I came across this article in "In These Times" today.
http://inthesetimes.com/ittlist/entry/1296 /the_gops_sex_addictionand_why_it_might_not_hurt_the_party_this_fa/
The article talks about Wisconsin passing a bill that repealed the state’s standards for sex eduction. If Governor Scott Walker signs the bill that passed two weeks ago, as
expected, contraception education will become optional. Abstinence
education will still be mandatory.
This repeal of the Healthy Youth Act shows The GOP's motivations over sex and reproduction rights since the GOP's stance on contraceptive coverage has been a main issue in the presidential primaries.
States passed 93 restrictions on abortions in 2011 which is triple the old record of 34.
Anderson sites three main factor that encourage this "War on Women."
1.Faith- against all studies that show that offering abstinence only education has significantly higher rates of teen pregnancy doesn't stop people from repealing laws that would help educate young adults.
2. Population Growth- many conservatives think that slowing the rate of population growth is eeil or "a conspiracy to re-engineer the American economy and gradually introduce socialism."
3. Tea Party repression- tea partiers are getting a record umber of restrictions on abortions passed which are keeping these ultra-conservatives happy.
Anderson also says that unfortunately this "War on Women" will not hurt the GOP but will be a popular point with evangelical and the elderly who ted to vote more.
Another map that's been floating around that I thought was interesting is this map that shows how much more women pay than men for health insurance.
http://fusewashington.org/actions/aca-map/
It seems ridiculous that women are still being publicly discriminated against in the 21st century. Not only is it happening, but it will also help the GOP candidate win their primaries.
Any thoughts?
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That reminds me of a quote that I heard somewhere that "being a woman shouldn't be a preexising condition." Unfortunately, that is often the case in the current health care system. The people who are discouraging a population of females educated and in control of their own health are not the ones who will have to pay the ultimate price. The lack of empathy in a party that is supposed to be the most "moral" is astonishing.
ReplyDeleteIf conservative theology offers a cover of mysogny, then this all makes a very weird kind of politics. Old, scared men -- caucasian evangelicals and the caucasian rich dudes like the Koch brothers who use these frightened old dudes as their water carriers -- see that their days are numbered. Even though Congress now has 444 men and 88 women, women are beginning to show up in record numbers in state governments and in the Democratic challenger candidate lists and it tends to scare those old crotchety and rich while males who are not exactly fans of female -- or racial or other forms of equality. Articles like this and states like Wisconsin have Obama now ahead by 15 points, even though it was supposed to be a toss-up state. The far-right bullies are seeing their futures' days are numbered, and if they keep up this crazy crusade, their efforts to stave it off will hasten its arrival. These folks don't have a very good sense of history: after Anita Hill has pilloried by those ticked at her charges of harassment by Clarence Thomas, the first "year of the woman" occurred,leading to record numbers of offices won by women and a huge gender gap favoring Clinton. The old saying, that "those who refused to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them" has never been more applicable.
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