I remember demonstrating with feminists to give women control of their own bodies back in the 1960s. When women finally won reproductive rights, and they became established as the cultural norm, I would not have believed that women would face the danger they face today.
It is no secret that Mitt Romney and his running-mate, Representative Paul Ryan, are opponents of abortion rights. When Mr. Ryan was asked at last week’s debate whether voters who support abortion rights should be worried if the Romney-Ryan ticket were elected, he essentially said yes.
They would depart slightly from the extremist Republican Party platform by allowing narrow exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the woman. Beyond that, they would move to take away a fundamental right that American women have had for nearly 40 years.
Mr. Romney has called for overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that recognized a woman’s constitutional right to make her own childbearing decisions and to legalized abortion nationwide. He has said that the issue should be thrown back to state legislatures. The actual impact of that radical rights rollback is worth considering.
It would not take much to overturn the Roe decision. With four of the nine members of the Supreme Court over 70 years old, the next occupant of the White House could have the opportunity to appoint one or more new justices. If say, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the oldest member, retired and Mr. Romney named a replacement hostile to abortion rights, the basic right to abortion might well not survive.
The result would turn back the clock to the days before Roe v. Wade when abortion was legal only in some states, but not in others. There is every indication that about half the states would make abortion illegal within a year of Roe being struck down, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The Center for Reproductive Rights, which challenges abortion restrictions around the country, puts the number at 30 states. For one thing, abortion bans already on the books in some states would suddenly kick in. And some Republican-controlled state legislatures would outlaw abortion immediately… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NY Times>
Photo credit: Bolgernow
The narrow exceptions that Lord Willard and Lyin’ Ryan now endorse are last minute sketch-etches, deceptively made in order to make them appear moderate. Don’t count on even that.
Rachel Maddow looked at how Republicans might punish women for abortion.
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Ladies, Lord Willard’s boy wonder, Lyin’ Ryan, and many other Republicans would send you to jail.
Ron Reiner, whose role as the meathead I remember fondly, produced an ad for women and discussed it with Lawrence O’Donnell.
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Reiner says that keeping the ability to appoint Supreme Court Justices out of Republican hands is the most important reason for women to vote for Obama. It is also the duty of every man who loves women as well. The alternative is RepubliCare.
14 Responses to “Women, Take Heed and VOTE!”
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Actually, Romney/Ryan also want a personhood amendment to the constitution. Given that, the exemptions that they speak about to certain audiences, become moot. There would be a complete ban on abortion, as well as certain forms of birth control.
Welcome Maria! 🙂
You're absolutely right.
With Mitt's gain in poll numbers with women, I almost agree with that stupid tea party bitch that women shouldn't vote. We should start with her, then the rest of the female SFBs who would even consider voting Republican. The only consolation is that even more men are SFBs.
Continuing my studies on emigration to Canada. Their conservatives look like moderates compared to the torch-carrying zealots in the US.
Hey, Tom, want to run for the border with us? We'll drive.
LOL, Marva! Perhaps we should require women who vote Republican to get a sex-change. 😈
Sounds like a plan. 😉
I am 75 years old! I remember all of this–I cannot believe women are so damm stupid as to not realize what all this means to them now and to generations to come!!
I have teen age great grandaughters– I want for them the freedom to choose- to have control over their lives , their bodies and their choices-
I remember knowing women with the means to obtain Abortion and family planning– Yes it was avaliable– if one had the money-
Abortion was never and would not now be my choice– I believe every abortion is a tragedy— That is MY belief- I have no right to force my belief on others! Nor do men who would do that; – I cannot understand women so stupid as to vote for a Repug in this election—-
I have no patience any more with women who are to damm stupid to realize what is involved here– Family Planning ? Wasnt available back in my chidlbearing years– Do any of these twits realize the broader ramifications involved here–
In a way it seems pretty simple- dont agree with abortion= don't get one!!
I cannot believe this battle- long won , is being fought again!
A question here — Do people realize what prevention of births entailed not all that long ago– ? My mothers generation . my grandmother– and to some extent mine ? Meant abstinence–!! No sex gals– none—
Roe v wade is only the tip of the iceberg-
I recall my Grandmother- who voted for the first time at 50 , telling me she thought the worse thing that happened to this country was giving women the vote—-Damm I never thought she might be right!
Very well said!
I have faith in the women of our great country that they will vote to re-elect President Obama to govern for four more years. I say this after watching tonight's debate because Mittens failed to stand up for women at all other than this little anecdote about when he was elected Gov. Of Mass.
CNN ~ As Mitt Romney explained, "I went to a number of women's groups and said, 'Can you help us find folks,' and they brought us whole binders full of women."
Sorry. I had to laugh at that.
From your fingers to God's eyes to their votes!
I, too, remember how it was before Roe v Wade. I also remember seeing men protesting on tv news when the birth control pill was approved. Who would have dreamed we would be in danger of going back to that time? Any woman dumb enough to fall for this needs a good kick in the rear. Sadly, if enough of them vote for him, the rest of us will suffer with them.
Amen, Edie.
I believe that a woman should have the right to choose — her body, her decision. And I would hope that she would make her decision in consultation with her partner/family as well as her doctor. I have always believed that.
I never had to make the decision for an abortion for myself, but believe that I would probably have decided against it. But every woman is unique, and therefore every woman should have the right to decide. I have no right to impose my convictions or beliefs on another woman. It is this very aspect in the VP debates that Joe Biden spoke to so well. As a practicing Catholic, he followed the tenets of his religion, but he would not force them on another. Thank you Joe Biden!
One of the arguments against abortion is that it is used by women as birth control. Perhaps in some cases but not in the majority I'm sure, but I have no proof of that. But perhaps, if contraception were readily available to all, then the abortion rate would decline. Certainly in a WHO study I read a while back, the introduction of contraceptives in many countries, but particularly those in Africa, supported this theory.
In the US, the freedom of religion argument is being used in the fight against contraception and abortion. But the first amendment clearly calls for the freedom of and from religion — government must not create a state religion. But that is exactly what is happening now by politicians trying to use their personal religious beliefs to shape legislation. And this has to stop. The Republican/Teabaggers say that the US is a Christian nation. No it is not according to the constitution. It is a secular nation where people are free to believe or not believe in God or any religion as they see fit.
Religious belief and the contraception/abortion decisions are very personal and do NOT belong to anyone but the individual, and that includes WOMEN! With women making up 50% of the US population, politicians should watch their Ps & Qs. And saints preserve us, any woman who votes for a Republican/Teabagger is in serious need of a psychiatric evaluation.
Get out the vote!!!!!
Vote Democratic 2012!!!!! Vote Obama/Biden 2012!!!!!
Abortion must be safe, legal, and as infrequent as contraception and education can make it.
Women who support Romney have Stockholm Syndrome and truly deep down believe that their role in life is to submit to their menfolk. They cannot be reached or reasoned with.
Sadly, that's an excellent point, Leslie! Talk about no self-esteem!!