Today I am struggling. Well, I suppose I’ve been struggling this week, truth be told.
You see, if you hadn’t heard, Ohio has gone ahead and attached anti-abortion, anti-birth control, anti-woman riders to their budget bill. Let me repeat that. TO THEIR BUDGET BILL.
Under the guise of “balancing the budget,” Ohio lawmakers have taken steps to make it nearly impossible for a woman to make her own reproductive choices, very similar to the ones I make daily since, like so many women I know, I am not ready to be a mother. GCB and I are not ready to be parents and have jointly and consciously made that decision.
I am at a loss here. I do not understand why such things were added to a budget bill. I do not understand how taking away access to birth control will do anything but cause more unwanted pregnancies, the results of which will be subsequently forgotten about by the state due to, you guessed it, budget cuts.
I do not understand how something can be signed into law that blatantly ignores the science of pregnancy.
I do not understand why an ultrasound is needed prior to obtaining birth control.
I do not understand how a law could consciously deprive a woman emergency health care. Have women become so loathed that if they choose to have an abortion, they deserve potential death themselves?
I do not understand how those who are anti-abortion are also anti-birth control as one leads to the prevention of the other. It seems that wanting to prevent abortions would push people to throw as much birth control to anyone and everyone. Fewer unwanted pregnancies = fewer abortions. It’s simple.
But it’s not really about that, is it? No. It’s about depriving women of making their own reproductive choices, about punishing their sexuality.
I will tell you that I have been utterly sick to my stomach at the image of multiple old, white MEN writing into law something that will rarely affect them.
And what kills me? Is that it’s not just single women who utilize birth control. I know MANY married women whom employ the use of IUDs, which could be deemed an abortion in and of itself by these new laws. I know some women who have said verbatim, “Our marriage would not have survived another child.”
How is it so easy to ignore half the population?
At this point, I’m sick and worried and sad. Ohio is a blue state, yet they signed these laws into being. My state? Well, my state nearly re-elected Todd “legitimate rape” Akin.
Why? Why do they hate women so much?
Are You the Gatekeeper? 
Amen, and amen, and AMEN!!
Birth control is ESSENTIAL to reducing abortion rates. ESSENTIAL!! To be anti abortion AND anti birth control is counter-intuitive! To deem anything that prevents sperm from fertilizing an egg as abortion is ridiculously absurd!!
The more that the *men* in power delve into the female reproductive process, the more to the left of the spectrum I glide!!! Uterus-less clods! The lot of them.
It’s so scary. It is. Makes me never want a daughter, which makes me sad because I know we’ve got an awesome relationship.
But, heh, welcome to the dark side? 🙂
That makes me sad for you because daughters are AWESOME!!!
This makes me so sick. SO sick. I don’t understand how it can be legitimate to push through crap line items like this that completely ignore the biology of conception AND prevention.
Exactly. And it’s not like other thing weren’t line-item vetoed (because they were). It just smacks of indignity.
Bills are done like this all over the nation. The amendments and ‘secret’ language are done this way so things can be passed without PEOPLE knowing it. It’s weird to see this kind of stuff, and more than likely those that signed (whether dem or rep) get some form of a kickback through the lobbyists that sold them on it. It’s a horrible way to run a state…or a country.
I wish I could answer your question or at least attempt to help you understand. But, I can’t. I don’t understand why we are still seen as second class citizens, who can’t make the decision of whether or not to go on birth control, seek help if pregnant, seek help when raped, etc. I do know of some folks that are against birth control because they don’t think it’s a natural way of preventing pregnancy (which is what i was told when I worked at the hospital, which is why they wouldn’t pay for it). But you’re right. It’s a double edged sword, because making it harder to get access to birth control doesn’t mean people (kids or adults) stop having sex. It means they do it without being protected, increasing the probability they can become pregnant.
I hate to think of it as they hate our sex. I wonder if it’s more about complete and utter ignorance and disregard for people’s pursuit of happiness and equality. And people like Todd Akin should be banned from anything related to Science and politics. His words, especially as someone who was raped and could have gotten pregnant, went beyond infuriating me. I don’t like Claire McCaskill, but I sure as shit didn’t vote for Akin. Every politician has their price…it’s unfortunate and it hurts so many when they cave.
I hate to think of it as them hating our sex as well, but that’s my honest gut feeling.
I’m so sorry you had to hear those things from Akin. It makes me physically ill that HE was representing you and me.
I do agree with something you posted above on someone else’s response: I’m terrified to have a girl. you have NO Idea how relieved I was to find out we were having a boy.
I really have no words to express how much I agree with you. I’m sick of old white guys having so much control. Anti-abortion and anti-birth control types. Just hypocrites. Women need to be more active in their government and let these jerks know they are beyond wrong.
Just… Yeah. AMEN.