Women's Rights [email i sent to everyone i had email FOR]
Ladies [and a few gentlemen];
i don't normally share my political activities. oh, everyone knows i'm "a liberal", a feminist, etc, but i don't normally ask anyone to get involved.
but now i'm asking. below, you'll find the forwarded email i was sent, about health care reforms dealing strictly with birth control. for those who don't know, Congress held a hearing about the"new deal" for birth control - ALL MEN, all of whom oppose birth control being paid for by employers. they *SAY* they oppose because employers "shouldn't" have to pay for BC, and because MEN shouldn't "have" to pay for it thru their insurance premiums - but please note, women still pay, thru THEIR insurance premiums, for things like viagra. the "new deal" provides for insurance companies to offer BC coverage without going thru the employer, who may be a Catholic funded something, and everyone knows Catholics don't have to do what every OTHER employer has to do. [it is my opinion that the "religion" of ANY org that receives ANY government funding - as both Catholic Hospitals and Catholic universities *DO* - should NOT get any sort of religious exemption, because they're receiving government funding. unless/until they stop receiving ANY government, funding, they accept all the things that come with.]
the big problem isn't that many employers don't want to "pay" for birth control - the big problem is that Congress ONLY allowed men who were opposed to BC coverage to speak at the official Congressional hearings about this issue. women weren't allowed to speak on an issue that many - incorrectly - claim to be a women-only issue.
i also don't tend to say things like i'm about to say - this is, and has been, a war on women. even if one is "pro-life", access to abortion is one of the *few* things that allows easy access to birth control to continue. and you know the "pro-life" organizations and politicians aren't *really* "pro-life" - they're almost always pro-death-sentence, they want funding to HUD, WIC, Food Stamps, TANF, school-sponsored meals for poor, and a host of OTHER programs that, often, are the only things keeping *MANY* children alive, they want to cut funding or cut those programs. they want to get rid of abortion, but oppose more and cheaper and easier birth control - the ONE thing proven to lower abortion rates is birth control, but they fight tooth and nail to prevent easier/cheaper access to it.
their actions speak louder than words - they don't care about BORN children, just those in utero. because it is not, and never HAS been a "matter of life" for the orgs and the politicians - it's been, as always, about controlling women [and, to an extent, men. men who have to marry the woman they get pregnant, who have to work to support a family at 18 or 20, are NOT men who have time to get all the college they want, not men able to do everything they hoped and dreamed of, not men who have the time and extra money to fight the system.] they want women to return to the home, and men to return to doing nothing but being "bread-winners".
it's about returning to a fictional time, the neo-50s, which didn't exist as the Republicans claim they existed. poor women have *always* worked, for example. the progress that has been made in the past 60 years, the real, true, human-right's progress, scares many on the political Right. they don't want well-informed voters who vote their true interest; they want sheeple who are single-issue voters. and they *know* they're losing ground, that the MAJORITY of this country is pro-birth-control, pro-choice, and pro-equality [in all ways, not just gender-equality].
i know many of you aren't political, but on this issue, i beg you - go, sign the petition, send it/forward to other women [and men!] who care about their own [and their sibling's, their friend's, their children's, nieces and nephews, friend's children, etc] rights, especially their right to NOT have their sexual and reproductive future dictated by the minority of this country who feel that women are nothing more than a uterus and men [who aren't them] are nothing more than their ability to get women pregnant and pay for those women and children to eat.
i'm lucky - i was FINALLY [after searching ever since i turned 18] able to find a doctor who would tie my tubes [men don't have this problem. an 18-y-o man can walk into a doctor's office and get a vasectomy. an 18-y-o woman will be told "wait until you're X age/had X children - because 'you might change your mind'" so will a 30-y-o woman. even a 33-y-o woman like me, who has a disease that will almost definitely kill me - less than 1% chance of survival - if i attempt to carry a pregnancy. the doc before the awesome one who tied my tubes in September pulled the "you might change your mind. come back after you've had 2 kids, and with your husband's permission".]
most poor women in this country struggle to get birth control. it hasn't been covered by MANY insurance plans, and too many people work at jobs that will do *anything* to avoid providing insurance. Planned Parenthood has been losing funding for YEARS, and often isn't able to provide free birth control. despite what Republican politicians and Catholic Bishops say, birth control *IS* a vital part of women's health care - 99% of the women in this country will use BC - and *IS* a vital part women's political and economic rights and freedoms - without access to affordable birth control, women lose their rights. most especially their right to control their own bodies and own futures.
