Mike Huckabee went on the offensive with a broad attack on women in America, stating that Democrat's couldn't control women's libidos. In response, Sarah Silverman, comic, put this in perspective:
“I guess I’m stunned, but at the same time, it’s so bizarre,” she said. “He says he wants women to control their libido … you know … I too, would like to control my libido and my reproductive system.”
Read more:
http://www.politico.com/...
While she's a comic with a snappy response she nails the key point: Huckabee insists that somehow women WANT their sexual rights controlled and the only way they view these rights is by the government telling them what's OK and not. Huckabee uses his speech to say: they are waiting to demand birth control. But he has it all wrong; they aren't waiting to demand anything, they are asking for RESTRICTIONS to be removed.
I want to take a moment to look at what's wrong with Huckabee's comments. (Note: I may occasionally refer to him as Huckleberry, it's just a glitch and I'm working on it)
"That's not a war on them. It's a war for them. And if the Democrats want to insult the women of America by making them believe that they are helpless without Uncle Sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control, because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of the government, then so be it."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
His key premise fails on so many levels. But one of the most key is the assumption that the only women who need birth control are women who are out of control nymphomaniacs. Either that, or he is inferring that a woman on Birth Control has increased libido to begin with.
First, just for his edification, no birth control pill has been shown to significantly increase or decrease the sexual desire of a woman taking it.
http://www.webmd.com/...
Some notice minor increases or decreases, but in every study it for the most part falls within the range of expected results.
Second, there are many reasons to take birth control beyond an out of control libido. Many women find the need to take birth control may be a medical necessity; issues with carrying a pregnancy, medical conditions, surgical response, etc. There are a lot of reasons to take the pill for which he never addresses, including the most vital one: Because they want to and it is legal.
Finally, Huckabee is really working his best to play the morality card. That all of those who don't agree with him are horrible, amoral people who just want sex, all the time. I actually feel kind of sad for the guy here. I've been married to my wife for 17 years this February, and if I thought the ability to get the pill would turn her into a wild woman all the time.. hmm... I'm trying now to think of where the nearest pharmacy is. The reality is, married couples and non use prescription drugs all of the time for their sexual, physical and mental health. The only reason to exclude this specific one is out of a ridiculous moral debate that I thought was solved DECADES ago.
If Huckleberry wanted to really come up with a competitive argument for reproductive rights, there are other options out their for him.
Wait, Huckabee doesn't even believe in Condoms as effective for much.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/...
And that maybe we should just quarantine people.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
Highlighting the new scrutiny of Mr. Huckabee’s record, The Associated Press revealed yesterday that as a candidate for the United States Senate in 1992, Mr. Huckabee said in a response in a 229-question survey that he believed that AIDS patients should be isolated from the public and that homosexuality was an “aberrant, unnatural and sinful lifestyle” that posed a “dangerous public risk.”
So, the war isn't really against women so much... as much as a war against people who don't believe most of the following.
If you get sick, diseased, or whatever.. it's all your fault. Should have stayed a damn near celibate.
What a depressing view of the world. Of course women want the right to control their libido - as in, the right to have one and determine what to do with it without the government telling them it's not OK. Damnit, every guy out there wants women to have that right too, because our life would be damn boring without it.
Just some food for thought. Maybe he can go on a tag team with this guy:
http://thinkprogress.org/...
The Washington Post reports that a chapter from Pearce’s new book emphasizes wives and husbands each have roles in the household, and the wife’s role is obedience. “The husband’s part is to show up during the times of deep stress, take the leadership role and be accountable for the outcome, blaming no one else,” Pearce writes. “The wife’s submission is not a matter of superior versus inferior; rather, it is self-imposed as a matter of obedience to the Lord and of love for her husband.”
Hoo boy. We're talking about woo'ing women voters left and right!