On the eve of the SCOTUS' stunning decision that apparently corporations now have the same religious rights as individuals, I am at a loss to describe all the gigantic holes that were left by the gang of five in this unreasoned and ridiculous pronouncement.
First, apparently, only some corporations are eligible for this religious test. You have to belong to only certain kinds of religions. The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Amish were singled out as not being the correct kinds of religions specifically. And I am sure there will be more (I'm looking at you Muslims!) Or any other kind of 'exotic' non-christian types.
Second, the type of corporation makes a difference. But that's a smallish problem since the 'closely-held' type they specified covers almost 90% of workers in the US today. So they did get to the majority of the workforce. Nice shot!
But here is the best one of all - there was no examination of the 'sincerely held beliefs'. The two plaintiffs in the case BELIEVE that the four drugs and one device named in the suit cause abortions. THEY DO NOT! This is a scientific matter, not a matter of belief. Birth control pills prevent ovulation from taking place the same way a pregnancy does. An IUD prevents an egg from being fertilized. These are not abortions.
In any case, Hobby Lobby, the lead plaintiff, holds stock in companies that manufacture devices and drugs that are used in ACTUAL ABORTIONS! Yes, you heard that correctly! So the fact that Hobby Lobby's owners' sincerely held beliefs regarding the abortion issue was not examined is a big deal. And they do NOT have any.
This whole case was about Obamacare and was totally political. Hobby Lobby has been providing contraceptive coverage under its healthcare policies in California and in many other states for over 15 years as mandated by those states - just like the ACA mandate for contraceptive coverage. And they have been doing so without a peep for all that time. It is only because these people hate Barack Obama so much that it even became an issue.
"Sincerely Held Beliefs?" Yeah - the only sincerely held beliefs they hold are that they hate this President and will do anything they can to undermine, disrespect, and destroy his agenda and programs that they can.
Showing posts with label abortion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label abortion. Show all posts
Monday, June 30, 2014
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Why Are Men So Afraid of Women?
I just read an excellent piece by Sara Robinson at Alternet on this topic: Why Patriarchal Men Are Utterly Petrified of Birth Control -- And Why We'll Still Be Fighting About it 100 Years From Now
(You should go read her entire piece - it is fascinating. She is one of my favorite writers - she is described as a futurist and an excellent one indeed!)
The crux of the matter is that men are basically afraid. (Not every single man - I am generalizing here I know. My apologies to the good guys!) Things have changed because of birth control (yeah I know, that was 50 years ago) and they don't like it and they want to change it back to the way things were BBC. (Before Birth Control) They liked it when they were in charge and women were barefoot and pregnant. They liked it when women had no say over their own bodies. Or their own finances, jobs, careers, lifestyles, or almost anything else. They liked it when women were around for one purpose and one purpose only - having and raising kids. And that's it.
And here's what they just don't get. Women aren't going to go back. So yes. There is going to be a fight. And it's going to be long. And probably bloody. But it has to be fought. Because we cannot be a fair and just society if half of the people in it are not allowed to have a say in how they are treated, in how they will live their lives, in how and when or if they choose to have and raise children.
I have heard the comments that "women were penetrated when they got pregnant, and they will be penetrated again to have the abortion, so why are they objecting to being penetrated for the transvaginal ultrasound?" It's a little matter of consent, dammit! Unless the woman was raped in the first place, she consented to the sex. If she wants an abortion, she is obviously consenting to that. But these government-sponsored, non-medically necessary transvaginal ultrasounds? That she has not, and does not, consent to. And under the law, non-consent to penetration of any sort, IS rape!
And then we have the spectacle of a bunch of men wearing dresses (the Catholic bishops) pronouncing that birth control for all women in this country should not be a part of any health care insurance because they object. Never mind that not everyone in this country is a member of the Catholic faith. And never mind that 98 percent of Catholic women use or have used birth control in the face of their own church teaching. And never mind that these guys are the ones who have molested and/or covered up for molesting priests for decades - not just in this country but everywhere. Yup. We should all listen to them!
No, women will not go back. And yes, women will fight back. In Virginia, a coalition of womens advocacy groups has formed a new PAC The Womens Strike Force. The name kind of says it all! Check out their website. I hope more of these happen in every state! We need them.
And all you men out there - stop being so afraid! Women just want to be your partners. Women being able to make decisions doesn't take anything away from you - it makes all of us stronger. When women are 'equal', everyone wins - including all you men! Real men understand this and are cheering their strong women on - their mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and friends. So buck up guys! Stop treating women like moronic little kids. Accept that women are perfectly capable of making decisions about their lives and bodies - just like you! And we'll all be better for it.
(You should go read her entire piece - it is fascinating. She is one of my favorite writers - she is described as a futurist and an excellent one indeed!)
