I didn't cry or get weak in the knees on inauguration day, but I was pleased at his speech and proud that this country so overwhelmingly made the right choice. I didn't cry when, on day one, President Obama stepped in yet another right direction, and made the moves towards shutting down Gitmo, although I was proud.
But I did cry when on day two and on the anniversay of Roe v. Wade. At 28 years of age, I have spent at least a decade silently fuming that religious and right wing nuts would make MY BODY a banner for their campaigning. I fumed as Sarah Palin dared to suggest that abortion should be illegal even in rape cases. Nothing has infuriated me more then this issue amongst politicians.
No, I've never been pregnant. And frankly, I don't know that I would have the ability to abort my baby no matter what. But I strongly believe that the government has no right to tell me or any woman what to do with our bodies. I believe that the decision to abort or keep a child is purely for the woman and her family to make. I will not be held hostage by my ovaries, especially not in the name of advancing the cause of religious conservatives who care nothing for me or any other woman on a personal level.
So I wept at President Obama's declaration on January 22:
I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose.
But how far will he go to do as he claims, I wonder? Well good news of a sort from that front as well, as the Associated Press had this to say:
Officials say President Barack Obama will sign an executive order Friday ending the ban on federal funds for international groups that promote or perform abortion.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorize to pre-empt Obama's announcement.
The so-called "Mexico City policy" bans U.S. taxpayer money from going to international family planning groups that either offer abortions or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion. It is also known as the "global gag rule," because it prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that even talk about abortion if there is an unplanned pregnancy.
If this is true, I shall have more tears to shed today. Tears of joy, tears of pride. This step shows me that President Obama really is committed to the right of women everywhere, not just in this country. The abortion issue isn't an issue of simply letting irresponsible people murder babies. This is an issue concerning educating women and providing affordable contraception, both in the US and the rest of the world. This is an issue about women's rights; not their right to kill unborn babies, but to make educated and responsible decisions about their own bodies. This is an issue about double standards that still keep women just slightly above second-class citizens.
When President Obama visited Orlando during the campaign along with Hillary Clinton, I had the pleasure of shaking both their hands, an experience I shall treasure. And within a few days of that experience, I cast my vote, hoping that I wasn't going to be disappointed again (as I was when I voted for Gore and Kerry), and that if Obama did win, that he would do right by all of us.
Well Mr. President, you have. You've more then validated my faith in you, and it's only been three days. Yes, I know down the line you will make decisions that I don't agree with, even that I don't agree with vehemently. But in just 3 days, you've already lifted the pall of gloom over this country. The economy still sucks, I still don't always know how I'm going to pay next month's bills or that I will even have a job next month, and there are so many issues for you to deal with that you won't even get to in your first term, let alone your first year as president.
But from my previously hostage ovaries, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you, Mr. President, because my step is a little bit lighter today, and because if nothing else, you have given this country something it has been missing for quite some time: honest to god solid hope.