Women at an Obama rally.
By MIA FREEDMAN
Australian politicians: you have been warned. If you threaten to take away the reproductive rights of women they will come out and vote against you.
A gender gap worked in Obama’s favor. He won 55 percent of women to Romney’s 44 percent, which was enough to give him a decisive victory.
According to the Huffington Post:
“Women’s strong support in the swing states gave Obama a significant advantage over Romney. While Obama lost by 10 percentage points among independents in Ohio, he won by 12 points among women in the state. In New Hampshire, women voted for Obama over Romney by a margin of 58 to 42 percent, while Pennsylvania showed a 16-point gender gap that tipped the scale toward Obama. “
Listen up politicians: the biggest factor in the re-election of Barack Obama has been the female vote. And thank God. Because like many, I always wondered how the polls could have been so close when half of the American voting public have a vagina.
Hollywood actress Natalie Portman supporting President Obama.
Especially when one party – the Republicans, influenced by and beholden heavily to the far-right Tea Party movement – have shown such crass disregard for the rights of women to control what happens in and around their vagina.
From Republican Todd Akin’s repugnant claim that ‘legitimate rape’ will not result in pregnancy because “the body has a way of shutting that down’ as a way to push for laws that would make abortion illegal even in the case of rape victims to the claim by Republican Richard Mourdouk that a pregnancy resulting from rape would be “God’s Gift” and should be welcomed, the prospect of a Republican government was a frightening one for many women.
Already in the US, abortion is illegal or severely restricted under state law (although legally, the landmark case of Roe v Wade prevails).
Already in 31 states, when children are born as a result of rape (often because abortion was not legal in that state and rape victim could not afford to other states), the rapist father has visitation rights. Visitation rights. So the mother must have on-going contact with her rapist? What part of GIFT is that exactly?
But Mitt Romney and his hard right running mate Paul Ryan were not satisfied with this appalling status quo. Paul Ryan is behind a bill that seeks to give a fertilised egg the same rights as a person – from the moment of conception. Were it to be passed, the consequences of this law would basically make a woman’s body the property of the state from the moment she has unprotected sex, without any rights over what happens to her.
Now let’s take a look how those comments – and the strident anti-choice platform of the Republican party – played out for them with voters yesterday:
Akin and Mourdock.
(1) Akin loses in Missouri, gets less than 40% of the vote: according to exit polls, close to 70% of women said Akin’s remark on rape and abortion in an August television interview was important to their decision, and Akin couldn’t get the majority of men to look past that moment, either.’
(2) Mourdock loses in Indiana with 44% of the vote: after he said: “I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”
So what does all this have to do with Australia? Fortunately, the situation is different here. No major political party is proposing to ammend the current abortion laws. Yet.
But the local take away is that women proved to be a major political force in this election. Women came out to vote and they sent a clear message about who they wanted to win.
Reproductive rights and the desire for women to have autonomy over their bodies were certainly not the only issues in this election. But they had a significant impact.
And any politican who underestimates the power of the female vote is a fool.
Here’s a taste of how Twitter reacted to the news of President Obama’s re-election last night:
#women
Comments
168 Comments so far
So life does not begin at conception?so when does it begin? you have to be alive to be able to grow right? Name me one non living thing that grows (besides my credit debt lol)
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You Don’t get it do you? That’s a life in your belly NO MATTER WHAT THE circumstance. You don’t have any reproductive rights… THIS IS A LIVING THING. why should you choose whether it lives or dies? YOU DID THE DEAD OWN UP TO IT LIKE AN ADULT. SEX is not so u can be pleasured its is what brought you here in the first place. you might say “its my body, i don’t want this child so i’m having an abortion” you cant do that because then the MIRACLE of life is just meaningless. Next time you advocate so called “reproductive rights” think what it would be lf your mum aborted you… even if your mum was raped when you were conceived, would YOU want to be aborted?
Let the flaming begin…
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One thing is for certain, Tony Abbott can’t be trusted. As Health Minister he campaigned strongly against RU486 and wanted to maintain “control” and although he was not successful he was nicknamed “The Mad Monk” due to his religious beliefs interfering with law and politics. Don’t believe him when he says he would consider the science and benefits of anything.
His views and approach to stem cell research are also similarly tainted.
He tampered with scientific evidence of the case to purchase PET Scans for cancer patients. These are extremely useful scans to measure the extent of cancer and benefits of a particular cancer treatment so doctor’s can switch treatments sooner rather than later if need be. They were eventually purchased and installed once Labor took power.
He made a “rock-solid,iron-clad guarantee” (not just an election promise) but a “rock-solid, iron-clad guarantee” that he would tamper with the Medicare Safety Net.
Now he wants us to trust him and vote him in as Prime Minister. Tony Abbott you’ve made your bed so you can now lie in it and it’s certainly won’t be in the Lodge.
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Gees, Mia the US Election was about the economy, and so the USA women, as you say, voted on the issue of Abortion. This shows the American women must be very dumb or disconnected from the present, and little worried about the future of their families, their jobs, or their husbands’ employment. That is like an African American voting against Slavery in 2012, or voting for Obama simply because he is not white.
You must have pictures of abortions spinning around in your head, to be always on this issue.
If you were truly active, or a true believer on this issue, you would have gone out of your way to fight for the registration of Dr Suman Sood (D & C Doctor), who was a true victim of Catholic Lawyers, Catholic Judges and Catholic Courts.
I would rather see you state your opinion on the Radio Pranksters, and the PM’s past legal career, rather than reliving the excitement of a 1960′s abortion debate.
This election won’t be run on abortion issues. This won’t be an election on issues of injustice.
I am happy to tell you lots of stories about Catholic Doctors wielding their influence in the Gynaecological wards of of our major Hospitals.
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I particularly loved Sarah Macdonald’s statement – fighting stupidity with humour, that’s the way to go!
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I think this article is scaremongering. I really don’t believe abortion is either restricted in Australia or about to be – even if Tony Abbott were to be in power.
I also question why men are not allowed to have an opinion on abortion. Last time I checked we women require the assistance of a man to create a new life. I certainly am not advocating that they have the final say in the decision but surely they are entitled to an opinion and viewpoint one way or the other. Men are human beings with thought, feelings and beliefs too – can we atleast let them be heard just as we want to be heard without all the vagina hysteria.
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I would be interested to know how you propose that men be ‘heard’ more than they currently are without giving them a final say over the decision. You can hardly legislate that women have to sit down and talk to men before making the final decision themselves.
