Why I’m Annoyed With Politics

Posted by Leann | Posted on 02-05-2012

Category : 2012 Presidental Election, American Politics, Gay Rights, The War on Women, Women's Health, Women's Rights

One of the things that annoys me most about politics is that on nearly every single ballot lies the risk of forfeiting some aspect of my reproductive rights and health care.

I’m concerned about other things too, like education standards and costs, the current tax structure for individuals and businesses, foreign policy, overspending by government employees, gay rights, gun control and a variety of other things. But until my reproductive rights are no longer up for debate, and we arrive at equal pay for all Americans, I won’t vote on any other issues, plain and simple.

I’m tired of focusing on these issues that should already be settled. Women have the right to abortion. They should not be probed vaginally to provide them with proof of their pregnancy, or be tortured in any other way as a twisted way of trying to stop abortions. Health insurance for women  should not cost more than men’s health insurance. Women’s health insurance plans should not exclude women’s health. Women should not earn less than men for equal work. I mean, these things are so fundamental, so ridiculously obvious. Why in 2012 are we still debating them?

Can’t we just move on already? For once, I’d like to vote on something else, where these things are resolved and aren’t in danger of being repealed.

2012 GOP: The Strategy of Dividing Women To Get the Vote

Posted by Leann | Posted on 14-04-2012

Category : American Politics, Religion, The War on Women, Women's Health, Women's Rights

There really is a war on women in the US right now, but it has nothing to do with a female politician referring to a woman who has never worked at a job as, “never worked a day in her life.”  Yes, it’s true that stay at home mothers do quite a bit of work, but they aren’t working at jobs, and nobody is targeting them to lose their rights based on that particular life choice. This is simply a case of splitting hairs to manipulate people into thinking that this has something to do with the real war against women. It has nothing to do with it, and women are smart enough to know the difference.

The real war on women in the US right now has everything to do with diminishing the rights of women regarding:

  • [February 16, 2012] Their right to speak in front of Congress about issues that directly affect women (a woman being referred to as “not qualified” to testify about women’s health issues) - http://www.thenation.com/blog/166311/republican-hearing-contraception-no-women-allowed
  • [February 23, 2012] Access for women with low income to reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood in Texas  -The health care program in Texas provided contraception and cancer screenings to low income women. Medicaid rules prohibt the banning of specific health providers, however, Gov. Rick Perry – R  banned Planned Parenthood’s participation because he doesn’t think the funds should be permitted to go to any provider who offers or is affiliated in any way with abortion services (even though the money doesn’t pay for abortions). As a result, the federal government cut off the $30 million that it provided for the the Women’s Health Program. While Gov. Perry – R said he would replace the lost federal funds,  he has not done so, and no such program has been put in place since it was discontinued in March. Abortion is legal in the US and Medicaid explicitly states that it is the patient’s right (not the governor’s right) to select their health care practioner. Planned Parenthood is suing Texas, but right now, Perry is refusing to reverse his decision and 130,000  low-income women in Texas currently have no where to go and no funds to pay for the services if they did have somewhere to go  - http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/04/11/462293/planned-parenthood-sues-texas/
  • [March 1] Legalized discrimination against women’s health needs in health insurance plans- While many people race to side with the Catholic church’s right to their belief that contraception is wrong and, therefore, they shouldn’t be forced to include it in their health insurance plans, the unequivocal real losers in this debate are women employed at institutions like church-affiliated hospitals and universities (including students who pay for their health insurance) – who are not hired or chosen to become employees or students based on their religion. When 99% of American women have used, are using or will use hormones for purpose of contraception and/or to treat other health issues, the Catholic church is still legally permitted to omit this health treatment from their plans and decide, often at the detriment of womens’ health, who may or may not receive treatment. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-02-08/catholics-contraceptive-mandate/53014864/1. To circumvent the obvious attack on women’s health, the Blunt Amendment sought to allow any employer the right to legally discriminate in health insurance plans, including basic health care, based on their “conscious”. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/01/blunt-amendment-vote-fails-senate-contraception_n_1313287.html
  • [March 14, 2012] Their bodies -  Tom Corbett, PA-R supported an invasive measure requiring women seeking abortions to have a medically unnecessary ultrasound (including inserting a probe into a woman’s vagina) as “proof” of a pregnancy, requiring the computer monitor to be faced towards the woman so she can see the fetus, and requiring the woman to listen to the sound of the baby’s heartbeat. When asked about the woman’s right to object Corbett offered that, “They can close their eyes,” (as would a rape victim) – or not have the abortion.  This is not only incredibly invasive and cruel, but also an obvious attempt to intimidate women into not having abortions, despite their legal right to do so. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/03/pennsylvania_governor_tom_corb_3.html
  • [April 5, 2012] Their pay- Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker repealed an employment discrimination law that was implemented to help women receive equal pay for equal work. Currently women in Wisconsin earn 75 cents for every dollar that men earn doing the same work. http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/04/06/460038/scott-walker-gender-pay/
  • [ongoing] Legalized price gouging of women’s health insurance premiums (aka “women are pre-existing conditions”) – In some cases,  health insurance costs for women is 84% higher than men of the same age and health group, and this is encouraged by those who believe in and support free-enterprise over insurance regulation that would require equality and fairness between genders.  http://news.change.org/stories/i-am-not-a-pre-existing-condition

The war on women is real, and the first five issues above were implemented this year, all before April 5th! This is nobody’s imagination, and what’s worse is that this list isn’t inclusive. It has nothing to do with semantics used to distinguish working women and stay-at-home mothers. Republicans want to get the heat off of themselves and this is the best they have in their claim that the Democrats are really the ones at war with women. It’s so ridiculous, and the record needs to be set straight.

