First, they confused me.
Then they made me so angry my hands shook.
And now - they simply scare me to death.
They make me feel like I'm no longer safe in my own country... that I'm no longer safe in my own home. They've made me consider leaving a place that has sheltered me all my life, which used to fill me with pride, a place whose beauty takes my breath away every single day. "Consider" to the point of actually researching the laws that would allow my family and me to live in another country.
"They" are the people behind the recent rash of anti-abortion, anti-contraceptive and anti-women bills to hit so many of our state legislatures. They are ALEC, they are AUL, and they are so many other groups: "religious" organizations, political figures - and those that vote for them, donate to them, swallow their lies and fear-mongering and hatred. And, the straw that finally broke this very upset woman's back - they are the people behind PersonhoodColorado. The same ones behind the attempted "personhood" bills in at least fifteen different states.
Let me say that again: fifteen different states. Alabama. California. Colorado. Florida. Georgia. Maryland. Michigan. Missouri. Mississippi. Montana. Nevada. North Dakota. Oklahoma. South Carolina. Virginia. All but one listed on the personhood.net site. And they won't stop there. Every victory will push them to add another state, or two, or three, or ten, to that list. To go right alongside the ongoing Federal Personhood Amendment that would trump all fifty of our states in one fell swoop.
At this point, you're thinking, "Oh, jeez, another one of those "pro-choice" nuts trying to explain why abortion is such a necessary evil, blah blah blah..."
No. Abortion is not what this is about. If only that's all this was.
Yes, I am pro-choice. I always have been, always will be. And yes, I believe it's important to protect that option for any woman who feels that it is the right choice for them in their personal situation. But understand, please... like most of the people who believe this way, I am not pro-abortion. And I'm willing to accept that some people believe it to be morally wrong under any circumstances - also a choice of their own. I will fight to keep it legal, yes, but I won't fault them for fighting against it.
But this isn't about abortion.
This is about what I found when I started clicking links, and found myself on the above-mentioned PersonhoodColorado website. And discovered that what they want to take away is not my right to decide to terminate a pregnancy that I feel should not produce a child - but the right to decide for myself whether or not I get pregnant in the first place.
Let me state their position in their own words - because they are far more damning than anything I could come up with on my own. First, the lie they lead off with:
Objection: "Personhood will ban common forms of birth control."
Amendment 62 will not ban any true contraceptives that only prevent fertilization.
Now, let's follow up with their explanation for this statement.
Recognizing personhood has no effect on true contraceptives that only prevent fertilization, including spermicide, natural family planning, and condoms. However, personhood would ban surgical abortion, more than 95% of which is for birth control, and it would prohibit any mechanical (IUD) or chemical (pills) abortifacient that kills the tiniest boys and girls.
And one more time, in case you missed it... "Personhood would... prohibit any mechanical (IUD) or chemical (pills) abortifacient..."
They aren't even trying to hide it any longer. This isn't about abortion. This is about the whole enchilada. This is about banning every form of truly effective birth control ever dreamed up by humankind. This is about making sure no woman, anywhere, any time, in any situation, has the option to decide that she wants to finish school before starting a family. That she wants to wait until her current child is potty-trained before having another. That she wants to make love to her husband, boyfriend, whatever he may be to her - without having to worry that enjoying one of the most wonderful acts to bring two people together will change her life, and his, irrevocably.
This is about putting all women in their place. And guess who is going to be in charge of determining just where "your place" is?
I'll give you a hint: it's not going to be you.
Unless you speak up. Unless you make sure that every woman, every husband, father, brother, every friend you have knows what this is really about. Unless you make sure that all their propaganda and all their lies are exposed for all to see - and then go out and exercise your right to vote every single person who backs these bills out of the offices we put them in.
This is about whether or not we take forty-seven years of progress off the books and take the entire country back to a time when half of the population had no say in the direction their lives would travel.
Please, don't let this happen.
I ask this for my daughter, who deserves to grow up in her home country - without being oppressed by people who feel that she's less of a human being because of her sex. I ask this for your daughters, your sisters, your mothers and the women you love.
Don't let these people win.