At the point at which a man can carry the child he has helped conceive without my body, he can have the final say on whether or not the pregnancy is kept.
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It hasn’t been mentioned that apart from his obvious economic savvy, there are other reasons why so many women voted for Romney. How many of the girls out there would like a partner with Romney’s demonstrated attributes? He makes good money, he’s handsome and fit at 65, has 5 sons and 18 grandchildren, honours his family, attracts no scandal (neither do any of his other family members), commits to fidelity, has not been tempted by corruption and is not known to have ever, under any circumstances, allowed his religion to overshadow his political judgement. Even in being overheard stating that half the population expects to be taken care of by the state, he is telling the truth – because what he said means that there is almost half the population of the state not willing to take responsibility for themselves. The sharp decline in the market yesterday is a bad sign and reflects a world view. I don’t agree abortion or women’s issues has much to do with Obama’s win. It was a win coming from demographic dynamics. The popular vote was very close by comparison. Mia’s issues with abortion rights may be a little naive. The state always owns our bodies. Our sons were conscripted to Vietnam. No choice. Jail or war take your pick. Sent to be slaughtered or to return traumatised forever. I have three sons and know that the state can do this to me. Take my sons for slaughter. How does Mia expect that her state’s defense is possible unless there is sufficient population from which to form a military or will she defend herself? How come there is a baby bonus? To readjust the population because women are aborting their babies? To create a population base from which a future military can be sustained? Because defense depends on having warriors you can put on the ground. We could end up with ‘dad’s army’, but the Chinese have ninety million young males they could put on the ground in a standing army at any time.The average age of our population is old and older. China owns the bodies of its women, they can have one child. Mia’s article raises issues much more complex than abortion and women’s rights. Let’s also talk responsibilities.
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Yeah, um. I’d disagree with you about Romney’s desirability, and that he doesn’t attract scandal or that he made money in an honourable way.
Your argument about the 47% has been proven so wrong. not to mention extremely insulting to pensioners in the US who just might disagree that they haven’t contributed to their country or taken responsibility for their lives, that it is not really worth rehashing.
But that is minor stuff to where you took the rest of your comment.
You are actually arguing that abortions threaten the national security of Australia, because our population will wane away and be ripe for the plunder by the Chinese. That is fair dinkum the best argument against abortion I’ve ever read, heard or comprehended.
Even if you discount the fact that women who have abortions usually go on to have children a few years later anyway, or have already have a few, there are a few really simple statistics you should be aware of.
China’s army is 4.5 million strong (China has 600 million of military age)
The Australian Defence force is 82,000 strong (with 10 million of military age – basically every adult in Australia)
Your argument is that if only abortions were illegal, we’d have an army able to fend off an invading Chinese army is unsupportable.
Really, stick with how you admire Romney.
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Study state formation and maintenance, Idle Dad, it might give an idle man something constructive to do.
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There are plenty of men out there with all the positive attributes of Romney who aren’t trying to take women’s rights away. Like Obama, for instance.
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Ok, I know I am likely to get slammed for this comment, but here it goes anyway. I agree with the statement that the method of conception doesn’t change the definition of life. I won’t say that I agree with that guy’s views generally, as I don’t know what they are, or the context in which he made the statement, but as a standalone statement I agree with it.
I don’t believe that laws regarding abortion should treat pregnancies as a result of rape any differently than other pregnancies, as traumatic as it must be for the mother.
If you take the view that abortion should be allowed during a certain gestational period (and please let me stress that I am pro-choice), then that should be it. I know it sounds stupid, but I feel that is discriminatory to treat a foetus resulting from rape any differently to any other foetus. It’s not their fault.
I apologise if this offends anyone. I will add that I do find the other comments by politicians listed above appalling.
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I don’t think you’ll get slammed. Logically, you’re right. The thing is the context of how Ryan was using those words was to close off access to any kinds of abortions.
He’s not pro-choice like you are.
I’d guess Mia picked the quote as an example of his indifference to the feelings of the rape victim.
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I love it when Mia gets political.
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As I’ve not heard anyone from the Liberal Party parroting the views of a few defeated US Republican congressmen…..dare I say that the subject of this article, applied to Australian politics, is a current major non issue.
As a bit of anti-conservative scare mongering, this article ticks all of the boxes. More blatant Abbott bashing ? I would say that the cheque is in the post for this one.
Simply, the views of a few narrow minded American politicians is not Liberal Party of Australia policy. No need for anyones reproductive organs to cast their votes one way or the other.
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Have you not heard Abbotts views on abortion, reproduction and virginity? I don’t want that man wielding power any where near my vagina!!! Maybe it’s a non issue to you because you don’t have one.
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Love this response to Bradley, thank you Alice x
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You realize that Abbotts views mean diddly squat right? And that there is a WHOLE PARTY that has to decide on the issues? For all i care he could want us to move to mars to all be dirt farmers… just because he has a personal view does not mean that every other politician is going to agree and it will become a law… That’s why we have a Parliament. And to the issue of abortion you have no right to harm a life form of any nature. You did the deed OWN UP TO IT.
As for rape it is a hard topic to deal with. I DO NOT THINK THAT ANY VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN SHOULD BE ACCEPTED NO MATTER WHAT! The fact of the matter is that out of millions of sperm, ONE made the journey to YOUR egg YOUR future child. The miracle of life should not be destroyed because its not in your life plans… SEX if for reproduction mainly. NOT so you and your air headed girlfriends can go out get smashed and hook-up with some random and then say “its my body, and i don’t want a child right now so i’m having an abortion.” You have one choice in the matter. IF YOU DON’T WANT A CHILD DON’T HAVE SEX.. or at least use contraception. Think about someone BUT YOU. You have the gift of being able to bring a tiny baby into this world. If not for you who will protect this innocent little life. All the goodie goodies can all go on about how i am a male pig and so is abbott and bla bla yakety yack. If you would not KILL you own LIVING child why should you kill something that has not even had a chance at life? Think about this for a moment… i am YOUR mother. I have just Conceived you, I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOU but i can make a conscious decision to KILL YOU IN THE WOMB because you don’t fit in with my plans now? YOU have no right to kill another Living Human, so why kill an unborn one? There is one Acceptable reason to have an abortion. That is if you will die giving birth.
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Bradley,
I certainly don’t want to be an alarmist.
I cannot however sit back and let things develop. Not on this issue. I do not know when things changed to almost a majority of society in America wanting to ban abortion. I am an American. I lived there 2 years ago. I thought it was a pipe dream for people speculating about repealing Roe vs Wade.