Here is what Republican front-runner Mitt Romney has to say for women:

There is no war on women from Democrats. It just doesn’t exist. That’s why most women will be voting Democrat in the next presidential election. Women aren’t stupid, we’re not going to fall for “oh she said stay-at-home mothers don’t do any work” (when that is not what was said), and take that as a big civil rights violation against stay-at-home mothers. It’s a made up violation and it obviously hit a hot button of Ann Romney’s, who, like many stay-at-home mothers, believe that their work isn’t valued the same as those who work for pay. Sure, raising your kids is work, but it’s not the same and we all know it. Women have been there – some stay at home, some work out of the home, some work at home. some do all of the above. We get it. I like Ann Romney. I’m not against her, and I’m not going to suddenly find a reason to be against her. I like her style and she seems intelligent,  personable and sincere. But she’s not running for president and I’m not going to vote for her husband. I just don’t think he’s all that concerned about stopping this craziness against women. I don’t think he cares one bit.

One of the easiest strategies for dealing with a large group of people is to separate them into smaller groups that they identify with. This has been a long standing strategy in American politics for as long as I can remember. Anti-choice (Republicans) vs. Pro-choice (Democrats). The right to bear arms (Republicans) vs. gun control (Deomocrats). Free enterprise (Republicans) vs. enviromental control (Democrats). Which group do you belong to? Ah. Now we know who you’ll vote for!

Are we women going to further divide ourselves in politics based on if we work at jobs or stay at home with the kids?

Let’s not subscribe to this tactic. Our needs are too important and we still don’t have equal rights. Our future and our self-respect hangs in the balance.

I will never ever vote against the rights of women to be able to make choices about their bodies and their lives. I will never vote for women to be legally discriminated against by anyone – not the government, not employers, not public hospitals, universities and certainly not health insurance companies.

American citizens have had quite a lot of struggles with a weak economy, job losses, inflated health care costs among other things. I’m surprised that the GOP has so much time to focus so intently on diminishing womens’ rights and health choices. It’s like we’re going backwards in time – specifically to some distant century in the past where religious leaders against women having the ultimate dominion over their own bodies. While 99% of American women (and 98% of Catholic American women) have used, are using or will use contraception, it seems like a miscarriage of justice to even consider allowing a religion to legally discriminate against women in their health insurance plans. But that’s where we’re at.

The abortion issue has been a good one for the GOP. It’s been going on since Roe vs. Wade. The anti-choice sentiment gets the GOP a lot of votes from those who believe in “protecting the rights of the unborn”, while simultaneously stripping away the rights of women.

I don’t believe for a minute that many of the anti-choice people really give a damn about the life of anyone (these are typically the same people who complain about chipping in for the financial welfare of poor women and their children), but it makes for such a great sound bite. Some of them do care, and when that issue is so big to them, they jump onto the bandwagon of candidates who claim to stand for protecting one life over the life of another. Most of these lawmakers will never face the realities or consequence of the laws they make, very much unlike a  woman who is contemplating abortion. I think it’s fair to say that most women don’t make the decision to have an abortion without thinking it through. Yet lawmakers continuously try to determine where their invasion of a woman’s body and conscious should begin and end. They grapple with issues surrounding the pregnancy such as rape and incest in an effort to shape their laws. The abortion of one fetus is acceptable over the abortion of another fetus. They think they know best they say, certainly better than a woman who will deal with the realities of an unwanted pregnancy, however begotten. Of course this is absurd. Women know what’s best for themselves. We don’t need lawmakers making these determinations for us.

If you are a woman who doesn’t believe in abortions, the smartest thing you can do for yourself is to not have one. Even if you don’t believe you’ll ever need an abortion, there is no benefit for a woman to agree to legally remove the option to do so.

I have a close friend who is strongly opposed to abortion. At the age of 17, she selflessly carried her unplanned pregnancy to term and then made the heartbreaking decision to give the child up for adoption.  More than 35 years later, I know she thinks about her child regularly. She is comforted by the reality that she made a huge sacrifice for the benefit of her child. But it was a choice that was not forced upon her. It was a choice she made of her own free will. Because of this choice, she is even more adamantly opposed to abortion. The power of her strength, experience and convictions cannot be ignored. Her experience gives a viable option to other women who are looking for the right solution to their unplanned pregnancies. But I cannot agree with her politics because in doing so, the selfless choice she made would not have been hers, it would have been someone else’s.

Without having a choice, a woman becomes the property of the state, forced to carry and deliver babies with no say in the matter, regardless of her circumstances. When government makes laws about abortion, what they are really doing is stripping away a woman’s ability to make her own decisions. A significant and selfless act such as carrying an unplanned baby to term is reduced to being a law-abiding citizen. My friend made a choice. She was not merely a citizen following the law.

