Politics: The War on Women

[rogueslayer452]

Alaska State Rep. Alan Dick says women should get written permission slips from their impregnators if they want to have an abortion

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett rationalizes ultrasound bill by saying: "I'm not making anybody watch, okay, because you just have to close your eyes."

Idaho lawmaker, Chuck Winder, suggests that women use rape as an excuse for getting abortions

In Georgia, eight women state senators walk out of the Senate chambers, protesting the passing of two bills that would limit access to abortion and contraceptives

Utah Senate passed bill for women seeking abortion to wait 72-hours

Georgia senate panel approves "fetal pain" anti-abortion bill

Wisconsin to ban some abortion coverage and altering sex education by only teaching abstinence as the preferred method of birth control

Tennessee abortion bill would publicize names of the doctors who performed abortions, along with identifying the patients

Texas Sen. Wendy Davis' office was firebombed due to her outspoken support for Planned Parenthood

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These are just some of recent issues concerning the attack on women's rights that have been happening over the last several weeks, and this isn't even the tip of the iceberg of this fight women are going through here in the States. What's deeply disturbing is how women's rights are continually being fought over in this day and age, and how anyone can think it's morally okay to deny basic human rights from someone just because of their gender. Or their sexual orientation or their ethnicity, for that matter. But that is precisely what has been happening, and it's been happening for quite some time now.

And why is this? Because of men.

Old white conservative men are enforcing these laws, making these restrictions and attempting to limit women having control over their own body autonomy. They make it so they can be completely invasive over women's privacy, often forcing, manipulating, humiliating and shaming them in the process and hiding behind religious statements that unfortunately is a huge manipulating tool for these people since they are pandering to those with similar mindsets, and it just spreads like poison. These men feel so threatened by women that they feel the only way to control them is by taking away their rights, and because the unfortunate truth is that us women are still considered a minority, still having to prove ourselves worthy to be in the same ranks and treated with respect by our male counterparts, they are still able to take away our rights and limiting access to things that we need (ex. birth control, Planned Parenthood, sex education, etc.)

The thing is this isn't just about abortion. It's about the right to body autonomy. It's about right of getting proper education and information on something so we can make our own decisions for ourselves. It's about the right to be treated equally, to be allowed to work, to fight, to stay at home, to make our own choices about the lives we want to live without anyone threatening otherwise.

At the end of the day, no matter what your personal opinion is on a certain issue, you have no right to impose on the choice of another. End of story.

Comments

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

Ug. The whole thing is just so disgusting. You know what men, shut up. And the sad thing is, there are women with these views. And yet their voices are being silenced too by men who seem to think that they are the only ones who have the right to speak. Just look at the sessions before the senate committee where all the speakers were white men. Even though there were plenty of women that would have said the same thing that they could have used.

[angel-kink.livejournal.com]

Republicans (aka old white men and the women who they control) have been waging war on women for... jeez... for decades. Long before I was born. The fact that bills like this are actually started to pass though is frightening. I will never understand women like my aunt who vote republican.

Actually, wait, there is one republican I like. Meghan McCain. And that's because she's liberal where it counts: on issues like this. If fucking love you Meghan. I wish the reset of the Republican party was like you.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

All the Republican candidates are incredibly anti-women, it makes me wonder why so many women are willing to vote for someone who wants to take away their rights. It's so backwards, I can't even.

[avaserenity.livejournal.com]

I never really understand how anyone can vote Republican when this is the shit coming out of that party. Like this shit is just too disgusting for words. As you said it's not just about abortion it's about women being denied the right to decide what to do with their own bodies.

A bunch of old white men who have no idea what it is to be a woman deciding my rights as a woman. Fuck that.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Exactly, especially to those (ex. the younger generation) who seem to be unimpressed by the Obama administration and want to vote for "the other side" just to "stick it to 'em", but think about it. Would you rather have someone who cares about their citizens and isn't at all biased in anything he does rather than someone who has a skewed vision of what America is and would gladly destroy any kind of progression of equality? All the Republican candidates are not just anti-women, but they're also racist and extremely discriminative towards any minority and some of them have been so proud in admitting so. Because in their view, that is what America is, that is what "God wants" America to be and that kind of mindset is so dangerous.

So really, by voting Republican, you're just sticking it to yourself. You are denying yourself the right to be treated as a human being.

I think some people are also just uneducated on what these Republicans represent in their views, and how those views are destructive overall because they may think they are creating a "better America" but they are also dismissing and neglecting/discriminating those they consider "the Other" in this country (and in other places in the world, some candidates have proudly mentioned they are willing to invade other countries and go to war.) Which is morally wrong and not what a President should represent for the entire country.

[avaserenity.livejournal.com]

Very true. One of my friends is a die-hard Republican, right down to Fox News watching believing every anit-Obama thing they say. We rarely talk politics because of it but there are times when I ask her why she's a republican, I honestly don't think she listens to what they say. I honestly have no idea what goes through her head. And this woman is white while I'm Black and so much of what she stands for is so opposite of what the Republican stand for I just don't understand it. The undermine her right as a female, blatently, and it's like she either doesn't see it or she is just that oblivious.

So really, by voting Republican, you're just sticking it to yourself. You are denying yourself the right to be treated as a human being.

I agree. I love Obama, I think he's got a tough job but I don't require everyone to agree with him just because I like him. However I think he has a great grasp on what basic human rights are, the same human rights that Republican claim are being threatened by him. They clearly have no idea what basic human rights are, they have selective and prejuduced ideas they think everyone should follow but no clue about basic rights.

Like listening to Santorum and that preacher talk about how the govenment discourages them from being devout Christians. Now from where i sit I see them trying to impose upon other which is the exact thing they complain about. There is just some major brain to mouth disconnect that they all suffer from. Maybe to join the party you have to go in for brain surgery and have that connector removed.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

However I think he has a great grasp on what basic human rights are, the same human rights that Republican claim are being threatened by him. They clearly have no idea what basic human rights are, they have selective and prejuduced ideas they think everyone should follow but no clue about basic rights.

This is so true, it hurts. I know not everyone agrees with everything Obama has done, and they shouldn't have to. It would be a miracle to have a President to do everything so picture perfect and please everyone. I just think so many have forgotten the pressures that come with the job, and how you have to come to a compromise about certain issues. People don't really understand that he's just one man placed in a position that requires so much attention. But just think of all that he's accomplished over his first term, those things we should be proud of. And think of how those things will be taken away if any of the Republicans take his place, all because they seem to lack an understanding on basic human rights.

Which is why I'm dedicated on making political posts right now, collecting information and facts on the candidates because I feel so many are just that oblivious. People need to be educated on everything the candidates stand for, good and bad.

Quick anecdote: I knew someone who considered themselves very liberal, until one day they suddenly announced they turned Republican. No reason, just that they've gone Republican. They were still very liberal in certain aspects (gay rights esp) but then turned around and voted for someone who was adamantly against those rights. It just makes me scratch my head to this kind of contradiction. Why would you be for something but support a political party/person which discriminates it? Doesn't make sense to me.

[avaserenity.livejournal.com]

[i]they may think they are creating a "better America" [/i]

Well for them a better America was the 40's, 50's and 60's when old white men had control over everything and could get away with anything. For them the worst thing that ever happened was the equalizing of the sexes and minorities.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Go back even further, they just want things where women couldn't vote and were considered property, and slavery was acceptable.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

"War on women" is the right term for what the right-wing is doing. I find it incredibly stupid, if not crazy. I could throw up.

I mean, what's going on here? I think there are many things wrong with these lawmakers, one of them is a lack of empathy, the ability to put themselves in other people's, specifically women's, shoes.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Even if they were to put themselves in women's shoes, some of them would probably say the same thing. Because in their minds they would think, "even if I were the woman in this situation I still wouldn't want to go against God's plan for me." Battering religion into the issue is the wrong approach, it's a manipulative tool to scare and shame women.

What's worse is how all the Republican presidential candidates are very anti-women. Just think, having one of them in office and them forcefully taking away any kind of progression we've made in making things safer for women. Including Planned Parenthood.

[carameltrap.livejournal.com]

This is appalling and disgusting. I can't believe that there are still men who think like that at this time and age. These types of men can just GTFO.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

And some women also believe this too, following in the same mindset unfortunately. :/

Some think this kind of patriarch is slowly dying out, but it makes me just how long before it is no longer a continued threat on women? You could say that young people are becoming more aware and can change this for years to come but some of the younger generations are still taught from the older generations so that mindset is instilled into them. It just baffles me that so many are so worried about what happens in other people's personal lives.