What a wonderful guest editorial Jocelyn Elders published last week, "Bring back standards for women's reproductive health." It's time someone pointed out the dangers and the foolishness of laws that corrupt and misguided politicians have been passing in their War on Women.
Do these men think before they unleash the power of government against more than half of America's citizens? Do they think through the awful things they force on women? If they truly fear the loss of every "potential child," why don't they pass laws forbidding men to masturbate? Do they think at all? Or are they just sheep who follow and yell and sputter as they go about their business of "punishing women...for being women" and denying them any rights to their own bodies?
I looked up a few statistics: In August of 2014, state legislators had introduced 468 restrictions "intended to limit, control, or otherwise regulate women's reproductive rights." Four hundred sixty-eight! How many restrictions were introduced to "regulate men's reproductive rights?" ZERO!
Ross quotes Senator Nina Turner (D-Ohio), "This isn't about one bill or about one state. It is about the unrelenting obsession with regulating a woman's womb."
Sarah Seltzer and Lauren Kelley discuss dangers to women's choice: "They've decided to put policing women's bodies on top of their agenda."
Seltzer and Kelley discuss negative laws, legislators, and governors -- 29 governors and 15 legislatures are anti-abortion/anti-choice. Texas is the worst. Under Gov. Rick Perry our own legislature passed a bill "mandating that women seeking abortions undergo forced ultrasounds." Perry labeled this bill "an emergency."
Remember when he vetoed the bill the legislature passed to end texting and talking while driving? He said something like, "The government needs to stay out of our business." Yet he and some of his colleagues think they -- as government -- have a right to barge in and control women's business! We need to clean house!
There is one bright star! Washington State is in the business of treating women fairly and equally. We need to learn from them.
In case you've never heard of the Greek play Lysistrata -- first performed in Athens in 411 B.C. -- I'll share a brief synopsis: The men were spending most of their time fighting in the Peloponnesian War. The women were tired of it. "Lysistrata persuades the women of Greece to withhold sexual privileges from their husbands and lovers as a means of forcing the men to negotiate peace -- a strategy, however, that inflames the battle between the sexes. The play is notable for being an early exposé of sexual relations in a male-dominated society."
In case any men out there are thinking of getting on the War against Women bandwagon, a word to the wise should be sufficient. Consider this: If the only way women can keep from having endless pregnancies is abstinence... that will be their only choice!