I knew many young girls who faced unexpected pregnancy and chose to have their babies and raise them. These girls were still in high school, one as young as 14. It was epidemic in my high school.

I personally know more women who have had abortions than given babies up for adoption. Most were teenagers still in high school, though some were in college too. Two were terrified of telling their parents, one had been raped on a date, one had been raped by her father, and one found out her baby was malformed (she used drugs recreationally because she didn’t know she was pregnant). There were others who chose abortion because they knew they weren’t ready to have a baby, and their decisions were respected by the important people in their lives, sometimes to their surprise.

All of these girls and women had a big decision to make, with all options on the table. Each made her own choice.

I believe the best way to address the issue of abortion is to provide important information and counseling without judgment or coercion. I believe it is vitally important to make sure that contraception is readily available to all teenage girls and women, regardless of their ability to pay. Their responsibility lies in taking advantage of birth control stop a pregnancy from occurring before they are prepared to deal with it. For those who chose to abstain and subsequently not believe they need birth control, the issue of rape will still remain a threat to their lives, their bodies and unexpected pregnancies.

I believe that the issue of abortion should not be one that divides us, but rather, one that unites us. I don’t advocate for abortions; I’m not pro-abortion. I am, however, pro-choice. My friend who gave up her baby for adoption had a choice. My friends who had abortions did so for their own reasons, and did so safely and by choice. It is not up to me to pass judgment on any of these women. They are my friends regardless of their stance on abortion, regardless of their position on contraception, regardless of the choices they make on any of these issues. I am glad that each one of them is alive and doing well, that they made decisions that did not cost them their dignity, did not cost them their lives and did not cost them a future they didn’t believe was appropriate for themselves.

I believe every woman matters, that every woman should be in charge of her body and responsible for the choices she makes for herself. I do not believe it is appropriate for politicians to grandstand or try to pass laws that diminish the rights of women. I believe that women are fully capable of making their own choices and do not require the interference of government for such personal matters. It’s time for politicians to back off from the issue of abortions and leave women to decide what is best for themselves.

It’s time for politicians to step up and end the discrimination so prevalent in our health insurance. Women should absolutely have access to contraception and abortions in all health insurance plans. Being a woman should not be considered a “pre-existing condition”. I have full confidence that women are fully qualified to make decisions for their own health care. I wish our politicians would give us the respect to make our own choices without trying to use our decisions against us, or to try to pit us against each other. I believe we need to come together as a united front and stand up for our collective rights once and for all.

As for the latest twist on the war against women, where Hilary Rosen stated that Ann Romney “has never worked a day in her life”, I don’t see a war tactic at all. In no way did Hilary’s statement attempt to diminish the rights of women, which is what the real war against women is about. Hilary’s point was simply that a woman who doesn’t work at a job doesn’t have the same life experience as a woman who does, Ann Romney included. This was not an assault on stay at home mothers. All women know that mothers do plenty of work raising their children, whether they work at a job or not.

I hate seeing women being divided and categorized as working mothers and stay at home mothers regarding the term “worker”. Are we really so easily offended because we don’t classify stay at home mothers as workers? A stay at home mother will not find herself dealing with pay discrimination in the workplace, she won’t know what it’s like to lose her job and find herself at the unemployment office. She won’t know what it’s like to be called at work to go pick up a sick child at school and deal with the financial repercussions of doing so if she is paid an hourly wage. She won’t know what it’s like to have her health insurance plan that she personally pays for through her own job exclude her health needs while charging her double for simply being a woman.

Ann Romney has stated several times that women are telling her that they are concerned about jobs, and I assure you they are not going to her for help raising  their children. They’re talking about work – at jobs. It’s not really all that confusing, and taken in the spirit it was given, Hilary Rosen’s statement hold true. Many women do make sacrifices to be with their kids instead of work. I think that’s honorable and I think it’s great if they have the choice. Thirty years ago, not many women had the choice to go to work. Now not many women have the choice to stay at home with their kids. Don’t be offended if you’re a stay at home mother and aren’t classified as a “worker”, and don’t be offended if you have to go to work and can’t be in the PTA.

Women need to stick together right now, to respect the choices we make for ourselves and the language we use to describe the lives we have. Don’t let this GOP strategy be an effective tactic used exclusively for the purpose of dividing us. Hilary Rosen did not insult stay at home mothers by not including them in the work force. The war on women is about real rights being violated, about losing a lot of ground in helping women address their reproductive health, including access to birth control in our health insurance plans and in state funded clinics for low income women. No rights have been violated with Hilary Rosen’s comments, and I respect her honesty and candidness. If we can’t be real with each other about the words we use to define our roles, then how can we address the issues at hand. Let’s keep it real and rise above the manipulative GOP strategy together, united.  Let’s band together and focus on the rights we have already lost or are dangerously close to losing.

I can’t help but wonder, is it possible to have a high-level government election about the financial health of this country including job creation and a strong economy, environmental issues including renewable energy options, and foreign relations WITHOUT fighting to uphold/diminish the rights of our citizens to equally enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? When we can have an election such as this, then I’ll know that we’re truly the land of the free. Clearly we have a ways to go.

