A coworker had warned me that this was going on today...but it wasn't until I saw this photo on Shakesville that it really hit me. This image is from a hearing against the Obama administration's requirement for employers to provide birth control to their employees.
And there's not a single uterus-haver on that section of "experts" who are being called to testify.
I am trying to think of something coherent or important on this fact, but I got nothing. I'm just going to defer to Shakesville on this one:
Actual photo, via Echidne. As you can see, the entire front row of "experts" are men. Thomas: "The hearing will feature 10 witnesses—eight of whom are men; none of them is testifying in support of contraceptive coverage. [Issa] refused to let a female law-school student testify about the importance of birth control. I guess women who use birth control just don't know as much about it as men who are against it."
It's such a stupendous joke that Democratic Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia and Carolyn Maloney of New York have walked out.
I don't even know what to say anymore.
Me either, Melissa. Are there words in our language for this level of fucked-up-ery?
Edit: You know what, there are words for this! I can think of a few: wrong, selfish, over-reaching, ignorant, uncompassionate, and nonsensical to name a few. PLUS, even if the panel was actually representative of people who do have uteruses, what does their personal experience/thoughts/feelings really mean for the access of ALL people to birth control? I mean, really!
But it's not about birth control. It's about religious freedom for employers and insurance companies! About which subject men are obviously more objective, considering that they do not have a uterus, which if you look at the numbers, tends to make one unfairly biased on this particular issue! In other words, I am going to lose my mind!
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