Violence Against Women Begins in South Dakota ***updated***
Pat Robertson and other right-wing radio raconteurs continually press what
I call a corruption of morality through their hypocritical rhetoric that talks
about being “pro life,” as they back the Iraq war, the death penalty, but won't have
anything to do with stem cell research. Well, something big happened today.
Pat Robertson, a long time member of the National Religious Broadcasters board,
didn't get re-elected. I guess that's their way of denoucing their lead screed artist. I'm not impressed.
On another front, Democratic Party ethics just took a walk into the sunshine,
as Catholic Democrats came out of the political closet. It's about time. I may be a member of the “frozen chosen,” but at least I don't have to walk the Catholic line.
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| RAPE Have we come a long way, baby? Talk back to the Republicans in South Dakota. |
“Some of us are pro-choice
and some of us are pro-life,” said Rep. William J. Pascrell
Jr. (D-N.J.). “But we respect each other and we're going to defend
each other, because we're all operating in good conscience.”
The statement stressed that all of the Catholic Democrats share the goal of
reducing the incidence of abortion. “We envision a world in which
every child belongs to a loving family and agree with the Catholic Church
about the value of human life and the undesirability of abortion — we do
not celebrate its practice,” the statement said. “Each
of us is committed to reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies and creating
an environment with policies that encourage pregnancies to be carried to term.”
Catholic Democrats Detail Role Religion Plays
I know a lot of Catholics, including some in my own family, but I
don't know one who doesn't believe abortion should be legal. By the way, the
Catholics in my own family are Republicans, they go to mass regularly, even
lived in Rome. However, the Catholic Church lost them when they went after
birth control, so many years ago. They are by no means alone.
Many religious Democrats have always had a tough time with the
party's stance on abortion. I have always had a problem with the party's intertwining
with NARAL, an organization that had our candidates parading on stage at a
NARAL event in 2004, so they could all show their solidarity with the pro
choice powerful. Well, as we saw on the Alito vote, it didn't do Democrats
any good. NARAL's self interest isn't ours, which has been proven more than
once.
Jane and ReddHedd over at Firedoglake have been all over this issue, especially the importance of trumpeting NOW's involvement in standing up against Joe Lieberman, as well as NARAL's craven irresponsibility on “sitting on a mountain of cash” during the Alito fight (emphasis Jane Hamsher's).
As I've stated many times, part of the blame for our situation
on Roe belongs with women. To be specific, it actually belongs in the laps
of over 20 million single women who didn't bother to vote in 2000.
You can't just blame the politicians or the Democratic Party or the pro choice
groups. At some point, women have to be held responsible for what is happening.
Or is Roe going to have to be overturned before women and the men who love
them get the message? Maybe so, but I won't sit silently in the meantime, though my mantra isn't about abortion, it's about prevention and violence against women.
Many women have bought into Terror Guy and Deadeye's yarn that
being safe is better than being free. But you can't have the former without the latter.
This morning, in the wee hours actually, I got an email from Irene
Weiser, executive director of Stop
Family Violence. I verified the email came from Irene,
so be assured this is real. Her email hit me deeply, partially for personal
reasons that don't matter. See, I can't get on the NARAL bandwagon for innumerable
reasons. But what Irene is talking about stopped me cold.
Hi Taylor. I’m Irene Weiser – executive
director of Stop Family Violence (www.stopfamilyviolence.org) – a
national grassroots activist organization. Can you please post this action
alert to your wonderful blog. Thanks so much for your support on this. —–
The pending legislation in South Dakota that would deny a woman the right
to choose an abortion even in cases of rape or incest is so calloused in
its indifference to women’s suffering that it makes one wonder if
these heartland legislators have any hearts at all. Planned Parenthood,
NARAL and the rest of the leading repro choice organizations have sent out
messages indicating that they’ll be there to fight this legislation
as it heads to a Supreme Court show down. While I am glad they’ll
be there for that, I am distressed at the implications of their messaging.
It’s the equivalent of seeing someone about to be raped and doing
nothing to try to stop it, and then handing the victim the hotline phone
number after it’s over. And make no mistake – women are about
to be raped by this legislation – both literally and figuratively.
We call it rape when a man, by force or coercion, makes a woman do something
with her body that is against her will. What then, do we call it when the
State does the same, by forcing her to endure a pregnancy that is against
her will? And what kind of message does the state send to all perpetrators
when the state sanctions the trampling of women’s most basic human
right – the right to control what happens to her body? The “helpful
bystander” response of the leading reproductive rights organizations
is insufficient and defeatist. We haven’t lost this vote yet –
why aren’t they doing everything they can right now, to stop this
rape before it happens by getting Governor Rounds to veto this bill?
Back in 1990, the Louisiana legislature passed legislation that was practically
identical to this current bill. Governor Buddy Romer, an anti-choice Republican
was poised to sign it. But the outcry from people across the country helped
bring him to his senses and in the end he vetoed it. We should be screaming
like hell about this depraved legislation RIGHT NOW!! Screaming NO on behalf
of every victim of rape, on behalf of every girl abused by incest, on behalf
of every woman’s right to control what happens to her body.Visit Stop
Family Violence at RIGHT NOW to send a fax to Governor Rounds urging
him to VETO this depraved legislation. And when you’re done faxing,
call him at 605 773-3212 And when you’re done with that, tell everyone
you can to get involved too.NO MORE BYSTANDERS – its time
for action!
The Republicans blather on about freedom, about being pro life, but they
sit silently by when South Dakota stands on the side of violence against women,
perpetuating that violence through a bill that rapes women of our human
rights. It may be trite, but where's the outrage?
Democrats are pro choice and pro life, but we all want fewer abortions and
back up that rhetoric by supporting programs that actually make the procedure
safe, legal and rare. ALL Democrats agree, however, that protecting a rapist over
a woman's right to have control over her own body, especially when she's been
coerced or forced to have sex, is wrong.
The corruption of morality by Republicans extends to staying silent on the
South Dakota bill. Staying silent as rapists receive more rights than a woman.
Democratic Party ethics demands pro choice and pro life members stand up together and
speak out against such violence against women. People can disagree on matters of choice, but not when it comes to violence that made the choice a reality.
Violence against women must stop. That means the bill in South Dakota must
be stopped. Or do you believe a rapist has more rights than a woman? I'd like
to see the Republicans defend that one. It would be the very definition of
moral corruption.
UPDATE: WHEN POLITICS DEFEATS SCIENCE
UPDATE II: This is where I stand on abortion…
“The most powerful and least divisive way to decrease abortion is to reduce unintended pregnancy,” said Sarah Brown, director of the nonpartisan National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. “If we can make progress reducing unintended pregnancy, we can make enormous progress reducing abortion.” Unintended Pregnancy Linked to State Funding Cuts
UPDATE III: Title has been changed. Also, will Mississippi follow South Dakota?
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