GOP Targets Abortion, Contraception and Women's Health! But Keep That Viagra Coming!
69The GOP Social Agenda Does Not Create Jobs, But Does Target Women!
Feb 17, 2011 The GOP is once again perpetuating an assault on American women. Attacking a woman's right to choose, seeking to rid the country of Planned Parenthood (where 1 in 5 American women receive basic health care services), trying to redefine rape to reduce access to abortion and even the latest insanity by Michele Bachmann suggesting that breast pumps are not medical equipment (trust me, they are not socialist sex toys, Michele!) are not what the GOP promised in the elections of 2010. They promised to focus on jobs and the economy, but because they have no idea how to create jobs, bring jobs back or how to possibly improve the economy, they have resorted to the old Republican standard of bait and switch. The GOP is again possessed by the need to declare war on women. Whenever the Republican party is at a loss as to how to provide solutions to the real and pressing problems our country faces, culture wars and their oppressive social agenda are pulled out of the ever proverbial GOP hat.
Have they ever tried to have Viagra removed from private insurance coverage? If they have, I don't remember hearing about it. That idea would never occur to them. The Good Ole Boy network always wants control over their own bodies and obviously, their own erections. But allow women control over their bodies? Allow women to have private medical insurance that provides choice? Allow women access to contraception or basic female health care or even family planning? Those ideas are anathema to the GOP!
The GOP is always touting a country free of (don't touch my guns or my Viagra!) government interference. Really? The GOP has long pretended to condemn foreign governments that are theocracy-based, but I suggest that theocracy-based government is precisely what Republicans want for the United States. Basing law on 'their own' Christian beliefs is quite alright with them. Whatever they and their God believe, so must we all. No choice, no free or low cost contraception, even their definition of rape is tainted by their stunted views of women and women's issues. It boils down to the need for control over women and their opinion that they have the right to impose their beliefs on every woman in this country.
In The One Mind Of Republicans, Roe Vs. Wade Never Happened!
Roe vs. Wade was a Supreme Court case that ultimately legalized abortion in the United States. The decision in 1973 brought an end to back alley abortions that killed tens of thousands of American women from the 1800's through 1972. The modern GOP is not seeking to outlaw (believe that and I have some swamp land for sale!) abortion, they are simply trying to circumvent the law. They are trying to think of any and all possible ways to so significantly limit and deny access to abortion and/or threaten the livelihood and even the lives of any abortion provider in this country. In this way, abortion will remian legal, but virtually unavailable anywhere.
Granted, there are women who believe that abortion should be illegal, but in reality, the procedure is LEGAL. GOP men and women in Congress pretend that it is not settled law, but it is. Allow the women who believe in choice the freedom (there is that nasty liberal word again!) to exercise their right under the law.
The Great Distraction Perpetrated By The GOP!
John Boehner and his cronies are trying once again to pull the wool over the eyes of the American people. For all of the bravado they demonstrated during the elections of 2010, they have nothing. No jobs, no innovative way to help the economy, nothing. If the best they can do over the next two years is spend their time victimizing women, we should not be surprised. They do it every single time they come up short on the real issues.
The first efforts of the Republican led House of Representatives was the bill that called for the repeal of the Health Care Reform bill. Because they knew that the Democrat led Senate would not further the repeal effort, and because they were absent any job creating, economy stimulating ideas, they followed the symbolic repeal effort with a new low. They decided that they would redefine rape and incest, so that federal funds would subsidize less abortions. Forcible rape is more serious than rape and only those victims of incest that are minors would be granted federally subsidized abortions. That is the swill these 'leaders' wanted women to drink.
HR 3 is a mind blower! The Hyde amendment has prevented any federal funding for abortion except in the cases of rape, incest and threat to the life of the mother since the 1970's. The GOP, again that party that pretends to promote government that stays out of the business of people, has determined that any organization that receives federal family planing funds may not provide abortions or they should forfeit the family planning funds. This specifically targets Planned Parenthood, which has been on the enemy list of the Republican party since its beginning. Without family planning funds, Planned Parenthood may as well shut its doors. That GOP victory would be a direct attack and assault on women. Free or low cost contraception, free or low cost cancer screenings, the most basic health care exams for women will effectively disappear if this bill becomes law. Why not just take us out into the public square and behead us? Much quicker that way!
A second thing that HR 3 does is prevent corporations or private citizens from being allowed to take tax credits for health insurance policies that allow abortions. It also prevents private funds in health savings accounts from being used for abortions.
In the end, what will we have? If John Boehner has his way, he and we will be left with Viagra!
