Choice and the election

A WOMAN’S RIGHT
By Shilpa Esther Trivedi

Susan B. Anthony once said, “No self-respecting woman should work or wish for the success of a party that ignores her sex.” I keep thinking about this as we approach Nov. 6.

Republicans have actively treated women poorly, nationally and locally.

In response to added protections for Native American, LGBT and immigrant abuse victims, Republicans blocked reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, thereby suggesting that only some victims deserve support. They’ve approved a platform calling for a constitutional ban on abortion, without exception for
rape or incest.

The list of legislation that actively harms women just goes on and on…

Additionally, many of their statements are ludicrous.

Did you know current Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin thinks doctors perform abortions on women who aren’t pregnant?

That Republican House candidate Charlie Fuqua thinks parents should be able to seek the death penalty for “rebellious” children?

That Rep. Jim Buchy (R-Ohio) said he’s never actually given much thought to the reasons why women may seek abortion?

I could continue listing a litany of statements for quite a while, but my point is that many of these politicians don’t seem to possess critical thinking skills, introspection, or any self-awareness concerning their own hypocrisies and privileges—all qualities crucial for any candidate seeking office.

What I’m actually more upset about is that many who support the war on women are in office or soon may end up in office—not because of supporters who blindly agree with their sentiments, but because of those undecided voters who aren’t so sure beliefs concerning social issues matter in this election.

Social issues should always matter, and a vote for any Republican candidate this year is a vote against many important social issues and a vote against progress and modernity itself.

Caring for women involves allowing them to make crucial decisions about their own health care. It means trusting them to know their own situations and supporting them in whatever choices they make.

The Republican Party has said that its members know better than women. That government has the right to interfere in individual medical decisions based on its own conception of morality, despite these candidates’ fundamental lack of understanding of women’s bodies.

Can you trust a political party that doesn’t trust you?

Choice is crucial in this election because if you don’t vote to support a woman’s right to choose, women may soon entirely lose this fundamental right. 

We have a presidential candidate who’s vowed to get rid of health care services for women, and state and local candidates who have already begun to pass horrifying anti-women legislation—and plan to continue to do so.

Even if you are pro-life, I want to point out that National Catholic Reporter recently called Obama “much more pro-life than Romney.” Obama’s health care plans will greatly reduce the need for, and number of, abortions, whereas the millions of dollars in health care that Romney will withhold from poor women will increase unintended pregnancies. 

Studies confirm that the Birth Control Mandate will lower abortion rates.

For those of you who see cost as the issue, unintended pregnancies resulting in birth cost U.S. taxpayers $11 billion per year. And that’s just for the pregnancy and first year of an infant’s life.

Preventative care is almost always the cheaper option.

Since unintended pregnancy is currently the leading reason women fall below the poverty line in this country, choice is an economic issue as well as a social one.

This election year marks the centennial of women’s right to vote in Oregon. 
It’s more important than ever to remember just how perilous women’s position in this country is—and how much your vote matters in determining if women will lose their rights or continue to move toward progress and equality.