Tag Archives: Mother Jones

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Redefining rape? a repost and reminder


when you vote! #VoteBlueToSaveYourRights

Dear MoveOn member,

Think “no” means “no”?

Well, 173 members of Congress don’t.

A far-reaching anti-choice bill, introduced by Republican Chris Smith and supported by 173 members of the House, includes a provision that could redefine rape and set women’s rights back by decades.1

Right now, federal dollars can’t be used for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the woman’s life is in danger.

But according to the New York Times, the Smith bill would narrow that use to “cases of ‘forcible’ rape but not statutory or coerced rape.”2 This could mean cases where women are “drugged or given excessive amounts of alcohol, rapes of women with limited mental capacity, and many date rapes” would no longer count as rape.3

As far too many women know, bruises and broken bones do not define rape—a lack of consent does. The Smith bill is scary. And with 173 supporters it already has a frightening chance of passage—unless the public speaks up right away with an outcry that can’t be ignored.

Can you sign the petition to Congress today, demanding they oppose the sexist, anti-choice Smith bill? >> http://pol.moveon.org

Federal funds are already severely restricted when it comes to reproductive rights and women’s health care, a situation that ends up hurting lower-income women in particular, who tend to use federally-funded services more often than wealthy women. The last thing we ought to be doing is legislating to make these laws more stringent.

In addition, the Smith bill is full of dangerous anti-choice provisions as well as the rape redefinition. Called “Stupak on Steroids” by NARAL Pro-Choice America in reference to Rep. Bart Stupak‘s failed attempt to push stringent restrictions on insurance coverage for abortion during the health care debate, it would “force millions of American families to pay more taxes if their health plan covers abortion care, jeopardizing abortion coverage in the private market.”4

The Smith bill is just the first of many attacks on women’s rights to come in the new GOP-controlled House.5 If it moves forward, it would set an incredibly dangerous precedent for GOP action in the House for the next two years.

Can you sign the petition asking Congress to denounce the Smith bill to redefine rape?

http://pol.moveon.org

Thanks for all you do.

–Kat, Eli, Milan, Carrie, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “The House GOP’s Plan to Redefine Rape,” Mother Jones, January 28, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205936&id=25965-9640874-dbC4j7x&t=5

“Stupak on Steroids,” The Hill, January 25, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205938&id=25965-9640874-dbC4j7x&t=6

2. “The Two Abortion Wars: A Highly Intrusive Federal Bill,” New York Times, January 29, 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/opinion/30sun1.html

3. “The House GOP’s Plan to Redefine Rape,” Mother Jones, January 28, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205936&id=25965-9640874-dbC4j7x&t=7

“Stupak on Steroids,” The Hill, January 25, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205938&id=25965-9640874-dbC4j7x&t=8

5. Ibid.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Back to the back alley? In Memory of Women’s Rights taken and a reminder

1 Comment

The Post below originated in 2011, it’s tough to say, but Republicans back then actually walked this “redefining Rape” Bill, but the Republicans of today, conservatives in SCOTUS have jumped their lanes from being the highest court in the land supposedly providing checks and balances to telling Society what they can and cannot do! Instead, they have taken away the Rights of Voters, POC, Blacks, and Women without so much as a blink of how their rulings impact the Nation, thus tossing it into chaos … is that their job? How many feel less safe since trump packed the Court with his Justices while the elder conservatives took a deep dive into behavior that probably needs an Ethics investigation, but conservatives seem to have tossed out their Oaths! SCOTUS should be on the side of Checks and Balances, but America is far from that perfect Union when all we see is a chaotic attempt at forcing folks to live an extremely conservative lifestyle… 

Rape has increased since the conservatives in SCOTUS and Congress decided Women basically had no Reproductive Rights 

Big news: Thanks in part to you and the 581,053 others who signed the “Redefining Rape?” petition, the Republicans are back-pedaling from their attempt to redefine rape.1 Your support made a real difference.protectwomen'shc

But this legislation is still terrible for women. Rep. Carolyn Maloney called it “the deepest attack on a woman’s right to choose in my lifetime.”2 Expert Jessica Arons said it would “accomplish the unstated end of making abortion as difficult to obtain as possible without actually criminalizing it.”3Womenshc

