Author: Sylvia Burley
I woke up the other morning and thought I was back in the 1970’s!
Not only is the political conversation being dominated by issues regarding women’s reproductive health, but state level legislation having a directly negative impact on women is being considered or has already passed.
In Virginia, 31 people were arrested outside of the Virginia Capitol protesting a controversial bill requiring women to receive ultrasounds before abortions.
Here in Georgia, a state bill that cuts the time for elective abortion from 26 weeks to 20 weeks recently passed the House. House Bill 954 specifically affects women needing an amniocentesis to determine if birth defects are present, because they cannot have this test until 16 weeks, effectively limiting the time needed to make a well-informed and highly personal decision regarding the pregnancy.
The spirited debate on whether or not contraception should be covered by insurance companies is an interesting dichotomy in all of this begging the question, ‘so you want to make it harder for women to access contraception but you ALSO want to make it nearly impossible to get an abortion’?
Meanwhile, Viagra IS covered by insurance as Rush Limbaugh can well attest since he’s been seen buying it several times.
The bottom line is Republicans are using these issues as red herrings to distract from the fact that they don’t have a clue how to make this economy better. Women continue to be seen as a demographic that is easily controlled and manipulated. We will need to remain ever vigilant, as there is even a concerted effort to repeal Roe v. Wade.
We should not have to fight the battles already won.
If you are in Virginia or Georgia, let your representatives know how you feel about these bills. Remember, even if it has already passed, it can eventually be repealed. Just look at the recall effort underway for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
