Before I begin, I want to say, some of this has been covered in a truly excellent diary, published by Hunter a few days ago.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
While I will have to repeat some of that, most of this is really intended at.. what's next, or how this story has moved since then.. as well as what's going on in the state next to us now.
If you haven't read Hunter's excellent run down, the story can be summarized like this:
Kansas "Pro-Forced-Birth" (hard to say pro-life when they favor the death penalty+cut prenatal care, increasing infant mortality) lobby came out with a bold statement this last week: The existence of abortion clinics was a subtle attempt to force a law abiding concealed carry individual to shoot and kill someone, they would be compelled beyond reason.
http://thinkprogress.org/...
An anti-abortion activist is alleging that a Wichita-area abortion clinic is “trying to provoke an incident” of gun violence in order to raise money from other reproductive rights supporters around the country. The clinic in question, South Wind Women’s Center, recently opened in the same building that used to house slain Dr. George Tiller’s former abortion clinic — which ceased operations after Tiller was shot and killed by an abortion opponent in 2009.
But the story continues to change.. and now, across the state line in Missouri, Republicans are taking the next step and demanding insurance defund birth control.
First, before we get to what's going on in Missouri, I want a chance to rebut what is happening in Kansas.
When one of these men "walks up carrying a gun, and he doesn't want that abortion to happen, somebody is going to get a bullet in their head," Gietzen said in an interview with the Huffington Post. "I think she's trying to provoke an incident so she can say, "Look, these pro-lifers did something," and people from California and New York and these other places will give her money."
It is a rare pro-life viewpoint that assumes shooting someone in the head is a pro-life response to their concern. But I also want to say something to you out of staters who would apparently care if this happened, it's obvious that the people in Kansas are a non-factor in what is happening in this view of the world.. so we don't matter. But damn you outsiders for you know, donating money or making any effort to change the state here in Kansas.
This follows up earlier statements given to the Wichita City Council:
http://cjonline.com/...
"With the new conceal-carry laws enacted since the closure of the Tiller abortion facility, the number of armed people present on site will likely be higher — not lower," Gietzen said. "South Wind escorts antagonize and provocatively taunt the pro-life volunteers on the site in ways that make serious violence more likely."
(please note: South Wind does not have paid escorts, per their staff interviews.. and even if they did, generally the concept of shooting and killing someone for yelling 'go away' seems a bit.. over the top)
So, with Kansas setting up it's move to go after abortion clinics as being such an attack on them they can't bear it, how would neighboring state Missouri Republicans respond?
http://www.slate.com/...
Because anti-choice antics can never get confusing enough, this week a state legislator in Missouri, Paul Wieland (R), announced that he is suing in federal court so that he and his family will be charged more for any contraception they might decide to purchase using their health care plan. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports:
Wieland said they were seeking a personal exemption from the contraception requirement, not a blanket ruling against the law. But he said a victory would give the same right to other, like-minded people.
“I see abortion-inducing drugs as intrinsically evil, and I cannot in good conscience preach one thing to my kids and then just go with the flow on our insurance,” said Rep. Wieland, who has three daughters. “This is a moral conundrum for me. Do I just cancel the coverage and put my family at risk? I don’t believe in what the government is doing.”
So, let me make this simple: A Missouri male Republican wants to make absolutely sure that the rate of insurance is higher for everyone because it should be ala carte to not cover birthcontrol. There are a few problems with his logic: (1) Maybe he didn't cover this in science class, but birth control doesn't induce an abortion. In fact, I'm struggling to see how he could assume this is the case, as he has kids. you'd think the idea of "so, she takes pills BEFORE we have sex.." would mentally click, but apparently not.. and (2) if he really has this hardened opinion, why does he just.. you know.. not BUY birth control pills? The author effectively sums this up:
And here I thought Republicans were against "nanny state" policies that try to influence behavior! I'm sorry Wieland fears his own paternal authority isn't powerful enough to keep his daughters away from those nasty pills.
It's a rough week for women's issues here in the midwest. On one side of the Kansas-Missouri border, we have pro-lifers who are being mentally taxed to the point where shooting and killing people is apparently the only pro-life response. On the other side of the state line, we have economically well off fathers who are so concerned about their inability to control family members sex lives that they need to come up with a way to force them (and everyone else) to pay more for common drugs.
I would weep about this, the horrors going on in both states for women, but I sometimes have the callous and selfish thought that: now has got to be a good time to be a somewhat progressive man in either of these states, because the viable male population of people who aren't asshats seems to be dwindling while population isn't..
The State of Kansas needs to make some fundamental changes. And those changes are out there... Missouri, you to.. at least you have some means to keep a cap on this in your governor's mansion.
The Kansas Pro-Lifers have said the last thing they need is national attention because one of their people loses it and kills someone. They know they have powerful friends in political power here in Kansas. So, I'm saying this now to my friends on Kos.. now is a good time to show them the party isn't always fun. We have a real challenger in Kansas in 2014, but it will take quite a bit to make them sweat.. even if you don't live here, I would make an impassioned plea: we all deserve to fight for the rights of those who need it everywhere we can. We have to stem the bleeding where we can, and we must say at some point: this is the line, and we can go no farther.
It is time for Democrats to make some noise in Kansas. I'd urge all you out of staters to make Kansas Pro-Life worries come true, all you "out of staters, Californians and New Yorkers" and no matter where you are.
I realize the economy is tight and you have your own races.. but if you have pennies to spare, might I encourage you to take a stab at taking the fight to these guys.? Paul Davis could definitely use the support.. and you're not just backing "some guy" you're backing some guy who could win.. and help a lot of people in the process.
Donate Here: https://rally.org/...