T Talk // I am really tired of seeing the GOP all-male panel...

I am really tired of seeing the GOP all-male panel discussing women’s health and reproductive rights. I’m tired of seeing NO WOMEN on the panel. I’m tired of hearing the argument of, “They’re not discussing birth-control; they’re discussing a religious institutions freedom to DENY birth control if it conflicts with their religious beliefs.”

WHERE in the constitution does it say that’s okay? Show me where in the Bible that it flat out says, plainly and clearly, that birth control is wrong.

Everything I look up is wishy-washy — birth control is only “okay” for married couples, but a lot of Catholics say birth control is wrong, period. It’s not “birth” control, it’s “conception” control. Married couples are only married to procreate, but then the Bible says sex is also for “pleasure” and married couples should enjoy each other, mind, body, and soul. Which is it, then?

Heterosexual married couples + sex = babies?
Heterosexual married couples+ sex = pleasure, the right to have no babies?
Heterosexual married couples – sex = no sex, no babies, no pleasure?

Let’s, for one moment, take the Bible out of the argument, and just look at the constitution, shall we?

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” What does that mean to you? To me, it means the government shall not force religion on anyone, and/or persecute them for their religious or non-religious beliefs. This was our protection. This was the reason why we broke away from England, because the Catholic Church was forcing their doctrines down our throats, and punishing us for having beliefs that weren’t of “the Catholic faith.”

Now, it’s 2012, and this same amendment of the constitution is no longer protecting us, but allowing for a shit-storm to rain down upon us. It is being used as an excuse to punish women and deny them their basic, HUMAN rights to own their own bodies— plain and simple!

What about all the women in the world who do not identify with any religion? What about the women in the world who do not have the same faith or believe in the same doctrine our “law-makers” believe in?

Where is the constitutional amendment for me that says, “And congress shall make no law that allows for religion to dictate personal choices?” Where is the amendment that says, “And congress shall make no laws that prohibit WOMEN from exercising their rights, nor shall congress make any law that prohibits a woman from owning her body outright?” Where is the amendment that says, “And congress shall make no laws that prohibit women from having access to any and all AFFORDABLE health-care they may require throughout their lifetime?”

Do we honestly live in a world where it is going to be okay for a doctor to not save a person’s life because their religion says whatever life-saving strategy they would use is wrong? Are we going to live in a world where it’s okay for a doctor to deny a woman health-care, even though their first oath is “Do no harm,” and their duty is to their PATIENT, not to their God or conscience? Are we living in a world where it’s going to be okay for a religious doctor to tell a woman, “Well, this pregnancy is your 5th one, and it is going to kill you and the baby, but you’ll have to have the baby anyway?” Are we seriously going to live in a world where it’s okay for a doctor to tell a woman she can’t have birth control, cannot control her own body, because “his God says so?” It’s going to be okay for religious doctor to tell a 10-year-old rape/incest victim that she HAS to carry around the reminder of her violated body inside of her because “that’s just the way God planned things for her?”

40% of Viagra prescriptions are covered. So, let’s help people MAKE babies, let’s help men be able to get it up, but let’s not help women prevent making babies with AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO BIRTH CONTROL, and allow them to enjoy the pleasures of sex without the fear of getting pregnant?

Let’s make laws that barely punish rapists, pedophiles, and perpetrators of incest, but perpetuate victim-blaming and shaming by not allowing women access to either birth control (which could prevent pregnancies from rape and incest) or abortions (which could end a rape/incest/pedophilia pregnancy).

Let’s make laws that protect religious houses and allow them to do whatever they want, but let’s not protect our women from a society that basically allows men to swing their dicks around, but forces a woman to sew her thighs shut.

Let’s allow for a man to do whatever he wants with his body without fear of shame or backlash (even get a vasectomy, which cuts out the baby-making process for him altogether), but persecute women for taking birth control to prevent pregnancy, and/or getting their tubes tied because they’re done having children and/or do not want to have children, period.

Let’s sexualize women in every, single facet of society, but slut-shame them when they dare to express themselves sexually outside of a heterosexual marriage.

Let’s just deny women their freedom altogether, because really, once you take my right to my OWN DAMN BODY away, what else are you going to take?

POSTED 3 months ago ♥ 6 notes