ok - i'm done preaching.
but - i'm terrified. not for me personally, but for all the women and girls i know, and the millions i don't know. i'm not overreacting; if the far-right wins *this* battle, the next will be easier. with "Personhood" amendments in over 20 states. plus all the other BS in this state *alone* ["fetal heartbeat" laws, anyone? mandatory *vaganal* sonograms if one wants an abortion? which in any OTHER case would be "medical rape"... it's getting worse, not better] i'm terrified that a minority of this country is going to win, because the majority just "knows" that birth control, and control of one's body, is a right, and so won't fight for these right until too late.
Elizabeth Barnett, LTG
COCOM Liztopia Army Central
Liztopia 7th Army
[The Lizbian Military was created to Take Over The World. It may be activated soon :) ]
--- On Tue, 2/21/12, Nancy Keenan, NARAL Pro-Choice America wrote:
From: Nancy Keenan, NARAL Pro-Choice America
Subject: Where are the women?
To: denelian@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 2:11 PM
Hi!
Did you see the picture of the all-male panel of witnesses at a congressional hearing on birth control last week?
That image spurred the question: Where are the women?
What’s even worse is the pro-choice female witness who was going to speak about the importance of birth control to women was not allowed to testify. The committee’s chairman said she was not “qualified” or “appropriate” for the hearing.
The attacks on birth control are getting out of control. As soon as February 27, the Senate could vote on a measure that could undo the entire no-cost birth-control coverage policy!
In fact, if we lose this vote, insurers, employers, and corporations will get the right to deny you coverage for virtually any essential health service required under the new health-reform law that they oppose - including contraception.
We can’t let this happen!
Here’s what we have to do: flood the Senate with emails. Every single office, every single pro-choice American. That’s what it’s going to take.
Use this link: http://bit.ly/zOlIke
Thank you for adding your name.
A political organization, NARAL Pro-Choice America is the nation's leading advocate for privacy and a woman's right to choose.
Sign up for emails | Update your profile | Unsubscribe | Visit our website
© Copyright 2012 NARAL Pro-Choice America & NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation. All rights reserved.
i don't normally share my political activities. oh, everyone knows i'm "a liberal", a feminist, etc, but i don't normally ask anyone to get involved.
but now i'm asking. below, you'll find the forwarded email i was sent, about health care reforms dealing strictly with birth control. for those who don't know, Congress held a hearing about the"new deal" for birth control - ALL MEN, all of whom oppose birth control being paid for by employers. they *SAY* they oppose because employers "shouldn't" have to pay for BC, and because MEN shouldn't "have" to pay for it thru their insurance premiums - but please note, women still pay, thru THEIR insurance premiums, for things like viagra. the "new deal" provides for insurance companies to offer BC coverage without going thru the employer, who may be a Catholic funded something, and everyone knows Catholics don't have to do what every OTHER employer has to do. [it is my opinion that the "religion" of ANY org that receives ANY government funding - as both Catholic Hospitals and Catholic universities *DO* - should NOT get any sort of religious exemption, because they're receiving government funding. unless/until they stop receiving ANY government, funding, they accept all the things that come with.]
the big problem isn't that many employers don't want to "pay" for birth control - the big problem is that Congress ONLY allowed men who were opposed to BC coverage to speak at the official Congressional hearings about this issue. women weren't allowed to speak on an issue that many - incorrectly - claim to be a women-only issue.
i also don't tend to say things like i'm about to say - this is, and has been, a war on women. even if one is "pro-life", access to abortion is one of the *few* things that allows easy access to birth control to continue. and you know the "pro-life" organizations and politicians aren't *really* "pro-life" - they're almost always pro-death-sentence, they want funding to HUD, WIC, Food Stamps, TANF, school-sponsored meals for poor, and a host of OTHER programs that, often, are the only things keeping *MANY* children alive, they want to cut funding or cut those programs. they want to get rid of abortion, but oppose more and cheaper and easier birth control - the ONE thing proven to lower abortion rates is birth control, but they fight tooth and nail to prevent easier/cheaper access to it.
