A South Dakota bill that would have given women easier access to contraception and taken substantial steps to decrease the unintended pregnancy and abortion rate was defeated in the state senate — by “pro-life” legislators.
The Birth Control Protection Act said South Dakotans have the freedom to obtain and use safe and effective methods of contraception without government interference.
“It is the public policy of this state that the interest in freedom from unreasonable government intrusions into the private lives of citizens, and specifically the right of consenting individuals to obtain and use safe and effective methods of contraception without interference by governmental entities … ” the bill stated.
Birth control is not abortion. It does not cause or promote abortion. Birth control is the most effective way to decrease the abortion rate. And yet those who claim to oppose abortion the most are the same people who are taking the strongest steps to increase the abortion rate.
(more…)
posted 2:52 pm at Feministe
March 8 is International Women's Day, and the Leader of the Free World has declared an end to sexual exploitation of women, free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, it's a miracle. And if he can't change the whole world by executive order, today he's at least making a stern example of those South Dakota sex traffickers and exploiters of women and young girls?
Off to tell my teen-aged daughter the great news that it's morning in America and starting today, she'll be judged on the content of her character, not her uterus. . .
From the festive Voice of America holiday story:
"America will help women stand up for their freedom no matter where they live."
The president says his administration is working with other nations to end sexual exploitation and the human trafficking of women and young girls . . .
posted 1:41 pm at culturekitchen - Feminism
March 8 is International Women's Day, and the Leader of the Free World has declared an end to sexual exploitation of women, free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, it's a miracle. And if he can't change the whole world by executive order, today he's at least making a stern example of those South Dakota sex traffickers and exploiters of women and young girls?
Off to tell my teen-aged daughter the great news that it's morning in America and starting today, she'll be judged on the content of her character, not her uterus. . .
From the festive Voice of America holiday story:
"America will help women stand up for their freedom no matter where they live."
The president says his administration is working with other nations to end sexual exploitation and the human trafficking of women and young girls . . .
posted 1:41 pm at culturekitchen - Feminism
Most of the women I know are full of rage at this moment. We fucking screamed that if he got re-elected, women were going to pay for that election with their bodies. We yelled at our fellow leftists that the right to privacy was important enough to go to the mat for, but we were told to shut our fucking pie-holes because there were more important issues to get worked up about. And now, well, now we have two more anti-choice asswipes on SCOTUS, and states are lining up to gang-rape Roe v Wade. South Dakota got its dick out first, but apparently, other states like Tennessee and Missouri don’t mind sloppy seconds.
As an expression of that rage and disbelief, it’s been floated that it's time for the Lysistrata option. That is, since women cannot be trusted to make a choice, our choice should be:
posted 12:44 pm at culturekitchen - Feminism
Most of the women I know are full of rage at this moment. We fucking screamed that if he got re-elected, women were going to pay for that election with their bodies. We yelled at our fellow leftists that the right to privacy was important enough to go to the mat for, but we were told to shut our fucking pie-holes because there were more important issues to get worked up about. And now, well, now we have two more anti-choice asswipes on SCOTUS, and states are lining up to gang-rape Roe v Wade. South Dakota got its dick out first, but apparently, other states like Tennessee and Missouri don’t mind sloppy seconds.
As an expression of that rage and disbelief, it’s been floated that it's time for the Lysistrata option. That is, since women cannot be trusted to make a choice, our choice should be:
posted 12:44 pm at culturekitchen - Feminism
[Liza suggested I cross-post this from my main site, The New Homemaker.--Lynn]
Over at the new-ish blog Mother Talkers, Amy points to a program in Wichita that is the kind of thing I wish anti-abortion people would take to heart. I have been saying this for years: The issue is not whether to outlaw abortion or not, the issue is, are we going to be there for women and children who need us?
I am personally pro-life, to the point that for me the only exception is life of the mother; after eight weeks, that's a baby as far as I'm concerned, and it's not that child's fault if it's the product of rape or incest.
At the same time I recognize the utter futility of outlawing abortion, especially without providing some form of help for women faced with unwanted or inopportune pregnancies. And "inopportune" is so not the right word, but it's the best one I've got at hand. The Choices program gives me hope, because as things stand now all we have are two polarized political bureaucracies who stand to gain from never moving forward on this issue.
posted 6:13 pm at culturekitchen - Feminism
Anti-Choicers Defeat Birth Control Bill in South Dakota
from Jill @ Feministe 11 Feb 2008 2:52 pm