If the Koch Brothers were female, perhaps the GOP would be as enthusiastic about providing birth control for all women as they are about cutting taxes and repealing Roe v. Wade. In fact, I suggest fiscal conservatives push through a bill making Birth Control mandatory as well as free for anyone applying for food stamps, welfare, Medicaid, or any of the existing entitlement programs that they are hoping to repeal should Romney get elected.
I maintain that "the Koch Sisters" would move swiftly to sanction male political candidates, such as Todd Akin, who don't even have a basic understanding of science and reproductive biology, let alone reproductive rights.
It strikes me -- and even some Catholic nuns -- as strange and even cruel that the same politicians who oppose birth control (which helps avoid the contentious issue of abortion, which they also oppose), also oppose all programs the programs that help feed, house and care for unwanted babies and children. Such programs are rife with problems, fraud and abuse. Stories include foster home scandals, welfare fraud, including reports of welfare recipients having more babies just to collect welfare and/or foster care payments, and food stamp fraud, including food stamps re-sold and/or used for illegal activities. Again, an obvious first step towards correcting these problems is birth control -- free and even mandatory for all participants in such programs.
Anyone truly dedicated to minimizing taxes should agree that minimizing the number of unwanted pregnancies and births is an obvious first step towards cutting the overhead of such "entitlement programs," originally designed to help those who are attempting to raise children while living in poverty. And anyone who gives lip service to loving children should not wish to see one born into poverty. Unwanted pregnancies frequently force women to choose between unwanted marriages and poverty. Frequently, such women get both. And domestic violence often follows. Many mothers stay in such marriages due to financial concerns.
Even if one opposes ObamaCare or the growing expense to the taxpayers of entitlement programs, young couples (some who already have children) are struggling to make ends meet in the current economic crisis. With mortgages difficult to get, rents and food at an all time high, and fuel on the rise, young married women must -- at LEAST -- have the choice of controlling pregnancies with female birth control.
Meanwhile, all women should fight to retain their rights to control their own health and the fate of their bodies. And male politicians should NOT have any say in laws that impact women's health, especially when it comes to reproduction. Especially if the men include those who are so ignorant of biology as is Akin, and men who are making decisions based solely on their religious beliefs. After all, freedom of religion is (allegedly) one of the cornerstones of our constitution, and of this country. Many religions believe in a woman's rights to control pregnancies. Married or unmarried, no woman should be denied access to birth control. And men should not be involved in making ANY decisions regarding Roe v. Wade.
Let the women duke it out on that issue.
Even Catholic Nuns are starting to question the male dominated world of their Church (80% of U.S. Nuns support speaking out) as well as on social issues, especially when it comes to decisions that impact women, including birth control. Afterall, it was a male Catholic leader who made the decision to opt out of social security when the program was first started. The Catholic Church's once wealthy coffers, which could have helped support aging nuns, have been eroded by the many settlements resulting lawsuits because they knowingly allowed pedophile priests to molest children.
But many of U.S. nuns are increasingly questioning the contradiction, even the hypocrisy of Church decisions (made by male Church members) regarding birth control and those living in poverty. Many priests who are guilty of molesting children have been protected by the Church, while those who favor birth control and have been ex-communicated. Many Catholic nuns are speaking out in favor of ObamaCare, because of their faith-based dedication to their work with the poor.
Whether it is within a religious community or among the elected officials of Congress, women need to make the decisions that impact only women. Women cannot presume, nor should they, that male politicians will watch out for their best interests. After all, as with the Priest Scandal, our elected officals haven't done such a great job watching out for anyone's interests except their own.
To paraphrase a retired Congressman, does life really begin at conception and end at birth? And another quip I read on Facebook, "Not every sperm deserves a name."
IMHO, the Koch Brothers need some female consultants since there aren't (yet) any Koch Sisters. I suggest Sister (and lawyer) Simone Campbell.
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