Leave it to Mississippi.
Les Riley is an radically extreme Republican, though these days you hardly need the adjectives. He not only believes freedom is just for men. Riley went on a “Conceived in Rape Tour,” part of his anti-women’s rights crusade that puts forth the notion that “life begins at fertilization,” according to a Mother Jone’s report.
The Most Radical Anti-Abortion Measure in America
The most controversial item on the Mississippi ballot this fall is not a politician but rather an idea. In November, Mississippians will vote on an amendment to change the meaning of the word “person” in the state constitution. Under the new language, human life would begin not at birth but at the moment of fertilization. If the amendment passes, it will outlaw abortion in the state entirely, even in cases of rape or incest. It might even leave some forms of contraception, and procedures such as in vitro fertilization, on life support.
Ballot Measure 26, the “Personhood Amendment,” has drawn the endorsement of celebrities including Mike Huckabee and Brett Favre’s wife, Deanna. The Tupelo-based American Family Association (AFA), one of the nation’s leading social-conservative organizations, is teaming up with the Republican gubernatorial nominee, Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, to secure its passage. In mid-September, Mississippi’s attorney general, Jim Hood, announced his support for the measure. …
So, the next time you give anyone grief for voting Democratic when they look at the alternative, think of Les Riley. Practical politics sometimes has its purpose.
That may be frustrating to a lot of people, but the impact of not supporting the Democratic Party in places like Mississippi is life threatening to women.
This may be a challenge to Roe v. Wade, but the real target is Griswold and a woman’s right to privacy.
What American troops have been fighting overseas has always been in their own
backyard. Call them the Christian Taliban. To this I’m sure someone will
say, ” But their not going around blowing people up. ” Not yet. Given the
right circumstances and the weapons I’m sure they already have ( thanks to the NRA ) they will ignite a firestorm across this country, just as the Taliban have set Afghanistan aflame. Women’s bodies will certainly be only the beginning of their modern day crusade and inquisition. There was a reason these people were kept out of the mainstream, they are dangerous and must be controlled. The American voter, through ignorance and ambivalence, have let them loose to sow the seeds of their theocracy. God help us all.
Not as fanatical as the Taliban, but, like the Taliban, these men suffer the same circumstances; lack of sex.
amen! here in tx same thing. these people are enmies of women, minorities and civilization it seems too often. bill white was no liberal but what a mistake tx made by re electing perry. being a dem in places like tx has more meaning . alot more to me. in the states dems appear to be mroe united, are showing true dem ideals etc.. not one tx dem voted to cut 4 bil from the school budget! plus dems fillibustered the thing. a real fight. dc can learn from this
“So, the next time you give anyone grief for voting Democratic when they look at the alternative, think of Les Riley. Practical politics sometimes has its purpose.”
Thank you Taylor.
2012 will be all about practical politics for many of us. The growing power and exteme craziness and bigotry of the Tea Party crowd combined with the cowardice of most Dems who just cannot bring themselves to stand for anything not even primary the President to foster more debate on where the Democratice party should go leaves us very little choice. We may not like it but it will really be about the lesser of two evils.
“This may be a challenge to Roe v. Wade, but the real target is Griswold and a woman’s right to privacy.
Or as Amanda Marcotte would argue this is all about punishing women for having non-reproductive sex. It is patriarchy write large, viewing women as nothing more than idiot breeders with no inner lives worth thinking about. It is about enforcing the sexual phobias of right-wing evangelicals on the rest of us.
Amanda has really fleshed out what this law would mean to women if it were to stand; and it is not pretty.
This is one of multiple reasons — women’s rights — that I think the efforts to challenge and change the “lesser of two evils” system includes both inside and outside pressures. It isn’t an either / or choice, or at least from my perspective, it shouldn’t be. We can work for specific candidates (Democratic, in the case of many conversations at TM), for or against specific measures, etc., while also working for other options, for third / new parties and/or to push the Dem party to pay attention, consistently, to their own party platform.
It’s because the results of the current system have immediate, practical, real life consequences that I think the strategies to hold Electeds accountable have to be muliti-pronged.
It should be obvious by now that I agree with you, Joyce. It’s why I suggested & encouraged your terrific series “Two Parties – Too Few Choices.”
The fact remains, however, that in situations like in Mississippi, at the state & local levels there is not the luxury to think long-term, because the short-term is DIRE.
This is one of those situations to which I refer often, which requires we all hold opposing viewpoints in our head at the same time.
We need to keep our politicians accountable, making those we elect pay when they do not deliver or sell voters out, but not cut off our political nose to spite our face, because we get so mad that we allow the Les Rileys of the world to gain ground simply because we won’t think practical when we must.
Because of Congress, who has the power to somewhat mitigate presidential recklessness, I’m not so sure that “dire” applies to presidential election cycles anymore. It’s here that making political parties pay for betrayal may be most effective. Walking away from a standard bearer out of principle also sends a numbers message & can change the playing field, which desperately needs to be done.
So, there is the opportunity for plenty of push back in presidential cycles, when at the state level people need to be even more practical, though an argument building on the Democratic side is that because of Obama’s perceived & real weaknesses voters could turn the Congress over to Republicans. The story goes, if Obama also gets beaten, Washington could go full tilt red.
Just some things to think about…
Blame the timid Democrats and the entire Democratic establishment for not calling these people out ages ago. Ages ago. These people are stupid, uneducated and evil, and they applaud and wallow in their ignorance. The more they are coddled the bolder they have become. Now this.
Praise be to their God that we already have pictures from space proving the earth is round, otherwise they’d swear it was flat.
America is full of crazy people! And the media thinks it makes for great programming. Oh and by the way, voting changes nothing. Very sad.