I see in the news that anti-choice organizations are planning demonstrations today at Planned Parenthood facilities around the US to support GOP plans to defund PP.
Of course, my first thought was to grab a sign (and my, ummm, "kittyhat"!) and head for my local facility to show my support for PP, but I also see in the news that PP offices are asking that supporters not show up at the facilities to counter-protest (because they don't want the crowds of protesters any larger or more chaotic than necessary as women are trying to get in and out for services).
Some communities are planning counter-demonstrations in other venues, but I haven't been able to find any information about any events planned in my city.
So, I've decided to set aside the time planned for the anti-choice demonstration in my city today to contact all my elected representatives, from the White House down to my state legislators, and Tom Price at DHHS, to remind them that I support PP and am strongly opposed to any efforts to restrict women's reproductive rights or Planned Parenthood's access to public healthcare dollars as a legitimate healthcare provider.
I hope PP supporters here will consider doing the same, and spread the word to people you know. I hope people all over the country will have the same thought. Wouldn't it be great if, while comparatively small groups of protesters are standing out in the cold and snow with their signs, huge numbers of Americans were flooding mail boxes and switchboards around the country with messages of support for PP, women's health, and reproductive rights?
You are assuming that these cases are known to people in time to do something to help.
No, I am not assuming that.
There is plenty of evidence that drug addicts don't make the best parents. And I have seen the results of drug addicted parents, i.e. children placed in psychiatric facilities when they act out: threatening to kill siblings, teachers and themselves.
So again, why don't pro-lifers, if they care so much for the unborn, put their money where their mouth is and mentor pregnant women who are addicted. We all know these children are going to have upward climb in life. Do something about it before these children are born!
And I have stated on another thread that these abused kids don't live in a vacuum, or in a cave. They have aunts, uncles and grandparents. They attend pre-school and school. They have social workers, who are overworked due to funding cuts on the state level because people don't like paying taxes.
The child who fed to the pigs, had a social worker involved in his case. So, clearly, people knew of the long-standing abuse.
When pro-lifers start to put their money and efforts with their mouth is, I might begin to have some respect for their point of view. Until then, it is just hyperbole that just doesn't move me.
If women want birth control, is anything stopping them from having it? If their employer doesn't pay for it, a woman can work her budget so that she can pay for it herself. Should Viagra be covered? No, IMO. Vasectomies should definitely be covered - less pregnancies result. Should tubal ligations be covered? Yes. Same reason.
I know the reality of AB as well as anyone who can read about them or see the pictures of aborted babies. And don't think that just because I haven't had to fear being pregnant I can't relate to women who have or do. I'm as sensitive to it all as anyone who's ever lived. Men have wives, daughters, sisters, mothers - some of whom have had to deal with such a situation, due either to rape or failure of contraception, or failure to use any in the first place. It's never easy, never a pretty picture.
Mourning embryos - some are far past the embryonic stage. Those that get stabbed in the neck are close to full term if not fully there.
20 weeks - weren't abortions supposed to be done only during the first trimester originally? That's 12 weeks, right? You have an extra 8 weeks but you're complaining about it. Now that is asinine.
Language - you are using cursing and rage to manipulate. Pretty emotional.
Religion, God, Heaven - take it or leave it, Jen. It's where I'm coming from. You are free to have your own view.
1. No one is asking employers to pay for birth control, the issue is employers refusing to allow birth control coverage to be included in employer-provided health insurance, which is pretty much never fully paid for by the employer. The women who most need fertility control are least able to "budget" what they don't have on minimum wage jobs.
High costs have forced many women to stop or delay using their preferred method, while others have chosen to depend on less effective methods that are the most affordable.
Surveys show that nearly one in four women with household incomes of less than $75,000 have put off a doctor's visit for birth control to save money in the past year.
Twenty-nine percent of women report that they have tried to save money by using their method inconsistently.
More than half of young adult women say they have not used their method as directed because it was cost-prohibitive.
Women are struggling to pay for birth control at a time when they need it most.
Nearly half of women ages 18–34 with household incomes less than $75,000 report they need to delay or limit their childbearing because of economic hardships they've experienced in recent years.
The average income for working adults ages 18–34 is $27,458.
2. The Roe v. Wade decision held that abortion is a private matter between the woman and her doctor (and whomever else she chooses to include in the decision-making) up to 24 weeks. 12 weeks is simply the safest time frame because the procedure is least traumatic and can be done safely in a free-standing clinic or office. You need to reconsider your sources of information. The forced pregnancy crowd is notorious for putting out utterly false information about the nature and risks of abortion, aeb the "crisis pregnancy centers".
