So Proud of You, Kansas City

Yes sir, so proud of my now hometown.

That's you, Kansas City.

There was a rather hastily put-together protest and march today at the Country Club Plaza. It began at Mill Creek Park, went for a protest march around the Plaza and then back to the park for some speeches.

It was to protest for women's and abortion rights, rightly, after the nightmare week in Jefferson City on the part of yet more Right Wing, mostly all white, Republican men who voted to limit even the possibility of an abortion after 8 weeks of pregnancy.

Forget all the medical facts like how difficult it is to know a woman is actually pregnant in the first few weeks after conception and all the other facts. Yeah, forget all that. Forget that theirs is supposed to be a "small government" political party. Forget all that. They want to have that government come between the patient, the female patient and her doctor.

It's not quite as bad as Alabama's draconian law they passed this week but it's right up there.

So a protest was planned and executed today and it was a beauty. I knew I had to be there. It's estimated 4,000 people showed. And they were boisterous. Herewith, some photos from the day. It was wondrous.

Some of the posters were a bit more, uh, frank, shall we say?

As I said, it was a very good sized crowd. I think we were all very, very pleased with the turnout and energy.

Some people wrote on the sidewalks, too, for a protest that would last a bit longer than just the time we were there.

One of the biggest ironies of all these, again, Right Wing, Republican government representatives is this article on a study of abortions and nations with and without them.

Abortion rates go down when countries make it legal: report

But again, facts and data and scientific studies mean little to these people. It's the same on this topic, abortion, as it is with guns and gun laws. Facts just don't matter.

White Males Against Abortion, Unite!

I saw yet another very privileged, white, middle-class male railing on Facebook about abortion today.

Jeezus Effing C.

Unbelievable.

This guy was a high school friend. I believe he's college educated.

In spite of that education, he rambled something briefly--incoherently?--about "60 million abortions." I've no idea what that was an attempted reference to.

But wow. Freaking wow.

So I decided there needs to be a group for these people.

They need to call it White Male Patriarchy.

WIMP for short.

A white, middle class, at least, if not upper middle-class male, devoid of attachment to the female's situation, of course, since he hasn't and couldn't possibly have or understand that perspective, but also completely void of any lower-class and/or minority situation or issues. But by gosh, rail against abortions! Sure! Makes perfect sense.

The fact is, the numbers of abortions in the nation have been dropping, and steadily, for years.

More importantly, the Right Wing and Republicans have been whittling away at women's legal rights for abortions for years, as we know. Additionally, however, they've also been under-cutting funding for sex education for our children, nationally and locally, in our schools. Added to that, they've been fighting the development and use of "day after" contraception pills, which is really insane. With the availability of these, we could at least reduce, if not even possibly eliminate abortions in the nation if those were available.

It's insane.

It's irresponsible. It's unconscionable. It's certainly immoral--yes, immoral, I'm saying it--on their part.

So here's for all the WIMPs out there!

Long live WIMPs!

And now they have a real "leader" for them, with this Trumpian in the White House.

Wahoo.

Rare Good News Out of Kansas

Here's a rare one.  Good news out of Kansas state government. Naturally, it comes from the Courts, where intelligence, so far, still rules. From the New York Times over the weekend:

A Kansas appeals court, in a split decision, held that the state Constitution, like the federal one, protects abortion rights, affirming a lower court order blocking enforcement of a restrictive 2015 law.

A bit from the article:

In a split decision, the Kansas Court of Appeals on Friday held that the state Constitution, like the federal one, protected a woman’s right to an abortion and affirmed a lower court order blocking enforcement of a restrictive 2015 law.

The ruling resulted from a 7-to-7 vote by the appeals court.

That, as I said, it the good news. Now, the bad. It's likely still not fully settled.

In a tie, the lower-court ruling is upheld, but the split suggested that the interpretation of abortion rights under the state Constitution is far from settled and is likely to be considered by the state Supreme Court.

Given how the Right Wing and Republicans seem to want to fight this issue until it's illegal in the nation, it will, no doubt, come up again.  And again.

But for now, anyway, intelligence and common sense ruled.

It's a rare, happy day in the Sunflower state.

Meanwhile, there is this, from the more national front:

Hillary Clinton rallies Planned Parenthood vote, fights all restrictions on abortions

Enjoy your Monday, y'all.

Missouri's Senator Roy Blunt Gets Outrageous

I can hardly believe what I'm seeing on Senator Roy Blunt's Facebook page today. You may not believe it yourself. It started with this preamble:



"Next year, the new Republican-led Congress is waging a war for women. We're waging a war for families, workers, seniors and young people who have been burdened by the current administration's policies."

You can see more of this rather outrageous chutzpah and nonsense here:

Roy Blunt: Republicans' war for women

Whoa.

That is stunning.

It's especially stunning because..... uh... of this---this vote in our own US Senate just earlier this year, aa recently as this last September:

Paycheck Fairness Act Blocked By GOP

To make that clear. Only this year, just a few months ago, this very same group, the Republicans in the US Senate voted that women were not worthy of and should not get equal pay for equal work.

That, in itself, is amazing. Is this not America? Have we not always told ourselves "All men are created equal"?

And sure, I get that it was a lie then and it's been a lie during our entire union, as a nation, but don't we consider ourselves enlightened enough by now---the 21st Century---to agree that men and women should get the same pay for the same work? That they are, in fact, equal?

"NOT SO!" said the Republican Senators, famously. Infamously.

And not only that, but this is the 2nd time they voted this down. And it was the 2nd time they voted it down THIS VERY SAME YEAR.

And now, all of a sudden, the Republicans have come out to say they're going to wage a 'war for women"?

Are you freaking kidding me?

That entire political party, from the national, federal level, out of Washington, down to the individual states level have repeatedly come out against equality for women and in more ways than just equal pay.

So it's clear this isn't just one example of an extremely wrong-headed policy, note that the following just came out, too, this week from our own Jefferson City:

This GOP Lawmaker Wants a Woman to Get Permission From the Father Before Having an Abortion

Hi there, patriarchy! Women in Missouri could soon have to get permission from their sexual partners in order to get an abortion, if state Rep. Rick Brattin gets his way. Brattin has filed a bill saying that "No abortion shall be performed or induced unless and until the father of the unborn child provides written, notarized consent to the abortion."

When asked about how this would effect cases of rape, Rep. Brattin said the woman would have to prove it was a "legitimate rape", echoing ignorant strains of, again, Republican Todd Akin and his remarks from our dark past.

These people just don't quit. They've been so anti-women, and for so long, it would seem laughable now, to hear them say anything like this, if it weren't so tragic for women---and their families, their children and all.

To end today, I leave you with this little beauty from a Missouri Republican out of Jefferson City. You tell me if that political party can honestly now be for women. These people have been incorrigible.

On the Roe v. Wade anniversary today

 

Too many don't get this.

 

 

 

Texas does it again

Imagine what would be possible for America

Can you imagine what not just what the Republicans but America could accomplish if they didn't focus so much on trying to legislate on guns, abortion and women's reproductive rights?

Yet more monumental stupid coming out of Topeka

Here's another case of not hardly being able to believe what some Right Wing, Republican wacko thought up:

Kansas Bill Would Ban Abortion Clinic Employees From ‘Bringing Cupcakes’ To Their Child’s School

Link here: Kansas Bill Would Ban Abortion Clinic Employees ... - Addicting Info

Yes sir, folks, you can believe it:

Kansas Republicans are once again resuming their war against a woman’s right to choose and this time they are targeting abortion clinic employees in a very personal way.

A Kansas House committee passed HB 2253 on Wednesday along party lines, with Republicans pushing the bill through while Democrats opposed it. The bill is a broad spectrum of anti-abortion laws sponsored by GOP state Rep. Lance Kinzer, who is the poster boy for many of the outrageous abortion bills introduced and passed in Kansas these days. Included in the bill are measures declaring that life begins at conception, measures that keep women from deducting the cost of abortion procedures on their tax forms, and measures that affect “information the Kansas Department of Health and Environment distributes on abortion and fetal development,” according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
But these measures weren’t the ones that Democrats objected to the most. Republicans apparently included a section in the bill that would affect employees of abortion providers in a most personal way. The Capital-Journal reports:

“Much of the debate centered on a portion of the bill that bars anyone associated with an abortion provider from working in a public school. It is meant to prevent districts from contracting with groups like Planned Parenthood to provide sexual education materials.”

Democratic Rep. Emily Perry opposes HB 2253, and pointed out another egregious section in the bill designed “to prohibit parents from going in and volunteering at their child’s school if they work at a place that provides abortion services.” Perry’s claim was later confirmed by Republican Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, who stated that the bill would “prohibit an abortion clinic secretary from ‘bringing cupcakes to’ school for his or her child’s birthday party.”

Forget that abortions are legal in this country and have been since 1972. Forget that.

Ignore that this is a form of discrimination.

Totally block out of your mind that they should be working for the state, for the people and for the people's good--tangible, intelligent good things and good work and legislation.

No, no, try to come up with yet more insane ways to focus on only one issue in the state of Kansas.

Looney.  Truly crazy.

Two things the Right Wing never wants fixed

It seems clear there are two issues the Right Wing and Republicans and "Conservatives" really never, ever want "fixed" or solved in this country. 

The first is immigration. This out today:

'Reformer!' Rubio Rejects Obama Immigration Plan

Through negotiations from both sides of the political aisle, a deal was made that would require immigrants here, most specifically from Mexico, that would take 8 years to become a legalized citizen if they're already here illegally.

As though that would be easy, Senator Marco Rubio (R, Fl) has announced the plan virtually "dead on arrival."

But of course this is the man who, with his water-gulping response to President Obama's State of the Union address, kicked off his own campaign to become the next Republican president in 2016.

So naturally he can't be for any real solution to the immigration problem.

The 2nd, other problem the Right Wing and Republicans never want to really solve in this country is that of abortion.

Sure, they want fewer abortions, but they don't really want this issue to go away or to actually be illegal because, after all, then what single-issue would they have?  What could or would they use then to "rally their troops" and raise millions of dollars?  You can only bash gays so much and besides, that doesn't raise nearly as much money.

If people were so truly against abortions in this country, they'd support scientific, health care solutions like RU486 and "Plan B", day-after pills to eliminate abortions.

But again, if they did that, where would their issue go?

Answer: it would be gone.

And then what would they rail against?

Kansas, people are laughing at you (again, some more)

Laughing at you, Kansas, or shaking their head in disbelief:

Kansas Board of Health Revokes License of Doctor for Not Forcing Ten-Year-Olds to Give Birth

In a continuing effort to both curb access to abortion and reiterate their own opinion that there is never any situation where abortion could be necessary for a patient's well-being, the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts has decided in favor of revoking Dr. Ann Neuhaus's medical license. Neuhaus, a colleague of Dr. George Tiller, assisted him by providing second opinions for mental health exceptions for late abortions.

According to the Associated Press, Neuhaus was hoping to have her full medical license restored after spending years only allowed to provide limited medical care for charity work. Instead, an ongoing investigation into 11 patient cases obtained by Operation Rescue became the center of a movement to have her license stripped all together.

The cases all involved girls who sought abortions due to mental health issues from depression to suicide, with an age range from 17 years old to as young as 10. The board alleged that Neuhaus's exams were not thorough enough based on the available records provided, and that her follow up care was inadequate, as she did not recommend counseling or hospitalization afterwards.

I found this link on Facebook so it's clear people are, in fact, laughing at you or incredulous, given your callousness and/or ignorance.

Kansas: One sad state.

Link: http://truth-out.org/news/item/10003-kansas-board-of-health-revokes-license-of-doctor-for-not-forcing-10-year-olds-to-give-birth

How Missouri legislators in Jefferson City waste time: this kind of nonsense

From The Star today:

Contraceptive health insurance bill awaits Nixon’s decision

JEFFERSON CITY -- "The fate of a bill allowing employers in Missouri to refuse to provide health insurance coverage for contraception, sterilization or abortion is in the hands of Gov. Jay Nixon, who over the years has managed to sidestep taking a stand on abortion legislation.

Two anti-abortion bills have been sent to the desk of the Democratic governor during his first term, and both times he took no action. Instead of signing or vetoing the bills, on both occasions he let a constitutional deadline pass that allowed them to became law without his signatures."

Every legislative session, those chuckleheads--too many of them Republican--down in Jefferson City keep introducing bill after bill after bill, trying to ever-tighten Missouri's abortion laws.

Forget that we've got lots of laws on them already.

Oh and by all means, forget that--hello?--abortions are legal in America and have been ever since 1973, rather family.

Forget that abortions in America are decreasing, sure. Somehow they're sure we need more, more and yet more legislation on contraception, even, let alone on abortions.

Forget that an abortion procedure is an incredibly difficult and emotional situation and problem that isn't gotten into or carried out easily or without a lot of heartache, thought and deliberation.

Forget that our health care system is broken--badly broken--and that it needs attention and solving. Forget that we, the people, need protection from our legislators and government from our health insurance companies, who are gouging us all, collectively and individually, just so they can get ever richer.

Forget all that.

Legislators in our state capitol and all across this nation keep proposing bill after bill after bill, all the while ignoring our real problems both as a state, in this case, and as a nation, in the case of Washington, D.C.

This is the way our legislators are "fiddling" as our Rome burns.

Thanks, guys. (Because it is mostly guys, too).

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/02/3639492/contraceptive-health-insurance.html#storylink=cpy

A win for justice, abortion opponents and the Obama administration, all in one

Breaking news: Chen Guangcheng, Chinese Activist Who Escaped House Arrest, Arrives In U.S.

This is nothing but good news for anyone and everyone who supports fairness, justice, decency and all that is good.

Here's a man who learned of women being forced to have abortions by their own national government--in this case, Chinese--so he stood up, virtually alone, from what I understand, and did his best to fight it.

So the right thing happened here, thank goodness.

Part of the reason it happened was because of international communications. Whether it's because of the internet and all its social media or whatever, the world is no longer in the dark, so to speak, about these cases.

Thank goodness for that.

It's yet further proof of the power of the internet and social media--but of the people, too. The right thing happened here because anything else was not justice. Anything else happening in this case and to this man would have been grossly wrong and the Chinese leaders and government were overrun by it.

It's a great day.

It's a great day for justice and for what's right and for the people of the world.

It's enough to give one hope.

Here's another thing, too. It's a win, really, not just for "the people", collectively, but for the Obama administration, like it, accept it or not.

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/19/chen-guangcheng-arrives-us_n_1530182.html

Kansas Republicans trash women's rights again--some more

Here they go again.

Republicans.

In this case, Kansas Republicans. And they're further trashing women's reproductive rights, this time with the tax code. News today:

Abortion becomes a tax issue in Kansas House bill

They have no shame, no shame at all.

From the article:

"The tax code is becoming the new weapon in the war against abortion with Kansas pioneering the way.

The Kansas House passed a bill Monday that would further restrict abortion by rewriting state tax law. "Nobody on the state level has gone through their tax code in this manner," said Elizabeth Nash, a state issues manager for the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks reproductive health issues.

The measure is patterned after a similar bill pending in Congress.

The Kansas bill, approved on an 88-31 vote, would prohibit taxpayers from deducting money spent on an abortion or for supplemental health insurance to cover the procedure.

It would bar employers from deducting any money they contribute to a health plan for supplemental insurance coverage of an abortion. It also would ban corporations from taking a tax credit for contributions they make to Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion services in Kansas.

The bill also would apply sales taxes to any drugs used to perform or induce an abortion."

Once more, the political party of supposedly "small government" wants to reach--deeply--into the personal lives of women and their husbands or partners, in an effort to tell them how to live their lives.

And they still don't see the hypocrisies or contradictions.

These are sick, sick people.

Link: http://www.pdacommunity.org/kansas/1623-abortion-becomes-a-tax-issue-in-kansas-house-bill-

Kansas Legislators, Catholics, everyone should be screaming about the Chinse dissident

It seems anyone and everyone who has said in the past they have some issue with abortions should be speaking up at least, if not screaming bloody murder about this blind attorney Chinese dissident, Chen Guangcheng and his situation.

Here's a private citizen in China who goes up against every authority there in an effort to protest forced abortions in that country.

How much more noble can a person be? What more worthy position could a person take?

And to date, I haven't heard one word from any Catholic organization--the Vatican or any other--or any Kansas legislator--or from any other state--saying we need to support and work with this man and his family.

Sure, they can and do fight to deny women's reproductive rights in this nation but beyond their own back yard?

Not a word.

If there is a person in the world right now who needs people's support and attention, surely Mr. Guangcheng is that person.

Here's a man who not only educated himself to be an attorney but who also decided it too important not to fight his nation's government single-handedly to stop forced abortions by that same government.

Now is the time and this should be the case to speak up, offering both support for this man and his work and any help they can give in any and every form.

Links: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/chinese-dissident-offered-american-fellowship-135602884.html; http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/world/asia/chen-guangchengs-plea-for-protection-deepens-a-crisis.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120504; http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/03/3593252/us-china-reach-deal-for-chen-guangcheng.html; http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/05/04/152002528/elegant-solution-possible-for-chinese-activist-he-may-study-abroad

Paramount stupidity and ugliness out of Jeff City

And from who or what else but a Republican legislator. It's out on the internet right now at the Alternet site (see link below): Missouri legislator: I know something about women's health issues because 'my father is a veterinarian' Nearly unbelievable. Wait, it gets worse--for women, anyway: "The Missouri House passed a bill that would allow medical practitioners to deny covering certain reproductive procedures based on religion objections.

The bill's sponsor, House Majority Leader Tim Jones (R) argued on the Missouri House floor that this bill will make sure all of the medical staff will be committed to every procedure. He is concerned that some members on the surgical team may hold back on their assistance in the operating room because of their deeply-held religious beliefs. Then Jones, a former Attorney, cited own his experience with the medical field: 'I've been in operating rooms. My father is a veterinarian. I grew up in operating rooms...they are crowded places...and you want those people all in.'" Seriously, this is so stupid. First, it's taking away women's personal reproductive rights. Second, this is coming from the political party--the Republicans--that is supposed to be for small and unintrusive government. Third, these people should be working on issues and legislation that--oh, I don't know--maybe CREATES JOBS?? Then, finally, he's saying he knows what he's talking about because, after all, his Dad was a veterinarian?? Are you freaking kidding me? If this guy didn't actually say this, you would assume someone's writing fiction and humor. Sadly, for women in Missouri and the men and families that care for them, that's not the case. Link to original post: http://ed.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/02/10985618-missouri-legislator-i-know-something-about-womens-health-issues-because-my-father-is-a-veterinarian

Kansas Legislators coming between Mothers/patients and their child

Radical, Right Wing, Republican legislators are at it again--still, really--with a new piece of legislation that would allow a woman's doctor to come between a mother/patient and her soon-to-be born child, if the doctor is strongly against abortion: "Buried in a sweeping anti-abortion bill is a provision that would immunize a doctor who discovers that a baby will be born with a devastating condition and deliberately withholds that information from his patient. ...[A] doctor who opposes abortion could decide to lie about the results of your blood tests, your ultrasound, your cvs or your amnio. Lie to you so that you won't have information that might lead you to decide to end your pregnancy or that might lead you to learn more about your child's condition so that you are prepared to be the best parent you can be to your child." Instead of solving Kansas' tax problems or working on creating jobs, these legislators seem intent, instead, on legislating morality to mothers and fathers who otherwise, in this scenario, would be lied to and then taken out of the decisions on the mother's body and the child's condition. This is both appalling and disgusting. And it's happening right now in Topeka, Kansas. This is what Kansas is in the news for, nationally and internationally. That is sad. And sick. If you are from Kansas, please go to this link to write Senate President Steve Morris a note, making clear you are against this bill: http://www.senatorstevemorris.com/content/contact-me. Link: http://www.aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/kansas-pregnant-women-little-lie-your-doctor-wont-hurt-you

On this day...

On Jan. 22, 1973, the Supreme Court handed down its Roe vs. Wade decision, which legalized abortion. And they've been legal, thank goodness--and for good reason--ever since. The Republicans and Right Wing should have long since been "over it."

One is not the other, that's all

Manslaughter?

Oh, hell no.

Scott Roeder, the conservative, right-wing, anti-abortion freak who took the law into his own hands, decided Dr. George Tiller should be murdered and then drove 3 hours down I-35 to Wichita to do just that--murder Dr. Tiller--may only get a manslaughter charge for this gross, unjustifiable, psychotic act.

I say psychotic because you have to have lost a touch with reality when you select to murder someone, for starters, and then decide you'll drive 3 hours down the turnpike to do it.

It's disappointing and surprising to me that the Judge in the case, Judge Warren Wilbert, is going to allow the defense the opportunity to consider letting the dirtbag Roeder off with a mere manslaughter charge.

Mind you, the jury may well find this guy guilty of first degree murder, as they ought, but the judge should have thrown this option out, right off, and for two reasons.

First, abortion is legal in the US, like it or not, and has been for decades. (Does precedent mean anything here?).

Second, there is virtually no question that Roeder killed Dr. Tiller and that he drove 3 hours, from Overland Park to do it.

If that's not premeditated, there is no such thing as premeditated murder.

And the fact that this coward Roeder shot Dr. Tiller in Tiller's church, as he was helping at the service is so gross, absurd, ironic and hypocritical it's off the charts.

Hopefully, even the religious zealouts have to see that.