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Citizen Voices is a blog about election politics, written by people like you. Six San Diegans give their personal take on the issues, candidates and propositions.
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Birth Control and the Right
Welcome to the new America, which is the same as the old America.
That was my thought this morning after watching a week of the right trying very hard, in my opinion, to keep women 'barefoot and pregnant'. You may disagree with me right now, but let's take a closer look at why I say this.
First off, we have the Bush administration trying to label birth control as 'abortion'. Now, this is rather shocking, and I'm surprised that more news outlets aren't covering this possible change.
What about a woman's right to choose when or if she gets pregnant? What about safe sex to help curtail the spread of sexually transmitted diseases? Or was the current administration hoping that with the American public concerned about Iraq, rising gas costs, and the coming election, they could sneak in this change of law to force the women of this country to their ways of thinking?
But it doesn't stop here, oh no! If it was just the current administration, we could just hope this amendment to law is postponed until after the elections. But it seems that John McCain is also in on this little diatribe. It all started last week when Carly Fiorina, McCain's advisor, brought up the rather valid point that many insurance companies will cover Viagra, but refuse to cover prescribed birth control pills.
Later in the week, John McCain was questioned about this, and the fact that in 2003 he voted down legislation that would have corrected this oversight. After stumbling over the question for a bit, he finally ducked the issue in hopes that it would just go away.
But, and here's where it get's really tangled, it didn't go away. Bill O'Reilly then had a response to this issue of his own: OK, listen up. Viagra is used to help a medical condition. That’s why it’s covered. Birth control is not a medical condition. It is a choice. Why should I or anybody else have to pay for other people’s choices? Do I have to buy you dinner before you use the birth control?
Well, apparently Mr. O'Reilly hasn't heard that 'the pill' is often prescribed for medical reasons, as well.
Things like menstrual problems, irregular periods, migraines, and even ovarian cancer prevention. While Viagra, on the other hand, only allows for males to have sex. This whole proceeding screams of an unfair bias. Women are being forced to have no protection and no way to stop getting pregnant. Yet men are being given the chance to have sex up until the day they die. Does this seem right to anyone?
It sure doesn't to me. Perhaps the powers that be would prefer all women to just keep their legs spread and their mouths shut? To just return to a time when women were seen as nothing more than baby machines and MEN made all the decisions. For if these monsters get their way, we may not be far off from such a time.
I am personally aghast and angered that people are trying to get away with this. If this is the kind of politics John McCain and the rest of the right are trying to play, I for one refuse to vote for him.
I'm a firm believer that a woman's body is hers and hers alone, and as a male, I have no business telling her what she can or can't do to it. I'd kindly remind the right to keep that in mind when they try to pass laws or vote.
Honestly, those behind this whole mess are all men, so what right do they have to do this at all?
- Citizen Voices blogger Steven Garrett is a professional food blogger who lives in South San Diego.
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OMG Steven...... This should not be so disturbing, reading the link you provided to the blog and Times reports about restructuring oral contraceptives as a milder version of abortion.... This man’s unholy reign of terror in America is never going to end. His administration is so willing to make these sweeping changes without impunity. It continues to baffle. O’Reilly is just feeling free to be his ignorant self, but I have NO idea what McCain’s purported excuse would be for going along w/this madness. He hopes to gain Clinton’s camp of women voters by somehow avoiding this nonsense?
Why, why, why have the Congressional leaders --not including Kucinich and a handful of others-- decided impeachment is a waste of time, given he’s still a sitting president??
I’m all in a kerfuffle over this news. Thanks for your excellent commentary on the subject. This is hard to be objective about, gotta say, especially considering my current state. Bush’s insanity gives me something to do. Planned Parenthood San Diego deserves a call from anyone opposing this new measure to find out what collective action is in the works.
Bush’s wrong headed fundamentalism seeps into policy all the time.
In Africa no anti-aids measure that receives American aid can mention the use of condoms even though it is one of the few effective ways to combat the spread of this deadly disease.
Why? Because condoms can be used as a contraceptive and that use encourages premarital sex or some such nonsense.
This non-promotion of the most effective method of aids prevention means tens of thousands, perhaps even millions of Africans have been infected because Bush can’t read the Bible.
Shameful to have policy based on the faith of a moron.
This is only one example. Choices start way before risky encounters. I know of several men and women that habitually choose to participate in parties that include drugs and alcohol. Even after a woman (as a direct result of the party) gets pregnant, and later has an abortion, it is not unusual that the same woman will choose to continue to go to such parties, do the same behaviors and keep the same friends, with the result of another abortion. It is really sad to see the lack of the respect for life in such a situation. Both the man and the woman lack respect for each other, lack respect for themselves, lack respect for the nature of their bodies, and lack responsibility for their actions. No family creation here. Only a eugenics enthusiast or worse would accept these consequences.
Of course, if all the women decided to just keep their legs SHUT then viagra wouldn’t be doing men any good, would it?
Again, it’s choice at every turn. But if the final choice is egocentric, then it may be like saying the heck with the consequences (even if they may be self-, family-, or child- endangering). Isn’t anybody thinking anymore? Is nobody down-to-earth anymore? The illusion is that we have technology to repair the mistakes and fulfill our ambitions, but not really. Maybe that’s why we need rude awakenings occasionally. Have you ever lost your home to a fire, for instance? I almost did and several people that I know did. All of sudden you think about the true value of a lot of things. The women and viagra activities sound really retro. Maybe it’s time to grow up get mature about things.
Yes, let there be pills and gadgets for everything! The sale of pills is great for the economy. For the individuals that have enough food and shelter, more luxuries and sexual services can be purchased with the money saved (if money is used). By the way, health has more than just one side to it. Health also includes the health of good human relationships.