3. It's not for me, or you, to dictate when and for what/whom a woman should mourn. Whether she mourns for the end of a problelm pregnancy or feels relief is entirely between her and her own feelings and should be respected regardless.
4. If it's incendiary language we're talking about, I think you would do better to address the language, images and tactics used by the forced pregnancy movement to manipulate women out of making a choice in their own self-interest, and to intimidate legislatures into enshrining religious dogma into civil law.
I do have a question Kooky Korky: Have you seriously never noticed that this country places little value on "living" children? But there is a great deal of emphasis placed on the "unborn." Have you thought about why that is?
I will also leave you the story of the big pro-life politician in PA who was forced to resign last week when it was revealed that he pressured his mistress to have an abortion when faced with a pregnancy scare. Why do you think that happened?
If women want birth control, is anything stopping them from having it? If their employer doesn't pay for it, a woman can work her budget so that she can pay for it herself. Should Viagra be covered? No, IMO. Vasectomies should definitely be covered - less pregnancies result. Should tubal ligations be covered? Yes. Same reason.
If you're okay with vasectomies being covered, why do you think women should have to work birth control into their budget? That makes no sense to me. Especially when you consider that birth control is used to treat many medical issues - PCOS, endometriosis, etc. It's a medical treatment. And, like heron mentioned, most people pay for at least part of their coverage already. If we were talking about diaphragms, I'd be able to see your point a little. But we're not.
I know the reality of AB as well as anyone who can read about them or see the pictures of aborted babies. And don't think that just because I haven't had to fear being pregnant I can't relate to women who have or do. I'm as sensitive to it all as anyone who's ever lived. Men have wives, daughters, sisters, mothers - some of whom have had to deal with such a situation, due either to rape or failure of contraception, or failure to use any in the first place. It's never easy, never a pretty picture.
I respectfully disagree. Men can certainly sympathize with women in situations, but you can't possibly understand what it's like to give up your body for 9 months. I couldn't understand it until I did it myself.
Mourning embryos - some are far past the embryonic stage. Those that get stabbed in the neck are close to full term if not fully there.
20 weeks - weren't abortions supposed to be done only during the first trimester originally? That's 12 weeks, right? You have an extra 8 weeks but you're complaining about it. Now that is asinine.
I'd love to see some actual cases here - Roe v. Wade placed restrictions on abortions based on viability. Certainly not anywhere near full term. I'm "complaining" about more restrictions being placed on women. It's dangerous and it's setting us back a good deal. People relate to women as their "mothers, sisters, daughters". You did it yourself in this post - I don't think you meant any harm, but when we talk about women like that, we're talking about them as they relate to men. We should be talking about them as human beings.
Language - you are using cursing and rage to manipulate. Pretty emotional.
Rage? Where? I used one "curse" word in a very long post to provide emphasis. I do it a lot. I enjoy cursing quite a bit.
Religion, God, Heaven - take it or leave it, Jen. It's where I'm coming from. You are free to have your own view.
I respect your right to your beliefs. I really do. But I will not allow those beliefs to infringe upon the rights of others. That's where I draw the line in the sand.
You are assuming that people dont know whats going on. What is even more scary is the increase in incidents where that people know whats going on and choose not to get involved.
The little girl I mentioned above was ADOPTED from an orphanage in India. So, there had to be several different agencies involved with this family. Visas had to be applied for to get the girl from India to Texas.
Dad chose to do laundry before calling police to report the girl missing.
The girl also has cognitive disabilities according to the article I read. Again, several agencies had to be involved with this family. How did no one see or suspect anything was wrong?
I imagine any day I will read that her lifeless body has been found and that dad had something to do with her death.
I do have a question Kooky Korky: Have you seriously never noticed that this country places little value on "living" children? But there is a great deal of emphasis placed on the "unborn." Have you thought about why that is?
I will also leave you the story of the big pro-life politician in PA who was forced to resign last week when it was revealed that he pressured his mistress to have an abortion when faced with a pregnancy scare. Why do you think that happened?
Living children get free or low cost breakfast and lunch at free public schools, not just on school days but also on weekends.
They get these during the summer, too, if they go to the free summer camps, not just the school year.
They might also get after school snacks if they are in post school day care, which is also free or low cost, depending on a family's financial circumstances.
