What a contrast! When I was coming of age I don’t think people even said the word ‘abortion’ out loud. The procedure wasn’t legal and only girls “who got themselves in trouble” had them. In case you don’t believe me, watch Dirty Dancing for the refresher course.
Of course, back in those days you had to be married to get the pill. Things loosened up and you could get parental permission if you were under 21. Is it any wonder that the vintage women were the trail-blazers? Many of us simply rejected the paternalism of the medical profession and of course the state houses and have spent most of our adult lives keeping abortion safe and legal.
Abortion wasn’t the only issue. The vintage women (and men) also fought for safe reliable contraception and access to that contraception. Our issues remain, but it’s time to pass the baton to the younger set. Too many younger women took a great deal for granted. They never knew the old days, when girls got sent away to their aunt’s house to bear that shameful child out of wedlock. We were always told they were spending a year in Europe or helping out an aunt with her children because she was going back to work or some other lie.
The younger generation never knew the days when contraception was unattainable or when abortion was illegal. I think they have gotten a wake up call. Throughout the United States thousands of anti choice bills have been drafted and hundreds have made it to the governors’ mansions for a signature and have become law.
Here in Virginia, we have seen some of the most virulent anti choice legislation ever. Who has been leading the charge? Ken Cuccinelli. The Cooch Watch folks will not let him forget it either. Young women and men simply don’t have the filters that the vintage women had/have. We all but handled things like this with white gloves. Not the Cooch Watch women. They tell it like it is. While it isn’t MY way, more power to them!
That was very well done! I am relieved to see the next generation picking up the baton of reproductive rights. I was a little worried there.
You know what I find frustrating, that lack of care for so many foster children in this country. I find it so interesting that so many people call them selves “pro-life” and invest almost no energy in caring for the thousands upon thousands of children wasting away in foster care. Al-Jazeera had a great report on the millions of kids who “age out” of foster care and are left with no real long term caring support. I wonder how life would be different for these kids if every single anti choice activist fostered or adopted a child? Sort of put your money where mouth is!
Abortion has been around since women figured out how to terminate unwanted pregnancies. And so it will remain, until the end of time. Hopefully people will see the value in these clinics, not as just offering abortions, but real well woman care that includes contraception to PREVENT unwanted pregnancies. The best way to stop an abortion is don’t get pregnant! No woman wants to have an abortion, but when you faced with that very difficult decision, it’s yours alone. Let’s remember, almost 90% of abortions happen in the first trimester.
Pretty funny.
I especially liked the token gelding petting the dog, that was cute.
Cato,
I think of a gelding as a man who would take away a woman’s right to control her own destiny, not one fighting to empower them.
@Cato the Elder
Yeah, a dog licking his own nethers….that is a classy video.
There was a disclaimer and no one said it was classy. I missed the gelding and the dog licking.
As I said, not my way, but I have passed the baton.
Still didn’t see the dog. However, have you ever tried to get a dog to stop licking his own nethers? They have a mind of their own. I say its impossible.
There is even an old joke about that…and it ends in, because he can…..
starts at 0:10 in the video.
I had words in front of the dog. How do you keep a dog from doing that? I have had many male dogs over many years. For the life of me I never found a way to stop them from doing that. It’s just what they do…sort of like lifting their legs on my shrubs and other things.
Lol! I missed the dog doing what dogs do. I guess it’s a matter of what you’re looking for. My dog’s daycare facilities must have the crassest YouTube videos out there. Imagine 40 naughty dogs doing the Dirty Dog!
BWAAAAAAAhahahahaaha. I missed it also. I guess with two male dogs I have just gotten past the point of noticing. Before that I had a male dog who was 16. He had the same crass habits as did Simon, the adopted husky. I’ll be damned if I know how to civilize them.
Dogs are just really gross animals. Let’s face it. Man’s best friend is gross gross gross!!!!!!
My female terrier is as bad as the male border collie. We all know what part of the anatomy dogs are most interested in.
The Repubs sure know how to shoot themselves in the foot. Lindsey Graham wants to introduce a ban on abortions after the twentieth month. Now, don’t you think the Repubs would lie low for awhile and not alienate anyone while taking advantage of the drummed up outrage over the ACA. No, they just give women all the fodder they need to turn out to vote against them. It’s amusing…
Did Lindsay Graham happen to mention how that would affect the women who were carrying fetuses with severe anomalies? I guess someone needs to educate him.
How do we know that the dog in question wasn’t a female? I guess we don’t.
A certain party, which shall remain unnamed, is just as interested in that part of the anatomy as are dogs…
From the Huffington Post:
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) plans to introduce a bill next week that would ban all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, according to the Washington Examiner.
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which the House passed in June, would bar abortions several weeks before the fetus is viable based on the medically disputed theory that fetuses at that age can feel pain. The House version was amended at the last minute to include exceptions for rape and incest victims, after an all-male panel of Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee had approved a bill with an exception only for the life of the mother.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said he wanted to be the lead sponsor of the Senate companion bill earlier this year, but he hesitated when he and his colleagues could not come to a consensus on which part of the Constitution gave them the power to pass such a bill.
I would be all over that bill unless there were exceptions for fetal anomaly. Those abnormalities don’t just go on the time table set by Graham and crew.
I think the anomaly exceptions are more important than rape and incest exceptions.
Graham is trying to run to the right of his primary opponents, thinking he can win over the pro-lifers by announcing his plans. I think it is pure politics and he has no intention of following through.
Graham is trying to run to the right of his primary opponents, thinking he can win over the pro-lifers by announcing his plans. I think it is pure politics and he has no intention of following through.
@Steve Thomas
and isn’t that the problem of all of our politicians, not just Graham, always posturing and running for the next election without being primaried.
Some of the same people in this video are in the new documentary, “Political Bodies,” that just won Best Documentary at the Austin Film Festival. It is headed to the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville on Nov. 9 at 1 pm at the Regal 2 on the downtown mall. Check out the preview: http://vimeo.com/64095676
It looks great. Cindy, in your travels see if you can find out how to get a hold of this film so we can plan a viewing of the film. Surely they want to get the word out.
Contact the filmmakers – [email protected]
See, I knew you would know!!!!
Did anyone see the cost of child care being as expensive as college?! Gee, imagine what being forced to have a baby with severe long term medical problems costs? I hope republicans who advocate forcing people to have these very ill babies will also pony up the money to support them. Maybe even personally, you know, people can have the funds taken out of their paychecks like SS and Medicare.
Cindy,
I love Abby Epstein, the film maker. Her movie about birth in America was fabulous.
Yesterday in Richmond she talked about the new one she’s got coming out – Breastmilk: The Movie. It should be on DVD by May. Anyone who wants to sign up to host a local screening can do so at http://breastmilkthemovie.com/.
Here’s the trailer for Breastmilk: The Movie — http://vimeo.com/68418128