DISQUS

The New Mexico Independent: A new GOP guv in Arizona could limit abortion; Napolitano has acted as firewall

  • johnnytwoshoes · 11 months ago
    Insightful, forward thinking article, thanks Gwyneth...

    I think it is improtant to note that "social conservatives" are generally not just opposed to abortion (although I disagree, I can respect the view that fetal life should be treated as a fully realized human and given the same protection). They oppose access to contraception, insist that minors should report to their parents when accessing sexual health services like contraception and STD/HIV testing and treatment (despite the fact that it is well documented that minors simply WON'T access those services if they have to tell their parents - though they will continue to have sex), and they want to restrict the rights of gay and lesbian people (to work in certain settings, to marry, to be protected against hate crimes....).

    These people have values that, so far as I'm concerned, they are welcome to. It's too bad for them that they cannot honor the teachings of their (usually, in this country) most lauded religious figure. It is an offense to the concept of freedom, to public health, to liberty and to common decency for these people to assume that their values should be the basis on which our nation's policy is built. 90% of Americans have sex before marriage... these people have pushed "abstinence-only-until-marriage" programs for over ten years! Over $1.5 billion of our tax dollars have been spent on them. When the programs were shown (repeatedly) to be an unmitigated failure, what did they do? Change the programming? No. They changed the name. They are "abstinence" programs now... still requiring contractors (this is Federal law ya'll) to teach that sex, only in the context of marriage, is the expectated standard.

    In other words folks, this is not just about abortion. Be 'against' abortion. Fine. But stand up for freedom and do not permit your politicians to limit access to contraception, expect them to fund prevention education that stands a chance at working, do not allow them to require adolescents to get parental permission to be responsible (if they could tell their folks, they would have), do not allow our politicians to lie to youth about contraception, sexual norms or anything else! Please.