There are free public libraries, scholarships to college based on finances, probably many other free things and services that I have not thought of just now.
There are free haircuts, free backpacks, free notebooks, crayons, pens, pencils, and markers, free Kleenex and shoes, free coats for living children.
These all come from sports teams, civic groups (Moose, Lions, Kiwanis) and other charitable or service organizations.
There is Medicaid for health care for living children, there is Section 8 housing and there are food stamps for them and their families. There are free or low cost bus passes, eyeglasses, and tickets to pro sports games.
There are free Christmas gifts from various groups and ministries.
Some people are foster parents and are thus involved with living children to try to help and nurture them.
Not everyone has the financial means, the health, the housing, etc. to bring children into our homes, but we are often involved with them in our religious or other organizations.
Not all of us know personally drug addicts or others with whom to get involved, as you or others suggest.
As for the Congressman, he showed his hypocrisy. Sometime or another we are all hypocrites.
By the way - all of the "free" things mentioned above are paid either by taxpayers or by private individuals or private groups.
You are assuming that people don't know what's going on. What is even more scary is the increase in incidents where that people know whats going on and choose not to get involved.
Speaking for myself and probably for a great majority of others, I have no idea what is happening except via news media. I expect most people don't unless they have children in the schools or are involved in a religious or other group and hear news among their acquaintances there. Or maybe through family or neighbors.
The story you related is, of course, horrible. But I knew nothing about it, so could not intervene. Did you know and step in?
My hope is that the perpetrators get the same treatment at the hands of other prisoners, who often mete out some jailhouse justice.
I believe Nia is now in Heaven, where she is treated like the precious jewel that she truly is.
Nope, not an excuse ... you, as a citizen, contribute to the problem by way of defunding services aimed at supporting children at risk. The generally proposed excuse for that is that such services represent an unjustified benefit to the childrens' parents. IOW, punishing the parents is more important than protecting and supporting the children. This is why I don't take the forced pregnancy movement (distinct from pro-life) seriously when they carry on about "reverence for life".
I have never defunded anything.
What services are you specifically concerned about?
I think tubal ligations and vasectomies, even hysterectomies ought to be done at no charge for anyone who wants them - also for those who rape, molest, or commit other sex crimes, those with severe mental illness, and for those on welfare long term who already have a child or children they can't support. That is, they need food stamps, Section 8, Medicaid, or other welfare benefits for more than maybe 5 years and depend on the taxpayers to keep their children alive. Yet, there is always money for acrylic nails, hair stuff, cigarettes, and cell phones.
I have been on welfare myself, briefly, so don't think I don't have any idea of what that's like or the various reasons for it. Sometimes we all need a helping hand.
I did not reproduce when I was on welfare and don't see why I, along with millions of other taxpayers, have to pay for other people to have more kids than they can afford financially, physically, mentally, or emotionally - especially now when contraception is so effective that it is almost harder to get pregnant than to prevent it.
Judge Judy is quite outspoken about this and has great contempt for people who don't work, who get welfare, who are on it long-term for other than medical issues prohibiting them, truly, from working. While she is arrogant, mean, impatient, and disrespectful, she is much smarter and much more accomplished than I am, so I'm in fairly good company.
whether a woman, other than your wife, is pregnant, is NONE. OF. YOUR. BUSINESS. that is all you need to know.
The issue is societal, cultural. We do not live in a godless vacuum, an immoral universe, as many would have us believe.
We are going to answer to God for how we live here, for the choices we make. He is merciful and slow to anger, fortunately. Let us turn to Him while there is still time, before we enter His presence upon our death.
guest52816
473 Posts
No, I am not assuming that.
There is plenty of evidence that drug addicts don't make the best parents. And I have seen the results of drug addicted parents, i.e. children placed in psychiatric facilities when they act out: threatening to kill siblings, teachers and themselves.
So again, why don't pro-lifers, if they care so much for the unborn, put their money where their mouth is and mentor pregnant women who are addicted. We all know these children are going to have upward climb in life. Do something about it before these children are born!
And I have stated on another thread that these abused kids don't live in a vacuum, or in a cave. They have aunts, uncles and grandparents. They attend pre-school and school. They have social workers, who are overworked due to funding cuts on the state level because people don't like paying taxes.
The child who fed to the pigs, had a social worker involved in his case. So, clearly, people knew of the long-standing abuse.
When pro-lifers start to put their money and efforts with their mouth is, I might begin to have some respect for their point of view. Until then, it is just hyperbole that just doesn't move me.