Wednesday, September 10, 2008

We don't have the ability to pick and choose who we can discriminate against

Cecile Richards says it best.
“Senator McCain's choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as a running mate makes clear that John McCain is completely out of touch on the issues that matter to American women. The last thing women need is a president — and vice president — who are prepared to turn back the clock on women's rights and repeal the protections of Roe v. Wade.
Ms. Richards is the late Governor Ann Richards' daughter, and is Planned Parenthood's Action Fund President.

Richards talks about how this election must be about moving forward, how is must be about change rather than more of the same. But the McCain/Palin ticket wants to revoke Roe V. Wade; Ms. Palin is vehemently anti-abortion. She is even at odds with her own party, "specifically her unwillingness to grant her own child a choice to end a pregnancy induced by rape."

Ms. Palin is pro-contraception and said she's a member of a pro-woman but anti-abortion group called Feminists for Life. In 2002, she declared herself "as pro-life as any candidate can be." This begs another question: how can someone call themselves "pro-life" if they support the death penalty and ariel hunting of endangered species?

Andrew Halcro, one of the candidates in Alaska's 2006 Governor's Race, said "You don't have the ability to pick and choose who you can discriminate against." He was referring to Gay Rights, but the statement refers so perfectly to the positions of the far right - the contradictions in their positions baffle me, and probably every thinking voter. How can someone be "pro-life" yet condone the death penalty, condone war as a solution, condone hunting? How can someone approve the use of contraceptives but opposed to sex education in schools? That message really confuses me - is it okay to have sex as long as you use protection, but please, please, don't talk about it, don't learn about it.

Barack Obama offers real solutions that are clear, consistent, and rational. We stand on the precipice of a very steep cliff - are we going to vote for real change, or are we going to let more and more of our freedoms and dignity be erased? November 4 is critical.

11 comments:

Blueberry said...

I am surprised that she's pro-contraception, given some of the other radical right-wing views she has.

(It wouldn't surprise me if she changed that view sometime in the very near future)

Linda-Sama said...

Ann Richards kicked ass...I lived in Texas when she ran for governor.

Randal Graves said...

Chicks. Always complainin' 'bout somethin'.

Sorry, I was temporarily possessed by the ghost of McPOW. Palin, like her running mate, is a clown, and not the cool kind like Krusty.

Life As I Know It Now said...

My husband is livid over this pro-life stance of Palin's. He wants to get a picture of her where she is standing next to the moose she hunted and killed and write in big black letters : Prolife my ass!

Fran said...

This is so true!

Also I love what Liberality said!!

Fran said...

Honestly I thought the Palin pick was McCains graceful way of getting out of the race. Argue for months the *experience card*, then pick a totally inexperienced person.

Seriously though, how could anyone support the republican regime?

It's been torture.

DivaJood said...

Blueberry, I think she's only pro-contraception because she owns stock in Trojan or something.

Linda Sama, thanks for the visit. Ann Richards was a hero of mine.

Randal, the scary thing is that McCain/Palin may wind up in the White House.

Liberality, I would happily assist your husband on his distributing of that picture.

FranIAm, we really have to be diligent this November. On Monday I will go to the LA Obama office and get trained as a volunteer.

Fran, the thing is that people consistently vote against their own best interests because they've been terrified and mis-informed.

Stella by Starlight said...

Thank you, Linda, for mentioning Governor Richards and may I add Molly Ivins. My admiration for both of them ran deep in my soul. I always remember Ann on that big old Harley. Wouldn't I love to see her take on that pale-in (still haven't come up with a snitty moniker).

Now, about the anti-choicers, I think we all need to remember the words of another great soul who is dearly missed: George Carlin. No one said it better.

The longer you listen to this abortion debate, the more you hear the phrase "sanctity of life," "sanctity of life." You believe in it? Personally, I think it's a bunch of shit. I mean, life is sacred? Who said so? God? Hey, if you read history, you realize that God is one of the leading causes of death.

If everything that ever lived is dead, and everything that's alive is gonna die, where does the sacred part come in? If you're pre-born, you're fine, if you're pre-schooled, you're fucked. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. Pro-life, these people aren't pro-life, they're killing doctors, what kind of pro-life is that? What, they'll do everything they can do save a fetus, but if it grows up to be a doctor they just might have to kill it?

Are we so much better than chickens all of a sudden? When did this happen, that we passed chickens in goodness? Name six ways that we're better than chickens. See, nobody can do it. You know why? Cause chickens are decent people. How come when it's with us, it's an 'abortion', and when it's with chickens it's an 'omelet'?

DivaJood said...

Stella, no kidding: George Carlin was so completely able to dissect the absurd non-logic in the "pro-life" arguments - really, with us it's an abortion, with chickens, it's an omelet. Well, chicken eggs are bigger than ours...

Stella by Starlight said...

LOL! I wish Carlin were here to use that line. Oh, how I miss his wit and wisdom.

Anonymous said...

Diva, sorry for being so late to this post, but it appears to me she's walking the fence on a single (non) issue. What does this issue have anything to do with what really matters in this election. It's slight of hand and magical misdirection at it's finest.