Why Republicans Should Stop Trying to Restrict Women’s Rights and Access to Healthcare

Posted by Leann | Posted on 11-04-2012

Category : American Politics, Religion, Women's Health

For those republican politicians who tout they know what women want, I encourage them to stop talking and start listening.

It’s no secret that I’m a Democrat. But then, how could I not be? When my rights as a woman are at stake in every election, I can’t help but see the Republican views of women’s rights as a federal or state restriction of my own body and my own personhood. It’s personal. It’s very personal.

When I hear representatives use anti-choice language in their campaigns, I know they’re talking to a very specific religious group of people who want to hear that – but I’m not in that group. They make it sound like people who are pro-choice are for abortion. We’re not for abortion, we’re FOR women’s rights to make choices for themselves. When Republican candidates begin voting on forcible rape by inserting a probe in a woman’s vagina for the purpose of forcing her to see the fetus in her stomach before she has an abortion, I know they don’t believe that women know what’s best for themselves. It’s an insult. It’s an attempt at state legalized rape. It’s cruel and it’s medically unnecessary. I don’t believe any legislator knows what’s best for a woman’s health above the individual woman herself.

When I hear politicians campaign on “getting rid of” Planned Parenthood, a wonderful organization that provides reproductive health care primarily to women (but also to men), I know that they are not seeing the big picture, and the goal is to keep women down. Let women figure it out for themselves, they say. Women don’t make babies all by themselves, but when it’s legal for women’s health insurance to charge her 25% more than men’s, coupled with a national average pay that’s 19% less than men’s, I find it astounding that any politician would promote that women are expected to pick up the tab for the growth of our population – from birth control to prenatal checkups to college and everything in between. For those who don’t know, child support can only be collected from men who choose to work “on the radar”. The term “deadbeat dads” didn’t happen by accident. Who picks up the slack? Women of course. And if a woman can’t afford to feed her children, who picks up that tab? Taxpayers of course. “Getting rid of ” Planned Parenthood is a fiscally stupid move for taxpayers. It’s cheaper than prenatal care. It’s cheaper than a birth delivery. It’s cheaper than the lunch subsidies. It’s cheaper than a high school education. Birth control is cheaper than the alternative.

I do not subscribe to the “religious conservative” views and all of the anti-choice rhetoric that goes against women’s freedom to make health choices for themselves. I’ll never do that. However,  as a business owner, I do subscribe to financially conservative views, but I won’t vote for fiscal conservatives when they couple those views with religious conservatism. Every time I heard Santorum talk about being “the true conservative,” there was no question in my mind that he was referring to his religious conservatism. I don’t think I ever heard him announce a plan for improving the economy. When he said he felt a need to discuss contraception with American women, I wanted to vomit. The last thing I need from our president is a lecture on the health risks of contraception. I have a doctor and she’s licensed to practice medicine. I’ll take her advice and I’ll make my own decisions about my health.

As long as the Republican message focuses on reducing or eliminating women’s reproductive freedom, I won’t vote for them. No matter what other messages they may have about boosting the economy, reducing the unemployment rates, lowering interest rates for my mortgage, improving education, increasing safety, etc. etc., I won’t vote for them. My reproductive rights will always trump those other issues.

I will never vote to reduce my legal rights. It seems silly that anyone would.

Now, if they are willing to put an end to campaigning for the reduction of women’s reproductive freedom, it would be a huge step – a bold step – the right step.

I wish Republicans would put their foot down and have the courage to protect women’s health care and start focusing on other issues that aren’t such a direct attack on the things that women truly need. They should be supporting these things, not catering to a group of religious zealots.

Did it ever occur to Republicans that they might be able to swap the religious vote for the female vote? I guess not.

Women are 52% of the voting population. Because the Democratic party is largely for protecting women’s reproductive freedom and for providing access to reproductive health care for lower-income women, I will stay a Democrat. If the Republicans would ever have the courage to stand up for women and make the election about ANYTHING else, I’d be willing to listen to what they have to say and maybe even vote for them.

I would never trust Romney because he caters to whoever is listening, but maybe someone else might come along who has the courage to make the election about OTHER issues. It’s time.

Rush rushes to save his ass

Posted by Leann | Posted on 04-03-2012

Category : American Politics, Religion, Women's Health

“For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.

I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit? In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone’s bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.

My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.” – Rush Limbaugh, March 3, 2012

And the problem here is that, again, Rush has completely twisted the truth so far out of context he doesn’t even admit that this is about women’s health insurance provided by, in this very case, an institution that accepts money for health insurance from its students and then denies them appropriate health care based on their “morality.” No taxpayer money pays for the health insurance, that money comes directly from the students who pay their tuition, but are denied insurance payments for treatments that the students need, because they are women, because the Catholic church does not agree that women’s health is more important than their theology.

