I know that the
passage by the Senate of the interstate abortion ban
has already been diaried by LithiumCola.
And I know that nonnie9999 has already provided the roll call of the Senators voting for and against.
I am disappointed that LithiumCola's diary did not make the recommended list for all to see, because I think his treatment of it was very good. But what I want to do is place this in the context of my rescued diary from yesterday, in which I called for attacking the forced-birth position, rather than defending our pro-woman position.
I want to bring the same attack pattern to this interstate abortion ban. Follow me below the fold.
Let me start by quoting Dick Durbin from the Washington Post article:
Opponents said the Senate measure could threaten the safety of girls, saying parents might beat their daughters if they find out about plans for an abortion. The proponents' approach "is not to deal with the reality of young people" in troubled families, said Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.). He cited the case of an Idaho man who impregnated his 13-year-old daughter and then killed her when he learned she had scheduled an abortion.
Yeah, Senator. That's very true. It's possible that girls could be abused. Maybe even killed. Good point.
The good Senator's mistake, however, comes in believing that they're merely blind to the reality of what these teenage girls will go through. That the Republicans who pushed for passage of this have an unrealistic view of what this bill will do.
No, Mr. Durbin. YOU'RE WRONG. THEY KNOW PERFECTLY WELL WHAT THIS BILL WILL DO. THEY KNOW THAT YOUNG WOMEN WILL BE DISOWNED, BEATEN AND MAYBE EVEN KILLED. AND THAT'S THE WAY THEY WANT IT.
Let's all stop being so naive. They don't really believe that all families are nice, "Leave it to Beaver" nuclear families and that girls won't suffer severe repercussions from this bill. They're very well aware that girls will suffer from this bill.
And they want every teenage girl out there to think twice about that possibility before they start horsing around.
The opponents of this bill--as much as praise is due to them--simply do not understand the dynamic at work here. They think that simply telling the truth about the consequences will make the bill's proponents rethink their support. But it won't if those consequences are the very ones that are intended.
I can't for the life of me understand why our Floor Leaders are not explicitly saying at every juncture that it is perfectly goddamn clear that Republicans are perfectly happy see teenagers get disowned, beaten and killed if it means they'll think twice about fooling around.
We all know that that's what this is about. It's not about "family integrity." It's not about parental rights. It's about the same thing that the HPV vaccine is about: making sure that teenage girls are too afraid of the consequences of sex to engage in it.
That is all. And if that requires fear of death, so be it, in their minds.
You know what? If I held elected office, I wouldn't be afraid to come out and say it--because too much has already been lost, and even more is at stake right now.
You with me? They. Want. To. See. Girls. Die. Don't be afraid of that statement. Be proud of it. Say it enough times until you're comfortable with it. Then get on the radio and say it some more. Keep saying it until our opinion leaders, and maybe our elected officials, learn from it.
It starts with you. I'm saying it this way from now on. Will you join me?
[Cross-posted from MyLeftWing]