Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Oh damn


Here is your 110th Supreme Court Justice. He's going to be sworn in any minute now. HOORAY! Yes -- that's sarcasm. No, it's not even sarcasm; it's a statement of total bitterness.

How did this happen? How did Bush get elected twice so that this could happen in the first place?! UGH.

Does it strike anyone else as odd that Bush found it impossible to find a qualified WOMAN candidate to replace O'Conner? I mean, let's be realistic, Harriet Miers was a ploy. He knew she would be rejected by both parties. By dems for not being qualified enough and by the republicans for being too "liberal." It was brilliant for Bush, really. Once she was easily defeated, he brought in the staunch, conservative, Christian MALE waiting in the wings.

Now we have an all-male, politically stacked ideologically RIGHT wing court.

I realize not everyone shares my views-- fine, get in line. But it makes me so angry, I don't care who I offend. At the heart of this abortion argument is essentially the idea that women are not fully human, and therefore not fully capable of making the right ethical decision about their body. You hear it in the sneer the way most people talk about abortions.

-- "Well, she should have kept her legs together."
-- "They can't just run around having sex and using abortions as birth control."
-- "If she's old enough to have sex, she's old enough to be an adult and take responsibility for her actions"

Do these people understand how hard it is for low income women to gain access to effective contraception? Let's talk about having fair and REAL sex education in schools, available birth control for women-- and then MAYBE we can condemn women for getting abortions, huh?

Even then-- let's face it. Now and then, the condom breaks, the pill fails and you have a woman who cannot have a baby--for economic or emotional reasons. Maybe she has a father who will pour acid on her for "shaming" the family-- and YES that happens in America. Maybe she will be ostracized from her family, community or church. Maybe her doctor told her to never get pregnant again because "this time the delivery could kill you." Maybe she's a rape victim!

But none of those situations come into play in the debate our country keeps having OVER AND OVER. We're always talking about some little stupid slut who just wants to "murder her child." Well I'm sick of that debate. It's offensive to women. We are not stupid or immoral and we are capable of making decisions about our bodies.

The original Roe V. Wade was supposed to give women the right to an abortion within certain medical timeframes (unless mother's health was at risk). It was NOT set up to be a quickie "vacuum job" (pardon the crudeness). Women don't just have abortions on a whim. It's a very personal, heart wrenching decision and contrary to what you hear from Pat Robertson, polls show that the vast majority if women report feeling “relieved” after it’s over—that’s right RELIEVED. You can never fully appreciate their situation so let them make this decision within the privacy of their doctor’s office.

But now I fear those days are over. There are no women speaking for you on the Supreme Court. In fact, February 1st the U.S. House of Reps is voting on a bill that would cut Medicaid and essentially end coverage for low-income women to seek contraception. I believe Viagra is still covered. Does this show you how MUCH WE NEED WOMEN IN OFFICE!?! What is the logic in saying “men can still get it up, but women can’t protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies!”

As a woman, I am sickened by a court packed with men who choose what decisions and discussions I can and cannot have with my physician.

I learned something important at the public policy seminar I went to in Minneapolis. It's not enough to be opinionated. Women need to vote, run, lead!

Well, I don't know if I have it in me to lead (much less run --campaigning sounds like hell) but I know that women need more representation.

I shudder to think what the next few court decisions will be and how they will shape my country and my rights as a woman.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ok, get over your men are against women attitude!!! Seriously, we live in the 21st century now and women are treated equally to men. Women always complain that they aren't treated equally, but when they are they're whining about something else because they have too much responsibility. I am a women! I am 21 years old and I think Judge Alito will do great! Bush is a good president, I'd like to see you do better. Men are not out to get women and make them mad, it's all in women's heads! Why can't we just get along, and quit going about life with a everyone is against women attitude?!!! I'm so sick of it! I am proud to me a women and I want a man to take care of me someday.

Tobes said...