The other problem is glaringly apparent, Rush’s job is on the line as a variety of social activist groups, otherwise deemed by Rush as ”feminazi’s”, have moved quickly and swiftly to make it clear to every single one of Rush’s sponsors that we are girlcotting their products and will continue to do so as long as they continue to sponsor him. Rush is not sincere. He thinks he’s funny, but really he’s an obnoxious, sexist, racist ass who needs to go. The movement to remove him from the airwaves won’t stop until no sponsor is willing to pay for him to continue spewing his hateful, hurtful nonsense - when he is silenced once and for all. He only apologized after three days of decisive attacks against his sponsors. He didn’t apologize the next day, or even the day after. Only as the petitions are flying across the internet at lightning speed does he realize the gravity of this one very serious attack against women, which will hopefully do him in for good.

This isn’t about money for Rush (he’s got plenty), it’s about power. And he’s losing it.

Rush needs to go

Posted by Leann | Posted on 03-03-2012

Category : American Politics, Religion, Women's Health

Rush Limbaugh went way too far, and the Republican candidates are way too scared to say so. Maybe they’re afraid. Maybe they’re afraid of Rush Limbaugh. He’s certainly more powerful than they are.

Sandra Fluke testified about the medical benefits of contraception medication, specifically for its benefits in treating ovarian cysts. However, women in her college were denied access to this form of medical treatment because this medication is also used for birth control. One of the women she was referring to lost one of her ovaries because her Catholic college didn’t believe that her health was more important than making sure she was prepared to breed for them.

Rush acts like medical insurance is free to these women, even taking ownership of it himself as though his taxes pay for their insurance, which is not the case.  These women PAID for their college education, and their medical benefits are included in that tuition, which is true for most colleges. This isn’t a government handout, unless you think that college students who pay their tuition get anything free. That’s a joke – just ask anyone burdened with student loans. And the other side of this coin is about WORKING American women, who obviously don’t need Viagra (not a word about not covering this from the Catholics), but whose health needs should be addressed between them and their doctor as opposed to being dictated by religiously-driven legislature or employers who could care less about the health and well-being of their female employees.

Nobody’s stopping preachers from preaching from their pulpits, but the First Amendment clearly states that no religion shall dictate our legislature. Women need health care, and there is no question in this country that American women actively choose to use birth control since they bear the brunt of the physical and financial responsibility of pregnancy and beyond. For these reasons alone it should be offered in every single medical plan.

This is a direct attack against women who work and or who are otherwise buying into their own health insurance – 99% of American women to be exact. And why is it that Rush thinks HE is entitled to anything? He’s not entitled to ruin someone’s reputation just because he feels like it. He’s not paying for anything at all – the women pay for it by paying for their tuition, or by employers of working American women (who have no “moral issue” paying for Viagra). This isn’t about tax money at all.

Rush was completely out of line and I hope Ms. Fluke sues him for everything he’s got.

Heil Santorum – The New US Dictator

Posted by Leann | Posted on 29-02-2012

Category : American Politics, Gay Rights, Religion, Women's Health

One of the most dangerous people rising in American Politics is Rick Santorum. Many religious people believe that he can bring a religious component to a country whose very foundation rests upon freedom of religion, that being the First Amendment and the indoctrination of separation of church and state. The Catholic religion is so oppressive that 98% of Catholic-American women do not follow its views on contraception. There are other Vatican-related views that many Catholic-American women also do not follow, such as having sex with their husband for purposes other than to have children (such as intimacy), divorcing abusive husbands to protect themselves and their children. Many Catholic-American women seek treatment after being raped, which is also not acceptable by the Catholic church, even though it’s not abortion, it’s still contraception. There are no rules to protect women against the physically intrusive abuse afflicted upon them by men. They must bear it.

If a person of Catholic faith wants to argue these points, that’s fine. You’re still allowed to practice your religion.  But I’m not a Catholic, nor do I want to become one. With all due respect, some of the basic tenents of the Catholic religion go against my very core as a human being and as woman. I work. I vote. I pay taxes. My body is mine and mine alone. When I die, my heart will stop beating and the blood will stop running through my veins. It’s all mine, all the time, from the beginng of my time until the end of my time. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, has the right to make decisions about my body except me.

Santorum doesn’t believe in the separation of church and state.  He said he felt like “throwing up” after listening to a famous speech by President Kennedy, because, unlike JFK, Rick believes that the church and state should be combined. Rick would then take his lead from the Vatican, with no respect to the religious views of others, which would only be fitting for a Catholic nation.  Too bad if you’re Protestant, or Evangelical Christian or Baptist or Jewish, or Muslim, or agnostic or athiest. If we become a Catholic nation, you may not have all the freedoms you have now, and we may change a few laws around making sure that only men of Catholic perusation can become president of the US, or maybe we can change some laws in the private sector. Maybe only Catholics can have money. Sorry if you’re a Protestant, you’ll have to move. The Catholics want your house. It’s a very slippery slope. It may seem close to your religion now, but what if it’s not close enough? Don’t think it can happen? It did in Germany. Remember that nice guy Hitler? He took advantage of the German people during a crisis. In fact, one good crisis is really all it takes to convince people to give up their rights. Think of all the rights we’ve “willingly” given up in the name of security since 9/11. We’re prime for someone like Rick Santorum. Here are some other ways Rick will keep the average American down:

According to Rick, education is not the American dream after all, just something that snobby people want. Rick has an MBA and a law degree, and expects all of HIS children to go to college or become skilled in a trade, but not yours.  I forget who he said is the snob. Higher education is for the elite, and Rick wants to keep it that way.
   
