My husband, daughter and myself recently volunteered our time to bring attention to Planned Parenthood. As many of you know, the news is brimming with stories of this state, or that state making their job next to impossible. The nation seems to be in a cycle of misinformation and hysteria over this organization.
We were able to get the support of over 50 individuals, male and female, in just under two hours. That's nearly one signature every two minutes. That runs against the "media's" reporting that most people would prefer these centers, providing a necessary myriad of services for women all over the U.S., be shut down! Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by the reception we were getting from people on the streets of downtown Springfield, Missouri.
One woman stuck out to us all...her name was Alice. Alice informed us that she'd been using Planned Parenthood 47 years ago when she birthed her two children. They were there for her health needs as well as those of her children throughout most of their growing years.
As I get more involved with learning about Planned Parenthood, it's occurred to me that the main reason they are getting flack is because of the Religious Right. My question becomes this: When is it 'alright' to inflict one's beliefs upon other humans in order that you may be seen as 'right and just' in the eyes of your god?
Given that maybe 3% of their patients use their services to terminate a pregnancy and the other 97% of patients are receiving preventative health care, this seems completely ridiculous to me. The bigger problem with their philosophy is that it's just that...a philosophy, a belief, something without a basis in fact and without a shred of validity. It's an imaginative belief. It satisfies some need in their brain to feel connected, loved, and free from the realities of this world and its experiences. Not to mention arrogant and empowered. That's all well and good, and I'd be the first to defend their right to believe whatever they wish. My fury is roused, however, when those same people, operating off of those same beliefs are able to bring something like Planned Parenthood to its knees BECAUSE of their fictitious view of reality and the world the rest of us live in!
How did a country like the United States become so incredibly misguided as to allow law makers to push forth infractions on OTHER AMERICANS in the form of such legislation as we're seeing here with Planned Parenthood?
You want to pass laws that negatively impact millions of women in my country, young and old, rich and poor? You'd better have a valid reason to do so. One's religious BELIEFS about a topic are not enough...nor should they EVER be enough...and somehow....they are.
We were able to get the support of over 50 individuals, male and female, in just under two hours. That's nearly one signature every two minutes. That runs against the "media's" reporting that most people would prefer these centers, providing a necessary myriad of services for women all over the U.S., be shut down! Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by the reception we were getting from people on the streets of downtown Springfield, Missouri.
One woman stuck out to us all...her name was Alice. Alice informed us that she'd been using Planned Parenthood 47 years ago when she birthed her two children. They were there for her health needs as well as those of her children throughout most of their growing years.
As I get more involved with learning about Planned Parenthood, it's occurred to me that the main reason they are getting flack is because of the Religious Right. My question becomes this: When is it 'alright' to inflict one's beliefs upon other humans in order that you may be seen as 'right and just' in the eyes of your god?
Given that maybe 3% of their patients use their services to terminate a pregnancy and the other 97% of patients are receiving preventative health care, this seems completely ridiculous to me. The bigger problem with their philosophy is that it's just that...a philosophy, a belief, something without a basis in fact and without a shred of validity. It's an imaginative belief. It satisfies some need in their brain to feel connected, loved, and free from the realities of this world and its experiences. Not to mention arrogant and empowered. That's all well and good, and I'd be the first to defend their right to believe whatever they wish. My fury is roused, however, when those same people, operating off of those same beliefs are able to bring something like Planned Parenthood to its knees BECAUSE of their fictitious view of reality and the world the rest of us live in!
How did a country like the United States become so incredibly misguided as to allow law makers to push forth infractions on OTHER AMERICANS in the form of such legislation as we're seeing here with Planned Parenthood?
You want to pass laws that negatively impact millions of women in my country, young and old, rich and poor? You'd better have a valid reason to do so. One's religious BELIEFS about a topic are not enough...nor should they EVER be enough...and somehow....they are.
That was in Dec of 2010. In March of 2011 I found out I was FINALLY pregnant.
