contraception is not abortion

[rm]

It is hard to know what to say about the latest misogynistic insanity from the Department of Health and Human Services.

I could tell you I've had an abortion or been on the pill and talk about what it means to live and die a child in the eyes of the law, even if we can vote and own property in these oh so progressive days.

Instead I'm going to leave it at this:

While good science isn't always great policy, bad science is NEVER good policy, adequate policy or acceptable policy.

Policy and law changes that erroneously classify common birth control methods as abortion reduce women to chattel, will increase rates of unwanted pregnancy and will, in particular, put the health of poor women at risk. Additionally, these changes provide no mode for women to certify that they are not pregnant, effectively baring us from getting complete medical care that we direct and meets our own, personal ethical standards.

This is what it feels like to be a woman: I am always the future and yet never exist.

Details from others:

http://melebeth.livejournal.com/1091553.html (locked, trying to see if she'll change that)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/washington/15rule.html
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2008/07/15/hhs-moves-define-contraception-abortion
http://raaven.livejournal.com/550309.html

Comments

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

I've been freaking out about this all morning. Also, what about ppl who use the pill for other medical reasons? GAH. As I was saying in an email earlier: I just don't understand. Even the fucking Republicans think the religious right are wack jobs now. HOW are these proposals still getting mileage???
It's like Obama with the federal funding for church initiatives, so he
can court the evangelical voters! Now a dude from THE OTHER SIDE is
supporting an initiative that was only popular with the far fringe of
THE OTHER PARTY, and somehow it seems like a good idea???? I just
don't get it.

[raaven.livejournal.com]

I think that it is because when the Repubs were courting the whack jobs, they put them in positions of power...and they're still there, churning out horrors.

[sethg]

IIRC Obama's faith-based proposal is much more restrictive than what the Bush Administration wants: e.g., under Obama's proposal, a church would be able to take Federal money to operate a soup kitchen, but it wouldn't be allowed to discriminate in who that kitchen hires or who it offers services to.