The crux of the matter is that men are basically afraid. (Not every single man - I am generalizing here I know. My apologies to the good guys!) Things have changed because of birth control (yeah I know, that was 50 years ago) and they don't like it and they want to change it back to the way things were BBC. (Before Birth Control) They liked it when they were in charge and women were barefoot and pregnant. They liked it when women had no say over their own bodies. Or their own finances, jobs, careers, lifestyles, or almost anything else. They liked it when women were around for one purpose and one purpose only - having and raising kids. And that's it.
And here's what they just don't get. Women aren't going to go back. So yes. There is going to be a fight. And it's going to be long. And probably bloody. But it has to be fought. Because we cannot be a fair and just society if half of the people in it are not allowed to have a say in how they are treated, in how they will live their lives, in how and when or if they choose to have and raise children.
I have heard the comments that "women were penetrated when they got pregnant, and they will be penetrated again to have the abortion, so why are they objecting to being penetrated for the transvaginal ultrasound?" It's a little matter of consent, dammit! Unless the woman was raped in the first place, she consented to the sex. If she wants an abortion, she is obviously consenting to that. But these government-sponsored, non-medically necessary transvaginal ultrasounds? That she has not, and does not, consent to. And under the law, non-consent to penetration of any sort, IS rape!
And then we have the spectacle of a bunch of men wearing dresses (the Catholic bishops) pronouncing that birth control for all women in this country should not be a part of any health care insurance because they object. Never mind that not everyone in this country is a member of the Catholic faith. And never mind that 98 percent of Catholic women use or have used birth control in the face of their own church teaching. And never mind that these guys are the ones who have molested and/or covered up for molesting priests for decades - not just in this country but everywhere. Yup. We should all listen to them!
No, women will not go back. And yes, women will fight back. In Virginia, a coalition of womens advocacy groups has formed a new PAC The Womens Strike Force. The name kind of says it all! Check out their website. I hope more of these happen in every state! We need them.
And all you men out there - stop being so afraid! Women just want to be your partners. Women being able to make decisions doesn't take anything away from you - it makes all of us stronger. When women are 'equal', everyone wins - including all you men! Real men understand this and are cheering their strong women on - their mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and friends. So buck up guys! Stop treating women like moronic little kids. Accept that women are perfectly capable of making decisions about their lives and bodies - just like you! And we'll all be better for it.
Monday, May 5, 2008
More on How We Got Where We are Now...
Here is another post on the subject of how we got here by Phil Rockstroh (it's a little old but not out of date) on how we got where we are, along with his comments about what happens next.
http://philrockstroh.com/2007/10/02/a-q-and-a-for-the-people-of-a-forsaken-republic-addressing-the-origins-of-the-whose-your-daddy-nation/#more-58
Phil does an excellent job of breaking down the links between the fundamentalist right/evangelical religious right and the cronyism and greed in the government and adds the corporate and military/industrial complex to the list of bottom feeders contributing to this problem.
The deviousness and outright hate-mongering by the right to get its own way is so despicable it is even carried into the abortion debate. Pro-choice has nothing to do with babies - it has everything to do with the right not getting its way when it was on the road to destroying all the 'left-wing' ideas coming out of the New Deal, the Great Society, the Civil Rights Movement, and all the other good-for-society-and-its-members programs. The Roe v Wade decision was the last gasp of the left, and the right-wingnuts have been trying to roll it back ever since. Not because of the babies - because it was a victory for the left. That's why they don't care about kids once they get here, and why they cut kids health insurance, WIC, Headstart, AFDC, anything that might help actually raise and care for these children once they are actually born. It IS about power and having your own way. Values be damned.
http://philrockstroh.com/2007/10/02/a-q-and-a-for-the-people-of-a-forsaken-republic-addressing-the-origins-of-the-whose-your-daddy-nation/#more-58
Phil does an excellent job of breaking down the links between the fundamentalist right/evangelical religious right and the cronyism and greed in the government and adds the corporate and military/industrial complex to the list of bottom feeders contributing to this problem.
The deviousness and outright hate-mongering by the right to get its own way is so despicable it is even carried into the abortion debate. Pro-choice has nothing to do with babies - it has everything to do with the right not getting its way when it was on the road to destroying all the 'left-wing' ideas coming out of the New Deal, the Great Society, the Civil Rights Movement, and all the other good-for-society-and-its-members programs. The Roe v Wade decision was the last gasp of the left, and the right-wingnuts have been trying to roll it back ever since. Not because of the babies - because it was a victory for the left. That's why they don't care about kids once they get here, and why they cut kids health insurance, WIC, Headstart, AFDC, anything that might help actually raise and care for these children once they are actually born. It IS about power and having your own way. Values be damned.
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