Our mothers and grandmothers went through trials and fought battles that we’ve never experienced in order for the women of this century to have access to the what they did not.
Now, the Republican Party seems to be taking steps backwards in regards to women’s rights.
If the Republicans take control of the White House, Planned Parenthood funding would be withheld until they agree to stop performing abortions, according to The New York Times online.
Right, it is clearly the best option to completely cut off Planned Parenthood. It isn’t like they do anything except abortions, like help struggling women with nowhere else to turn.
Title X, a family-planning program for low-income families that provides birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings and STD screenings, would no longer be funded.
Women who cannot afford insurance have a higher risk of falling ill and not receiving treatment if their resources are cut off.
A large number of far-right conservatives seem to feel it is appropriate to dictate what a woman may or may not choose to do with her own body.
Take conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, for example.
In early March, he verbally abused a college student who had spoken at a Congressional hearing about contraception being included in President Barack Obama’s healthcare bill.
During his radio broadcast, he called her vulgar names and insinuated she was promiscuous to an audience of approximately 14 million people, according to New York Times online. Limbaugh seems to be the spokesperson for the uber-conservative agenda.
But who is he to pass any judgement on a woman who wants to protect herself — an adult woman, no less?
The student, Sandra Fluke, appeared at the Democratic National Convention on Sept. 5 to give a speech in support of Obama.
Not doing too badly for herself, huh Limbaugh?
In her speech, she warned the American people that under GOP nominee Mitt Romney, the future for women looks bleak.
“During this campaign, we’ve heard about the two profoundly different futures that could await women — and how one of those futures looks like an offensive, obsolete relic of our past,” Fluke said.
In another case in early August, Republican Mo. Senate reelect hopeful Todd Akin seemed out of touch with reality and with women by saying during a discussion on pregnancy due to rape that, “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
Right. Next time some poor woman is raped and impregnated, let’s ask her why she didn’t “shut the whole thing down.”
I’m sure he didn’t mean the words to be understood the way they were by the public, but how insensitive and crass.
I cannot explain how, why or when it seems the far right of the Republican party returned to such primitive beliefs.
The GOP preaches about a hands-off government, yet they want to restrict so much.
I guess it is easy for a party dominated by men to assume they know what is best for women, but that assumption couldn’t be more incorrect.
Each and every woman has different ideas and beliefs about what is best for her.
No one else but her should be making those kind of decisions.