Aborting The Right To Govern Our Own Bodies

It has not been a banner week for womanhood.

In fact, if you have been keeping up, even minimally, with the news and events, you know what a gargantuan understatement that is.

The GOP, whose members are so far off the map they can't even see the "Right" have spent the past week taking steps to rip from the hands of women those decisions and rights which should only belong to THEM.  And in place, what they have offered is to insert a transvaginal ultrasound wand.

Given that that gem of legislation came from the penis pens of men, one has to wonder how many of their own wands were erect when it passed.

Texas and Virginia have decided that if a woman seeks an abortion, she must be subjected to a transvaginal ultrasound first.  I guess to make sure she knows what's in there - since we poor, delicate womenfolk are so stupid.

I have visited many comment boards on the subject this past week and what is stunning to me is not the men blathering about things they will never experience, but the women who are completely ignorant about ultrasound technology and the difference between transvaginal and skin type ultrasounds.

I have had both, so let me enlighten you.

In your run of the mill, what-you've-seen-on-House-and-ER ultrasounds, a tech splats some jelly on your belly and rubs the device over it.

Transvaginal involves a large - think overzealous dildo - inserted into your vagina and moved around until the result is captured.  It is not the happiest of experiences, even though I was receiving the desired confirmation I was, in fact, pregnant. 

A transvaginal ultrasound is employed in the early stages of pregnancy, when a skin ultrasound is insufficient.

A woman seeking an abortion knows she is pregnant.  She knows what that means.  And despite male legislators writing the majority of abortions off as "lifestyle convenience" they are not undertaken lightly and without consideration.

Rick Santorum's wife had one.  Hell, that woman lived with an abortion provider for 6 years prior to hooking up with her brown, oily discharge of a husband.  Six years is a long time to cavort with the devil, isn't it, Mrs. Assleak?

And the sanctimonious pair opted for dangerous antibiotics and the subsequent 2nd trimester expelling of a pregnancy when it threatened her life.  Now, now, Mr. & Mrs Sheet Stains, it seems to me for two people who want to shove their beliefs and God into my uterus, that flies directly in the face of God's plan.  His plan was obviously for Karen to face the Grim Reaper via dangerous pregnancy, but you two CHOSE (as in availed yourself of the CHOICE) to intervene in order to keep Karen around for your other children.

Lifestyle convenience much? 

Rick has been holding court along with entire panels of men this past week about contraception.  You know, that stuff that can keep a woman from getting pregnant so she has control over her sexual life, her family planning, her CHOICES?

Ricky would like to see that CHOICE streamlined to HIS worldview of sex (and God knows the man expounds on the bedroom more often than the economy).  

“One of the things I will talk about, that no president has talked about before, is I think the dangers of contraception in this country. It's not okay. It's a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be. It [sex] is supposed to be within marriage. It's supposed to be for purposes that are yes, conjugal….but also procreative. That's the perfect way that a sexual union should happen….This is special and needs to be seen as special.”

I see. 

No, really I don't.  Rick, you live down to your Dan Savage definer daily.

Sex is as much for enjoyment as it is for purposes of procreation.  I am far past the point where I want to use my vagina for bringing forth life.  Sex is RECREATIONAL.  Yes, Rick - that means FOR THE FUN OF IT.  And you know what?  Even during my true child bearing years, there was SEX FOR THE  FUN OF IT.

LOTS OF IT RICK. 

I love that line that contraception is "a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be."

Hear me now, Rick, and all your GOP brethren who have boners over the idea of a theocracy in this country - in my lifetime, I have been on the Pill, taken Depo Provera shots, used the sponge, and have employed condoms.  ALL BECAUSE OF PLEASURE.

Yes, that's right.  P-L-E-A-S-U-R-E.  The pure, unadulterated orgasmic PLEASURE of cavorting naked, in myriad positions - WITHOUT THE CONSEQUENCE OF BRINGING FORTH ANOTHER LIFE 9 MONTHS LATER.

Contraception is not dangerous, as he would have people believe.  It is not a personal F*CK YOU to God as the Catholic Church still purports.

It is a choice.  A responsible one.  For some it helps mitigate medical issues in their bodies. 

I am not a broodmare.  Neither are my daughters.  It is not my responsibility to Duggar my body till my uterus oozes out.  If my daughters never want to have children, that is their choice to make.  If they want to take the Pill, insert the Ring, use an IUD, or make sure their partners use a condom, these are all their choices. 

Not the choices of some delusional, God happy, C-Streeter who wants to be the President so he can save us from our dirty parts.

But you know, guys, if that is how you want to sit on high, holding meetings without a single woman on your panel, denying women the right to be witnesses, fine.  But let's be fair.

