BABY KILLERS!

So there's a lot for a feminist to blog about right now. Namely, the passage of the health care bill that Democrats have been working on. I'm not going to lie; I know very little about what it actually contains. However, I do know, because of my reading of Feministing.com that the affect it will have on access to abortion is problematic. And I agree that, "You don't get rewarded for demonstrating a lack of political power, you get further marginalized."

All that being said, I don't really have a lot to add to the discussion. I'm torn. On one hand, I know how important radically changing the health care system in the United States is...all that really takes is watching Sicko once, never mind living without insurance, (which I've only had to do for a total of 4 months in my life--a very scary four months, indeed) or having a mother whose insurance company is trying to fight to not cover breast cancer treatments (radiation, chemo, and a second surgery.)

But on the other hand, and there is always another hand...I'm concerned about passing this legislation which is said will end the ability to purchase a private plan which will cover abortions. (In other words, you won't be able to use your own money to get your abortion through insurance.) You know, until we begin to view abortions as the medical procedure they are, we will continue to have these problems. I have always been hesitantly pro-choice, but I've recently become more convinced that no matter how you personally feel about abortion or the personhood of a fetus, there is very little reason to believe that outlawing abortion would do anyone any good. (Like they say, if you oppose gay marriage, don't have one...If you are anti-choice, don't have an abortion.)

While we're on the subject, I'd just like to point out how incredibly, INCREDIBLY foolish it was for Randy Neugebauer to shout "Baby killer" at BART STUPAK. It never ceases to amaze me how comfortable radical republicans are with letting their ignorance and unprofessionalism be shown. Things that are wrong with Neugebauer's statement:

1) Bart Stupak is vehemently anti-choice.
2) No federal money will be used to fund abortions.
3) In fact, the wording of the health care bill, as I mentioned above, is over broad and essentially ends insurance coverage for abortions, leaving us further away from Roe v. Wade than we were at this time yesterday. Wouldn't a crazy like Neugebauer be happy?
4) (And most importantly...) YOU DON'T SHOUT OUT HATE SPEECH IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Let me make this crystal clear: Have a little respect for your country, your political system, your colleagues, your job, YOURSELF. You, sir, are not a child incapable of self control. In fact, you are in one of the most prestigious and important fields in the United States. (Lord knows how you got there--Thanks, Texas.) Get your act together and behave like an intelligent, capable adult.

Unless you are neither of those things...which I suspect is the case.

But really, republicans, what's up with this shit? Yelling stuff out on more than one occasion? If democrats had done this during the Bush administration, they would have been labeled anti-American crazies.

Well guess what, republicans...you all are becoming anti-American crazies. A political party cannot define itself by what it WON'T do to help the American people and shouting like little children.

SHAME.