Friday, April 08, 2011

Defunding Planned Parenthood vs Defunding Government

So as the clock ticks down to the hour, Republicans have thrown up yet another roadblock to keeping the federal government’s lights on and doors open. Social conservatives seem to have taken over that party and promoting their social agenda seems to have become their main tool to defund the federal government, and shut it down.

Somehow, defunding Planned Parenthood is now the most important issue facing Americans. Not 3 wars. Not unemployment. Not pending bankruptcies in multiple state and local governments. Planned Parenthood.

And not because Planned Parenthood uses federal dollars to perform abortions, they can’t by law. No it’s because Planned Parenthood uses federal dollars to look after the health and welfare of women who don’t have access to healthcare because of location or their economic status. Cancer screening. Pap smears. Mammograms.

But because Planned Parenthood is in that other business as well, they have been marked by the religious right for extinction.

But truly, marking Planned Parenthood for extinction means that women without access to healthcare are also marked for extinction. People will die because of what these religious zealots are trying to do.

That makes it a little personal. Why a woman would ever consider voting for a Republican ever again because of this is beyond me.

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