I didn’t see it coming. And I would bet the farm that no one will see it coming here until they think it’s got a majority of support.
I hope your “scare-mongering” comment is not a distraction because you are in favor of restricting or limiting a woman’t reproductive rights.
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Excellent comment. Thank you.
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RU486 ring any (alarm) bells Bradley?
Or that abortion should be “safe, legal and RARE”? (what is ‘rare’? – those women that ‘we’ can’t convince to keep the baby, no matter the circumstance – or is the meaning behind this remark parallel to what’s been going on a la Akin et al’s rape comments?)
Or the patriarchal agenda of women being accepting of their place, “virginity” intact of course, and a woman always being only ever in the likeness of the archetypal conservative mould, that of “an honest woman”?
And here’s a few more of his ‘anti-everything-that-doesn’t-represent-Tony-Abbot’s-worldview’ humdingers about females, aborigines, gays, asylum seekers (basically anyone ever deemed a ‘them’ or an ‘outsider’):
http://theagevsheraldsun.tumblr.com/post/33224765845/16-quotes-from-tony-abbott-to-remind-you-why-he
Surely someone as savvy as you Bradley, can’t seriously be considering this neo-con Republicanesque narrative of underlying beliefs for Australia’s future? I would’ve thought you’d be all for equality in this day and age…
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Bradley has stated and backed up often that he is pro-choice, guys.
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Another point I found amusing in this election was the ‘black’ vote. Pre-election polls showed Mitt Romney to have approximately 0% of the black vote (the lowest ever for a Republican, with even John McCain scraping in 4% of the vote in 2008).
In the end, he managed 2% (Slate). I don’t know why I find that so amusing but I do.
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I don’t find block voting along racial lines at all amusing. I find it very worrying.
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Why? Do you think the average African-American can relate to a white investment banker who pays less than them as a tax percentage in any meaningful way?
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Especially an Ivy League graduate (or whatever is the prestigous edumucation is the hallmark in their country)?
As much as I agree with the original core Labor Party values, I’m disappointed that PM Gillard and the current Labor Party have Americanised our education system.
Then again, I don’t want to imagine how it would be with TA’s LNP in power……
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Your stereotyping of African Americans is highly offensive.
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How so? Please expand.
Better check the current census information before you do (on all groups).
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The African-American vote has only increased marginally for the democrats with Obama. In 2004 when George W Bush won 88% of blacks still voted against him. So any talk block voting along racial lines is a media beat up.
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Just to get some balance, the #1 reason women are stating they voted for Obama wasn’t because of Romney’s position on abortion. They did so for economic reasons.
This is from The Guardian. Don’t want to include the link to try to avoid the spam filter.
“But the driving force behind female voters was not so-called “women’s issues” – it was the economy.
Terry O’Neill, president of the National Organisation for Woman, said: “It is economic issues. Sure, at a certain point it’s also about rights, but at a more immediate level it’s about survival.
“When you look at unmarried women, they are very often the head of their families or taking care of elders. What they saw in Mitt Romney was someone who had disdain for them – as part of the 47%. He wanted to cut after-school programmes, Head Start, food stamps and job training programmes.”
Birth control was a “huge economic issue” said Maatz. “Women did not vote with their ladyparts, they voted with their pocketbooks like they always do”.
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Birth control was a “huge economic issue” said Maatz. “Women did not vote with their ladyparts, they voted with their pocketbooks like they always do”.
Oh, THIS!!!!!!!!
Tony Abbott, I hope you are reading this, and realise this is the situation *even in your own electorate*!!!!!!!!!
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This “women’s issues” and “What they saw in Mitt Romney was someone who had disdain for them” are not far apart. It is basically highlighting how the GOP is being run and manipulated by people who are out of touch with the average (47%) person on the street and their needs.
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Abort away but don’t expect me to pay for it unless it is medically imperative.
Those who choose to abort because the pregnancy is ill timed or inconvenient, pay for it yourselves.
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Yeah. Also, if you have ever smoked a cigarette ever, and get lung cancer, you should pay for chemo, treatment and surgery on your own. Don’t expect me to pay for it out of our UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, cause you know, *I* don’t smoke so I shouldn’t have to pay for your “life choices”
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Or, if you’ve ever eaten a burger and fries, don’t expect me to pay my taxes for your gall-bladder surgery, heart attack or cholesterol meds.
You see how ridiculous that is, don’t you?
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DID EVERYONE MISS MY SARCASM?!! Ermahgawd I was not being serious!! I was pointing out how ridiculous Anonymous’ comment was!
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Lol, I think all those thumbs-ups are probably from people who though you were serious.
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*Possibly* 19 *got* your sarcasm. It’s possible even Luc and his supporters *got* it too!!
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I thought Luc was adding to your comment, WS. The rest, yeah, appear to have had a sarcasm bypass.
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What you are conveniently ignoring is that smokers pay enormous amounts of tax every time they buy a packet of fags. Compound this money over the life of a smoker and they well and truly pay enough to get treatment if they are unlucky enough to contract cancer.
Everyone deserves the benefits of health system, EVERYONE.
ps I’m a non smoker.
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Ermahgawd. I was being sarcastic!!
I am a huge believer in universal health care, I don’t give a shit if someone smokes and gets lung cancer, they still deserve Medicare funded treatment for it!
No-one got my sarcasm. I’m embarrassed now.
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I got it. I’m sure I’m not alone.
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I agree with you to a degree whippersnapper. Except: smokers already DO pay, by way of excise – 70% of the cost of a packet of cigarettes is taxed and excised.
Perhaps a better analogy is Compulsory Green Slip Insurance.
If people don’t like our social democracy because they prefer a capitalist democracy, well, they don’t *have* to live here, do they?
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*Sobs* – I was being sarcastic! I believe in universal health care for everyone. Arghhh, I clearly have not conveyed my sarcastic tone!
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I got it, and I agreed. Saying we shouldn’t pay for smokers’ healthcare is as daft as saying we shouldn’t pay to fix kids’ broken arms because they were silly enough to fall off the playground equipment. Healthcare is either universal, or it’s not. I prefer the former.
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Sorry, it’s a sore point for me because I smoke. Please excuse me
*cough*
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Ha ha! I think most people got it. But tone is notoriously hard to pull off in writing isn’t it? Everything sounds so serious and humourless when written down.
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Haha WS, bet you’re regretting attempting sarcasm now! Looks like only 19 people had their coffee/have a sense of humour and understood your comment – which was great, btw!
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I’m loving your comments whippersnapper.
