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Missouri House bans contraception for poor women
The Missouri House voted yesterday to ban contraceptive funding for low-income women, and to prohibit state-funded programs from referring those women to other programs. The sponsor of the proposal, Rep. Susan Phillips, declared contraceptive services an "inappropriate use of tax dollars."
According to the Kansas City Star, the proposal does not save Missouri any money. Rather, it restricts how state agencies can spend $9.23 million set aside for public health programs for people with low incomes who do not qualify for Medicaid.
Phillips says that both Missouri Right to Life and the Missouri Catholic Conference supports her proposal. Opponents repeatedly pointed out that eliminating contraception paves the way for increased abortions, but Republicans and a couple of Democrats voted for passage.
Yeah, but they plan on banning abortion too. The reality is they don't care how shitty the world becomes as a result of their faith-based decision making, no more than the Taliban did in Afghanistan. All Phillips need concern herself with is that there is a God who approves of said actions.
In a recent hearing on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Maryland, republican Senator Nancy Jacobs asked Jamie Raskin, professor of law at American University, testifying as to why the amendment should not be passed:
"... my Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman. What do you have to say about that?"
Mr Raskin responded:
"Senator, when you took your oath of office, you placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible".
The same point can be made in the case of restricting the reproductive rights of poor women (as well as many other issues).
What is going on in this country? First South Dakota, now Missouri. Why don't the brillant lawmakers consider how much that poor pregnant woman is going to have to depend on social services to raise the baby she couldn't afford to have. How much more will that cost taxpayers? This country seems to be moving backwards at a fast clip. Planned Parenthood where are you???
Sarah said, "Planned Parenthood where are you???
I think the question should actually be, "Concerned Americans, where are you?"
Actually... the question should be "Intelligent Americans, where are you?". None of these faith-based laws make any rational sense whatsoever in the real world. They deal with how these ignorant zelots WANT the world to be and completely ignore how it actually IS... to their own extreme detriment. Reality is powerless in the face of Ideology. Who cares if this will lead to more aborton, more social burdan, and dare I say it... more criminals... as long as you have god on your side... that's all that matters right?! And when things go to hell... just shut your eyes and pray harder. Morons.
Sarah said, "This country seems to be moving backwards at a fast clip."
My mom once told me about how, if you take a live frog and put it in a pot of cool water, and put it onto very low heat, that frog will not notice the temperature change, and you can eventually boil the frog alive. If the heat is turned up too quickly, the frog will feel the heat and jump out, but if it's done slowly the frog doesn't notice.
Attention my fellow Americans: We're the frogs here. Jump out!!
As this country moves further to the right on issues like abortion and birth control, Monty Python's musical number "Every Sperm is Sacred" (from "The Meaning of Life" movie) is looking less like satire and more like a future law.
I grew up in Missouri so I'm not surprised to see this happen there.
Like many so-called christians, they have the attitude that since G*d loves them, anyone who isn't like them must be ungodly and of course the G*dly must guide the ungodly to righteousness.
They honestly believe that if they force everyone to comply with their version of what G*d wants then the USA will protected by a heavenly shield and will never again be bothered by terrorists.
They're very delusional!
Sarah said "Why don't the brillant lawmakers consider how much that poor pregnant woman is going to have to depend on social services to raise the baby she couldn't afford to have."
Well, if Missouri is like Massachusetts, they'll cut social services next.
The people who passed these laws were elected to office -they can be unelected.
What does the actions of these lawmakers say about the people of Missouri and South Dakota?
If these extremists are not stopped the United States will end up just like Iran.
People tend to get conservative when they're economically squeezed. Most people in the US are squeezed. Real wages are falling. People live paycheck to paycheck. They can't really declare bankruptcy anymore. There's no socialized healthcare. People are one major illness or period of joblessness away from losing everything. That's a lot of stress and fear for a person to have to deal with on a day to day basis. Stressed, scared people don't think rationally. They become conservative. Religion and patriarchy become important. Women, queers and other minorities get blamed for problems and efforts are made to put them in their places. As everyone but the ultra-rich get more and more screwed, we can expect to see more and more of this. It's the end of the American Dream.
well, if you follow the religious right logic, these people are going to grow up never having sex anyway. After all, they're being taught abstinance only sex ed in school, and if we don't tell them about it they'll never figure it out on their own. So they really don't have any need for contraception, or abortion. And, lets not forget, in the bible jesus tells us to love thy neighbor - provided thy neighbor is an upper class, white, male, christian, republiccan. otherwise, f**k 'em.
I personally feel that the use of contraceptives and abortions is a killing of a human being, and that all contraceptives and abortions should be banned all together other than for health reasons only!