You know, barefoot and pregnant. Answering to the menfolk. Hell, let's throw uneducated in there, while we're at it, since they're undermining the educational system, too.
Now, if you believe that is how it should be, then I suggest you turn away from this blog entry.
Because I think it fucking sucks.
Earlier this week, Democratic congresswomen objected to, and then left, an all-guy hearing on contraception. The GOP chairman of the committee refused to let women testify at a hearing to talk about women's health care.
Because we don't know what we're talking about when it comes to taking care of ourselves, obviously.
Meanwhile, one of Santorum's top goons said that women should just stick an aspirin between their knees for a contraceptive.
But none of that beats what the idiotic legislators in Virginia are doing.
They're taking us back to the dark ages with their personhood amendments and a bill that allows the state to force inanimate object rape upon women.
HB462, which has already passed the House of Delegates and is headed for Senate confirmation before being passed on to the governor, will force women who seek abortions to have an ultrasound.
Here's the summary of the bill from the legislative page:
Requires that, as a component of informed consent to an abortion, to determine gestation age, every pregnant female shall undergo ultrasound imaging and be given an opportunity to view the ultrasound image of her fetus prior to the abortion. The medical professional performing the ultrasound must obtain written certification from the woman that the opportunity was offered and whether the woman availed herself of the opportunity to see the ultrasound image or hear the fetal heartbeat. A copy of the ultrasound and the written certification shall be maintained in the woman's medical records at the facility where the abortion is to be performed.
Essentially, this is state-sponsored rape and torture. And if you think otherwise, go say it elsewhere. I don't want to hear your sorry excuses for this gross violation, because there is absolutely nothing you can say to defend this that will make sense. So keep your stupid to yourself if you agree that this procedure should be FORCED upon women, regardless of the reason for it.
I have had this ultrasound done. It was performed on me a couple of times, actually, when I was trying to have a child.
It is a gross violation of your person. If this were being done in any setting other an a medical one, it would be considered rape with an inanimate object, and the person holding the wand would go to jail. For a very long time.
This procedure traumatized me, and I wasn't having an abortion, I was doing the opposite.
This is akin to the eugenics movement of the early 20th century. For a long time the State of Virginia allowed its social services to remove the reproductive organs of mentally ill patients. They finally stopped the practice and eventually apologized for their stupidity.
This is about the same damn thing.
How is this not a gross violation of a woman's rights? How this is not rape if you force this procedure upon someone?
If you want to read more about this, check out these links:
http://www.reclusiveleftist.com/2012/02/16/war-on-women-reaching-some-kind-of-fever-pitch/
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505267_162-57380002/uproar-over-santorum-backer-contraception-quote/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/virginia-ultrasound-bill-republican-abortion-lifestyle-convenience_n_1276799.html
http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=13470
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/house-senate-approve-abortion-related-bills/2012/02/14/gIQAb5rmDR_blog.html
If you would like to write to Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell you can do so at this link:
https://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm
If you're a regular reader and this entry surprises you, please take a look around at what is happening. If you are a woman, to many of the people in charge, you are nothing more than chattel. If you're happy with that, then be on your merry way.
If you think you're a person, and you matter, then please stand up for your rights.
Because if they can force this one segment of our female sisters, who knows what they will force upon the rest of us.
I'm soooo glad my child bearing years are behind me. WHY is government even involved in this discussion???? Just one more way for men to control women and it's disgusting.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Diane. I have no idea why the government is having this discussion. I thought we were in the 21st century, not the 15th.
DeleteWhat Diane said.
ReplyDeleteWhile my child-bearing years are behind me, as well, there are women whom I love, such as my young niece, for whom I feel a responsbility.
DeleteBravo - well said, CountryDew. This the most offensive abuse of a female person's human rights I have heard of in a long time. But obviously in this Brave New World a female person is not human and has no rights.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Briar. It is indeed a dire time in the US when this sort of thing has come to the fore.
DeleteNot merely in the US. Both the UK and Canada have conservative politicians eager to restrict the availability to women of both abortion and contraception. This is a global war on women.
DeleteYes, it is. Unfortunately in the US our news of other countries can be rather limited, as you know.
DeleteIMO, this is something that should be between a woman and her doctor, the government has no right to intervene or interfer. Additionally, doesn't this violate HIPAA laws and doctor/patient confidentiality? How about we require any male who thinks this is a good idea have a probe stuck up their rear and see how they like that.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! This is a gender war; abortion has always been about keeping women down, not about the viability of the fetus. That's just the argument they role out because they know it strikes an emotional chord.
