Has anyone else noticed the amount of CRAZY coming out of the government lately? It's all getting fucked up, there are state and federal bills being proposed and passed that target women and our uteruses.
In Colorado last election, we had to deal with Amendment 62 which would have defined life as starting at conception. This would have made abortion, the morning after pill, and some other forms of hormonal birth control (including IUDs and The Pill) illegal. This was absolutely crazy pants, but we defeated it. *big sigh*
However, in that same election, we wound up with a republican majority in congress, and they have gone off the deep end with federal cuts that target women. There was a bill to cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood, another that redefined rape as only forcible, and another that would have cut funding from the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). And that's only the ones that made the news.
At the state level, things are just as crazy. In Georgia, there were a few bills proposed by representative Bobby Franklin. First, he wants women who have miscarriages to be investigated for murder, by uterus police. Really? Then, in that same week, he proposed another bill that would change the language in judicial proceedings to calling a victim of sexual assault who chooses to report the "accuser" and the perpetrator the "accused." So, you get your house broken into and you're a victim, you get your cunt broken into and you're an "accuser" sorry, but shit don't work like that.
Other states have passed bills that would make cases such as Dr.Tiller's murder legal because they were defending their personal beliefs. Again, shit don't work like that. You can't murder someone and have it be OK, under ANY circumstance other than self defense. And even then, the lines are blurry.
So, there are all these bills out there. People have gone crazy in the government, and somehow this bullshit is passing in congress. What are we going to do about it? Aside from slamming our heads on the table in frustration, of course.
There are rallies being held by pro-choice organizations such as NARAL Pro choice and Planned Parenthood. If you're close to a city where one of those is being held, please try to make it. If not, maybe hold your own rally? Especially if you're a student on a college campus it really doesn't take that much work to hold a rally. I empower you to do it, if it's in Colorado, I'll be there. If you don't want to hold your own rally, attend whatever is happening near you. Any support is helpful.
Other things you can do: Support organizations in your community that support women. Attend The Vagina Monologues, I'm sure there's a performance near anyone in the United States. All of the proceeds from any production of The Vagina Monologues go to organizations that serve women, specifically survivors of interpersonal violence.
You can also volunteer at organizations that support women. These organizations are always looking for people to help with phone banks or putting together literature. Maybe go canvassing closer to election time.
Or, call your representative. If they know that we care about these things, they will be more likely to vote against all this crazy bullshit, and more likely to vote for the few good things that come up.
So, small steps can make a difference. Don't worry, you can make a difference even when things seem overwhelming. For more tips, check out Shelby Knox's article on Abortion Gang on how to deal with this bullshit.
http://abortiongang.org/2011/03/a-pro-choice-activist%E2%80%99s-guide-to-surviving-state-legislative-season/