Among other things, the bill would effectively prevent women from using their own money to purchase insurance that includes abortion coverage in the new insurance exchanges. Experts warn this could lead to insurance companies dropping abortion coverage entirely.4aroomofmenscrewswomen

And it’s only one part of the Republicans’ attack on women’s health. A second bill would allow hospitals to let a pregnant woman die rather than perform the abortion that would save her life.5It’s reprehensible. We can’t let the GOP force women back into the back alley. You stood up against the disgusting “forcible rape” provision—now can you stand together to tell Congress to oppose these attacks on women’s right to choose by signing the petition below?Womenrpreexistingcon

http://pol.moveon.org/wontgoback/?id=26019-17809870-opCKlFx&t=3 The petition says: “Stop the GOP war on women’s health. Please oppose the bills that would restrict abortion coverage and erode a keepabortionlegalwoman’s right to choose.”

On Tuesday, local MoveOn members in “We Won’t Go Back to the Back Alley” T-shirts will deliver your petitions during a hearing on Capitol Hill. Anti-choice activists are sure to be out in full force at the hearing, so we need a huge stack of names to show Congress and the news media that voters won’t stand for this attack.

These GOP bills are a full-throated attack on women’s reproductive freedoms. Their legislation would:6

Effectively ban abortion coverage in the new health insurance exchanges even if people pay for coverage with their own money.

Impose tax penalties on small businesses that pay for health plans that cover abortion and people who pay for abortion care.

Force the District of Columbia to impose all of the above laws, instead of letting the city decide its own laws.

Permanently ban abortion care for women insured by the government.

And a recently added provision is perhaps the most disgusting: allowing hospitals to deny a woman a life-saving abortion. If this bill passes, hospitals will be allowed to turn away a woman seeking an abortion, even if she’ll die without it—a major change from current law.7

Will you sign the petition today and stand up for a woman’s right to choose?

Don’t let the GOP send us back to the back alley. Sign the petition and share with your friends today:

http://pol.moveon.org/wontgoback/?id=26019-17809870-opCKlFx&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Kat, Eli, Milan, Carrie, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “House Republicans drop controversial ‘forcible rape’ language,” CNN, February 3, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205960&id=26019-17809870-opCKlFx&t=5

2. “Democratic Reps. Unimpressed With New House Abortion Bill,” Talking Points Memo, February 3, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205966&id=26019-17809870-opCKlFx&t=6

3. “Extreme Abortion Coverage Ban Introduced,” Center for American Progress, January 20, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205961&id=26019-17809870-opCKlFx&t=7

4. “An Analysis of the Implications of the Stupak/Pitts Amendment for Coverage of Medically Indicated Abortions,” The George Washington University Medical Center, School of Public Health & Health Services, November 16, 2009

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205972&id=26019-17809870-opCKlFx&t=8  (PDF)    

“Study: Stupak Amendment Will Eliminate Abortion Coverage ‘Over Time For All Women,'” Tal king Points Memo, November 18, 2009

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205973&id=26019-17809870-opCKlFx&t=9

“A Quick Note on the ‘No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,'” Mother Jones, January 20, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205975&id=26019-17809870-opCKlFx&t=10 

“Extreme Abortion Coverage Ban Introduced,” Center for American Progress, January 20, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205961&id=26019-17809870-opCKlFx&t=11 

5. “New GOP Bill Would Allow Hospitals To Let Women Die Instead Of Having An Abortion,” Talking Points Memo, February 4, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205974&id=26019-17809870-opCKlFx&t=12

6. “Extreme Abortion Coverage Ban Introduced,” Center for American Progress, January 20, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205961&id=26019-17809870-opCKlFx&t=13

7. “New GOP Bill Would Allow Hospitals To Let Women Die Instead Of Having An Abortion,” Talking Points Memo, February 4, 2011

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/new-gop-law-would-allow-hospitals-to-let-women-die-instead-of-having-an-abortion.php.

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Stop the violence. End “Shoot First”. A reminder


Jordan Russell Davis didn’t have to die.