Rick doesn’t believe women should have control of their bodies, and certainly not their reproductive health since it’s against his religion. If you think welfare is expensive now, wait until you see how much it costs with a new and explosive wave of unplanned pregnancies by women who can’t afford contraception, let alone children. Any woman who takes her health or body into her own hands will be handled by Rick personally. He’ll hold you down, shove a probe into your vagina and make you watch it all on a computer screen. Well, that’s not fair, you’re allowed to close your eyes. And yes, this is really on many state ballots right now, which Rick supports. No joke.

Rick says women do not belong in the work force. They should be minding their husbands and keeping the house in order.  There is no other purpose for women.

Rick wants gay military to hide their sexuality so as not to distract the real men of the military.

Rick believes that neither women nor gays should serve in the military. No point honoring any of their achievements or bravery, as they are a “distraction” to the heterosexual men on the battlefield.

Rick thinks the best way to rejuvenate the economy is to get women and gays out of the workforce and give their jobs to men who have families to support.

Rick’s goal is to repeal any and all social freedoms that contradict his religious views. He’ll be in your bedroom making sure you don’t have sex unless you plan to have children (which the husbands will determine), he’ll be refusing your kids a higher education, he’ll put women back in the kitchen where they belong, which will open up tons of jobs for men, he’ll be shoving gays and lesbians back in the closet (or refusing them jobs), and he’ll be ruling with an iron fist. He says he wants less government, but without more government, how can he possibly enforce all of these things? Oh, that’s right, our kids will have less access to higher education, so it shouldn’t be too hard to push them around.

You’ll have less education, no women grabbing your job (assuming you’re a guy since women have no business working, especially not being in the military or politics), more kids, and a new national religion. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of Rick Santorum’s idea of happiness.” The new Declaration of Independence. Rick will consult with the Roman Pope and together they’ll give you a briefing on the new theology-based US Laws.  Be home by 7 pm. That’s the new curfew by the way.

Santorum’s Catholic America

Posted by Leann | Posted on 21-02-2012

Category : American Politics, Religion, Women's Health

I don’t care what religion Santorum is, really he can be a Catholic, non-denominational Christian, Jewish, Muslim or whatever he’s interested in. However, I do care not to have anyone’s religion shoved down my throat. I do not care to subscribe to the Catholic theology, a hierarchy that has traditionally hung women out to dry in terms of safety and human value in general. I’m also not particularly happy about how this church concealed thousands of child rapes, praying on young souls should they speak up in any way, all while working together in a conspiracy to keep their actions under the radar. Their male-importance is stifling and offensive, which is why I left their church many years ago. I certainly don’t want to be forced to live by the Catholic church rules. I think my religion should be my choice, not the choice made for …me by the President of the United States.
 
I also don’t think that Rick Santorum is qualified to talk to me or any other woman about birth control or any other health issue; he’s not a doctor. Nor do I think it is appropriate for a group of all-male right-wing congressional and religious leaders to determine how to best constrain my reproductive health and freedom. I think such concerns are adequately covered by my doctor and me.
 
Santorum’s narrow view of how the world “should work” is completely and thoroughly out of touch with reality and with a large portion of the citizens of the United States. Anyone who claims they want “less government” should think twice about voting for a man who is clearly on a mission to remove rights and force women to live by his Catholic, stifling beliefs. Anyone who is a financial conservative needs to wonder why insurance companies would be more than willing to collect a higher premium from faith-based organizations to not offer birth control, and then hand out free contraception (because providing contraception is cheaper). People running for office who want to restrict our reproductive health options by limiting or removing birth control as a health care option for hard-working American women clearly are not for women’s rights, nor do they have a good plan to get the US back to a balanced budget.
 
The discussion has moved from pro-choice and anti-choice abortion, it’s now about trying to control women’s lives and limit their sexual freedom. Comments and jokes like “put an aspirin between your knees” as a means for contraception are about as backward thinking and insulting as anyone can be. Having this discussion, even throwing around such a ridiculous “joke” while we’re trying to climb our way out of the financial Bush mess is about as clueless as ever. Does Santorum really think that removing birth control from working-women’s health insurance options will somehow help the economy? Does he think women will go back to letting the man decide things for them? Does he think we want to give up our jobs, our passions, our missions and live by his suffocating theology? Just as a matter of reference, 98% of Catholic women don’t live by the Catholic rules. I hardly want to join that 2% bandwagon. I can’t help but wonder why Santorum would they think the rest of us would be so willing to give up our access to reproductive health care if people in his own church aren’t willing either.
 
