Playing games with women’s lives

As if the whole health care reform effort wasn’t disgraceful and pitiful enough, it reached new lows with the introduction of the Stupak-Pitts amendment. Let’s not make any bones about this amendment. While it’s being sold as an amendment to prevent women from using public funds for abortions, the Stupak-Pitts amendment will also prevent women from using their own money to buy private insurance to cover abortions. From a feminist point of view, it is basically designed to punish women who are sexually active, in spite of the fact that a much smaller percentage of females engage in extramarital affairs than men. It’s the same old same old when it comes to American society mores. What’s acceptable behavior for the gander isn’t necessarily acceptable for the goose.

And let’s take a look at that whole scenario from a practical perspective. There’s always a second party to a pregnancy, generally speaking, the man. It’s amazing how commentary across the blogosphere has focused on women taking responsibility for their sexual activity, but rarely does the male have to worry about taking such responsibility. That is largely because it is acceptable for men to engage in either pre-marital or extra-marital sex, but it is still not acceptable for women. Contrary to popular opinion, we’ve not come a long way, baby.

The whole point of health care reform was to address inequality in the system, not create inequality in a new system. Yet, promoting inequality is exactly what Stupak-Pitts does. While Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich) insists that his amendment is designed to ensure that the Hyde Amendment - which prevents public funding of abortion - is carried over into health care reform, the fact is that Stupak-Pitts is legislation that will unequivocally roll back abortion rights in this country. And let there be no question about it: Abortion is indeed a legal medical procedure, guaranteed by the Roe v. Wade decision. According to NARAL Pro-choice America, less than 13% of all abortions in 2001 were directly billed to private insurance. Frankly, it would make no business sense for any insurer to set up a plan to accommodate so few customers.

The architects of this amendment are Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich), a Catholic former state trooper and resident of the C Street facility in Washington, described in the book “The Family” by Jeff Sharlett. These theocrats encompass both Democrats and Republicans, and promote government “let by Christ’s will alone.” His partner in crime is Pennsylvanian Republican Joe Pitts, last year’s speaker at C Street’s prayer breakfast where he called for a “God-led government.” Pitts, an evangelical, has worked in the anti-abortion trenches for nearly three decades. He rarely attaches his name to any legislation, preferring to operate in stealth mode.

Stupak-Pitts was given a boost not only by evangelicals, but also by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), who opposed health care reform unless curbs were placed on abortion rights. It’s amazing how quickly USCCB jumped at the opportunity to compromise women’s rights, given the fact that they spent decades covering up for pedophile priests. When all is said and done, there’s something inherently evil in the Catholic Church’s participation. The USCCB has also funded anti-gay marriage initiatives in California and Maine, pushed abstinence as part of global HIV policy, opposing the use of condoms and putting millions of lives in danger. The USCCB has also stated that Democrats who do not oppose abortion be denied communion and be purged from the Catholic church. One has to wonder why the Catholic Church’s no-tax status has not been investigated and revoked as a result of this activity.

It appears that society as a whole has gone back to the Dark Ages. On November 18, the Catholic Church issued a pastoral letter listing contraception, same-sex unions, divorce and cohabitation as threats to the traditional family. Think about it: Contraception? This, in conjunction with Stupak-Pitts, is tantamount to making women the property of their husbands. It is stronger than a Roberts-led Supreme Court challenge to Roe v. Wade. A return to measuring a woman’s value only in terms of what she means to a man, as well as enforced motherhood, should be viewed as an outrage.

Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security because curbs on abortion availability is not an issue covered in the mainstream media as the Senate begins it’s three-week debate on health care reform. The same zealots will be pressing the issue in the Senate. Stupak-Pitts must not be a part of the final health care reform bill.