I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Pay no attention to the men behind the curtain

Look, I appreciate Gov. Nikki Haley trying to get all spiny and lead out the propaganda that "Women don't care about contraception" and that they're smart enough to see through the "media generated hype" surrounding "the war on women." She, and the GOP, want to make sure you don't see the ACA battle over contraception as anything more that just that issue.

You know, except this week, Gov. Walker signed a bill to repeal the Equal Pay Enforcement Act. You know, for a guy facing recall, you have to wonder just WTF is going through his empty little head.

And then add in all the new laws restricting a women's right to her own health care decisions. That includes the Georgia law, that during debate, one representative compared women to cows, pigs and chickens while trying to make the point that these animals don't get abortions and neither should women (I think that was the point he was trying to make, forget the fact that they do when the farmer is watching out for the health of their animals, the others believe in acceptable loss if a pregnant animal dies because of a bad pregnancy).

And then there's the multiple front war on defunding Planned Parenthood (remember when conservatives were all about the "government not getting between you and your doctor", apparently there was an exemption clause with OB/GYNs). For many low-income women, PP provides the only healthcare they received. For even more women, PP is the only reproductive healthcare service they can afford. And now, because PP has separated out the abortion side of their business to comply with federal law, which is only 3% of the services they provide, (edited to finish thought> there's now a movement to just defund the whole damn thing.

So, yes, Gov. Haley, women are smarter than that. Which is why the gender gap is back in full force and growing.

Oh, and yes, it turns out they do care about contraception… especially since progesterone and estradiol pills are used for much more than just birth control. Even though since that's how they're categorized by the health insurance industry, no matter what they're prescribed for, the insurance companies consider any prescription to be just for birth control.

2 comments:

vince said...

And the Republican women are disagreeing with this. Republican Senators Olympia Snowe, Lisa Murkowski, and Kay Bailey Hutchison have all pushed back against the male big mouths.

But not all Republican women feel this way, and there are certainly pundits out there arguing that the Republicans aren't suffering from their stands, at least not yet.

I suppose what happens will depend on how important this is to women who are more conservative when compared to other issues.

Despite having voted for Republican candidates in the past (I'm an independent who tends to be fiscally conservative but socially liberal) I doubt there's a Republican candidate I'd be willing to vote for dog catcher, much less any higher office.

Steve Buchheit said...

Vince, unfortunately those women who disagree are considered RINOs, in part because of their stance on these social conservative issues.

As a former conservative myself, it just continues to boggle my mind on how deep into the crazy of social conservative the Republican Party has gone, in part drug there by the Tea Party (who is only supposedly about taxes and debt).

I really with the GOP would realize how this is a losing them support (unfortunately, they believe it's bringing more people to their cause). I really wish we could go back to having a sane opposition party.