Monko Photo.
The Jim Crow fueled Drug War has produced at least one pernicious effect that does not get enough attention in many of our discussions. Pregnant women, especially low-income women of color, are the object of scrutiny by purported child protection agencies. While a white, upper class woman may not be scrutinized through urine screens during pregnancy, low income women and women of color are often subjected to tests to determine if “illicit†drugs are in their system.
The logic drug warriors-turned-child-protectors use is simplistic in these situations. Since a drug is illegal – just illegal – its use during pregnancy presents a danger to the fetus or actual harm to the born child. Putting aside the selectivity of their actions, these agencies often ignore the fact that many state child protection statutes do not define a fetus as a child. More on that in a bit. […Read More]