Keep ‘em coming.
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It’s cheaper to pay for an abortion then 18 years of single parent pension.
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“Already in 31 states, when children are born as a result of rape (often because abortion was not legal in that state and rape victim could not afford to other states), the rapist father has visitation rights. Visitation rights. So the mother must have on-going contact with her rapist?”
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. NO! What?? No way.
That just does my head in.
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I know, I read that and my head exploded. That is just freaking unbelievable.
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I asked about this in a group of mostly Yanks I’m in on FB. It is true, but it’s tied in with maintenance and child support. Some states have super fun set-ups where Mum takes the kid to a kitted out for visits cop shop, Dad rocks up, spends time with kid, leaves, Mum comes back. Good times, no?
They said the laws are there but are part of an antiquated system of child support and it’s on the radar because most states are in the process of repealing the strange laws like this.
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It’s just occurred to me that Julia Gillard’s “sexist” speech may have indeed resonated with American female voters.
While I don’t think that Americans take much notice of us normally, the fact that this speech became such a “Youtube hit” tells me that American women hearing it may have taken heart that a change for the better was in the wind.
Women who would usually never dare to go against their male partner’s opinion (even in the secrecy of the polling booth) – obviously did so and thank goodness……
With Obama in the White House, my perception is that America will be less likely to start another war.
Republicans can be a scary lot – they attract a very aggressive crowd and I’m afraid that one day they won’t be able to control them.
Another thing that’s rarely mentioned is that Obama is half-white and his natural sympathies lie with two ethnic groups, not only with the black community.
Growing up in Hawaii must have opened his eyes to the problems of the Pacific Island communities too.
The extreme “right-wing” will go into “hissy-fit mode” with a vengeance from now on, so expect to see the colourful rhetoric stepped up…lol.
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All excellent points, Caz. I wholeheartedly agree
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Might I say….ALL political organisations attract some very scary people !
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Err, Bradley they do. But how many of them tell YOU that you should be giving birth to a child no matter what – oh, wait, you can’t give birth….please stick to the topic, and respond only if it applies to your body.
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In the US religion is a huge factor in voting, the 44% who voted for Romney are most likely quite religious. We are lucky here that religious groups do not hold enough political power to make womens reproductive rights an issue. ( regardless of TA)
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…..yet.
I wonder how the voting would’ve gone if voting was compulsory for the US, though.
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In the regional town of over 120,000 in Victoria their is no clinic available for abortions mainly due to the pull of a certain religious group which makes it very difficult for isolated country women who have to travel to the city for help. Recently a local doctor has refused to refer a termination because of religious beliefs and had to find another doctor in that clinic who would do the referral something i had no heard of happening before but apparently is quite common.
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Oh, gosh, I hope the local GP’s and Chemists are open-minded when it comes to prescriptions for contraceptives……even if you aren’t “married”
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On two separate occasions I went to a “generic” medical centre on a Sunday to get the morning after pill and both times I was refused because of the doctor’s religious beliefs.
There were no other dr’s on duty and as the window for this pill/s is only 72hrs I was forced to drive about an hour to find another surgery to get it.
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That is just horrible! So disappointing in modern Australia.
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One of the things that this election has demonstrated to me is that American women have realised that if this type of stuff’s not stamped out emphatically, then these types of changes COULD happen! There have been a lot of comments like this in the past decade, but i think because so much else has happened (September 11, Global Warming, Global Financial Crisis), people have pushed this stuff to the side – because inherently they never believed it could happen. Do I think Tony Abbott would single handedly make abortion harder for women at this stage. No, I don’t. But if we get enough people like him, Kevin Andrews, Cory Bernardi, Andrew Robb etc leading the country – then over a period of time, things could change.
It’s wrong to dismiss offensive views because we don’t think someone could actually do something about it. The fact that he has the views should and is the issue.
Tony Abbott invited Right to Life to participate in the abortion pill debate. They’re the group that terrorise women who walk into abortion clinics. Are they a legitimate voice in whether a pill is safe for women to take (which is what that debate was meant to be)? Absolutely not and their inclusion was indicative of his grave bias in that area.
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Sorry pedantic me again. Paul Ryan actually held onto his seat in Congress – he was up for that as well as VP, successfully hedging his bets!
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This is so great – there’s such a moment happening right now. I think that the angry white males are pushing back so hard that we (women, gays, immigrants etc) are fighting back. And, as Jane Caro and Jenna Price said at a Destroy The Joint gathering last week, social media may be as liberating for women as the pill, as it allows us unfettered access to the means to broadcast our voices without going through male media owners.
If you’d like to show your support for women’s reproductive rights, and in particular ending the shame and stigma around abortion which these men exploit when make these hateful remarks, I’d love to invite everybody in Sydney to join us on Nov 18th for a flashmob in Sydney CBD. All ages, all genders welcome.
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Stigma?
I’m all for pro-choice but the day that we, as a society, don’t think that abortion is intrinsically wrong will be a very sad day.
I hope there is always a stigma attached to it.
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I’m with Caz and disagree with this flashmob completely. I am pro-choice but I don’t think we need to remove stigma and normalise it. Do we really need to dance in the street and sing “abortions are awesome.” That’s taking it too far.
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It takes two people to make a baby, but it is a woman who has to carry the physical, emotional, mental and societal burden of not only the baby, but the judgement associated with abortion too.
While I do understand that many men choose to share that burden with their partner, it is a choice they make, not an unavoidable consequence, when both the man and the woman have made an equal contribution to the situation – that of an unintended/unwanted pregnancy.
So I say, let’s end the stigma. Let’s allow women a supportive environment to make a difficult choice. Of the women I know who have had an abortion, none of them want to go through that again, and it was a very emotional experience. The last thing they needed was anyone’s judgment.
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Why should anyone be made to feel shame for having an abortion and view it as a secret that should never be shared?
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Because some people are ashamed that they had an abortion. My ex wife was after she fessed up that she’d had two abortions while we were married without telling me.
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How does that make it OK to make people feel ashamed? Wouldn’t you want it the other way around, so she hadn’t been scared to talk about it at the start?
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Totally agree. No matter what else was on the table at an election I would not vote for a party or candidate that wanted to overturn women’s right to chose. Women can’t be equal in society if they can’t control if and when they have children, and can support those children.
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I am dumbfounded that these men (and I’m sure there are some women out there who agree) can categorise rape. ‘Legitimate’ rape? And “some girls, they rape so easily”??? What a disgusting comment. Thank goodness these people will not get to govern over the reproductive organs of American women.
