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Reproductive Justice and Gender

David Vitter Is Thinking About Your Granddaughter's Vagina

By Chris Kelly, Huffington Post. Posted February 28, 2008.


Anti-choice Congressman Vitter attached an anti-abortion measure to an existing anti-abortion program. Does Congress really have nothing else to do?
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In these days of war and economic collapse it's easy to lose sight of what's really important: American Indians in the future getting abortions.

That's why the United States Senate is lucky to have farsighted men like Louisiana's David Vitter. To think about the long-range stuff. Not just what we can tell women to do with their bodies today, but what we can tell the women of tomorrow to do forever.

(Jesus, on the other hand, said "take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself." Which is why you should never take investment advice from Jesus).

It's been thirty years since congress barred the use of federal money for abortions, and 25 years since the last American Indian woman had access to an abortion through a doctor provided by Indian Health Services. So you might think: Problem solved. Let's move on. And get drugs out of baseball.

But you'd be wrong.

You couldn't get an abortion, and you can't get an abortion, but what about the knocked-up Choctaw of 2250? Who's going to make sure they do the right thing?

David Vitter will. He just did. Tuesday. With an amendment to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. And it passed, 52-42.

It's a proud day. Because American Indians have been getting a free ride for too long. Or, you know, they might, in one of an infinite number of improbable but none-the-less possible futures. If we didn't do something now.

Think of it like entitlement reform. Crossed with a Christian bookstore time travel adventure, where Planned Parenthood takes over, and sends killer robots to change the past.

Here's Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America, explaining why we needed a new law:

While this policy of not funding abortions through IHS has been in effect for 25 years, the Vitter amendment guarantees that future administrations don't circumvent Congress and change this policy.

"My amendment codifies a longstanding policy that prohibits the use of federal dollars for abortions," said Senator Vitter. To a call girl named Candie Boxxx.

I'm trying to think if anything's happened in Louisiana in the last couple of years that might be a bigger problem.

Of course it's all just pandering and magical thinking. David Vitter could attach an anti-abortion amendment to National Potato Day. What I admired about Tuesday was that he attached an anti-abortion amendment to funding a program that was already anti-abortion.

There's being a single-issue politician, and then there's simply being an ass.

Between this, the adultery, the prostitutes and the diapers, I've almost lost all my respect for the guy.

Digg!

See more stories tagged with: abortion, american indians, david vitter, reproductive justice

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Another horney ass cracker hypocrite against a woman's right to choose
Posted by: yellow on Feb 28, 2008 1:30 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This asshole has got some nerve. That's all there is to say. To the polls my friends to the polls!! I now come out with my official endorsement for president. Barack Obama.

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Chris Kelly neglects to mention
Posted by: moiv on Feb 28, 2008 8:05 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
that Vitter's amendment couldn't have passed without the votes of the following Democratic senators: Evan Bayh of Indiana, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Robert Casey of Pennsylvania, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Harry Reid of Nevada, and Ken Salazar of Colorado.



For the record, GOP senators Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe and Arlen Specter voted in opposition.

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if democrats were
Posted by: Joe on Feb 29, 2008 1:33 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
consistent about not forcing people to do what they think is right i would call Vitter out. but all i have to do is go back a couple pages to read about democrats/liberals wanting to force by way of government universal health care.

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First you take their land, Now this!
Posted by: Nick747 on Mar 1, 2008 9:32 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This is pointless. As stated in the article, the Louisiana senator needs to find something else to do like helping out his Katrina-torn state. There are countless issues there that could use his service. On second thought maybe not this guy seems like a first grade idiot.

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It's still disturbing to say the least
Posted by: talkville on Mar 2, 2008 6:39 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There is a quiet under-current these days signalling a kind of recurrence of Eugenics and 19th century Spencerism barely under the surface; it's important to remember that the decisions best left to each autonomous individual and citizen are slowly drifting towards decisions made for them by State and other powers. It's best not to neglect or minimize this seemingly absurd and non-sensical move by those in the Legislative and other branches of the State -- which now is a full fledged and irreversible Corporate-State. Advances in such things as Biology, Psychology, Sociology (!) etc and their relation to Law and Liberty are not simple by any means. I hope this article sets some younger and more vigorous minds than my own to pondering these questions in their larger context! When Social Policies, Religion, Science and Business and Legislation meet it would be only prudent to think carefully about such things as this article points to.

Putting in place a pre-emptive block of due process to generations not yet born is nothing to take too lightly! And it speaks to a mind-boggling Hubris besides: determining social, political and economic relations in the absence
of those affected!! It adds a post-modern twist and dimension to the concept of Tyranny indeed!

I can just hope there are those in the more youthful demographic are out there that take such concepts (which are developing!) as justice, equality, liberty, dignity and, yes, humanity very deadly seriously.

By what right do these human beings determine the rights of grand-children, great-grand children not yet here? The US Constitution provides EACH generation with the tools to decide their OWN destiny in their OWN time. Last I heard, the Legislature consisted of elected representatives and not of representatives selected and appointed by a deity- in Louisiana too! At this pace, perhaps we won't have an election in 2008 -- we'll have a King or Queen duly appointed by the infallible transmission of divine wisdom given to the Righteous Church of the United States.

Good luck, younger ones! Think slowly and carefully about a future which you are even now helping to build! Will it be Just? Will it honor liberty? Will it be dignified? Will each have access to develop their humanity as fully as they can?

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Does ANYONE like this man?
Posted by: monnet on Mar 12, 2008 10:54 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Absolutely disgusting man and a waste of space. I support post-natal abortion in his case.

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