Will Romney and Ryan decide what Americans can do with our reproductive systems?
"We will honor you, our fellow citizens, by giving you the right and opportunity to make the choice."
That is exactly what Republican candidate for vice president Paul Ryan said in his speech Saturday morning: he emphasized the need for Americans to take back its right to choose.
Americans, he implied, know what's best for ourselves. We are a smart and responsible people. We want the government off our backs and out of our wallets, Paul Ryan's message implied.
Isn't it right to assume that, if we want the government out of off our backs and out of our wallets, we'd also want the government out our wombs, away from our cervixes, and out of vaginal area generally?
If American citizens need to be responsible for our own medical decisions, don't our girly-bits count as part of ourselves? Or are they open for government inspection -- like having an emissions test -- because they are under the hood?
American women are American citizens: at least they are until the next election.
Actually, let's take a vote: Hands up everybody who believes American women are fully operational American citizens.
Okay, those of you with your hands down are not allowed to decide what happens when we have sex, get pregnant, need healthcare, need a termination, or need a hysterectomy.
Get your hands away from us; get your probes and your paperwork back to the 19th century where they belong (but where independent and intelligent women were already challenging men's rights of ownership over the bodies of women).
If the Republicans get into office -- if Romney and Ryan win, the Bush and Quayle won -- will women continue to have choices concerning our own reproductive freedom? Not if they get a chance to take it away from us. And that's because they do not consider women able to make choices. Choices are not left up to individual women but must be decided by the government.
Surely these guys are smart enough to smell hypocrisy when it's so close to them? When they're not only walking in it but spreading it?
Will politicians -- Romney and Ryan first among them -- who want to leave the citizenry to make its own decisions permit women to decide what to do with our wombs? Will women be trusted with choice? Will the right wing protect that?
Follow Gina Barreca on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@TheGinaBarreca
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| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
Catch a clue
You've always had the right to choose your method of birth control
I expect the pill has been available from the local pharmacy, for your entire life.
Annual check ups are always covered in insurance plans
Ergo, go get your Rx for whatever method floats your boat.
Then go to the pharmacy and buy it
That ain't gonna change
Although the FDA approved the first oral contraceptive in 1960, contraceptives were not available to married women in all states until 1965 and were not available to unmarried women in all states until 1972.
You erroneously assume all women have health insurance and that annual check-ups are covered by all plans.
Have you been following legislation in Arizona? According to the AZ legislature, pregnancy begins 2 weeks BEFORE ovulation and any device (e.g. IUD) or substance (e.g. pill) that prevents pregnancy is an abortion. Sounds to me like Arizona is outlawing birth control.
All women with
health insurance have access.
ACA expands access
to heath insurance.
Introducing people
who still won't be covered is another conversation all together, it's a
deflection
--
Stop playing the
boogieman card as a real threat.
There is plenty of
bad legislation, which is corrected by our courts. I'm not saying ignore it, but the pro-life
crowd always has and will continue to propose legislation that supports their
views (price of democracy)
Paul Ryan (making a sad look) : "Well... not ones that count."
Are women able to make choices for themselves or is the only choice to agree with you?
Some truths - Roe v. Wade won't be overturned, if you're scared you don't understand. If you understand, stop scaremongering. Having the right to make reproductive choices is not the same as having the right to have someone else pay for your reproductive choices. Women are not a monolithic group and each woman is capable of making her own determination as to what is important to her.
That may be true, BUT time has shown again and again that women who do not have access to health care, reproductive care, etc are extremely likely to end up on welfare, cash assistance, getting no support from 2/3rds of dads who were supposed to pay child support, etc. Not to mention missed opportunities for college, career, etc. We all end up paying even MORE if we do nothing to help each other.
Check the net -- it was in today's headlines.
Well, perhaps that's not practical, but I do go with sterilizing men who help create children and then don't support them. That's a great idea!
And as for whether or not you think I'd be qualified to decide on an abortion, hell, you can't even spell. As for you paying for an abortion, I'm sure you'd be happier paying for the foundling homes that will need to be in existence to house all the babies that teenage girls can't support. Being as the boys who impregnate them won't be supporting them.
And then the Republicans can put through workhouse laws that will use the foundlings for unpaid/cheap labor for their sweatshops right here in the USA.
i think its like when a smoker doesnt smell the smoke anymore. but once they stop, they can. seems quiting hypocrisy is harder than quiting smoking.
Not if the government takes the decisions out of your hands.
I would much rather loose a little more of my money than all of my rights. One can always adjust your employment or leisure activities to make up for a little higher taxes, but only if you can make those choices on your own based on what is best for you and your family. What you feel is best may not be the same thing the government feels is best.
Though now a days there is no fiscal difference between the two main parties. Only what they prefer to spend it on. Employing people here, refurbishing the roads and bridges I drive on is vastly more important to me than invading some foreign country so we can build bridges and roads for their citizens.
Not if the GOTP gets their way! These are scary people - they mean it when they say they'll overturn Roe v. Wade and shut down Planned Parenthood, among other things. Yes, the real issue is jobs and the economy, but we can't afford to push women's issues to the back burner, hoping the problems will all shake out. Read what both Romney and Ryan have to say, and everyone who works for them and believes in their platform. Open your eyes - THEY JUST DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU!