The debate over abortion has been long and crucial. Some say they are winning the debate while the other side of the debate is claiming the same thing. Who is winning is really unclear at this point and time. The one thing that is clear is that women need to start paying more attention to what is being said about them by our own government. Even more important is women (all ages) need to be aware of what is being decided about them by our own government without their input.
As a male I really have no fight in this debate other then my own opinion. But having a state representative suggest that women should be prepared to be raped in the same way someone is prepared for a flat tire, is disgusting and should make headlines somewhere.
A few weeks ago, Kansas State Representative Pete Degraaf said that and other outlandish comments during a debate centered on banning insurance companies from offering abortion coverage as part of their general health plans unless a women's life was at risk. The bill, which the Kansas Gov. signed last week, requires women to carry a separate policy that covers abortions. When Kansas State Rep. Barbara Bollier stated concerns for women who may become pregnant as a result of rape and or incest. Mr. Degraaf replied with: "We do need to plan ahead, donut we." Mrs. Bollier : "And so women need to plan ahead for issues that they have no control over with pregnancy?" Degraaf: "I have a spare tire in my car." "I also have life insurance" he also added.
It really doesn't matter which side of the abortion debate you stand on, that type of rationale has no place in our government. Shame on you Kansas State Rep. Degraaf.
It is one thing to discuss whether or not life begins at conception but to make light of one of the most horrific crimes anyone could experience or commit, really shows the male chauvinistic blame-the-victim mentality that dominates our society still.
Mr. Degraaf is not alone in this mentality. This mentality is not only in men.
Tea partier Sharron Angle who was running for a midterm election in 2010 suggested that rape and incest victims that became pregnant, but did not have an abortion made a "lemon situation into lemonade." Really? Last month Iowa State Rep. Brent Crane made the comment that rape was the "hand of the almighty at work" while debating the same abortion/insurance issue. Seriously, god has made plans for women to be raped?
Earlier this year Indiana State Rep. Eric Turner introduced a bill that would make abortion illegal after 20 weeks instead of 24 weeks. When Indiana State Rep. Gail Reckner proposed and amendment to that bill, that would exempt women who are victims of rape or incest. Rep. Turner said that would encourage women to lie about being raped or incest in order to receive an abortion.
The only type of person that makes that statement is one who believes that the number of women that lie about rape and incest far exceeds the number of women that actually are raped or involved in incest.
These are the people that shape our government. This also goes on here in Texas as well. The same insurance ban that Kansas just passed, was voted down here in Texas just last week. But rest assure it will be brought up and voted on again soon. Gov. Rick Perry recently signed a law that states the any women getting an abortion must have a sonogram 24 hrs prior to the abortion. The doctor performing the sonogram must show the sonogram to the woman and explain to her exactly is on the sonogram. He must find and make audible the heart beat if possible.
This law makes women in Texas sound like they cannot make a educated decision on their own. That they must have a doctor explain their pregnancy to them.
This is why it is so important that women, of all ages, pay attention to what is being said and done.
The debate of whether abortion is morally correct or not will still go on but another issue is the attitude that our government and society has about women and their bodies must change. If these people, in our government, feel strong enough about their comments to speak them in public, just imagine what is said behind closed doors.
This doesn't just affect single middle age women. This affects all women young and old, married and single, gay or straight.
To say that women should plan for being raped or plan for incest molestation, or that women may lie about rape or incest just to get their insurance to pay for a procedure. Or that a woman must a have a sonogram and the findings of that sonogram and heart beat explained because she doesn't understand what she is doing is disgusting and has no place in our government.
All females need to pay closer attention to this and be more vocal in challenging it. Because ultimately it is not the State Rep. and Gov.'s losing control of their bodies. It is the woman.
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Agree or disagree either way we learn what the PEOPLE think. L2
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