Birth control, abortions, and sex in general are a moral and ethical sin….at least that’s the message the Republican Party presidential candidates seem to be pushing. In what started off as an issue of whether certain people’s First Amendment rights were being violated, the focus now seems to have shifted to an attack on the modern woman. Instead of looking towards the future, certain Republican Party candidates appear to want to take us back to a time when women’s minds, bodies, and sexuality were not their own.
The controversy started when the Obama administration came up with a new mandate, requiring that everyone receive free birth control as part of their health insurance coverage. Religious groups immediately went off, stating that the mandate violated their First Amendment right to freedom of religion. They feel as though the Obama administration, with the new mandate, is trying to force them to take part in things they don’t believe in (i.e. birth control, abortions etc.) Due to the backlash, the Obama administration then changed the mandate, stating that religious affiliated groups and organizations were exempt from that policy. The Republican Party, being more conservative than the Democrats, sided with the religious groups instead of leaving the situation alone. Unfortunately for two particular Republican presidential hopefuls, the media attention surrounding the issue has done nothing to win them any support.
With the issue of birth control taking center stage, the Republican candidates are looking less desirable in office to the modern woman. Rick Santorum has done nothing but show that he is a deeply religious man. While that certainly is an admirable trait, it’s not exactly a presidential trait. As a matter of fact, most people wonder if Santorum would be able to separate his personal convictions from the presidency, or if he would use the presidency to further push his own religious agendas. Women in particular, are concerned about Santorum’s lack of understanding or support when it comes to women’s issues. According to Santorum, birth control is a sin “because it’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.” In other words, Santorum believes that birth control allows people to have sex just because, as opposed to having sex with the intention to get pregnant.
Ronnie Polaneczky made an excellent point in his article appearing on www.philly.com ,” So, will Santorum move to the sofa after wife Karen is menopausal and her dusty ovaries have coughed out their last eggs?” Maybe that’s a little harsh, but it poses a good question, does it not? Will Santorum suddenly have no sexual attraction towards his wife once she can no longer bear children? Will they be husband and wife in name only, but not actually participate in married people activities? Maybe that works for them, but in today’s society, that type of marriage would not work for everyone, and most women would object to being seen as nothing more than a baby-carrying possession.
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Perhaps even worse is Santorum’s feelings regarding whether women should have an increased role in the military. While he did say he would take into consideration what military leaders had to say on the subject, he also revealed that he felt that “When you have men and women together in combat, I think there’s — men have emotions when you see a woman in harm’s way. I think it’s something that’s natural, that’s very much in our culture to be protective, and that was my concern.” In other words, Santorum feels that women would be a distraction, as opposed to an ally for men. Honestly, if a man can’t control his hormones towards a woman during a war crisis, maybe he’s the one who shouldn’t be allowed to serve in the military.
The fact that Newt Gingrich is even still running is unfathomable, and disgusting. The man treats women as mere play toys, and seems to have no use at all for women of a certain age. He’s traded in his wife for a younger woman on more than one occasion, and one or two of the wives were even sick at the time! Let’s also take into account all of the derogatory statements he has made over the years. In 1995, he was quoted as saying, “females have biological problems staying in a ditch for 30 days because they get infections, and they don’t have upper body strength,” in reference to whether women should be allowed to serve in the military. In 1994, Gingrich also thought it would be better to build orphanages, as opposed to providing welfare for young mothers.
The website, http://mediamatters.org/research/201009130054 has a whole slew of other derogatory remarks listed on their webpage, and some of what’s on there is disturbing. How anyone can take a man running for president who appears to hate half of the country is incomprehensible.
Mitt Romney isn’t any better, at least not according to Michael Kranish and Scott Helman’s book, The Real Romney. The book details several different instances where Romney used his position of authority within his church, to bully young mothers. And whether you believe the tales or not, one thing is clear: Romney has changed his position on women’s issues before. Who’s to say that he won’t flip-flop again? A flip-flopper is just as bad as the guy who wants to take away female rights because you never know whether they’re your friend or your foe.
The point of the matter is that women are people too. We have minds and opinions of our own. We’re capable of doing much more than just bearing children and serving men. Our bodies, lives, sexualities, and decisions are our own. And unlike the women of the past, we are not so easily submissive. Gone are the days where the only thing a woman had going for her was her man. Gone are the days where a woman’s happiness and success was defined by the type of man she snagged. Gone are the days when women worshipped the ground men walked on. Gone are the days when women felt comfortable always playing second fiddle to a man. It’s about time the Republican Party realized that, don’t you think?
photo courtesy of Scientificamerican.com