Two female democrat representatives for Michigan, Lisa Brown and Barb Byrum, were barred from participating in a debate about abortion because Lisa Brown said the following in her statement: “I’m flattered that you’re all so interested in my vagina, but no means no.”
The fact that she said the word vagina–the correct term for the body part that would be violated if a bill is passed that forces women to have a vaginal ultrasound before having an abortion–so upset the republicans in the debate that the speaker barred her from further participation, as well as Barb Byrum, who hadn’t even spoken yet. Read this article in the Washington Post for more information.
In another hearing, about mountaintop mining, an activist was prevented from showing a photo of a five-year-old boy having to bathe in tea-colored water. The republican claimed the picture was child pornography. Read this article in Politics Forum.
Congressional republicans now have a problem with calling anyone rich or wealthy. They must be referred to as job creators. Anyone who refers to the rich or the wealthy is no longer talking about inequality, but is instigating class warfare. Read the US News article here.
Republicans refuse to talk about global warming, calling it climate change instead. And we must not talk of sea levels rising, but of recurrent flooding. See this video clip from the Rachel Maddow Show.
It’s easier to deny something’s existence if you don’t mention it by name, and by vilifying those who insist, the republicans are trying to shut up any opposition. Wouldn’t that be convenient?
Then the rich couldn’t be taxed more than the less rich, and anyone suggesting it is instigating a revolution and should be thrown in jail. Global warming isn’t happening, and the sea level isn’t going to rise, and anyone that says it will is yelling “Fire” in a theater and should be thrown in jail. Then parents aren’t forced to bathe their children in water full of arsenic in Virginia, but rather, they are involved in a special area of child pornography that caters to tea fetishists. Let’s throw them in jail. And we were apparently all immaculately conceived and delivered by the stork.
Maybe the next republican bill related to birth control will involve nailing a bunch of herbs to your front door to ward off the above-mentioned bird. Their attitude toward science, the human body and individual rights is becoming increasingly medieval, as is their attitude to the voters, who are expected not to see through this nonsense.
Bravo! Here’s another fun one for you. A couple of weeks ago, North Carolina legislators were considering introducing a bill that would ban predictions of a rise in sea level based on global warming. Did you hear about this: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/25/3265614/coastal-nc-counties-fighting-sea.html
Stephen Colbert did a fun little bit about it too. Nice to know my state is being satirized on a national stage again.
Yes, it was very funny.
I used to live in NC and was saddened, but not surprised, by that ridiculous bill. I’m still not sure if the US is becoming more insane or if it’s just more obvious now that I’m removed from it slightly. Still, all of those stories have left me wanting to bang my head against the wall in sheer frustration.
I think the US, or at least the republican party, is definitely becoming more insane. Everyone here is saying that Ronald Reagan would not have stood a chance as the republican nominee in today’s republican party. That’s pretty telling! It’s because of this Tea Party, that’s a (probably) small group of people with very loud mouths, helped along by professional promoters of conservative ideas like Carl Rove (a.k.a. Bush’s brain). I wish the Tea Party would just become an actual, separate party, and have proportionate representation. Then it would become clear how many people it actually is, and republican representatives wouldn’t have to worry so much about whether or not to do what they want.
This reminds me of the dictum credited to John Stuart Mill: “Not all conservatives are stupid, but most stupid people are conservative.”
Or at least ignorant. The reason for this, I think, is because ignorant people are more easily hoodwinked by these kinds of strategies.
Unbelievable stuff when all put together. Politicians just want to express themselves more tricky in order for us not to understand what are they talking about. Unfair unfair world around us.
Very.
Entertaining, but very, very sad.
Yes, very sad, especially because this republican strategy is working with many people.
Nice post! I have made a handy chart to help people recognize that vaginas can be our friends. You can see it here: http://rubberchickensociety.org/2012/06/20/at-least-she-didnt-call-it-her-witch-hole-the-bajingo-liberation-front-comments-on-republican-fear-of-the-v-v-v-v-vagina/ Keep on rockin’!
Thanks.
You’re very welcome. Keep up the good work!