The Republicans in the North Carolina congress have instituted yet another sneak attack on women's rights. This time they have attached draconian anti-abortion measures to a motorcycle safety law. Yep, a motorcycle safety law! They did this without notifying either the public or the Democrats.
Bastards.
They wanted to bring the legislation to a vote yesterday, but ended up with the vote coming today (Thursday).
Governor Pat McCrory, who made a campaign promise not to sign any new restrictions on abortion in the state, threatened to veto such legislation, but members of his staff said they had no problems with the bill as it stands.
Anyone who is a public service employee or who would have health insurance via the Affordable Care Act exchanges would not have access to a plan that would include abortion coverage, which is clearly unconstitutional. In addition, abortion providers would face restrictions that would effectively shut down most, if not all, of the abortion clinics in the state.
In the meantime, the anti-abortion legislation that was previously put forth in the NC congress (attached to a bill outlawing sharia law) was dubbed the Family, FAITH and Freedom Protection Act after Rick Santorum's "tour" of the same name. Any legislation that has the word "Faith" in it is an obvious violation of the Constitutionally-guaranteed separation of church and state. And make no mistake, it's our rights to have our laws free from a group imposing their religion on others that's at stake here. The evangelical Christian right is determined to insinuate the Bible into our legislation so as to control every aspect of a woman's life, especially control over her own body, future, medical and economic health.
Maybe they think women have been getting a little too uppity or something, what with these birth control pills and working outside of the home and all. But maybe it's time us ladies see to it that their Viagra is outlawed, and they have to drive out of state to get Trojans.
Even Jewish groups have been outspoken about the fact that this kind of anti-abortion legislation is in violation of their religious views. In the Jewish faith, for instance, a futile pregnancy -- one in which the fetus has no chance of survival outside of the womb -- is not considered a "life" at any stage, even past 20 weeks. It is what it is... a horrible circumstance that can and does happen (I've known someone it happened to myself), for which a late-term abortion should be an option.
That's just one example of why we have to keep abortion legal and safe.
The Secretary of Commerce for the state says she is getting calls daily asking her what the hell is going on in the state. Since the Republicans took over and jerry-mandered the voting districts to make them red-friendly they have been a on a legislative tear to enact as many extreme right-wing policies as is humanly possible, completely ignoring things like, oh, jobs. She says it's making it very hard to market the state to prospective businesses. (Under Democratic control the state was a magnet to businesses looking to relocate.)
Ladies -- and you men who love them -- stand up for your rights! Vote the Neanderthals out as soon as you can. No state in this country should become a place where women are not treated as equals and where extreme evangelical religious views are allowed to become law. It's unconstitutional, it's undemocratic, it's dangerous, and it's just wrong.
While you're at it, send a donation to Planned Parenthood.
