The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Dr. Willie Parker - Changing the Reproductive Rights Narrative with "Life's Work"

Episode Date: December 5, 2021

"Life's Work" author, Dr. Willie Parker, explains how he's "pro-life" even though he believes in the right to an abortion. Originally aired April 2017. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Dr. Willie Parker. Welcome, Doctor. Before we get into really everything that's in the book, just give somebody who has no clue. What is it like for a woman who is trying to have an abortion in the deep south, you know, places like Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi. Okay, if you're not familiar with all of the barriers that are in place, the laws that have been put into place that even though abortion remains legal based on the road decision, there have been

lots of hurdles placed in the path of women. Right. Things like waiting periods in Alabama, it's a 48-hour waiting period There have been lots of hurdles placed in the path of women. Things like waiting periods in Alabama, it's a 48-hour waiting period once you decide to have an abortion in Louisiana, 72 hours in Mississippi 24. So they're long waiting periods, they're financial barriers. Those are just the institutionalized things. There's the stigma and the shame women are made to feel that they're doing something immoral by choosing their lives over the ambitions that other

people have for them. If someone were to counter and say why are you in such a hurry, why not have a waiting period, why not have 24 hours or 48 or 72 hours or any amounts of time to wait on, what would your response be to those people? Well it it sounds good like it's a common, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it the the the the the the the the th, it th, it's a th, it's a thi, it's a thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, thi, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, thiiiiiiiii, thiii, thii, thi, thii, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thii, thiiiiii, their, is their, is their, is their, their, their, on. What would your response be to those people? Well it sounds good, like it's a common, it passes the common sense test but it's not informed by the reality. There's not a woman that I know who doesn't say that when she pees on that stick and it's positive, she says I'm pregnant, oh great or I'm pregnant, oh shit. And so as a result, women have to be forced to wait to endorse somebody else's sensitivities is to say that we don't trust women with very

important decisions and I just beg to get there. You talk about in your book how it took you 13 years coming from a very religious background to change how you viewed a woman's rights to choose. Why and how did you change your mind? Well, I've always been pro-life, pro-life of the woman. I've never been opposed to woman making that decision, but I was conflicted because I wasn't clear about what it meant to me personally to provide that care.

So I had to think about my religious understanding and my religious conviction a little bit differently. So I think pro-life is a misnomer for people who are against abortion. People who are opposed to abortion are pro-fetus. I'm pro-life. I'm pro-life of the woman. And you can't have more of an interest in a pregnancy that a woman is carrying than you have in the woman herself.

Now, in the past six years, they've been over 300 abortion restrictions that have been enacted by states. This year alone, there have been at their, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I'm pro life, I'm pro- the the their life, I'm pro- life, I'm pro- the the years, there have been over 300 abortion restrictions that have been enacted by states. This year alone, there have been at least 46 anti-abortion bills that have been introduced or are pending in about 14 states. What's really interesting is you have compared this, the control over women's bodies to slaveries, which to many people would be a bombastic term. Why would you say that? I think if you've never lived with your back to the wall, it would be really hard for you to understand what it's like to have the most essential aspect of your being, the ability to make decisions about your life,

your life, to have hopes and aspirations and dreams and to have that control by someone else. I as a man will never face an unplanned pregnancy, but I feel like I'm in the same position that Abraham Lincoln was when someone asked him, why did you free the slaves? There are many reasons the Civil War was fought, but I like it when he said that as I would not be a slave so I will not be a master As a man, I've refused to participate in a system that will deny women the same

Agency and the same right to make decisions about their lives that I have as a man You know you obviously face a lot of opposition, taking this stance. You know, traveling around helping women who don't have access to abortions, women who are forced to travel to other states. The president said if a woman under role or if they change the laws is in a state theat they don't allow abortion, then she can just travel to another state. Why is this such a big issue? Well, the problem with that is that is that is that is that is that, abortion, then she can just travel to another state. Why is this such a big issue? Well, the problem with that is that people in this country, under our constitution, everyone

should have equal access and equal protection under the law. So that means that one state's not free to impose its responsibility to ensure the health of its citizens to another state. The bottom line is nobody's health or aspirations should depend on their zip code. and if, well, th, th, th, well, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, their their th, well, their their th, well, their their their their their their their their their tho, tho, thi, tho, tho, thi, their, their, their, their, their their their their their their their, their, their, their, their th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, thiiiolole, their, their thiii. Well, thiiiiiiiole, thiiiiiiiole, their their their their their the's health or aspirations should depend on their zip code. And if you say that a woman can just simply go to another state, that sounds nice, but it's not informed by the reality that many women face hurdles and if the clinics are 500 miles away, it might as well be a million miles away, or if a woman doesn't have the resources to travel. Many women don't have the resources to travel in state, let along going to another state. So I think it's a very callous statement to say that it's almost like Maria Antoinette just let them eat cake.

It's callous. It's callous and it doesn't take into account the realities of the situation that many women are in. You spoke earlier today about why on a day like thoomtea thoomtea thoomtea tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho their tho-a tho-a tho-a tho-a tho-a th. th. tho-a tho-a tho-a tho-a tho tho tho tho tho their tho their tho tho tho tho tho to to to to to to to to tho their tho tho their thi thi thi thi thi to to to to to to to toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. to to why on a day like today and this day every single year has significant importance to you. Why is that? Well, it occurred to me, Trevor, that this is April 3rd, the day before my book launch, and when I was told that the book would be launching on April 4th, there's a tap set in my heart around the fact that was the day that Dr. Martin Luther King was assass. th. th. thiiiiiii. tod. tod. tod. tod. tod. tod. tod. tod. tod. tod. tod. tod. tod. tod. todayuiolenolenolenolioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioion. today. today. today. today. today. today. today. tod set in my heart around the fact that that was the day that Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. So it struck me that tonight, 49 years ago, was Dr. King's last night on earth. For me, what that means is that I like to imagine that I was the little kid living at Alabama who he had hopes and aspirations for that my dreams wouldn't be determined by the color of my skin.

And so this book, My Career, is really a recognition of the vitality of the movement that he gave his life for. You, uh... Telling an amazing story. It is a beautiful book. Thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you. Watch the Daily Show, Weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus.