I have always considered myself a democrat. I was raised by a pair of quality hippies who bucked the stereotypical gender roles when it came to parenting and were strong and vocal advocates of women and equality and environmental stewardship. My parents weren't total radicals but my Dad was a stay at home parent and my mom was the bread winning, barn re roofing (later to come out as a lesbian) tough parent. They were best buddies and very much modeled equality in their relationship.
My Mom was also a huge women's health and rights advocate. She was a labor and delivery RN and then a Nurse Midwife and ALWAYS working to help shore up and advance the rights of women with specific emphasis on access to education and health care. I grew up believing in "Our Body, Our Choice" and the value of planned parenthood.
In my adult life I think I have come around from total incense burning hippie child to slightly leftist libertarian. Working in "Public Service" as an emergency department tech and now as a paramedic, some of my ideals about ALL PEOPLE deserving unlimited access to health care have become a bit reshaped. I am now acutely aware of the abuse of the system that has become so pervasive as to cripple the current system. I am ALSO acutely aware that a large majority of the folks abusing the system have been failed utterly by other parts of our 'American' system however, that does not mean they are not fucking ruining the health care system or that they are not often totally and completely full of shit when they call 911.
Ok, where am I going with all of this? I am going to Rick Santorum. This guy is running for fucking PRESIDENT! OF AMERICA! He wants to undo about 60 years of progress because.....well, because he hates women. There is no other way to think about it really. He must hate women. Or he fears them....either way he wants to relegate us to baby factories. He says he thinks contraception is harmful to women and harmful to society. He believes it is "dangerous' and "leads to unplanned pregnancies". He actually says that sex, EVEN between MARRIED STRAIGHT PEOPLE should only be for procreation. What happened to this guy in the past?! No really?! Someone did something awful to this guy at some point. There is no other explanation for a self identified straight man to seems so disdainful of sex. He is either awful, married to someone who is awful, doesn't have a penis or appropriate nerve endings, or was really abused at some point. I start getting crazy when I try to think about it too hard. Its like trying to see one of those eye blurr puzzles when you don't know how. You stare and stare and it just gets crazier and crazier and before you know it you have a headache and you feel a little sick. I am going to call this the Santorum effect.
I don't know how anyone in their right mind or anyone who likes having sex and not making babies EVERY time could get behind this guy. I remember thinking, only a few months ago, that reproductive freedom and marriage equality would never really be up for debate. I thought we would hear a bunch of rabble rabble but we would remain free to contracept and we would slowly chip away at the bullshit blocking true equality. I am now rethinking some of the things I said to some friends of mine who had expressed a desire to become ex-pats should Gingrich be elected. I had been a bit harsh with them saying I felt it was sort of cowardly to "just bail out" and not stay and fight for a better nation....I think that if enough people vote to elect him, even GWBush style, there is no hope for this nation....I am not sure WHERE we will go but I will not raise children in a society that elects someone like that president.
Ok, next entry will be something baby/pregnancy/inner workings of my muddy mind....But now it is time to go home and make Spaghetti squash for dinner.
No comments:
Post a Comment