John Boehner, where are the jobs? You and your party came into power in the House by promising to concentrate on jobs and the economy. None of your group would ever elaborate on what you would do to help the economy or create jobs. You all, in unison, kept saying that the specifics would be revealed in due time. We are still waiting. Surely, if you can redefine rape, you can define what the phrase 'in due time' means.
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Dear Terry,
You are not going to believe this, but Hubpages had your comment identified as spam! Similar to them blocking ads on the page itself! If Fay and I had automatic weapons, we would probably end up shooting ourselves in the foot!
I did grow up in the country and killed my share of rattlesnakes and mountain lions (those bastards tried to eat my cats and did get away with one of my dogs!). Also, have a carry permit but never carry. In Southern California, that can get you in a whole lotta trouble that you aren't looking for! Plus, now that I am a grandma, I have enough natural bulges that I have to try to hide!
The very idea that Boehner is third in line to the Presidency scares me more than you know! The GOP and their renewal of the war against women leaves me at a loss. They are planning to do nothing but distract the country for the next two years, destroying the middle class and women at the same time. It is a good thing I am older. If I was young and had to plan for a long future, I would be so disheartened!
I am so glad that you liked this article.
I am getting ready to plant my tomatoes! Then, you must share your marinara sauce recipe with me! I will, in turn, give you my salsa recipe! I know, an Italian making salsa sounds odd, but I live near Mexico.
So how did you get it released from SPAM? A HUB of mine was labeled sub standard but I never could get a clear understanding of what problem was perceived. You never told me if you made the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and mushrooms.
Dear Terry,
With the spam, there were several different buttons that I had to click on, and then was prompted to doublecheck that I was absolutely sure that I had made the correct choice. It was strange! Don't have any idea why Hub Pages does some of the things they do!
I thought I had made a comment on one of the hubs about the alfredo, but now I can't remember which one! I did make it that night and it came out great! I loved it with the mushrooms, and the chicken seemed to cut the heaviness of the dish. I remembered why I stopped making it-my kids used to tease that it was a heart attack on a plate. Your actual alfredo sauce is exactly like mine, but I will be using your addition of the mushrooms and chicken from now on! It made it so much better than the original! Thank you! Fettucine alfredo is my granddaughter's favorite!
Jillian,
I have become a believer in polygamy. Between my wife, you and Fay I love all of you! Glad you like the recipe.
Now I just got this:
an official at the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation revealed that the GOP’s anti-choice H.R. 3 bill could allow the IRS to investigate women who terminated pregnancies that were the result of rape or incest. It’s simply unbelievable. That is right, AN IRS INVESTIGATION for women that terminated pregnancies.
‘SEC. 303. PROHIBITION ON TAX BENEFITS RELATING TO ABORTION.
‘For taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this section--
‘(1) no credit shall be allowed under the internal revenue laws with respect to amounts paid or incurred for an abortion or with respect to amounts paid or incurred for a health benefits plan (including premium assistance) that includes coverage of abortion,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink
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‘(2) for purposes of determining any deduction for expenses paid for medical care of the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s spouse or dependents, amounts paid or incurred for an abortion or for a health benefits plan that includes coverage of abortion shall not be taken into account, andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink
‘(3) in the case of any tax-preferred trust or account the purpose of which is to pay medical expenses of the account beneficiary, any amount paid or distributed from such an account for an abortion shall be included in the gross income of such beneficiary.
Usually I get a chance to edit my comment, but not on your site. Check your settings.
Terry,
You make me laugh! The whole polygamy thing, sometimes I feel sorry for the man that deals with more than one woman. We are not the easiest of people to get along with, sometimes. But, I take your comment as a compliment!
As for my settings: Some of the messages I have received on the political hubs have been obscene, and some a little frightening, so I changed my settings to screen them before they appear. I don't ever care if someone disagrees with me, and always approve those and approve even the ones that tell me I have no brain. But when I am told that I must be removed from the planet, or someone wants to provide an armed escort to take me to Cuba, I decided those are inappropriate. They have usually come from the unverified users.
That is one of the reasons that I was confused when your comment came identified as spam. I am not sure. Maybe people should see those comments.
I even get comments that promote articles written by those who disagree with me, but because that is what freedom of speech is about, I think that is terrific! But, I will check my settings to see if there is a way that allows you to edit.
Sometimes, I am even afraid that someone will track my IP address and come knocking at my door. Another paranoid liberal, I suppose, but in another publication, was told by someone that he was planning on it. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. My husband used to always tell me that my mouth was going to get me in trouble someday, and now my son tells me the same thing.