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I really thought voting for Obama in 2008 would be the most passionate I’d ever feel about an election but I was wrong. Sending off my vote this year was incredibly emotional and I didn’t realise until he’d finally been re-elected how stressed out I’d been about it all. The Republican Party was in a great position to win considering the state of the US economy but made the fatal mistake of ignoring/discounting women, youth and minorities. I really hope they learn massive lessons from this and finally ditch the policies that buried them this time. Whether it’s about women, self deportation for illegal immigrants, proposing to cut programs that benefit children – especially those in less advantaged households, etc… they need to get with the times if they ever want a hope of winning again.
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Totally agree with you here. The Republican Party need to have a long hard look at themselves. However, I wouldn’t mind at all if the Democrats keep winning!! PS – Thankyou for voting
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The Rebublicans need to get with the program, not just to support women but to understand the changing face of the country. For the first time in US history more than half the babies born last year were non-white (US Census data) and almost half of all children younger than age 5 are from minority groups, including Hispanic, black and Asian. While the white community still makes up 2/3 of the population the median age is 42 (and most are past child-bearing age). So in just one or two generations we will see a vastly different, more diverse USA than ever before. The Rebuplicans will drastically need to re-think their platform and approach because those white middle-class men they are currently courting will one day be the minority. Oh the irony…
http://www.livescience.com/20467-minority-babies-outnumber-whites.html
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Wow, what an amazing statistic, that is a massive game-changer!
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Its interesting to look at the exit poll results from the booths. 71% of Hispanics voted for Obama while 59% of whites voted for Romney.
60% of those aged 18-29 voted for Obama while Romney’s biggest supporters where white males aged over 45.
Those stats (taken from here: http://www.statista.com/statistics/245884/voter-turnout-of-the-exit-polls-of-the-2012-elections-by-age/) tell (albeit uneducated) me that the GOP have a long way to go to improve their popularity with minority groups and those under 30.
However get someone like George W. Bush’s nephew into the race – the son of Jed Bush and his Mexican born wife- and then things might get interesting. His name is George Prescott Bush and he’s well regarded as a VP candidate in 2016 or even President in 2020.
(and for those over 39 like me, he was born in 1976!!!)
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Abortion laws in Australia are determined on a state b y state basis. Federal politicians cannot legislate on abortion. Even if Abbott were PM, and even if if was interested in making abortion illegal ( in fact he is on record as saying he would not make abortion illegal) he could not make it illegal.
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Let’s not let the facts get in the way of a good old Abbott bash, Catherine.
They have to earn their morning teas some how.
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Sooo true Caz. I’m anyone’s for a scone!
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No, but he could certainly try to make it harder to get Medicare funded abortions – something the Liberals tried last time they were in power – or restrict the distribution or funding for RU486, etc etc etc. Let’s not pretend the federal government has no control over such things – they have an enormous amount of control, even though, as you say, the states are responsible for criminal law.
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Yes abortion law is a state issue – but Medicare is Federal. The Government has the ability to add, change and delete which medical procedures will be funded under Medicare. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that an Abbott government would remove funding for abortion thereby making in cost prohibitive for many, many women.
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He, or any other federal politician, may not be able to touch abortion law per se, but they can remove Medicare rebates for procedures. They can make or break laws which impact on whether anti-abortion pregnancy ‘counselling’ lines have to disclose their bias to women who call. They can impact the decision to put RU486 on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Law relating directly to abortion is not the only way to make choice difficult, as we’ve learned from the US. These are all real threats to women’s reproductive autonomy in Australia that would be posed by a conservative federal government.
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What are these REAL threats you speak of? Where has the coalition indicated that it would remove medicare benefits or anything else you mention above.
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Abbott actually tried to remove Medicare funding for abortion when he was health minister. He is certainly not going to mention the word abortion BEFORE the next election but unfortunately once he is PM, all bets are off.
http://theconversation.edu.au/lets-be-clear-on-tony-abbotts-attacks-on-abortion-10263
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Attacking Medicare rebates for abortion is not that uncommon in Australia, and tends to come up every few years – the last attempt was in 2008: http://www.childrenbychoice.org.au/working-for-change/campaign-successes/16525. And when Abbott lost his ministerial veto over the importation of RU486, he set up a federal pregnancy ‘helpline’ which didn’t actually refer for abortion: http://www.childrenbychoice.org.au/working-for-change/anti-choice-pregnancy-counselling. Also, many conservative MPs oppose changes to the law that would require anti-abortion ‘counselling’ service to disclose to women that they will not refer for abortion. Now that RU486 has been approved by the TGA for importation, the listing of it on the PBS will be the next big fight at the federal level, and I think we’re deluding ourselves if we think some of our more conservative friends in federal parliament won’t attempt to influence this decision. Those threats sound pretty real to me.
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Tony Abbott may be a lot of things but I dont think stupid is one of them. He will have watched the US election pretty closely, I cant see the Libs making any changes to the Medicate rebates. The massive backlash he would recieve from women across the political spectrum is to frightening & threatening.
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Is it not possible for the federal government to overrule state legislation, where there are inconsistencies between the two? Genuine question, I’m not down with the acts that govern abortion laws.
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Kitten, since abortion law is governed by the Criminal Code or Crimes Act in most states and territories, I believe they’d have to take over criminal law at the federal level for this to take effect. There was a proposal to do this some years ago but the states weren’t having it. I’m not a law expert but this is my understanding.
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The federal government can only pass laws where they have a constitutional power to do so. The powers are set out in section 51 of the constitution. The federal law can overrule a state law where the federal law covers the field but the power to make the law has to exist first. The federal government does not have the power to overrule a state’s criminal laws (which is where most abortion laws are written).
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How can such supposedly intelligent people be so narrow minded. The whole thing about abortion and same-sex marriage debates that really annoys me is why should your values/belief/faith/opinion be forced upon others.
If you don’t believe in either of these things and you don’t support them that is fine – it’s your right and we are lucky to live in a country where you are entitled to your own opinions. But legalise them and allow me to choose what to do in my life and with my body.
If you don’t agree then thats fine – don’t have an abortion and don’t go to same-sex weddings, and the fact that they are legal won’t impact on your daily life one bit.
But don’t stop me from being able to do these things.
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Unfortunately for Tony Abbott and crew we do tend to look to the republicans and think about what could happen here if the real nutjobs and crazies of the far right got into power.
There has also been comparisons made to the libs and republicans campaign styles ie. Tea Party-esque. So really it isn’t far from the truth.
