Abortion Gang

Under the new extreme anti-choice leadership of the House of Representatives, Republicans are coming out of the woodwork to propose and pass legislation radically restricting women’s access to abortion services.

For instance, Rep. Chris Smith (R- N.J.) introduced the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” earlier this month which would radically change tax credits for health care plans in the U.S. This Act would deny tax credits to businesses that provide abortion services (even if no federal funds are used to fund abortions), and would even prevent someone from taking income tax deductions for medical expenses for any health plan that covered abortions.

But that’s not all that the Act would do. The act would also redefine the exemption for federal funded abortions in cases of rape to only apply to instances of “forcible rape.” What does that mean, you ask? Well, the criminal code of the US has no definition for “forcible rape,” and the bill sponsored by Rep. Smith doesn’t provide a definition either. This leaves the door open for anyone to make an interpretation of what forcible rape means to them — but this leaves out a critical truth: rape can take place without the use of force.

This new definition of rape means that victims of rape who are drugged, given excessive amounts of alcohol, mentally unable to give consent, or underage victims of statutory rape will NOT be able to receive federal funds for an abortion under the proposed law.

Obviously, this is ridiculous. Just saying “no” or refusal to give consent is enough, in the criminal code, to constitute rape. Anti-choice members of Congress are developing their own definition to try to find more ways to restrict women’s access to abortion. Not only is it disgusting and insulting to men and women, but it promotes a culture that treats rape as an acceptable offense. We can not go back to a culture and legal system that says some instances of rape are okay, or that rape is alright as long as you don’t hit the woman. Rape is never okay, and a woman should never be required to bear the consequences of a crime that she did nothing to deserve.

When President Barack Obama was elected in 2008, I certainly didn’t think that his administration and a Democratic majority in Congress would move us backwards when it came to women’s reproductive health.

But over and over again, the White House has failed to counter conservative initiatives that leave women without comprehensive health care, especially when dealing with choice issues.

First, the White House gave in to Congressman Bart Stupak during the debate of health care reform and issued an executive order reinforcing the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funds going toward abortion services. Then, in a surprise move, the White House eliminated abortion coverage for women in high-risk pools, even if they paid for this service with their own money. This was an anti-choice action that went beyond even the Stupak amendment.

In all of these instances, President Obama and his administration listened to anti-woman groups and ignored pro-woman and pro-choice voices when making decisions about women’s health.

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The recent firestorm surrounding “Palin Feminism” has got me thinking about what, exactly, it means to be a feminist. What do you have to believe in to earn the feminist title?

Obviously, a commitment to reproductive justice is key. You can’t call yourself a feminist and deny women the right to make their own healthcare decisions. If you are anti-choice, you simply can NOT be a feminist. You also have to support comprehensive sex-ed so that women can make their own choices about whether to have sex or to abstain. A support of abstinence only sex-ed is not feminist, it denies women the right to decide their sexual future in a safe and healthy way. Without educating women on safe sex practices and allowing them access to birth control, “Palin feminists” are harming women, and therefore are decidedly anti-feminist.

Although a commitment to reproductive justice is a necessary condition to being a feminist, it is not sufficient. You have to show support for women in ALL areas of their lives, not just reproductive health. Palin feminists do not support equal workplace rights, protections for battered women, or healthcare for all. Poverty rates are much higher for women than they are for men, which requires feminists to fight for the rights of ALL Americans, not just those in the top tax bracket.

A commitment to healthcare for all, better school systems, better childcare, marriage equality, AND reproductive justice, among many other issues, are critical to being able to call yourself a feminist. Without a commitment to empowering ALL women to make their own decisions, whether they are gay, straight, poor, rich, educated, or uneducated, you can not be a feminist.

A lot of feminists have become disenfranchised by politics. It seems like every time we get a good, qualified, pro-choice female candidate, the party backs a more “reliable” male candidate. Oftentimes, female candidates fall subject to blatantly sexist criticisms.

Take Jennifer Brunner, who on May 4 lost the Democratic primary for a senate seat in Ohio. Brunner served as Ohio’s Secretary of State. During her tenure, Brunner led massive election reforms to ensure that the 2008 election and overhauled Ohio’s reputation as a state plagued by election problems. Brunner has a strong belief that more women should run for office, and actively recruited young women to work on her campaign so they could gain political experience. She is a fantastic advocate for women’s rights, a seasoned politician, and a recipient of a Profile in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. In short, Brunner was the perfect candidate.

However, she faced many obstacles running against Lee Fisher, the Lieutenant Governor in Ohio. Brunner was discouraged from running by the Democratic Party in Ohio, essentially told to be quiet and “stay in her place.” She faced blatant sexism in the media and from the Democratic Party that ultimately led to her defeat, despite a valiant effort to travel the state by bus reaching out to voters at the grassroots level.
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I grew up in a small town in southern Missouri. When I was 13 years old, the only Planned Parenthood that provided abortion services was forced to shut down. I remember asking my mother what women who wanted abortions would have to do, and she told me that she guessed that they would have to drive 4 hours to St. Louis to have that procedure.

Even at age 13, I was appalled by the repercussions of the clinic’s closure on all women, but was especially worried about the young women of my town. I realized that unless a young woman was old enough to drive, had a car, and could find a way to leave her home and job for a few days to drive to St. Louis, have the procedure, and recover enough to drive home, she didn’t have the option to chose to have an abortion.

At the moment I realized that women across the country did not have access to a safe, legal procedure because of the politics of the region in which they live was the moment I became a part of the pro-choice movement.
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