I propose legislation that would require a dildo sized ultrasound wand inserted into the ass of every man seeking a prescription for Viagra.  No real medical necessity for it, although I imagine we will find many heads up there.  But hey, it's not my ass, so what do I care?

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I'd like to direct your attention to another blog written by Elizabeth Rose, Dance With The Reaper - she offers her take, a very personal one, on this issue.  Invest the time, it's worth it.http://dancewiththereaper.com/2012/02/17/is-this-for-real/

Comments

[Elizabeth Rose]

Thanks, Linda. You said it loud and clear.

[Chicky (Kathy)]

OFFENSIVE. OUTRAGEOUS. HORRIFYING. These are the words I use to describe what is happening in Washington now. As I've said before, President Obama does NOT need a SuperPac - he has me (us), and between us, we will repost every offensive word that Santorum utters.

Thanks for the link to the other blog - she is also an amazing writer. Loved what she said.

[Rudy]

What totally shocks me is not that some nutjob somewhere holds views like this (there are nutjobs of all ilks, all over), it is that potentially one of the 2 people in our country who we will be selecting to lead us when we vote this fall thinks this???? WTF

[MPolo]

And whats stuns me is the hypocrisy. All these religious wingnuts and 1%ers screaming that the poor are breaking our tax revenue. So great: Cut funding to Planned Parenthood, contraception, abortion. Make women who conceived during rape carry to term, etc. But don't bitch when there's a ton of unwanted babies born, and no money to provide for them. This is all so religiously motivated, it kills me! It stymies me even more, that MEN are even considering ruling on this, no less discussing it. I've said it before, and I'l say it again: Until they grow their own uterus, they need to stfu. It's the same w/ so many of today's current issues: Don't believe in contraception? Don't use it. Don't believe in gay marriage? Don't marry a gay person. And on and on. I can only hope these pompous, self-important, misogynistic zealots deciding how everyone else should live, will simply go away. Or at the very least, start working on things that matter... like our economy, our budget, job creation, etc.

[Dee-Dee]

Amen!! You are an amazing writer!

[Lori in Texas]

Any one who is friends with me on Facebook knows that this issue has had my head EXPLODING this week. To the point that, on Thursday afternoon, I went for a walk around the lake by my house and LITERALLY kicked a tree in sheer fury while yelling. (I know, I know, that poor tree never did anything to hurt me, but there weren't any Republicans handy - and I'm surprised that I didn't get arrested for being a crazy-person. I did, however, scare the crap out of some unsuspecting ducks.)

Linda and Elizabeth both said everything I feel (but much more calmly). Even trying to talk about this issue calmly make smoke start to pour out of my ears. I'm so frigging furious, I don't even know where to start, but I just DO NOT understand WHY every single woman in the United States right now, Republican or Democrat, black, white, Hispanic, Asian or polka-dotted, young or old, isn't standing out in the streets screaming at the tops of their lungs about this. This is all so totally WRONG. How the hell did we let it get to this point?????

[Chrissy]

I left the Catholic Church and never looked back and I sure as hell don't want my elected leaders taking their marching orders from it. The Catholic Church is fast becoming one of the leading providers of health care in this country and that scares the shit out of me. Go to most of their hospitals and there's no contraception, no abortion even if your life depends on it, no morning after pill even if you've been raped. And for anyone who thinks this might not affect them you best read up on their doctrines on end of life care. Think you've got it all figured out with your living will? If your wishes go against Catholic teachings you may just be out of luck (remember Terri Shiavo?).

[Nikki]

Who is this nut and how the hell did he get such play in the GOP? He makes me almost long for the W years. Whilst he was a questionable choice in most areas, I do not recall him ever advocating for a contraception ban. And despite being pro-life he did not work very hard to have Roe v Wade overturned. Sensible Republicans talk the talk about abortion, but once they are elected President they move on to other things and do little more than pay occasional lip service to the matter. With these Teabaggers though, bad things are happening and I am discomfited.

Hopefully, the ship will right itself in November and these whackadoodles will go away.

[Katy]

Rudy beat me to it, but yes, I'm just blown away that this issue has become the sole reason one will vote for one candidate versus another. And the bullshit, no contraceptives, no abortions, let's just keep bringing more unwanted children in the world so they can be abuse, dumped in a garbage can, killed, etc. Makes perfect sense to me (insert face with eyes crossed)

[Tory Burch Outlet]

You are very welcome!!!!

[Robin in NM]

Contraception is the last stronghold of men trying to prove their superiority over women. Think of it. MEN would deny us the "right" to bear their children, whether or not we want to bear any child. Depriving women of the right to decide whether or not they will have children is the only way (currently) remaining for men to 'prove' that they are superior. The FULL right to contraception (including abortion) is where women become FULLY equal to men. There are a lot of scared, old white men out there. And most of them are Republican.