Santorum doesn’t like the idea of women in combat, a real insult to our heroic women who have been fighting in our wars. He also doesn’t like the idea of women working period. He thinks women belong at home, cleaning after and cooking meals for their husbands and kids, having sex only for the purpose of procreation. Today’s women are not interested in going backward, we like our choices. And we like having sex for fun, just like men do. OMGosh what a sin! I might have blushed at such an admission in my 20s, but I make no apology for stating my opinions today. Santorum needs to stay out of the bedrooms of the American people. He needs to understand that trying to control and limit reproductive freedom of American women is a big giant mistake while women can still vote (ratified not even 100 years ago). He might have won the anti-choice abortion issue, but his views on contraception are a giant leap from abortion issues, and it directly affects 99% of American women, not just those crazy liberal Democrat women. Republican women use contraception too. And men are happy not to have to chip in on child support en masse. Teen pregnancies are down for a reason. Does Santorum think they’re all going to church and putting aspirin between their knees? Hell no, they’re getting information and they’re getting contraception.
 
Santorum is totally out of touch with the American people. Vote him in now and Obama will win by a landslide. Of course, that’s just what I want.

Obama, The Health Care Reform Bill, Birth Control and the Catholic Church

Posted by Leann | Posted on 10-02-2012

Category : American Politics, Religion, Women's Health

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Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, this is a direct attack on women’s rights in the United States by the Catholic church.

Let’s be clear about what Obama is fighting for. This is the war between the Catholic church’s rights and women’s rights in the United States.

The Health Care Reform bill states that only religious organizations that primarily employ and serve their parishioners would be exempt from the requirement to provide insurance that covers birth control. Churches are exempt from providing insurance that includes birth control to women, but Catholic-run hospitals, agencies and colleges are not.

This mandate is very important for women in this country, and whether or not the Catholic church has the right to inflict their religion on women who are employed by them to serve the general population in Catholic organizations in the United States.

Obama believes that every woman should have access to birth control through the insurance provided by her employer. I agree wholeheartedly!

I find it fascinating to listen to all the other MEN who are weighing in on this issue – primarily the bishops and Republican candidates who are rallying to the side of the male dominated Catholic hierarchy rather than the women who be directly affected by this health mandate for women. As usual, they are distorting the facts. I can hear their arguments now, “How dare Obama attack the very fabric of the Catholic church!” Never mind the needs and rights of the women, they shouldn’t even have the right to vote let alone control their reproductive health! I mean, nobody would actually SAY that, but I’m confident that many of them think that way. Who do all these guys think they’re kidding? These aren’t necessarily Catholic women who we’re talking about; these women are hired under the clause that these organizations may not discriminate based on religion to begin with. Think about that. If these organizations can’t discriminate when they hire someone, what should give them the right to refuse to comply with other employer laws surrounding that employment? Oh it’s women, and the Catholic church is holding steadfast that they should be able to continue to refuse women fundamental health care rights because THEY don’t believe women should have those rights. Controlling women is nothing new for the Catholic church, but preserving the rights of women is the job of our represented officials - Obama, Democrats and Republicans not excluded.

If the Catholic organizations who serve and are staffed by the general population can hire outside of their religion, in fact, not be allowed to discriminate based on religion in their hiring process, why then should they be granted immunity from our other laws when it pertains directly to women’s right to control her own reproductive health care?

This is not a war perpetrated by Obama against the Catholic church, but rather it is a war perpetrated by the Catholic church against women who are employed by Catholic agencies, but who do not necessarily belong to or believe in the Catholic doctrine.

Santorum, Planned Parenthood and Prop 8 – A Mixed Message in the US

Posted by Leann | Posted on 08-02-2012

Category : American Politics, Gay Rights, Women's Health

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Santorum had a full sweep of three states in the race for the presidential Republican nomination – Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado. Not only is he against abortion, a standard Republican platform, he’s also against birth control and gay marriage. So what are we to take away from a landmark day like yesterday, when a man like Santorum wins three states, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Karen Handel resigns over a scandal she waged against Planned Parenthood and a Californian court upholds that the gay marriage bill, Proposition 8 is unconstitutional for discriminating against gays and lesbians?

Let’s look a little further…

Rick Santorum – Republican Presidential Candidate For White Straight Men and Nobody Else – Winner of  3 States in One Day

Santorum is the same man who lost his 2006 Senate bid for reelection by a landslide 18 points in Pennsylvania for his polarizing views that alienated women and those in the gay and lesbian community. That’s quite a lot of people.

He condemned couples who live together without being married, and criticized women for working outside of the home, pointing to “radical feminism” as the primary culprit. Radical feminism, by the way, is the notion that women are people too. That’s really all it is. Kinda crazy, huh? It makes me concerned for his wife and daughters who are probably taught that it is best to leave the big decisions for the man in the house and not use their own brains. Forget the abortion debate, Santorum goes straight for the jugular in that he doesn’t believe that women should use or have access to birth control. He is completely and utterly against most of the services that Planned Parenthood is known for. His notions date so far back to women’s suffrage that I can’t help but wonder if he also thinks that women shouldn’t have the right to vote. There is no mistaking that for women, Santorum is a dangerous guy whose goals are to eliminate as many of our rights as he possibly can.

Santorum is not terribly likable by the gay and lesbian community either. He flatly opposes legalized gay marriage, as do many conservatives. However, he went one step further, citing gay marriage could result in legal protections for polygamy, incest and bestiality. Yeah, bestiality. Clearly he is out of touch, but it does leave one to wonder what he does in his own bedroom.

