of my parents until my late twenties, whereas most kids in the US start doing this in their teens, at the age of 18 or 19. Now back to the empty nest metaphor. Even though it is a beautiful metaphor, our homes don't get empty, my kids are very much part of our home, even though they stay 8-9 months of the year on campus and are busy with their friends during their vacations. So, the nest is not really empty, just relationship dynamics have changed, we have entered a different phase and it has its own charm and fun. 

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

Barriers to public speaking

Public speaking is one of the most feared endeavors, most of us dread the scenario of speaking in front of people. No matter how trivial the subject is or how small the gathering is, we try to avoid as much as possible speaking in front of a group of people. Why? Is this because of fear of failure, fear of being laughed at, or fear of being not good at public speaking? What does it even mean to be good at public speaking? Is there a certain specific format for being a good public speaker? Most people think that there is. We are told to emulate certain best public speaking practices. I was a member of the Toastmasters club where people get trained in public speaking skills. It was a great learning experience for me, I really enjoyed my time at the Toastmasters. However, I feel that we put barriers to public speaking by prescribing a certain format for it, it discourages many who can't or don't want to adopt it. Let me explain why.

We are told that public speakers must speak in a certain way, and use certain mannerisms, posture, and language. Good public speakers should do this and should not do that. This all makes most of us feel that the art of public speaking is difficult and it is not for us. We started buying the idea that public speaking is for a few gifted people with dynamic personalities who are great storytellers. This is far from true. It is correct that few gifted people are comfortable with their storytelling abilities, but we all have this ability, we just differ in our styles of storytelling. By stereotyping public speaking, we put huge barriers to public speaking for people who have interesting stories to tell, and want to tell, but are scared because they don't see themselves as dynamic public speakers. We miss so many interesting stories and experiences just because people with these stories think they are not qualified enough to share them. The result of all this is that only certain stories get told, only certain sections of society have a monopoly over public speaking space, and most of us are spectators trying to find glimpses of our own stories among the stories told without bothering to tell our own story in our own words. Feeling fear and anxiety about public speaking is natural and even most experts feel it, this should not be a barrier or reason for not doing it. Also, whether you are an extrovert or an introvert should not matter, as both have stories to tell and the ability to tell. The result of all this is that most of us rely on others to tell our stories, we keep searching for glimpses of our tales in others' tales. 

There is no harm in learning prescribed techniques or standard practices of public speaking. However, not learning these skills, or the inability to learn them should not stop us from sharing our stories. We all have our unique styles. People can bring diverse ways of public speaking by expressing themselves in different styles and manners. People from India don't have to follow the same style as people from Africa or America and vice versa. With our own styles and backgrounds, we bring diversity to storytelling. It is not just the diversity of stories that matters, the diversity of styles and storytellers also matters. By having diverse styles of storytelling we can expand the reach of public speaking. If more and more people see people like them sharing their views, opinions, and stories, many more will be encouraged to do the same. 

Social media has already expanded the reach of expression of ideas and sharing. Social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Ticktock have already started breaking these barriers to public speaking. Many are actively engaged in storytelling without subscribing to the standard protocols of public speaking. This is great, this is the beginning of removing the barriers to public speaking. I hope this trend continues and slowly we don't feel the need to train people in the art of public speaking. We already know how to speak and share our stories, public speaking is just another incident of engaging in conversation with a larger audience using our own style and flair, let's do it more often.

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

Consent must be taught in schools

In one of the web series, a courtroom drama, the lawyer while defending a rape accused says that consent is a great area. This statement is not uncommon, many around us do not understand the importance of consent in a relationship or sexual encounter. Consent is an essential requirement for any sexual encounter, whether that encounter is casual or within any formal relationship like a marriage or civil union, does not eliminate the requirement for consent. Marriage or any other relationship does not give an individual the right to violate or override the consent of another individual, especially for their willingness to engage in a sexual act. So, even after consent is of such great importance, you will be amazed to know that not many are aware of it. For many, it is a gray area because they are ignorant about it. Even though there are many resources available to learn about the meaning of consent under various circumstances, very few people take advantage of it. This is the reason I am advocating that consent should be taught in schools. Like any other good habit like saying sorry, thank you, or excuse me, the importance of having the consent of another person should be part of day to day vocabulary of everyone and schools are a good place to start highlighting it.

Any sexual encounter is a private act, normally, only people involved in the act are the witnesses of that act. Therefore, if there is a dispute, it becomes difficult to decide who is right and who is wrong. Not having a clear understanding of what consent means and how to interpret verbal and non-verbal signals correctly makes things more complicated. It should be clear to everyone that not saying no does not mean yes. This is simple, a person may hesitate to say no for a variety of reasons, there are too many reasons to list, therefore, the absence of no should not be interpreted as yes under any circumstance. There must be some expressed affirmative signal and it is the responsibility of the initiator to obtain that signal to make sure it is a consensual act. 

