The Teabagging hordes that galloped to a U.S. Congressional majority last fall in a yeehaw cacophony of barnyard honks and Randian squawks voted to slash Planned Parenthood’s funding this afternoon. Oh hooray! From TPM:
By a vote of 240-185, the House passed Rep. Mike Pence’s (R-IN) amendment to strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding.
According to MSNBC, ten Democrats voted to pass the measure, while seven Republicans voted against it.
The bill is not likely to make it through the Senate, where the Democrats have the majority, or to survive a veto by President Obama if it comes down to it.
Pence hailed the passage of the bill in a statement, calling it “a victory for taxpayers and a victory for life. By banning federal funding to Planned Parenthood, Congress has taken a stand for millions of Americans who believe their tax dollars should not be used to subsidize the largest abortion provider in America.”
Yeah. Or alternately ffffffffuck you assholes. Think abortion is wrong? Don’t have one! No problem! See? It’s easy to get along and respect each other’s different beliefs!
Still all agitated about this topic? Don’t like me flinging poop at anti-choice creeps? Afraid I can’t help you my poor crazy pro-life friend. Maybe see a counsellor? Whatever you do, don’t you dare push your bizarre, preindustrial superstitions (which you have a right to) on those of us who choose to live in the 21st century. Here in the present, babies and fetuses aren’t the same thing and more importantly women get to make decisions for their own bodies and thank goodness for that.
(You know when abortions were illegal? Most of Western history. You know when they became legal? After women were allowed to vote, work and choose their own destinies. Kind of says it all, don’t you think?)
All of this misses the point, since nobody wants abortions. Women want and need sex education, dependable birth control and doctors and health workers who can help them with their icky girlparts* issues. And that’s what Planned Parenthood is about. What this is, is an attack on women’s health.
Again, from the TPM article:
Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, released a statement condemning the vote, calling the legislation “extreme and dangerous.”
“It is difficult to understand why people who say they are opposed to abortion would do so much to undermine the family planning and contraception that helps prevent the need for it,” Richards wrote.
I think Cecile understands quite well but is too smart to say “anti-abortion activists and politicians are disturbed freaks. I sure wish they’d take their psychological problems to psychiatrists instead of Congress.”
And this happens in the same week that South Dakota talked about making it sort of legal to murder abortion doctors. Sheesh. Be warned: if you are a woman [EDIT: or man!] person and you say “I am not a feminist” anywhere near my sensitive and angry ears today I will say mean, sarcastic things to you even if you are a complete stranger. Just sayin’!
*No, I don’t think girl parts are icky at all, and yes, some people don’t appreciate my particular style of humour. Sorry about that, people who don’t find me funny!
(This article has been edited since publication.)