The paternalists continue their attack

Most revealing tweet of the day: 

Bills regulating women's bodies in 2013 alone: 624.  Bills regulating men's bodies since the dawn of time: 0— @AuthorKimberley

A Republican party dominated by middle-aged and elderly white men continues its attacks on women and women's rights. This week alone Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Ohio all passed and/or implemented new restrictions on abortions. All of these laws were passed by Republican legislatures (again mostly white men) and signed by Republican governors (ALL white men). And all of the laws were based on false premises and unscientific "facts" such as that an abortion puts women at high risk for breast cancer or makes them infertile and unable to bear a child later in life.

Most, if not all, of these laws require doctors and abortion providers to lie to their patients about the effects of abortion on the fetus and on the woman. The laws require medically unnecessary ultrasounds, in most cases invasive vaginal ultrasounds. Just try to imagine for a moment what it would be like if a medical treatment needed by a man was required to be preceeded by an unnecessary, invasive, and sometimes painful procedure or if doctors were required by the state to give obviously false information to the man about his treatment.

Moreover, many of these new laws require additional waiting periods for a woman seeking an abortion. Thus the hypocrites who claim to be appalled by late term abortions are forcing women to wait longer and longer into the pregnancy to have the abortion performed, assuring later term abortions.

If you ask a Republican, he will tell you that all of these restrictive and draconian laws are simply meant to "protect" the poor little incompetent woman and make it possible for her to make an "informed choice." You see, in Republican World, women don't really understand what pregnancy is all about. It's doubtful that they even know how it happened! And if they can just be made to stop and think about the consequences of their actions, they will be willing and eager to continue the pregnancy regardless of whether or not they can afford it, even if it was started by rape or incest, regardless of how many other children they may already have, regardless of how it may disrupt their plans for their life.

As for making these laws, well, women shouldn't worry their pretty little heads about that. Men know what is best for "the ladies." As Rick Perry helpfully explained a few days ago, "The louder they scream, the more we know that we are getting something done."

Perry made unbelievably condescending, insulting, and vile personal remarks about Texas State Senator Wendy Davis who became a national political star with her filibuster against Texas' proposed paternalistic restriction on women's rights to control their bodies. (Except it wasn't really unbelievable because this is Rick Perry we're talking about.) Most ironically, he made his remarks at a National Right to Life(!) conference where he opined that "Texans value life." His remarks came on the same day that his administration executed a 52-year-old woman, the 500th person the state has executed since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty.

Yes, Texans like Perry, that is to say paternalistic Republicans, "value life" as long as it's in a woman's womb. Once it's born, they couldn't care less about it. Especially if it's female.

There is a cure for all this condescension and paternalistic government. It is called women voters. Women make up more than one-half of the electorate and we do vote. Now if only women will vote their interests, we will finally see an end to paternalism. Yes, even in Texas.