In which a mild-mannered systems analyst concedes a point…
But just one point. And a bit grudgingly at that. In the heat of the current War on Women’s Rights, I am guilty of lumping. What is lumping, you are asking? Lumping is munging data and numbers and facts and figures and issues together and wildly expressing opinions without sorting things out. Sorting things out is a very high-level description of what a systems analyst does and I am pretty good at that [I think] when it comes to working on the on-line banking application that pays my rent.
I’ve been doing some sorting today and the point I am going to concede? The UU is *right* that a private Catholic hospital should not be required by the United Snakes gubmint to provide contraceptive coverage for its employees. I know enough about the Catholic religion to know that contraceptives are a no-no, even though I believe statistics show that a majority of practicing Catholics use them. Now, to me, this is hypocritical, mean-spirited oppression of the “lowly” nurses and aides and therapists and transporters and techs and food-service folks, etc., by those at the top. And make no mistake, the folks at the top will be able to afford to purchase their own contraceptives if they want them. And many of them will. I wish that these hospitals would provide contraceptives for employees who want (or need) them. But I will agree that I was wrong. My bad.
That said. I still think that the pro-choice women of our country are currently under siege. There’s Darrell Issa and his all-male panel discussion about contraceptives. Rick Santorum says (among other things) that rape victims should make the best of a bad situation. Foster Friess “jokes” about the “gal” with the aspirin between her legs. And then there’s Virginia’s Vaginia’s new transvaginal ultrasound law (you know you want to google that one (or maybe not)). Last but not least, repeated, repeated, repeated attacks on the Planned Parenthood organization…
I know I am oversimplifying here but, if this election is supposed to be about getting the economy back on track and shrinking the role of the government (which I agree with), then why are all of these extreme religious conservatives so focused on chiseling away at a woman’s right to choose? Why aren’t we *talking* about getting the economy back on track and shrinking the government? I think it is short-sighted not to recognize that providing affordable contraceptives to women who want them is going to save money in the long run. There are plenty of other ways to cut costs besides not providing contraceptives to women. Why aren’t those other things getting any air time?
Needless to say, this is an issue of utmost importance to me but I think I am done for the moment. Y’all are thinking something like, “It’s about time she shut up!”
Okay, one more thing. I often like to say something like “one of my lots in life is large Catholic families.” I often say it in jest but it’s true. From the family that I grew up spending summers with on the moominbeach (and we are now growing older together) to my best friend (and comrade in arms against the neighborhood rock-throwers) in grade school (she attended the neighborhood Catholic school, I attended Stinkin’ Lincoln) to every single boyfriend I ever had to the family I married into. The in-laws who put up with me and my sometimes more “liberal” political opinions, hacked and lumped together that they may be. These are good good good people who I love very much and any opinions I may have about the Catholic *religion* are not directed at any of my Catholic relatives or friends. And anyway, I have issues with my childhood religion too, which happens to be “mainstream” Methodist. I am me and I question things that people can’t explain to me in terms I can understand. Systems analyst anyone?
Hey, how about those turkey vultures! That crappy Hipstamatic photoooo does not begin to capture the numbers of turkey vultures hanging about this little graveyard on one of the by-ways of the southeast part of the Great Lake State. Click (and click again) to enlarge for a wee bit better view.
February 18th, 2012 at 11:08 pm
President Obama was very smart to remove the requirement of religious institutions of having to *pay* for contraceptives and put the requirement on the insurance companies. Totally took the wind out of the sails of the “attack on religion.” Their continued squawking is nothing but political posturing — which is mindboggling, considering that WOMEN DO VOTE. I have to wonder if that will be the republicans’ next crusade, is to attack our voting rights.
February 19th, 2012 at 9:54 am
Tonya-
See the article
“Look, Little ladies! A shiny object!”
It remains to be seen.
-UU
February 19th, 2012 at 11:50 am
Bob, what it seems like you are failing to see (?) is how important the choice issue is to many of us. Yes, there are many many many important issues to consider and yes, the media does a good job of distracting us with shiny objects. But, for me (and Tonya and Jane and Margaret) and many many many other women, women’s rights is a deal-breaker. That’s really all I’m trying to say. If a republican candidate wants my vote, he/she will have to stay away from my right to choose. Not one of this year’s republican candidates supports choice* and so they won’t get my vote.
*I actually don’t think Romney cares doodly-squat but he is pandering to the tea party and the religious right because that’s what he has to do. And Herman Cain once said, “it’s a family issue” but then he quickly backtracked (and he’s out of the race anyway).
P. S. This is apparently a link to the shiny objects article: http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2012/02/17/obama-to-women-look-dummies-a-shiny-object/
February 19th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Sigh. I have my opinions, but they can be considered incendiary by people with tunnel vision and closed minds…. so I’ll button my lip except in face-to-face discussion….
February 19th, 2012 at 6:29 pm
RE: “Look, Little ladies! A shiny object!”
When one speaks on reproductive rights, it doesn’t mean that they don’t also find the issues of economic conditions, tax reform, gas pricing, and world peace equally or more important than that of reproductive rights (as inferred in “A Shiny Object”). In actuality, when one considers the possibility of reproduction, the questions of being able to support another life in today’s economic climate and of raising this life in unstable, world conditions are some of the first concerns that are raised in one’s mind. Women who make reproductive choices everyday are the same women who build careers, make financial decisions, and strive to make the world a better place (not twits as portrayed in this article). The bad thing about this article is not only its poor portrayal of women—but more so that it makes men look chauvinistic and uninformed.
February 19th, 2012 at 11:10 pm
Do those Catholic hospitals accept government funds? Do they take patients with Medicare? Medicaid? If they want to go it alone on their religious principles, then they need to get their hands out of the government till. Because contraception is LEGAL in this country.