There’s been plenty of coverage of the Republican Party’s recent “war on women” — from their gazillion violating and unconstitutional attempts at restricting abortion access to their reluctance to continue supporting the Violence Against Women Act. Maybe you even remember how Republicans waved around the threat of shutting down the US government via lack of funding because it was that important to them to keep Planned Parenthood from doing its work. So it’s a nice thing, in the midst of a constant deluge of news about politicians who are willing and even enthusiastic about throwing women and other marginalized communities under the bus in order to further their own interests, to see someone who’s willing to stand in solidarity with women instead. Which is what President Obama is doing with the statement that he recorded in support of Planned Parenthood and those it serves:
In culture wars where a sharp dividing line is drawn, political instinct often calls for tiptoeing around it — the way many politicians do when talking about, say, marriage equality. “I have the utmost respect for my gay friends, and that’s totally unrelated to my belief that marriage is between a man and a woman.” It’s almost shocking, then, to hear a politician (our President, even) take such an unapologetic stand: saying that “Planned Parenthood will continue providing care no matter what,” and affirming that some decisions are “best made between a woman and her doctor” are a decision to stand decisively on one side of the line in the sand as far as women’s health. Obama reminds us that Planned Parenthood provides dozens of services besides abortion, and for many women serves as crucial preventative care. Anyone, a politician or otherwise, who wants to inhibit women’s access to that is also opposing basic health and equality for half of America. It’s good to know that even if sometimes it feels like no one else in public office understands that, at least our President does.
Thank you Mr. President. Side note, he was in Burlington, VT yesterday and I was too lazy to buy a ticket to see him speak in my own town. After this I’m really shaking my head.
And liberals are complaining that he’s not doing enough…
I <3 Obama
Thank you, Obama.
So, I am not American, but I still consider Obama my President. I fled my homeland -and eventually ended up here, in the US- because of this megalomaniac that managed to steal the sovereignty, autonomy, and compassion of most of my country. Chavez has been the President of Venezuela -my home- for half of my life, and yet, that man is no President of mine.
Obama, on the other hand, is a leader I believe in. I might not be an American citizen, but this man is the one I call my President.
Thank you for yet again giving me another reason to have ALL the feelings, Obama (MObama, I am SO looking at you, too!).
Does anyone know what kind of pie Obama likes? I want to bake him a pie. I can’t even bake for shit but I’d do it for him. …Or buy him the best pie from the best pie store I can find.
Colposco-pie, I’ve heard.
This news is the coffee I need to start today.
The world might really end in 2012 if Obama is not re-elected. He is absolutely right. It shouldn’t need to be said that women are fully capable of making their own decisions. Your body, your choice, your freaking business. A woman scorned or pissed off is already a terrifying being to behold.. play politics with her medical choices, strip her of her rights and tampons and there will be a whole nation of pissed off women. One of the most frightening things a person can possibly encounter in life is a woman on her period. It doesn’t matter how big or small she is. We are/can be scary mo’fos (or in this case, scary homo mofo’s :P) for about at least 3 days a month.
If anyone other than Obama is president and that idiotic anti-tampon thing is actually real, Marketplaces everywhere will immediately hear the deafening and furious cries of women screaming down the Feminine aisle, “I WILL TAKE WHAT IS MINE WITH FIRE AND BLOOD!!”.
Dear americans, Re-elect Obama.
We have to re-elect Obama. Everyone else makes me feel like all those dystopian novels I’ve read are going to come true.
Part of me is sad that it is necessary to stress that women are perfectly capable of making decisions about themselves, but having Obama take a stand like this makes me happy.