Women and Children First?

[My friend, artist and activist Dame Darcy recently sent out the e-mail below. While it deals with hot-button political issues, they're important to all of us. I've removed references to party affiliation and replaced them with POLITICIAN or POLITICAL (all in caps) wherever possible so that you might judge the issues and not just react from purely party loyalties. I have left the "sources" as they stand. I hope anyone reading this will judge the info on its merits and not automatically assume a "side". I mean, can we afford to treat politics as a sporting event when human suffering and our commitment to taking care of each other and the most vulnerable in our society is at stake?] - Joe

The lovely and talented Dame Darcy

Dear Friends,

It might seem hyperbolic to say that POLITICIANS have declared a war on women.

Sadly, it's not.

Just take a look at the top 10 shocking, crazy things POLITICIANS have proposed in recent weeks. If you think this constitutes a war on women, please share this email far and wide--forward it, and post it on Facebook and Twitter.

I wish I could say these were the only examples of the POLITICAL war on women. But it's just a sampling, and more is sure to come -- unless we raise a ruckus and call them out. So please, share this email today.

Thanks,

Dame Darcy

Top 10 Shocking Attacks in the War on Women:

POLITICIANS not only want to reduce women's access to abortion care, they're actually trying to redefine rape. After a major backlash, they promised to stop. But they haven't.

1. A state legislator in Georgia wants to change the legal term for victims of rape, stalking, and domestic violence to "accuser." But victims of other less gendered crimes, like burglary, would remain "victims."
2. In South Dakota, POLITICIANS proposed a bill that could make it legal to murder a doctor who provides abortion care. (Yep, for real).
3. POLITICIANS want to cut nearly a billion dollars of food and other aid to low-income pregnant women, mothers, babies, and kids.
4. In Congress, POLITICIANS have proposed a bill that would let hospitals allow a woman to die rather than perform an abortion necessary to save her life.
5. Maryland POLITICIANS ended all county money for a low-income kids' preschool program. Why? No need, they said. Women should really be home with the kids, not out working.
6. And at the federal level, POLITICIANS want to cut that same program, Head Start, by $1 billion. That means over 200,000 kids could lose their spots in preschool.
7. Two-thirds of the elderly poor are women, and POLITICIANS are taking aim at them too. A spending bill would cut funding for employment services, meals, and housing for senior citizens.
8. Congress voted yesterday on a POLITICAL amendment to cut all federal funding from Planned Parenthood health centers, one of the most trusted providers of basic health care and family planning in our country.
9. And if that wasn't enough, POLITICIANS are pushing to eliminate all funds for the only federal family planning program. (For humans. But POLITICIAN Dan Burton has a bill to provide contraception for wild horses. You can't make this stuff up).
10. Please share this email today. Post on Facebook and Twitter.

Sources:

• "Forcible Rape' Language Remains In Bill To Restrict Abortion Funding," The Huffington Post, February 9, 2011
• "Extreme Abortion Coverage Ban Introduced," Center for American Progress, January 20, 2011
• "Georgia State Lawmaker Seeks To Redefine Rape Victims As 'Accusers,'" The Huffington Post, February 4, 2011
• "South Dakota bill would legalize killing abortion doctors," Salon, February 15, 2011
• "House GOP Proposes Cuts to Scores of Sacred Cows," National Journal, February 9, 201
• "New GOP Bill Would Allow Hospitals To Let Women Die Instead Of Having An Abortion," Talking Points Memo, February 4, 2011
• "Republican Officials Cut Head Start Funding, Saying Women Should be Married and Home with Kids," Think Progress, February 16, 2011
• "Bye Bye, Big Bird. Hello, E. Coli," The New Republic, Feburary 12, 2011
• "House GOP spending cuts will devastate women, families and economy," The Hill, February 16, 2011
• "House passes measure stripping Planned Parenthood funding," MSNBC, February 18,2011
• "GOP Spending Plan: X-ing Out Title X Family Planning Funds," Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2011
• " Birth Control for Horses, Not for Women," Blog for Choice, February 17, 2011