As for HR 3, I heard that same thing yesterday and was mortified. Working on a hub now that defines the new GOP, and that is in my outline. Crazy, isn't it? Heard that in the case of rape, they may require a police report, medical records, etc. I need to research more...
Hi, what a great hub. I can't believe these attacks on Planned Parenthood. Are R's such zombies that they do not know that for some women it's the only place they can go to get a pap smear or have mammograms? I feel so angry at the "Old Boys" and don't see why Viagra is covered by medical insurance. I wonder who is married to these morons anyway, don't you? Who could live with their caveman mentality? Abortion should remain a medical issue between the woman and her doctor. I was in HS when Roe V Wade passed, and I will fight for it again. I bet Boerner never got up in the middle of the night to feed the children, or took a day off work when they were sick. Don't get me started............
Dear Jean,
Before I acknowledged your comment, I read your profile. You sound like a balanced, loving person who is open to listening all ideas! Wouldn't it be a great world if everyone was like that?
The attacks on Planned Parenthood are awful! Without the organization, millions of women will have cancer diagnosed at a much later date, maybe too late! I do wonder about the women who are married to the men. They must never speak up.
It doesn't matter whether I would choose abortion for myself or not. It matters to me that women be able to make decisions for themselves. Women should have the right and have the access to family planning services and basic health care screenings. These legislators are also against contraception access.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and comment. It is a pleasure to meet you, Jean!
Are you getting soft? Who wants an open balanced person willing to listen to all ideas. You got FIRE in the belly and I do not see you listening to Glen Beck, Rush, or Sarah, or Bachmann, or Engle, or etc etc. I am very intolerant of these idiots and will admit that if they agreed with me I would have to re-evaluate my position.
I am 68 years old and I have decided not to tolerate ignorance anymore. I know you don't either.
Hi Jillian,
It's nice to meet you too! I am a Democrat, but am pretty conservative when it come to family issues. But my husband & I just stepped down from several years of being involved in local politics, we live in a town run by a small minded group of R's who are trying to change it from a pretty, wooded town, to a big strip mall. All the hypocracy got to me! My best friend passed away 5 years ago from cervical cancer, and did not have medical insurance. She did win her first bout of the disease, but it was PP who tested her at first. The cancer was just too advanced the second time around & she decided she just had to let it be. I just cannot understand if our country is just run by men who hate women? I don't see that in my own personal life, my husband and son are respectful and understanding of women and their issues. I see you live on the opposite coast, I'm in NJ, so maybe we really do have more liberal views since we mingle with all different people more so than those in the midwest. I don't get it. But thanks for reading and speaking out!
Dear Terry,
No worries, I absolutely cannot stand ignorance and am the first person to usually point it out, regardless of the setting. If Beck, Limbaugh, Palin or (God, forbid!), that glazed-over, brainless Bachmann(the list is getting so long) ever agreed with me, I would check in to the nearest mental health facility!
Think I am getting SOFT, huh? Wait for my newest article, What Does It Mean To Be A Republican In 2011? The New And Improved GOP! Should be ready early Tuesday...
I think as we get older, you and I (notice I said older, not old), we get tired of hearing the garbage and putting up with it. Now I know what my mother meant when she said, "If I only knew then, what I know now!".
I don't have the patience for stupidity, and will never get SOFT; figure that means you have given up! You, too, my friend!
Dear Jean,
Your profile stated that you live on the east coast, I am originally from NY. My parents brought me to California, kicking and screaming all the way, when I was eight. I have always told my kids that they would do well as long as they stayed on the coasts, either one, but never the interior of the country. Too conservative for those brought up on the coasts, I think.
I am so sorry that you lost your best friend. If I ever lost mine, I don't know what I would do. It would break my heart beyond repair. I hate the fact that your dear friend got sick and had no insurance coverage.
I am not sure if the politicians hate women, or if they just cannot believe that women are intelligent enough to make their own decisions. Either way, they have no right to get in the way of women and their choices.
Thanks, Jean! I am going to keep reading your hubs! Love to keep learning!
My over the top Republican, Tea Party, Rush parents in their 70's have a great opinion on this. My mother has used birth control her whole life, my father uses Viagra. There comes a time when your sex life is irrelevant and should just plain stop. God gives us that time. It is called menopause, and limp willy. I think Viagra should be only given to men that really have a problem. From ages of 18 to possibly 60. After that it is just a recreational drug for male sexual prowess. That is not a medical need. However young women that need access to birth control in order to stop the population growth that is more dangerous than a pill to stop it, are being denied. I want more done to empower women against this delusional right wing that enjoyed their sexual powers in the 60's, but became self righteous in their 60's. We must stand our ground, call out idiots that use worthless names like children on the airwaves, and all their followers that had their abortions, BC pills, and divorces but are now suddenly "Christians", We must look into their lives, my Teaparty mother had an abortion with her 3rd Christian husband that she held onto because abuse was better than being alone. We need to dig into their lives and find the lies in their worlds. I volunteer my abusive Tea Party parents. Why not? They screwed me and my sisters.