In reality Tony probably does hold similar opinions to these guys about abortion too. Great post Mia
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‘In reality TA probably does hold ….’
In reality, that is fabricated BS.
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Hey Anonymous – it certainly isn’t fabricated BS. Tony Abbott is on the record as saying abortion for a 14yo who is pregnant is ‘the easy way out’ back in 2004.
Perhaps his views have changed since then but how would we know? He refuses to be drawn on the topic. I believe that’s a mistake.
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Mia, here is Tony Abbott’s full quote on abortion
“To a pregnant 14-year-old struggling to grasp what’s happening, for example, a senior student with a whole life mapped out or a mother already failing to cope under difficult circumstances, abortion is the easy way out. It’s hardly surprising that people should choose the most convenient exit from awkward situations.”
Seems like a reasonable statement to me, raising a child is an 18 year commitment involving sleepless nights, stress, financial outlay etc
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No consideration given at all for the non-physical scars a woman who chooses to abort may carry for the rest of her life. Not to mention the life of the child who is brought into this world by a mother who can’t care for it – what kind of life will that child have?
I don’t find this reasonable at all. I find it judgemental.
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Punkernickle, I certainly agree with you that SOME women are psychologically scarred by their decision to abort. and dare I say I am sure Tony Abbott would agree with you on that point too. Women who choose abortion choose it presumably because they consider it their best option at the time.. e.g. it is easier to care for your existing three or four children than go through with another pregnancy and have another mouth to feed and care for. Some women end up depressed, anxious, even suicidal, abusing drugs and alcohol post abortion, but many women are psychologically fine post abortion.
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Touche’
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It is great that so many women voted for Obama, but I am baffled as to why 44% of women voted for Romney. I realise that there were many other issues apart from the threat to women’s rights, but still hard to understand.
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Not all women are pro choice. Some women believe that life begins at conception.
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And currently, with access to abortion available, those who believe this are able to choose to not have one. Those who don’t share their beliefs can choose to go ahead with the pregnancy or not as well.
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The overly religious ones voted for Romney.
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Maybe 44% of female American voters have been lucky enough to have never had an unwanted pregnancy.
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Or smart enough…
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Um, yeah, because “smart enough” beats imperfect contraception every time, right?
Not…..
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I don’t even know why women reproductive rights were even an issue I. An election. I would respect politicians more for talking about bigger issues like health care, schools , the environment and the economy. Big issues that warrant debate and opinion not interfering with other peoples morality.
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Um..Amandarose, reproductive rights ARE actually part of the bigger picture. By pushing aside issues like reproductive rights as beneath what should be of importance, you fundamentally misunderstand that life, politics and society are not just words like ‘economy’ or ‘healthcare’ and ‘environment’, but how these things affect and interact with people’s lives on a daily basis.
Personally, I find it kinder to interfere with someone’s morality than control their body and restrict their choice in what is an incredibly complicated situation.
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It is interesting that Mia, chose to focus on rape and access to abortion. I’m sure everyone’s heart goes out to women who have been raped . and it would be be terrible to be pregnant as a result of rape. However, research from the Guttmacher institute shows that only 1% of women cited rape as a reason contributing to their decision to have an abortion. The vast majority of women cited reasons such as “” having a baby would dramatically change my life”‘ 74%, “cant afford a baby now”" 73%, have completed my childbearing 38% parents want me to have an abortion 6%, unmarried 42% etc
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It’s a good thing that being able to make the choice whether to go ahead with a pregnancy or not allows people who don’t want to use those reasons to exercise that right rather than forcing any ideology on them, isn’t it, Catherine?
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So? They should still be accessible to all women. They are are last resort thing. No-one’s having abortions for fun or using them as birth control, they are far too unpleasant. And no man who doesn’t even own the equipment should have a say either way, let alone some self-righteous, misguided politician catering to an outdated religion.
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According to the Guttmacher Institute May 2006, the research arm of Planned PArenthood America ( america’s major abortion provider),women who have never used any birth control method account for 8% of abortions., so sadly it appears some women do use abortion as birth control
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So? What does what 8% of American women who have had abortions have to do with you?
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Ness asserted noone used abortion as birth control. The facts show some women do.
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No, actually, they show that a very small proportion of women who had abortions hadn’t used contraception. That could mean they were young girls who were scared of going to the doctor to get the pill, using withdrawal methods of “contraception”. As much as you keep trying to push the idea, Catherine, having access to abortion doesn’t mean that the people having them are doing it on a whim for fun.
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Hi Catherine – read your own statistics. “8% have not used birth control”
That may be because they have had inadequate (or no) sex education and don’t understand when or how easily pregnancy can occur.
Sadly, those opposed to abortion are usually also opposed to sex education. Which is hypocritical to the point of breathtaking.
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I would actually put that down to the fact that birth control is not as freely available there due to their incredibly complex health insurance system, there is more stigma attached to using it and that many American schools have an abstinence only sex education policy- particularly in the more conservative religious states- which has a frightful failure rate.
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A big assumption Catherine.
Perhaps they were using the withdrawal method which is touted as the most appropriate contraception in areas of America.
Perhaps they are uneducated, which appears to be a large issue in America as well.
Many many reasons can be captured into this 8%.
Taking away abortion rights, personal autonomy isn’t going to help this 8%. Education, appropriate education, just might.
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It would be interesting to see how many of that 8% are women who haven’t been educated properly about contraception or don’t have access to contraception.
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Young women without the money or just plain too scared to get to the doctor to get the pill, or buy condoms in the one shop in town that sells them…
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Given that toddlers are using ipads these days schools have kids on computers, there is free internet access in libraries, everyone seems to have an iphone etc, i really have trouble believing that women can;t access information about contraception. Even if you are computer illiterate magazines such as Dolly, Cleo, cosmopolitan etc are full of info on contraception.
Women can buy condoms online- you can get 24 condoms for about $16. I really have difficulty believing that 2 people old enough to have sex cant between the two of them find enough money to buy a condom.
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Catherine, you’re making assumptions about people’s lives from what seems to be a middle (or above) class background.
A lot of people can’t afford iPads, Internet and the like, particularly in the US, which has a far less generous welfare system, or minimum wage. There is also a sharper divide between rich and poor than in Australia, except maybe for remote aboriginal communities.
Also I agree with what some others have posted that Education makes a difference. If you’re learning creationism/intelligent design at school, I somehow doubt you will be learning a great deal about development and contraception.
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What Faybian said.
