Tag Archives: abortion access

Snarky Snippets Must Be Shared!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

Filosofa seems to be filled with snark tonight.  I wonder if it might be the heat, humidity and poor air quality that have filled my poor head with so much snark?  Anyway, it seems unfair for me to have all the fun, so allow me to share some of my snark with you!

There actually were a few positive tidbits in the news yesterday, as it happens.  First, Donald Trump lost his appeal to delay his New York fraud trial.  It would seem that delaying tactics are the only thing Donnie has in his bag o’ tricks, and those are getting worn thin from overuse.

Second, the Biden administration announced that it will prohibit drilling in 13 million acres of pristine wilderness in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and cancel all drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  This is a huge win for the environment, for all of us!

Third, in Mexico the Supreme Court decriminalized abortion nationwide.  Apparently, contrary to what we’ve been told, Mexico is a far more progressive nation than the U.S.!!!

But alas, there was also much to set off my snark-o-meter …

The highly UNqualified senator from Ohio, the state I currently reside in, J.D. Vance, has proposed new legislation in the United States Senate titled the “Freedom To Breathe Act.”  The bill would make it illegal for the federal government, schools, airlines, and other public transit companies to require masks for the protection of the general public.  Covid cases and deaths are on the rise once again with the latest variant, but ol’ J.D. wants us to put ourselves at risk.  The man is a bloomin’ idiot!  But he is not alone …

Then there’s former Arkansas governor and two-time presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee (also the father of current Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders).  When they wrote the book “How To Be An Asshole”, they asked Mike for advice!  His latest lunacy is his statement yesterday that … “If these tactics end up working to keep Trump from winning or even running in 2024, it is going to be the last American election that will be decided by ballots rather than bullets.”  Fortunately, I don’t think too many people bother to listen to what a washed-up former governor has to say, but then all it takes is a few to get the ball rolling, as we saw on January 6th 2021.

And speaking of which … I was beyond pleased to see Proud Boys’ leader Enrique Tarrio sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in the January 6th attempted coup, but what I most want to see is those who plotted from behind the scenes, those who are awaiting trial down in Georgia … GO FANI WILLIS!!!  Lock ‘em up!!!  Every last one of them, up to and including the former guy.

Then there’s ‘Senator’ Tommy Tuberville who is currently sitting on more than 300 military promotions, leaving the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps with only ‘acting heads’.  One might think that a month-long paid vacation would have mellowed Tubs a bit, but nope … he’s as determined as ever to refuse to allow the Senate to do its job and confirm those promotions.  It’s somewhat reminiscent of 2016 when Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died in February, and then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to even consider confirming a replacement for nearly a full year in hopes that a Republican would win the election in November of that year and be able to have his pick.  Hmmmm … Tuberville … McConnell … dirty dealings?   🤔

And one last bit of snark, speaking of the Supreme Court.  That aforementioned sleight of hand was the beginning of the end of the legitimacy of the Court.  Today, trust in the Court is at a new low of 47%, as compared to 76% in 2009.  Part of the reason, of course, has to do with some of the extremely partisan decisions such as the Dobbs decision that have been handed down, and part no doubt is a result of the hanky-panky by Justices Alito and Thomas that has put the Court in the shadow of corruption.

Whew … I feel much better now that I shared all that snark!

Pro-Life??? I Think Not.

Posted on by under Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, religion, Social commentary

Let’s make a few things clear from the start.  Those who call themselves “Pro-Life” are actually not in favour of protecting all life.  They are only anti-abortion.  Those who call themselves ‘pro-life’ support the death penalty … a barbaric procedure with the potential for taking an innocent life.  Those who call themselves ‘pro-life’ most often are also ‘pro-gun’ … guns have one purpose and one purpose only:  to take lives, to kill.  Among those who call themselves ‘pro-life’ are many who are climate change deniers, who eschew regulations to protect and repair our environment such that it may continue to support life into the next century.  Those who call themselves ‘pro-life’ are the most likely to argue against government aiding single mothers struggling to feed their children, or to pay their bills in order to keep their children alive.  So no, the pro-life movement is naught but an anti-abortion movement.  Let’s call a spade a spade.

Now, I have a couple of issues with these anti-abortionists.  First of all, nobody is forcing them to have an abortion!  If I choose to have one, that is my business and nobody else’s, for this is my body … not yours.  By the same token, I certainly would not attempt to force a woman to have an abortion, even if she already had 15 children and no way to support them.  It’s her choice, plain and simple.

My second objection is that 99% of the people who oppose a woman’s right to choose, do so based on their own religious convictions.  Since I don’t share those religious convictions, their beliefs do not apply to me.  Since we have a secular government that demands a wall of separation between church and state, it is grossly unconstitutional for the government to trample my right to choose.

My third objection, of course, is that I see the anti-abortion movement, largely funded and founded by men, as a further attempt by men to dominate what they still, after all these years of the women’s movement, see as “the weaker sex”.  “Pro-life” … just one more form of bigotry, as if we needed more.  What if women were allowed to decide when a man should have a vasectomy?  Can you imagine the hue and cry?

So, these ‘pro-life’ folks held a rally over the weekend in Washington, D.C.  And guess who spoke at that rally?  Yep, none other than Donald Trump, the impeached president, the first president to speak at the annual event.  A number of his sycophants in Congress also attended, including: Steve Scalise, Chris Smith, Ralph Abraham, Warren Davidson, Bob Latta, John Joyce, Lloyd Smucker, Mike Lee, James Lankford, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Brad Wenstrup.  And let us not forget to note the presence of Kellyanne Conway, and Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar.

A few of the more ludicrous snippets from Trump’s speech*:

  • “Together we must protect, cherish, and defend the dignity and the sanctity of every human life.” (This from a ‘man’ who recently ordered the assassination of an Iranian general, that ultimately led to the deaths of 176 innocent civilians)
  • “Sadly, the far left is actively working to erase our God-given rights. Shut down faith-based charities, ban religious believers from the public square, and silence Americans who believe in the sanctity of life. They are coming after me because I am fighting for you and we are fighting for those who have no voice and we will win because we know how to win. We all know how to win. We all know how to win. You’ve been winning for a long time. You’ve been winning for a long time.” (Huh??? Is there an echo?)
  • “Nearly every top Democrat in Congress now supports taxpayer-funded abortion all the way up until the moment of birth. Last year, lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb right up until delivery.” (Um … Donnie?  That’s called ‘birth’, not abortion)
  • “But what is going on in Virginia? What is going on? The Governor stated that he would execute a baby after birth.” (No, Donnie, that is not what Governor Northam said.)
  • “Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House. And as the Bible tells us, each person is wonderfully made. We’ve taken decisive action to protect the religious liberty. So important. Religious liberty has been under attack all over the world and frankly very strongly attacked in our nation.”  (Is “religious liberty” then, only for those who believe in a certain way, and to hell with the rest of us?)

Now, make no mistake – Donald Trump was not there for any reason other than to shore up his base, the right-wing evangelicals who form the largest portion of the anti-abortion movement.  This was, for Trump, nothing more or less than a campaign rally, sans maga hats.  Donald Trump is a misogynist by any definition of the word … he has a long history of abusing women, including his three wives.  He was having an affair under the very nose of his present wife as she gave birth to his youngest son.  It would not surprise me in the least to find that Donald Trump has paid for a few abortions for his many mistresses.

The “religious freedom” that Trump is speaking of is only for those evangelicals who form a large portion of his base.  It actually deprives the rest of us of our religious freedom … and in more ways than just abortion.  If his staunchest supporters had their way, LGBT people would be discriminated against, as would Jews, Muslims, atheists … just about anybody who didn’t share their views.

Separation of church and state is a concept with a purpose … the purpose being equal rights for all, not only one religious group.  When Trump speaks at an event such as the one last week, when he promises to go against the Constitution in order to appease one group to the detriment of all others, he is breaking his oath of office and he is failing in his duty to represent ALL the people of this nation.

*  Full transcript of Trump’s speech at 2020 March for Life rally