I never anywhere said that men were against women. Simply that women need to have representation in politics or their needs, (medical and other) will very easily be overlooked. It's the same argument that many minorities and small groups have-- if you want your opinions heard, you need to be loud and represented. There are many men out there who would call themselves "feminist"-- who would march next to me in a pro-choice rally. And just because some people (men or women) have moral qualms with abortion doesn't mean I dont' like them or find them stupid.

Plenty of my friends are anti-choice. That's their... well, choice. It doesn't mean I hate them or don't respect them. Abortion is a very difficult issue and loaded with all sorts of morality questions. And FYI, just because I'm pro choice doesn't make me pro abortion or anti-man. It just means I support women's rights to choose what's best for their body.

I too am 21, and in fact in a healthy relationship with a man and I enjoy it when he takes care of me. I also enjoy taking care of him.

I have tried to be nice up until now, but if you think that sexism "is all in women's heads"-- well then you need to pull YOUR head out of a very important place-- like your ass and take a good look around.

Women in this country and around the world are fighting for equal pay, rights, wages, and a voice in their political system.

There's nothing wrong with getting married, taking a man's name, being a stay at home mom. But please don't sit here and try to tell me that women don't have anything left to fight for. It's a slap in the face to all the women who are still working hard so you can enjoy the freedoms you currently have.

I'm not your enemy and I don't hate men. I find it ironic that you talk about women whining all the time when in fact, your post was mostly whining about what I wrote... interesting

Sarah @ All The Book Blog Names Are Taken said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sarah @ All The Book Blog Names Are Taken said...

First, for the girl who thinks that all is equal for men and women, wow, that's pretty much all I can say to that. I am not sure how it was interpreted from this post that Tobin thinks all men are out to get all women, but for those of us who were able to read and process information correctly, I feel you are so right about this issue. It is this kind of thought (especially about the "whining" and it being "all in womens heads") that let's some men think and talk this way as well. I have never once heard my mother whine about having too much responsibility at work - she works hard, busts her ass every day to get things done and meet deadlines, and believe it or not, still makes less than a guy would doing the same job. I am not sure how people can deny that this still happens, yes, even in the 21st century.

I think the issue of abortion should not be left to old men halfway across the country to decide for me, but my body is my own personal property and no one has any right to tell me what to do with it. I do not know what decision I would make if facing this personally, but I do know it is a decision only I should be allowed to make for myself, no one else on this earth has the right to make that decision for me.

Also, as for Bush being a great president, again, wow. I am not sure exactly how to respond to that statement other than with ridiculously mocking laughter.

I'm 23, am also proud to be a woman, I have an amazing boyfriend who I love dearly, but I do not need him to take care of me all the time because how exactly is that fair? We take care of each other because, isn't that equal, which was kind of the point of in the first place?

Anonymous said...

Why was that excellent post deleted? Was it a little too true for you, tobes?

Tobes said...

"True" is definitely not the word I would use to describe that post but you give me far too much credit. I did not delete it. If I had deleted it, it would have read "post deleted."

I got your comment in my mailbox but for some reason it never posted on my actual blog... I assume because blogspot has had some major hiccups lately.

If it bothers you that much I will post it here, since I saved it in it's original form in my e-mail...


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Posted by Anonymous at 2/04/2006 09:05:14 AM


When did it become such a debate to expect people to take responsibility for their actions? Fact: Either gender can take responsibility for avoiding pregnancy, but we know the woman will end up with the emotional scars of abortion when she looks at her future children and remembers the one aborted before them. Most likely she will also be the primary caregiver. Given those two things, wouldn't it make sense for her to take precautions to avoid pregnancy rather than deal with the repercussions? This is not a men against women issue, it's a 'think before you act' choice. I agree with anonymous when she says stop complaining. Critisism doesn't change things, actions do. Did Sandra Day O'Connor and Condeleza Rice get where they are by bashing the government? They are proactive, well educated, forward thinking decision makers, that's how they achieved their goals. Women keep asking for respect, respect is received when you are honest, hard working, kind, caring, sincere, and forthright. It's simple. You want respect, earn it. Maybe the female gender needs to raise the bar a little for themselves.


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Well I had no qualms about doing the mature thing and re-posting your comment. Are you mature enough to come out from your "annoymous" stance?