Assumptions all come from everyone is like me land. I’d have thought, Catherine that it was blindingly obvious by now that not many people are like you. Yet you keep labouring under the assumption that everyone is.
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I have worked with many people from low SES backgrounds, including adolescents and find that many will spend money on the latest gadgets, ,phones, tvs computers if nothing else. I find adolescents who have no interest in learning at school, are very interested in learning about sex LOL. America even has a number of tv programs about teenage mothers, and at least one has a psychologist hosting it and he hammers home the message about contraception all the time. You can bang on about free contraception, more sex education at schools etc but my experience working with adolescents is that some of can be presented with the facts about contraception/sex but they think it wont happen to them.
If you are going to argue that these women/girls don’t use contraception because they can’t afford a condom,how do they afford to pay for an abortion.
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Catherine, I too work with young parents, often from lower socio economic areas/families. While I agree that they will go for the latest gadgets, I have yet to see an ipad in one of the houses I visit, few have big lcd/plasma tvs or foxtel. The ones I know of that have had abortions have usually borrowed money, or used a weeks/fortnights income on it.
f course they’re interested in sex and don’t think pregnancy will happen to them. They think that way on a lot of things (car accidents for one). My point was that if children in the US (and it is different there, no matter what you say) are attending a school that teaches intelligent design etc, the chances are that there will not be an emphasis on contraception taught and this is likely to be mirrored at home. This is a country where a big deal is made out of abstinence pledges and the like remember.
So you can have all the tv programs about underage pregnancy you like, but it doesn’t replace decent sex and contraception education.
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If 8% of women who request an abortion have never used contraception, it does not necessarily follow that they are using abortion as a method of contraception. I cannot imagine a circumstance where a woman would be thinking “I will not bother with contraception, I can always get an abortion”.
Arguments such as this always seem to revolve around the concept that women make the decision to terminate a pregnancy easily and that such a decision does not have any effects on the woman and her partner.
I read your comment further down about the laws in various states, Catherine, where you mention “anyone who wants an abortion will qualify”. I am tired of saying this but I will say it again, no-one WANTS an abortion. Women are in situations where it is not possible for them to carry their pregnancy to term. I really hope you are lucky enough for this not to happen to you.
I have not had an abortion, I consider that this has been a matter of luck rather than good management in my case (I am over 50 now).
The right to terminate a pregnancy has always been available to wealthy women, the doctor could always call it a D&C for period irregularity or incomplete miscarriage.
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I think you’ll find if you do your research that abortion IS illegal in Australia. Women still have to claim that carrying the pregnancy to term would cause them irreparable mental/physical harm. We’re not really more liberal than the US
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Not in all states!
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Certainly in Victoria women do not have to claim that carrying the pregnancy to term would cause them irreparable mental/physical harm
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Hi Catherine, no, but they did up until 2008.
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Not where I live.
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This was certainly not my experience, in Victoria.
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This is part of the issue, in practice the laws don’t get put into place – but it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. That’s why Victoria decriminalised in 2008; because up until then a doctor could’ve been persecuted had the women not been under physical or mental risk. That’s not so long ago!
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Alice, in Victoria and South Australia, there is a right to a legal abortion. In other states, abortion is reasonably well available, especially in capital cities. In Australia, the laws depend on the states, and in some states pro-choice advocates have chosen not to fight for “legality” but for “access”. There is a bit of a fear that if we tried to change the laws in NSW, it could backfire.
That said, both the laws and access to abortion are far more liberal here than in the US. If Roe v Wade is overturned in court, that could easily be the end of access to abortion in the US (and many states already disallow it). It would be much more difficult to overturn medical access to abortion in Australia, than it would be in the US.
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Sadly, this is the case in Queensland, where even women pregnant as a result of sexual assault often have their requests for a public abortion dismissed or denied. Rape isn’t actually grounds for a legal abortion here, nor is incest – only the impact of the pregnancy on the woman’s physical or mental health. Which sounds like it should be broad enough, until you realise how narrowly it’s interpreted.
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That certainly wasn’t my experience in QLD. I went to my GP, she referred me to a Marie stopes clinic nearby. Follow up care was provided by my GP. At no stage was there a questionaire, couselling session or even any questioning. There was a medicare rebate for the procedure, and the follow up care was bulk billed, I was on a low income and it was at public cost. whilst the desion itself was not an easy one, the process to obtain an abortion was simple and straight forward. (I imagion this could have been different had I not Lived in a metro area)
I have never heard of a woman being refused or denied a request for abortion in queensland.
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I’ve worked in a day stay unit at a public hospital in Qld and looked after women that have had terminations (or STOPs as the acronym goes) and that was some time ago….
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No need to start the fear mongering in Australia Mia. This continued (ie at least weekly) commentary on US abortions laws – a right women already have well won in Australia to choose is starting to get rather ho hum….and alarmist when you keep trying to drag Tony Abbott into it. I know you’re a lefty, but please show a little respect for those of us feminists who sit on the right. There’s a big difference between the Tea Party and the Liberal Party just as there is a big difference between America and Australia.
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No anon – but I would like access to RU486 in case of another miscarriage for me. And a non-surgical option for those who do choose abortion for themselves. Tony Abbott has already shown what he thinks of me making my own decision about my own body.
I think Mia’s comments are completely justified. The Republicans (Liberals) want small government except for when it comes to women’s bodies.
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Abortion is still on the statute books in most states in Australia.
Additionally, under the law women do not have the final say in accessing abortion for themselves – most states in Australia require women to swear that the pregnancy will have a detrimental effect on their physical or mental health, and multiple medical practitioners to affirm this statement, before they can have an abortion.
Maybe you think this system is good enough, but women not being able to access abortion unless jumping through these hoops is not acceptable to me. The law should reflect our values about women’s agency.
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The Australian states position on abortion
ACT-legal
VIC- legal on request
W.A> & NSW legal for maternal life, rape, health, fetal defects, mental health, and economic factors ( lets face it by the time they throw in economic factors into the mix, anyone who wants a abortion will qualify)
Nt and SA- legal for maternal life, rape, health, fetal defects and/or mental health
QLD-legal for maternal life, health and/or mental health
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That’s not really true. Abortion is still a crime in South Australia but section 82A of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act provides a defence if the abortion is for the life and health of the mother. That’s pretty different to it being legal.
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I’ve got to agree with Anonymous to some extent.
I’m a supporter of Obama and would be a democrat if I was in the US, but I don’t believe you can compare the CRAZY Republicans with Tony Abbott.
Tony Abbott (though I concede he has said some scarily conservative things about abortion) has nothing on the comments made by the Republicans.