their actions speak louder than words - they don't care about BORN children, just those in utero. because it is not, and never HAS been a "matter of life" for the orgs and the politicians - it's been, as always, about controlling women [and, to an extent, men. men who have to marry the woman they get pregnant, who have to work to support a family at 18 or 20, are NOT men who have time to get all the college they want, not men able to do everything they hoped and dreamed of, not men who have the time and extra money to fight the system.] they want women to return to the home, and men to return to doing nothing but being "bread-winners".
it's about returning to a fictional time, the neo-50s, which didn't exist as the Republicans claim they existed. poor women have *always* worked, for example. the progress that has been made in the past 60 years, the real, true, human-right's progress, scares many on the political Right. they don't want well-informed voters who vote their true interest; they want sheeple who are single-issue voters. and they *know* they're losing ground, that the MAJORITY of this country is pro-birth-control, pro-choice, and pro-equality [in all ways, not just gender-equality].
i know many of you aren't political, but on this issue, i beg you - go, sign the petition, send it/forward to other women [and men!] who care about their own [and their sibling's, their friend's, their children's, nieces and nephews, friend's children, etc] rights, especially their right to NOT have their sexual and reproductive future dictated by the minority of this country who feel that women are nothing more than a uterus and men [who aren't them] are nothing more than their ability to get women pregnant and pay for those women and children to eat.
i'm lucky - i was FINALLY [after searching ever since i turned 18] able to find a doctor who would tie my tubes [men don't have this problem. an 18-y-o man can walk into a doctor's office and get a vasectomy. an 18-y-o woman will be told "wait until you're X age/had X children - because 'you might change your mind'" so will a 30-y-o woman. even a 33-y-o woman like me, who has a disease that will almost definitely kill me - less than 1% chance of survival - if i attempt to carry a pregnancy. the doc before the awesome one who tied my tubes in September pulled the "you might change your mind. come back after you've had 2 kids, and with your husband's permission".]
most poor women in this country struggle to get birth control. it hasn't been covered by MANY insurance plans, and too many people work at jobs that will do *anything* to avoid providing insurance. Planned Parenthood has been losing funding for YEARS, and often isn't able to provide free birth control. despite what Republican politicians and Catholic Bishops say, birth control *IS* a vital part of women's health care - 99% of the women in this country will use BC - and *IS* a vital part women's political and economic rights and freedoms - without access to affordable birth control, women lose their rights. most especially their right to control their own bodies and own futures.
ok - i'm done preaching.
but - i'm terrified. not for me personally, but for all the women and girls i know, and the millions i don't know. i'm not overreacting; if the far-right wins *this* battle, the next will be easier. with "Personhood" amendments in over 20 states. plus all the other BS in this state *alone* ["fetal heartbeat" laws, anyone? mandatory *vaganal* sonograms if one wants an abortion? which in any OTHER case would be "medical rape"... it's getting worse, not better] i'm terrified that a minority of this country is going to win, because the majority just "knows" that birth control, and control of one's body, is a right, and so won't fight for these right until too late.
Elizabeth Barnett, LTG
COCOM Liztopia Army Central
Liztopia 7th Army
[The Lizbian Military was created to Take Over The World. It may be activated soon :) ]
--- On Tue, 2/21/12, Nancy Keenan, NARAL Pro-Choice America wrote:
From: Nancy Keenan, NARAL Pro-Choice America
Subject: Where are the women?
To: denelian@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 2:11 PM
Hi!
Did you see the picture of the all-male panel of witnesses at a congressional hearing on birth control last week?
That image spurred the question: Where are the women?
What’s even worse is the pro-choice female witness who was going to speak about the importance of birth control to women was not allowed to testify. The committee’s chairman said she was not “qualified” or “appropriate” for the hearing.
The attacks on birth control are getting out of control. As soon as February 27, the Senate could vote on a measure that could undo the entire no-cost birth-control coverage policy!
In fact, if we lose this vote, insurers, employers, and corporations will get the right to deny you coverage for virtually any essential health service required under the new health-reform law that they oppose - including contraception.
We can’t let this happen!
Here’s what we have to do: flood the Senate with emails. Every single office, every single pro-choice American. That’s what it’s going to take.
Use this link: http://bit.ly/zOlIke
Thank you for adding your name.
A political organization, NARAL Pro-Choice America is the nation's leading advocate for privacy and a woman's right to choose.
Sign up for emails | Update your profile | Unsubscribe | Visit our website
© Copyright 2012 NARAL Pro-Choice America & NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation. All rights reserved.