Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Thoughts on watching the Democratic National Convention tonight:

When I was a woman in my 20s, I was married, building a career, and didn't have health insurance. I went to my local Planned Parenthood clinic for annual gynecological exams (which were also my sole annual health exams) and to obtain birth control. Because of those services, it was never necessary to visit PP for an abortion or an STD test.

At the same time, because I paid (according to my ability) to receive the valuable services I obtained from PP, I helped ensure that other women, who did require abortions or STD treatment, had access to the services they needed.

Eventually I was able to afford private health insurance. But my support for PP never waned.

I am now past the age/biological ability to get pregnant. I'm in a committed relationship with a man who happens to suffer from herpes (obtained from his ex-wife). It doesn't matter to either of us, because we are non-reproductive and exclusive.

But there are thousands - millions? - of American women who are where I was 20+ years ago as a young, uninsured female.

Safe, legal abortions are necessary so that women can achieve their full potential, regardless of the vagaries of fragile relationships.

Affordable health care should be available to women who can't otherwise pay for basic services...no matter what the ACA says.

As long as a single American man lives and breathes who somehow believes he gets to fuck women but isn't responsible for the lives he creates, I back PP over the existing patriarchy.

And as long as the Democratic Party supports my experience over the belief that women are universally culpalbe for their suffering, I back PP over the existing patriarchy.

And as long as I am subject to ridicule and abuse for daring to suggest that women deserve more than are fucking getting...

I back women. And women's rights. And politicians who stand with women.

YES IT IS IMPORTANT.

I don't support Hillary Clinton.

But I support the Democratic Party. At the expense of the ignorant, resistant members of the Republican Party.

Vote America, you guys.

Vote fucking America.

Please..

1 comment:

  1. I think I understand. I hate the feeling that I'm voting for the lesser of two evils, although really it's worse than that. I hate the feeling that I'm not voting for someone but rather voting against someone. But then I think about what it would mean to have a president who's already said women should be punished for having abortions--as if what they've been through isn't punishment enough. I think about what it would mean for my LGBT friends and family if the gains they've made were rolled back. I think about my co-workers and friends who are already treated with suspicion because of their country of origin or their religion, or both, and how much worse that could get.
    All that makes my conscience a lot clearer.

    ReplyDelete

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