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While I agree with you Whippersnapper, Tony Abbott shouldn’t have anything to say on abortion at all other than it should be between a woman and her doctor.
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Exactly!
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I think you’re right. I’m no Tony Abbott fan, but by American political standards he’d be considered quite socialist. It’s a whole other world over there!
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Agree, because voting is not compulsary in the US, the Republican & the Democarts are more like the right & left factions of the Liberal Party. They do not have a true “Labor”party like we know it.
& your right, even the loopie Cory Bernardi would be put to shame by the idiotic right wingers in the US.
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I think the fear mongering is not quite enough.
I am an American and from the heart of the Tea Party movement and the far right. You would not believe how quietly and under the radar this movement has gone from a social minority to a majority.
Just look at the number of agrees on your comment Anonymous. However, if you are a “righty” but would never impose restrictions or limitations to a woman’s reproductive rights, PLEASE correct me. Just a simple reply of “I would never impose restrictions or limitations to a woman’s reproductive rights.” and I will apologize profusely!
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Listening to the PBS coverage last night one of the commentators made the observation that ‘minority groups’ (once laughably defined as women, African Americans, Latinos, queer men and women) came together in this election and acted as a majority. Romney made a big mistake when he focused his campaign at white middle-class and wealthy Americans.
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Yeah an analyst dude on Lateline last night said that until the Republicans recognise the power of the “minorities”, they’re screwed.
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visitation rights!???! You have got to be kidding? I also find this truly shocking! What sort of back water country are we talking about?
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I think you are incorrect in saying there are states where abortion is illegal. Certainly, restricted and limited by law and by access but not illegal.
I was smugly delighted to find that Akin, Moredork (misspelled incorrectly intentionally) and also Joe Walsh were all defeated.
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Hi Kfergo55
You’re right, at present there is no US state where abortion is illegal because the national case law (i.e. the historic case of Roe v Wade) prevails.
However if Roe v Wade were challenged and overturned in a conservative-leaning Supreme Court (as may have been the case if Romney had been elected) then that would leave each state’s existing laws in place.
Several US states have ‘trigger’ laws in place, which means abortion is legal to an extent at present but that legality would cease under state law were Roe v Wade to be overturned judicially.
Mia knows more about it than me and can probably clarify, but that’s my understanding. Here’s an example: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/us/07abort.html?_r=0
Jamila
PS. I was delighted too!
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If Romney had won, socially conservative politicians in Australia would have used his victory as a launch pad for their own agenda. It’s scary that the political whims of another country are so entwined with our own.
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And McTernan, the 1600 spin doctors and their mummy blogging army won’t do the same with an Obama win? Oh look, they already have!
The left elite and feminist media put abortion and gay marriage before everything.
The fact is that women and the poor suffer under a crippled economy. Of course, movie stars don’t have to worry about stuff like that.
Obama inherited a debt of 400 billion and turned it into TRILLIONS!
Swan inherited a surplus of 22 billion and turned it into a debt of 200 billion.
400 billion with a population of 300 million.
200 billion with a population of 22 million.
Now, our feminist media clique might be wealthy enough to not have to other themselves with boring stuff like the economy but most women do.
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Is debt really always a bad thing? The state of America’s health care system has always been atrocious, but now there is Obamacare. Health care and education are long term investments, not merely debts.
Do you view your mortgage, car loan or HECS as an investment or a debt that needs to be fixed?
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Of course it’s a debt that needs to be fixed…why else would we be trying to pay it our mortgage off….?
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I think the point is that from a money management point of view there is “good” debt and “bad” debt. Good debt is that which has been invested for your future benefit. It is of benefit to have a healthy and well educated future generation is it not?
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Exactly, a HECS debt, for example is considered a good debt.
You would think that an educated population would be desirable, but politics would suggest otherwise – it’s harder to hoodwink people who can see through what you’re saying and question it!
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I completely understand what you are saying. I actually wrote another paragraph (which I deleted), saying that on the other hand Romney faced up to ‘fiscal cliff’ facing the American economy better than Obama.
However, from my point of view, if I had had a vote on Tuesday the liberty of my body is far more important to me.
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The Economy… Bush and his jokers caused the economic crisis but repeatedly winding back the securities laws governing the way Investment Banks could put together investments and market them to people.
The GFC didn’t just happen. It happened because the laws as they stood allowed the banks and brokers to put profit and returns to shareholders above any sort of fiscal responsibility!!
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Actually, I’ve noticed that on the other side too… It dismays me when I hear people talking about “Christian values”, and all they are talking about is abortion and gay marriage.
Nothing about caring for the poor, the widow and the alien (in our society, the “widow” is probably single parents, and the alien could be asylum seekers!). Nothing about good stewardship of the environment, resources and finances, or a whole bunch of other things that definitely are Christian values.
Since when has “Christian values” been narrowed to those two issues, which aren’t even directly mentioned in the bible? I don’t even understand how those two issues are given the same level of prominence, let alone above all others. One is a very complex issues dealing with definitions of life and choices with very long term consequences, and the other is effectively amending an administrative definition (I don’t get how the state’s definition of marriage has any effect on God’s definition of marriage anyway…)
I was thinking yesterday, if the Republicans had fielded a candidate who was against all abortion and contraception, and wanted to make homosexuality illegal again, but also happened to be a Satanist, would the American “Christian” Right have gotten so strongly behind that person too? Because regardless of what they personally believe, they stood for “Christian Values”?
The mind boggles.
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“The left elite and feminist media…” do not put abortion and gay marriage before everything. Abortion rights and marriage equality are a part of the overall philosophy of equality and a woman’s right to control her fertility without government interference.
The conservative media and Anonymous contributors to sites such as this fail to acknowledge the role of republicans blocking every bill which would have a positive effect on the US economy and on jobs (even jobs for war veterans) because they still feel a sense of entitlement over the Presidency and cannot deal with the fact that they have a president who is not a republican, who is not wealthy and who is not white (yes I went there). Note Donald Trump’s comments on Twitter after Obama’s win yesterday.
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That’s exactly why a lot of Australians were looking at this election very closely. So glad Obama won!!
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‘Already in 31 states, when children are born as a result of rape (often because abortion was not legal in that state and rape victim could not afford to other states), the rapist father has visitation rights. Visitation rights.’
That is truly shocking. Hopefully, US women will wake up to their political power and use it appropriately. This sort of stuff should be shut down.
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Do you have a link for that?
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Scroll up the page. I’m quoting this article.
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