Andrea Friedman, Director of Reproductive Health Programs, National Partnership
This election was a rebuttal to those politicians and activists who are trying to turn back the clock on women’s reproductive rights and health, but it was also a sobering reminder that women’s basic reproductive health care is under siege and at risk. On November 6th, women sent a clear message that our right to truly be equal participants in society, our right to control our bodies and therefore our lives, cannot and will not be taken for granted.
After we pause to celebrate, we must look to the future and how we will advance real access to comprehensive reproductive health care for all women. A woman should be able to access safe abortion – in her community and without unnecessary medical procedures and delays. Yet in many states, women are forced to travel long distances, undergo biased counseling and unnecessary invasive procedures, and deal with needless and insulting waiting periods.
No woman’s decision should be made for her because she can’t afford abortion care. For too many women, that’s exactly what happens, and we cannot rest until we repeal the discriminatory and harmful Hyde Amendment banning coverage of abortion in Medicaid.
The election victory was not untarnished. In Montana, voters approved an amendment to create a burdensome parental notification requirement that takes away young women’s rights and endangers their health. Montana became the 39th state requiring parental involvement in a young woman’s abortion decision. Even as we move forward, new barriers are being put up.
We look to our champions who stood with us, and the new ones who are now joining us, to stay vigilant in this fight. Women did not ask for this fight, but it is one we will continue – and November 6th was a step in the right direction.
While it’s true that the crazed fundies of the Religious Right are still trying to bag up women’s rights and throw them in the river like unwanted kittens, a story today from Texas shows a glimmer of realization that the steps they took to constrain low-income women’s access to affordable health care is about to swing around and bite ‘em in the panhandle.
Because some genius in Texas just realized that women without contraception will still have sex! And get pregnant! And they’re estimating 25,000 babies will be born to lower-income women, and these babies are going to need assistance; something that will cost Texas a LOT more than funding birth control pills.
These fundies could not pull their heads out of their bibles long enough to give intelligent consideration to the issue of women’s health care, they were too busy pandering to the loud, proud ignorants of the GOP.
All of a sudden, they are realizing that 25,000 babies ain’t cheap, and they’re gonna be paying to help them grow up.
I find this hysterically funny that, all of a sudden, some of these thumpers are beginning to realize the magnitude of the problem they’ve spawned with their mean-spirited hatred of women’s reproductive ability coupled with Biblical-driven nonsense.
I am quite sure that this is just the beginning of the end for these religiously-driven policies. You think Montana wants to pay for some poor woman’s kids? Or Georgia, or Alabama, states that already suck Federal teat while trying to keep others from latching on? Yeah, this is gonna be funny when tens of thousands of babies are born who would not have been if not for this stupid, stupid Bronze Age thinking!
And their constituents, the old, loud white jerks being pandered to by these politicians, if they don’t want to subsidize birth control for the poor, they’re REALLY gonna love paying for the little love fruits’ upbringing!
Think Nelson from The Simpsons when I say, “HAW haw!”
UNFORTUNATELY IT WILL BE A LONG HARD STRUGGLE AS THOSE IN POWER REALLY DO NOT CARE WHAT WE WANT, AND WE HAVE NOT HAD ENOUGH FORSIGHT TO GET RID OF THOSE OLD-FASHIONED MEN WHO THINK THEY CAN CONTROL EVERYTHING. WINNING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS NOT ENOUGH, WE MUST TAKE OVER THE STATE HOUSES AND THE GOVERNORSHIPS AND BEGIN TO SHOW OUR STRENGTH.
DON’T FORGET TO WRITE YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES AT BOTH THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL. WE SHOULD GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR ALL THE PEOPLE.