A few minutes ago the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe V. Wade.
Of the many things one might say about this, the least pressing in terms of healthcare, though of some significance in terms of how the country operates, is this: subtlety and nuance have no sway in American political culture.
Never mind that no one on either side of the debate actually seems to know the history of how abortion became such a wedge issue.
Never mind that no one on either side of the debate seems to care about the science of what life is or might be, and the philosophical and ethical impact knowing that science might have.
Never mind the understanding one might have that someone could legitimately think aborting a fetus of any age questionable and, for sure, never mind generating any empathy for a woman who feels the need to do so.
Ignore altogether the idea that the more personal decision the less likely it is to be well made by bureaucrats, lawyers, and dogmatists.
Never mind everything between night and day, up and down. We are too busy for any of that. Too simple. Too stupid. Too self-assured.
Just reach for the absolute of I am right, all else is wrong. Form there we can pretend that extremism nurtures health and culture, absolutism where community and civilization grow.