I’m thankful that this man will pay the price for the horrible acts he committed; all the women whose lives were affected deserve no less.
This tragedy should serve as a wakeup call to lawmakers to ensure that all women have access to safe and legal abortion care.
We can’t let anti-choice politicians use the Gosnell trial to make it even more difficult for women get an abortion.
The media reported that the women who went to Gosnell talked about not having enough money to be able to go to a reputable doctor – Pennsylvania is one of 33 states that doesn’t offer low-income women assistance for abortion care. The women also described being intimidated by clinic protestors at other well-known clinics.
Our choices about when, how, and with whom we have families shouldn’t be used as political footballs. Studies have shown that the number of women seeking abortion is the same all over the world no matter its legal status, but more women die in countries where abortion is illegal.1
It is so important for people to know and share the facts about how it has become nearly impossible for some women to access abortion – and why women are forced to turn to a monster like Gosnell.
This is what the Republicans did with their big new majority after the
2010 election. Republicans’ jobs, jobs, jobortion agenda is so fast they`re focusing on the area of legislation so intently that it kind of seems like there should be a monthly newsletter for following this sort of thing.
Benen writes that the Franks bill will “almost certainly not” have a chance of becoming law. But that doesn’t mean that the constant and astounding Republican hypocrisy doesn’t extend to their claims of coveting “small government” as they try to jam their intrusive laws down America’s throats:
[L]et’s call this what it is: a big government proposal in which federal lawmakers want to overrule the judgment of local officials, overriding the wishes of a city because some in Congress feel like it.
Another “jobortion” bill will bite the dust, right alongside what’s left of “Republican credibility.”
“[W]hen the people of Mississippi were given a chance to vote on that initiative, they turned it down. And Mississippi is a conservative state.”
“The fact is, after decades of progress, there’s still those who want to turn back the clock.”
“When you read about some of these laws, you want to check the calendar, you want to make sure you’re still living in 2013.”
“When it comes to a woman’s health, no politician should decide what’s best for you.”
“When politicians try to turn Planned Parenthood into a punching bag… When they talk about cutting off funding, let’s be clear, they’re talking about telling many of those women, you’re on your own. They’re talking about shutting those women out at a time when they may need it most.”
“No matter how great the challenge, no matter how fierce the opposition, if there’s one thing the past few years have shown, it’s that Planned Parenthood is not going anywhere.”
There has been a concerted effort recently by conservatives doing what they can to chisel away at or completely ban legal abortion as the War on Women and their reproductive rights continues to take precedence over mundane matters like, you know, jobs.
You know how Republicans love to tout the U.S. Constitution? Oh, I’m sorry, I meant to write, you know how Republicans love to tout certain parts of the U.S. Constitution when it suits them. My bad.
One of those parts that they wave around a lot is the First Amendment (and of course, the Second Amendment, but right now, let’s concentrate on the First). “Freedom of speech!” they tweet me if I dare to use the Twitter “block” option, not realizing that the Constitution refers to government infringement, not my personal blocking rights. Same goes for Comments here at TPC. But I digress…
Many in the GOP seem to ignore basic concepts like, oh I dunno, separation of church and state. Wiki reminds us:
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”, thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.[15]
Kansas governor Sam Brownback must have let that slip his mind. Or didn’t care. Or something. Think Progress is reporting on how he signed one of the most restrictive anti-abortion, pro-personhood, pro-forced birth laws ever, even requiring doctors to lie to their patients about the disputed theory that abortions lead to cancer.
And then he added his own special LookaMeI’mAChristian touch:
Before Brownback signed HB 2253 into law at a ceremony at the statehouse on Friday, an AP photo reveals that he made a few additions of his own in his notes on the bill. He typed out some phrases — “building a culture of life,” and “all human life is sacred” — that he ended up using in his speech to abortion opponents before approving the legislation, and he also scribbled “JESUS + Mary” at the top of the paper.
Guess what, Governor Sam? Your religion is not necessarily anyone else’s religion. Your Jesus/Mary embellishment is completely inappropriate and should never have been scrawled on a government document. And Jesus and Mary have nothing to do with legislating, let alone a law that eliminates legal reproductive rights of women.
Religious beliefs should not be a foundation for U.S. law. Feel free to practice any faith you choose, but don’t force it unto others. To quote Barry Lynn, ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, a lawyer, and Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State:
This struggle is really nothing more than an attempt by somereligious groups to use the power of the government to impose their dogma about reproduction, sexuality and the beginnings of life.
Invoking those names, or any religious references, are irrelevant and, hey guess what, there are actual living, breathing Christians who are pro-choice:
People of faith support women’s access to contraception, and most religious groups don’t want to overturnRoe v. Wade. In fact, over 75 percent of white Protestants — along with 65 percent of black Protestants and 63 percent of white Catholics — support women’s constitutional right to legal abortion services.
Reince Priebus, or as Garry Trudeau likes to call him, “Prieb-Dawg,” doesn’t seem to realize why his party lost in November. Did he not read his own autopsy report?
(CNN) – “Let me make crystal clear something I’ve said since January,” RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a speech before the vote on the resolutions. “While we have to do things differently, there’s one thing that can’t and won’t change: our principles. … [A]s long as I’m Chairman, we’ll stay true to them. Some would have us turn into Democrats-lite, but I refuse.”
Attaboy, Reince! Status quo! Status quo!
Time to haul out the ol’ images again:
Wait. It gets funnier:
“For the GOP to appeal to younger voters, we do not have to agree on every issue, but we do need to make sure young people do not see the Party as totally intolerant of alternative points of view,” the five members of the task force wrote in the report titled the Growth and Opportunity Project.
No, they wouldn’t want youth voters to see the Party as “totally” intolerant… just partially intolerant. Check.
They may want to look up the definitions of “growth” and “opportunity” while they’re at it.
“Already, there is a generational difference within the conservative movement about issues involving the treatment and the rights of gays … If our Party is not welcoming and inclusive, young people and increasingly other voters will continue to tune us out.”
Why, whoever would want to tune out a party that tunes out so many whoevers?
Here’s the punch line: The Republican National Committee approved two resolutions today re-affirming the party’s position on marriage. It’s apparently very important for them to make sure we all know that, to them, marriage is still a “union of one man and one woman,” dammit. Not two men and one woman, or two women and one man, or three men and three men, or one woman and one woman, or… Well, you get the idea….
… all while they’re being “welcoming and inclusive.” Check.
“Our critics say we should abandon our pro-life beliefs. But that would only demoralize our voters,” Ryan said. “It’s an odd strategy, I think: the cynical ploy followed by the thumping defeat.”
Ryan opposes abortion rights, except when the woman’s life is in danger.
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Lt. Col Barry Wingard is the lawyer for Gitmo detainee Fayiz Al-Kandari. For their ongoing story + related topics, please click on the link below: Kuwaiti Citizen Detained at Guantanamo since 2002
You can read the complete story here or on Wikipedia.
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