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Health & Fitness

Blog: What is the GOP Thinking? And Why Are They in My Uterus?

Really? When did my uterus become fertile ground for GOP pandering? What will it take to convince the GOP that women have a Constitutional right to privacy and control over their bodies?

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I have to say, I never expected the GOP to so totally torpedo itself.

How could they have mishandled everything to this extent? First they unleash their extreme caucus, also known as the "tea" "party," which leads to the birth of the Occupy Movement. Then they decide to take the party right off the cliff by picking a fight with women, and not just any one woman, they made ALL of us angry over the non-issue (to women) on their issue of contraception in health care.

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And now some State Legislators are attempting to pass heinous, invasive and unconstitutional bills that will insist a woman be given a mandatory ultrasound prior to abortion. It is beyond offensive.

This came to me recently from Planned Parenthood PA Activist Network:

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  • The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is poised to pass HB 1077, the so-called "Women's Right to Know" Act. This bill operates under the guise that women aren't smart enough to understand their own bodies. It requires all women seeking an abortion to be subjected to a mandatory ultrasound at least 24 hours in advance. It requires the ultrasound screen to be aimed toward the woman's face but 'permits her to avert her eyes' and also requires that she deliver a print of the image to her physician in order to have the procedure. The PA Medical Society and other medical groups have already come out in opposition to this incredible invasion of the physician/patient relationship. Your Representative can stop this demeaning and unnecessary attack by voting NO on HB 1077, but we need your help!

    That's why I signed a petition to The Pennsylvania State House, which says:

    "Stop the cruel, demeaning attacks on women—vote NO on HB 1077 and stop mandatory, invasive ultrasounds from becoming law in Pennsylvania!"

    Will you sign the petition too? Click here to add your name:

    http://signon.org/sign/stop-pennsylvanias-mandatory?source=s.fwd&r_by=334751

So are all republicans ready to jump off this cliff? Now, based upon one or two GOP legislators, I know this is an unfair generalization, and I am going to say it anyway. I know there are plenty of Republicans who don't cheat on thier wives or who aren't still hiding the fact that they are gay, but it seems to me, they don't really understand women at all. Remember, it was Newt Gingrinch who thought we would turn on the Clinton's when Monica was dumb enough not to get that dress dry-cleaned immediately. See, it wasn't President Clinton we felt betrayed by, it was Monica. At least that is how most feminists I know felt.

But did the GOP learn its lesson? Apparently not. Now it appears the GOP thinks it can win votes by alienating women. Really? When did my uterus become fertile ground for GOP pandering? What will it take to convince the GOP that women have a Constitutional right to privacy and control over their bodies?

Which brings me to another interesting movement born recently, the call for a nationwide day of protest in state capitals. Karen Teegarden had an idea, to bring women together and raise our voices and let legislators know we have had enough. What started as the We are Women march has now become the United Against the War on Women March, and it is going to be one amazing day of nationwide protests. More info at: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/UniteWomen?sk=wall

This day of national protest will be our message to the GOP: stop assaulting my rights! And to tell you the truth, I feel constantly assaulted by the GOP. Starting with my arrest at the first Tar Sands, and the constant fight to get the FRAC Act passed, the repeated fight to stop the Keystone XL, the cuts to education, health and welfare, and now this, the final insult, they want to take away my right to control my own body.

It is a particularly vile bit of GOP pandering, but business as usual, when the GOP candidates are down in the polls, they trot out their social justice ponies. Here comes gay marriage, next up, abortion, and wait, here comes their new favorite, and no doubt funding, pony, the oil and gas industry, the supposed down-trodden trillion dollar land stealing oil leaking frac fluid contaminating gashole, or in GOP-speak, energy independence.

But I digress. The bill in PA is scheduled for a March 12 vote. Between now and then we need a fast, and furious, campaign, to make sure the GOP is put on notice: vote yes on this bill and we will do everything we can to make sure you are not re-elected. It is time to explain to legislators in no uncertain terms that the GOP has no business in my uterus.

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