10 Awesome Responses to the Steaming Pile of Crap That Is the Stupak Amendment
Posted at 5:00 AM Nov 09, 2009
By Andrea Grimes
 |
On Saturday night, Democrats in the House of Representatives decided that bipartisanship--if one Republican voting for something counts as that--was more important than women's health, ratifying the Stupak Amendment in the health care reform bill. Ostensibly, this helped the legislation pass. So, we've sent health care reform to the Senate. But at what cost?
At the cost of women's rights and health. Per the New York Times, here's this shit in a nutshitshell:
Representative Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of Connecticut, said the bill's original language barring the use of federal dollars to pay for abortions should have been sufficient for the opponents. "Abortion is a matter of conscience on both sides of the debate," Ms. DeLauro said. "This amendment takes away that same freedom of conscience from America's women. It prohibits them from access to an abortion even if they pay for it with their own money. It invades women's personal decisions."DeLauro, along with 63 other Democrats, voted in support of the Stupak Amendment. Feminists, pro-choice activists and Dems with brains and guts across the web are furious. Here are 10 awesome responses to this travesty so far:
10. This Jezebel comment thread
Jezebel may be one of the only blogs on the internet with thoughtful, funny, incendiary commenters. I like this thread because of its real-time reaction feel.
9. Rep. Barbara Lee's C-Span Stupak smackdown
The democratic representative from California's 9th district did not vote for the amendment, and she says why--powerfully and eloquently--here:
 |
8. Feministing: "It's pretty fucking cramped underneath this bus."
Writes Ann, about how women's health is othered in medicine:
This isn't just about how the money is allocated or what workarounds exist. This has me so incredibly infuriated because it further segregates abortion as something different, off the menu of regular health care. It is a huge backward step in the battle to convey -- not just politically, but to women in their everyday lives -- that reproductive health care is normal and necessary, and must be there if (or, more accurately, when) you need it.7. Daily Kos' listing of the 64 pro-Stupak Democrats
As far as I can tell, this is the earliest full listing of the pro-Stupak Dems. Way to be on it, 'Kos.
6. Taylor Marsh on the HuffPo takes Nancy Pelosi to task
Marsh is not happy with Pelosi's Stupak concession:
The first female Speaker of the House makes history by passing a health care bill that not only doesn't have a robust public option, but also sells out women's civil rights. The Republicans acted reprehensibly today, heckling women lawmakers like the chamber was a frat house.
1 | 2
Comments
I'm neither pro-choice or pro-life. I'm both.
Posted 11/09/2009 at 10:48:17 AMI hear ya about the anger and what nots, but don't worry, they arn't singling out just women. I mean they are, in this case. But, in general, American Government can't really do anything right, with a bunch of old fossils and 'moralists' trying to do what's good for the individuals of their country. They weren't born in a time of individuality, they still only think of people as a whole.
Move to Canada, we have free health-care; sure it might not be the best in the world, but at least everyone is guaranteed to get the assistance, operations, etc that they need.
It is an interesting time in America, as they use this "health reform" idea to totally fuck with peoples rights... turning a possible great idea into a scheme-like agenda.
Good luck :)