Karen Handel’s Lost War Against Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood came under attack this past week when Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced they were going to de-fund Planned Parenthood’s breast screening program, which they’ve contributed to for the past 20 years. Although Komen never admitted that the decision was political, there was never a doubt in the public eye, for those who support the choice to have abortion or those who do not. I’m sure Komen was surprised to find themselves the focus of intense public outrage, losing supporters in record numbers, while Planned Parenthood received an unexpected $3 million windfall from thousands of women who had received a variety of services from them, from breast screenings to reproductive health care when they were unable to afford it themselves. Tens of thousands of comments lit up Komen’s Facebook page condemning them for politicizing women’s heallh care. Feeling betrayed, long-time Komen supporters stated that they were cutting up their pink ribbons and discarding everything pink, refusing to purchase anything that would provide Komen with more funds to achive their new political agenda. Many believed that Komen’s recent VP Karen Handel was behind the unexpected decision,. Handel lost her 2010 bid for Georgia Governor on the platform of being against and planning to defund and dismantel Planned Parenthood. The Huffington Post stated that they have seen internal communication from Komen executives that supports the accusation that Handel instigated and helped plan the move to stop funding breast cancer screenings for low-income women at Planned Parenthood. After Komen recinded its decision, the public demanded Handel’s resignation, which came yesterday. The message was loud and clear, “Don’t politicize women’s health.” So how does a guy like Rick Santorum win on the same day that Handel hands over her resignation?

The Legal Right to Marry is Gaining Momentum for Gays and Lesbians

The decision to reject Proposition 8 was upheld by California’s 9th District Court as unconstitutional, citing that it was discriminatory against gays and lesbians. It is expected that proponents of the anti-gay bill will appeal yesterday’s latest ruling, sending it next to the Supreme Court for a final ruling.

Those in favor of the bill believe that marriage should only be between opposite-sex couples and feel that providing gays and lesbians with the same rights diminishes the very constition of marriage. Those who oppose the bill say that it discriminates against gays and Lesbians in fundamental ways, that their partners are not recognized in many legal and socially situations – from visiting partners in hospital emergency rooms to property rights after death to the privilege of not being required to testify against his or her spouse in any proceeding. Gay rights activists believe that states must recognize their civil unions and grant them the same rights as opposite-sex couples.

 So in a day and age where it seems like women have made a very clear statement on their views about contraception and health care relating specifically to themselves, where gays and lesbians are one step closer to legalized marriage, a man like Rick Santorum who adamantly opposes all of the aforementioned is nominated for the Rupublican Presidential candidate in three state elections on the very same day.

Just like the middle class is eroding and leaving us with two distinct groups in the US – the rich and the poor, so too are our views polorizing us as a nation, where some are prepared to wage attack on the fundamental rights that have taken years to achieve.

In our world where we have so much to think about, together as a nation - war, education, the economy, jobs, international relations - it’s a wonder that anyone has the energy, desire or time to spend diminishing the rights of others to make themselves and their narrow, sexist, biggoted, and religious views the law of this land, the United States of America.

12 Lessons We Learned From the 2012 Susan G. Komen Debacle

Posted by Leann | Posted on 07-02-2012

Category : American Politics, Women's Health

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Susan G. Komen for a Cure, one of the nation’s leading fundraising organizations has taught us a few things about non-profit organizations and women’s access to health care. Here are 12 important lesson’s we’ve learned from Komen’s recent mistakes.

  1. Don’t hire someone whose political agenda could hurt the people your mission is designed to help.
  2. A non-profit organization that is not political or religious in nature should not become political or religious at a later time. It’s against the law. Putting a different spin on it does not change culpability.
  3. A non-profit organization who develops ties to a specific political party does so with the expectation of losing many – possibly more than half – of it’s supporters, including not only those who donate financially, but also those who organize and participate to raise money to help further the agenda of the organization. People are willing to participate and sacrifice for a cause that has touched their hearts. When there appears to be a shift in that agenda, supporters feel betrayed that the reason why they were there in the first place has become secondary to the new agenda.
  4. When a non-profit organization takes aim at a partner who has been steadfast, supporters will believe it necessary to choose sides, often with the partner who just got dumped. Contributions to the finger-pointing organization will immediately decline, while contributions to the other organization will increase.
  5. When a non-profit organization discontinues a long-term good relationship with a partner for political reasons, they immediately come under public scrutiny which will likely result in a very public audit. 
  6. Public trust for an organization whose mission becomes clouded with a political agenda will be greatly affected. Trust may never full return, no matter how sorry the leaders are. 
  7. Non-profit organizations who share a common goal should stay committed to that goal, regardless of the political persuasions of all involved.
  8. Politics have no business in women’s health.
  9. Women need to stop letting the issue of abortion divide us to the point where we hurt each other by refusing to provide important health care services because legal abortion is provided within the same organization. We need to stand together so that our rights are never diminished or taken away.
  10. There are much better ways of addressing the needs of women than by removing health care from those women who can’t otherwise afford it.
  11. People who come together under a common cause must be reminded of what will happen to those it servers should that organization no longer exist.
  12. The mission should always always always be at the forefront of everything a non-profit organization does. Never lose sight of the mission. Staying focused on the mission is the number one most important thing a non-profit organization will ever have in the relationship it has with its supporters.
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