Also, it is more important to know that consent can be withdrawn at any point for any reason. Given consent, in any sexual act, is a privilege of the person who offers it and it is their right to withdraw anytime they feel they are not ready. This should not be difficult to understand. If the person who is on the receiving end cannot deal with that withdrawal and feels the urge to fulfill their initiated sexual desire, they have other means like masturbation to quench their sexual desire. Violating the rights of another to engage in consensual sex cannot be a reason under any circumstances. Traditional institutions like marriage also do not give license to an individual to violate the rights of his or her partner. Spouses don't have the right to rape each other, if it is wrong to force yourself on another outside marriage then it must be wrong within marriage also. Marriage does not offer up any license to ignore or violate the personal rights of our partner, rather were should respect those rights.

Humans are different compared to other animals, we behave differently socially compared to other animals. The same is true for our sexual acts, they have to be consensual otherwise there is no difference between us and animals if we force each other just to satisfy our sexual urges. Our relationships will become stronger and more fulfilling if we respect each other's choices. If we respect each other's willingness to participate. This is why let's start teaching the meaning and importance of consent as early as possible. 

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

Right of privacy and reproductive rights

Recently the US Supreme Court overturned a 50-year-long precedence, Roe v. Wade, holding that the Constitution does not offer any abortion rights to women (Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health). Even though the holding of Roe was already narrowed by the subsequent Court judgments (Planned Parenthood v. Casey). The abortion rights were synonymous with Roe. Once the court agreed to hear the case challenging Mississippi's abortion restriction, it was expected that Roe would be further restricted. Even though recently confirmed justices, Kavanaugh and Barrett, during their confirmation hearing, said that they respect precedence, it was expected that they would overturn Roe the first chance they get. And they did exactly that. All justices confirmed to the Court are very accomplished legal experts, so, most opinions use very crafty language to justify their holdings, and the opinion of Dobbs is no exception. However, this post is not about the Supreme Court's opinion of Dobbs or the composition of the Court, the post is about the right to privacy and women's reproductive rights. For legal analysis and political arguments there are many resources on the internet, please refer to them. 

The Roe opinion used the right of privacy argument to find abortion rights. First, we should decide whether the Constitution offers any right to privacy or not. Either it does not it does not. The general consensus is that it does offer the right to privacy via the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. I don't think many would disagree that contraception and pregnancy are very personal and private matters. Every individual must have the right to decide when and how they should become a parent. If a man can decide whether he wants to use any contraceptive or not, and what can be done with his sperm, a woman should have the same rights and control over her body. It should be up to a woman to decide whether to use contraceptives or not, to get pregnant or not, and if she gets pregnant, to continue with her pregnancy or not. Reproductive rights, both for men and women, are their private matters and should come under their right to privacy, which is a fundamental right. If reproductive rights do not come under the right of privacy, then I wonder how anything can come under it. Are my letters, phone calls, my living room or bedroom, and bank statements more private than my sperm, egg, or embryo? Also, why use different standards for men and women? Why does society get to control a woman's body and her reproductive rights but not men's?  

The abortion-rights debate is mistakenly framed as a "pro-life" vs. "pro-choice" debate. No doubt, these are catchy phrases and make interesting topics for debates, but they do not offer any solutions. This issue has become a politically polarizing topic with a heavy religious overtone. The result is that abortion has become a political issue for Democrats and Republicans, it is no more about women's reproductive rights. The debate should not have been about "life" or "choice" but about "rights." If should be about as a society do we think a woman has any fundamental right to decide about her body and health? The question is that simple, it is about the reproductive rights of women, nothing more and nothing less, framing it in any other way is not only confusing but wrong. Just because an embryo is involved, we cannot divert the subject to something completely different. 

Now, a little bit about embryos. They are the result of the union of sperm and an egg. This can happen in a human body or a petri dish. This can happen during any sexual activity with or without the consent of the people involved in it. There is nothing divine about fertilization or pregnancy, it is a simple biological phenomenon. We all are the product of simple biological phenomena, all mammals are produced this way. Just because nature has given women the ability to carry the pregnancy, we as a society do not get the right to regulate their bodies. Women's reproductive rights are their fundamental rights. Also, like every other fundamental right, this right can be misused. However, we do not take away a fundamental right just because it is being misused, we put reasonable restrictions to curb its misuse. Subsequent decisions after Roe tried to do exactly this until the Court decided that women do not have this fundamental right at all. We have reasonable restrictions on all fundamental rights, so why not treat abortion rights in the same way. 

A little bit about, textualism, the argument used to argue that the Constitution does not provide abortion rights expressly and therefore, they do not exist. Even textualists interpret the Constitution, to define the scope of fundamental rights. The phrase "freedom of speech" from the First Amendment is interpreted to include modern modes of communication, including the burning of the national flag, and the word "Arms" from the Second Amendment is interpreted to include modern guns. So, why to object the inclusion of abortion rights under the right of privacy? If abortion is not a fundamental right, then is the use of contraceptives a fundamental right? Right to marry a person of their choice a fundamental right? Because the Constitution does not expressly talk about these rights as well. Already women fought long and difficult battles to get basic rights like voting, and now we are again moving the clock backward by taking away some of their fundamental rights.

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic.