There is an old adage that says, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” It seems to have originated in a December 1921 article by Frank R. Barnard in the trade publication Printer’s Ink, which was advocating the use of pictures in ads on the side of streetcars. Yes, even a liberal like me recognizes the contributions of the free market and capitalism at work. Today I will be introducing a graphic on the site for the first time. I hope I have the technical skill to get it correct.
This chart is from the Guttmacher Institute and here is a link to their posting: http://www.guttmacher.org/media/inthenews/2012/01/05/endofyear.html . The Guttmacher Institute is a semi-autonomous division of Planned Parenthood. It was created in1968 in response to the concerns of President Lyndon B. Johnson and then Presidential candidate Richard Nixon about the societal consequences of unwanted pregnancies and unplanned children. While its genesis is American, the scope of its work is global and it is dedicated to an enlightened approach to sexual and reproductive health.
The first thing you have to ask when you see a spike in activity like this in a chart is, why? The answer is simple when we realize that in the 2010 elections America elected a lot of Republicans to state legislatures and governorships. Many states found themselves in total Republican control for the first time in years. Elected on a platform of cutting government spending and creating jobs what did the Republicans do with their new power when they took office in January of 2011? They passed anti-abortion and anti-contraception legislation – when they weren’t busy union busting that is. These bills were often their very first pieces of legislation.
The Republicans are waging a war on women. That is indisputable. I invite everyone to visit the Guttmacher site for more details, but the numbers are staggering. Of course, this legislation does nothing to help solve the jobs crisis. Since the Republicans really don’t have a solution to the existing problem they spend their time on diversions.
Public outcry has worked to a degree. Recently it appears that it has stopped the effort to enact a law in Virginia that would have required a transvaginal ultrasound prior to an abortion. What is less well known is that the pending “replacement” legislation still requires an, albeit non-invasive, ultrasound to be paid for by the woman and there is no exception in the case of rape. Yes, ladies you will have to pay for the “privilege” of being raped in Virginia. Remember there is a group on the Republican right who feels that women should give birth to children conceived in rape as their revenge on the rapist.
I encourage every Democratic organization in this county to use the war on women against the Republicans to recruit female activists and voters. Democrats should win the women’s vote by a substantial margin in November at all levels. Remember the vast majority of this legislation is almost identical in language and coming from the state level. In my mind that is proof of a coordinated and concerted effort – you may use the word conspiracy if you prefer.
NOTE: I was made aware of this chart in a broadcast of the MSNBC show Up with Chris Hayes. Hayes and the show are excellent, his time slot is lousy. Thanks for the good work Chris!
This article is the property of tellthetruthonthem.com and its content may not be used without citing the source. It may not be reproduced without the permission of Larry Marciniak.