DeleteI agree with you 100%. It amazes me that we have representatives who actually vote for such garbage. We need to get rid of every one of them before they take away our right to vote. It saddens me that our state and our country are taking away the rights of women.
ReplyDeleteWe need to fight back.
DeleteWOW!!!!!! Such language from my Sister!!!!!!!!! I love it!!!!
ReplyDeleteAll joking aside, as a man, Husband and the Father of your Niece....this is a complete and moronic topic. No man on God's green earth has the right to push this bullshit on women. Abortion is a women's descision......no one else's. It's up to her to decide when, where and to what extent life has began in HER body. Sis, I knew nothing about this until you blogged. If I had known, I would have asked you to help chair a fight against this WITH me!!!! This is one million percent WRONG!!!
Diddle
(By the way, Thanks for including me in your Thursday thirteen. Diddle, Diddle, Diddle, Little Loren!! LOL !! )
Thank you for that support. This is bullshit legislation; an apt term. I hope you're making phone calls to those fellows you voted for to tell them that you don't like what they're doing.
DeleteI agree, the gov't has no place in mandating anything regarding our health- for men or for women. By the same token, they should also not require that we, as taxpayers and insurance carriers, pay for federally funded abortions or free birth control or morning after pills for all. It all should remain private in every respect including everyone's pocketbooks.
ReplyDeleteThis is where it becomes a slippery slope- do we want the gov't involved or not? It can't work both ways.
Birth control should be free and available. The state has an interest in controlling the population. Taxpayers get a much better deal paying for birth control than they do forcing an unwanted child to grow up abused and damaged. That's one of the reasons why the US has the largest prison population in the world - because we take care of one another so poorly. Frankly, I could better support your position if there was a safety net in place for the children who are unwanted and unloved, but there isn't, and abortion opponents don't seem to care if a fetus becomes a child who is then mutilated and abused because it isn't wanted. The issue here is about control of women, and whether or not they are as human as men, not whether or not a fetus is a living being. It has never been about that, that is just the card those in power role out to keep unthinking people at their beck and call. If people would think through to the consequences of the things they want, we'd all be on the same side. Alas, a certain segment of the population seems incapable of moving beyond their emotional gut.
DeleteAlas, such a position would mean that women with means would be able to purchase safe abortions and live their lives exactly as they choose. Women who had no means would have to rely on folk medicine, quack remedies and back street abortionists. They would die merely for being poor - or be forced to give birth because they were poor, and have to watch their children drown in deprivation. This would cost society far more in the end than providing adequate health care for all, regardless of their financial condition, so even if taxpayers took the position that providing free health care for all was an immoral restriction of their freedom to spend as they chose, or unAmerican, immoral, or whatever, they would still end up footing the bill.
DeleteWell said, Briar.
DeleteThank you for posting this. I'm appalled to know such a law might be passed in a state just north of my own. I've been looking around lately wondering, "Doesn't all this bother anyone else?" Apparently it does, as it should.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, we are bothered. What we are not is organized. Perhaps this assault will change that.
DeleteHow come I don't remember reading the word "Republican?" Because that's who is doing all of this. We need to keep saying it because not only do people not think of the long term consequences of such actions like not wanting to help poor women have access to birth control, but I'm starting to think that people don't even READ. Nevermind do some critical thinking! I don't think people understand the difference between a Republican and a Democrat! Like you said, they're just reacting emotionally, from their gut. I'm sorry, but it's the truth-it HAS to have something to do with the black guy. What in the world else can it be? Plus it's fun to rant and rave at the government and hang little tea bags from your hat. How anyone in their right mind could vote for a Republican after the last few years is beyond me! It's ironic--they say they want limited government yet they want to come into our bedrooms--sticking their noses into our sex lives and our reproductive health. People are not thinking! And it is scary! And don't get me started on how they want to lift all the regulations on pollution and food inspections, etc. That's their limited government. Get us good and unprotected in every way. Then they can control us. The Republicans are the rich guys, the big coorporations and if we keep going along falling for all this crap... I see stories like "A Midwife's Tale" and "1984" really happening.
ReplyDeleteDo guys have to masturbate in front of the doctor to prove they need viagra?
The word "Republican" is in the very first sentence! I agree, it's very 1984 and Margaret Atwood had it exactly right. It is already happening, all around us. Scary is the word for it.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteWhoa! Anita -- strong language! I didn't think you were capable of it.
ReplyDeleteJust for the record, I agree with you 100% In fact, it makes me so mad I don't even want to think about it! These particular Republicans have just gone over the edge and are abusing power.