It takes a real experience to fight these T-bags into their past.
Dear repubparentssuck,
Thank you for your thought-provoking and truly personal comment.
I will never understand how people get so self-righteous; conveniently ignoring their own bad decisions and then trying to regulate everyone else's lives. I just don't get it!
My dad was a conservative hypocrite and everyday I thank God that my mother was not. She always told me that I was never, ever to allow someone else to think for me or make my decisions for me. She always told me how smart I was and that I could do whatever I set my mind to.
Thank you again! We do have to keep calling them out...
@ Jillian Barclay: You said "Sometimes, I am even afraid that someone will track my IP address and come knocking at my door. Another paranoid liberal, I suppose, but in another publication, was told by someone that he was planning on it." - I've been threatened by liberals just the same way just for disagreeing with them on here. Generally the responses don't go past insults and put downs. I expected that writers would have a thicker skin.
@ repubparentssuck: You said "We need to dig into their lives and find the lies in their worlds. I volunteer my abusive Tea Party parents. Why not? They screwed me and my sisters.
It takes a real experience to fight these T-bags into their past." -Wow. Your solution to problems of bad economy and a government drowning in debt is to silence those who are fighting it. You're confusing social conservatives with Tea Partiers. The Tea Party message is fiscally conservative and socially neutral. You're a grown up now, the Republican Party aren't your parents and they don't want to be. Stop looking to the government to be your parents.
Ex-leftist,
I have a pretty thick skin, but have had some very serious death threats-won't go into details, but I have a family and my skin gets pretty thin when they are threatened.
In fact, last week had a comment that targeted some GOP legislators and the writer wanted them dead---called the FBI because I took the threat to them seriously. The FBI
took it seriously, too!
I believe in the First Amendment and believe everyone has the right to their opinion, left, right, middle, but no one has the right to threaten lives- don't think I am guilty of anything like that EVER! It is abhorrent to me!
@ Jillian Barclay: I wasn't accusing you of being thin-skinned. I was talking about the writer who'd responded to me with threats. There are laws against cyber-bullying and I had to bring it to that writer's attention. I posted a third comment on here that didn't show up. In response to what you wrote about Boehner (where are the jobs?), you're mistaken. Conservative philosophy is about less government involvement outside of what government was originally intended for. The government is not suppose to be in the business of making insurance companies pay for particular types of medication. Insurance companies are businesses. The overregulation coming from Democrats/the Obama administration has a financial cost and causes companies to hire less people because it costs more per person to hire them. Other costs of government regulation are also passed down to you, the consumer. It shows up in price of gas, food, utilities, etc. I have a brother-in-law in construction and an uncle who's a truck driver. Both of who'm are now feeling the pinch because of the costs passed down to them by new government regulations under the Obama administration and the Democrats. It now costs more in materials to build a house than what you can sell the house for :/ . You allow yourself to be distracted by social issues. It's not up to the government to buy your birth control or pay for your abortions. I contacted my insurance company as well as Target and WalMart when I wrote an article about Sandra Fluke in March. Birth control pills, without insurance starts at $9.00 for a month's supply. Viagra, even with is $9.00 a pill! Your Viagra vs. birth control argument is a blatant lie. So either you're for that lie so that Obama can continue to distract people or you've failed to inform yourself and are helping to lead other people off the cliff with you based on your ignorance of what's actually at stake.
Terry.Hirneisen 14 months ago
UP?FUNNY/AWESOME I love it when you and Fay Lock and Load and let em have it! I can only sit here and agree 100% with you and that Italian Fire! Here are my favorites:
(Michele Bachmann suggesting that breast pumps are not medical equipment (trust me, they are not socialist sex toys, Michele!))
(The Good Ole Boy network always wants control over their own bodies and obviously, their own erections.)
(They decided that they would redefine rape and incest, so that federal funds would subsidize less abortions. Forcible rape is more serious than rape and only those victims of incest that are minors would be granted federally subsidized abortions. That is the swill these 'leaders' wanted women to drink. )
I would like to kick that F$#@%&ing Boehner where it hurts and give him something to cry about.
If you and Fay had automatic weapons I believe we could straighten this country out!