A 17 year-old Black teenager was shot in a Jacksonville convenience store parking lot after a dispute over loud music.1 He died in his friend’s arms. The shooter, Michael David Dunn, has pleaded “Not Guilty” and is expected to invoke Florida‘s “Shoot First” law, claiming the killing was a justifiable homicide.2

Nearly 33,000 ColorOfChange members took action earlier this year and told their state government officials to fight back against “Shoot First” laws. Please add your voice today and when you do, ask your friends and family to do the same.

“Shoot First” laws, sometimes called “Stand Your Ground” laws, were thrust into the national spotlight following the killing of Trayvon Martin. Unless these laws are repealed, our communities will continue to lose our young people to avoidable tragedies.

“Stand Your Ground” laws have proliferated around the country thanks to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and its deep-pocketed supporters at the National Rifle Association (NRA). Half of the members of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” task force, charged with reviewing the state’s law in the aftermath of the Martin killing, are ALEC members.3 Unsurprisingly, that task force recently found no problem with “Stand Your Ground” despite clear and compelling evidence that the law is racially discriminatory. “Homicides involving white shooters and Black victims are 11 times more likely to be deemed “justifiable” than those where the scenario is reversed.”4

Below is our original outreach calling on state government officials to oppose “Shoot First” laws where they are under consideration and repeal them where they are in place. Join nearly 33,000 ColorOfChange members and fight back today.

Thanks and peace,

— Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Kim, Johnny, Charlene and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
December 1st, 2012

1. “The Killing of Jordan Russell Davis,” The Atlantic, 11-28-2012
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/1974?t=4&akid=2727.1174326.zaXTMZ

2. “Black teen’s shooting revives ‘Stand Your Ground’ debate,” MSNBC, 11-28-2012
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/1975?t=6&akid=2727.1174326.zaXTMZ

3. “Half The Lawmakers On Florida ‘Stand Your Ground’ Task Force Are ALEC Members, All Supported Stand Your Ground,” Think Progress, 04-20-2012
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/1976?t=8&akid=2727.1174326.zaXTMZ

4. “8 Months After Trayvon: “Stand Your Ground” Law Deemed Just Fine by Florida,” Mother Jones, 11-16-2012
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/1977?t=10&akid=2727.1174326.zaXTMZ

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GottaRegister.com : GottaVote.com


Sep 27, 2012 by    
Mitt Romney:

“There are 47% of the people who will vote for the president no matter what …”

“… who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it …”

“… And they will vote for this president no matter what …”

“… And so my job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”

 

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Should rape and incest survivors be forced to prove that they were assaulted to the IRS?


Should rape and incest survivors be forced to prove to the IRS that they were assaulted?

What kind of question is that?

But a bill proposed by anti-choice lawmakers in Congress could force many sexual assault survivors to do just that.1

The bill would impose tax penalties on small businesses and individuals who buy abortion coverage with their own money—with exceptions only for cases of rape, incest, or when a woman’s life is in danger.2

The result? Survivors of rape and incest who seek abortion care could be forced to detail their assaults and provide proof to IRS investigators.3

Reliving a horrific sexual assault to the police and in court is awful enough. Forcing women to prove that they were assaulted to IRS investigators is simply inhumane.

Tell Congress to stand up against this terrible bill—and speak out against the Republican war on women. Sign the petition today

http://pol.moveon.org/noaudits/?id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=4

Despite campaigning on job creation, Republicans have focused their agenda this year on attacking the rights and well-being of women. From pushing several anti-choice bills to cutting billions from health care, food aid, child care, and education, their attacks constitute nothing less than a full-scale war on women.

But as we saw earlier this year, a huge outcry can have a big impact. When Republicans included a provision in the original version of this bill that redefined rape—which said that only “forcible” rape counted when it came to using federal dollars for abortion care—they faced a huge backlash, and eventually removed that term.4

Now, the new version of the bill is out—and as Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, put it, “This bill gets more outrageous and insulting by the day. Not only would a woman have to describe her sexual assault to the police, but she could then be forced to relive that horrifying experience with an agent from the IRS.”5

Republicans clearly have no boundaries when it comes to attacking women’s rights. But just like when they attempted to redefine rape, we can stop them—and their bill—if we all speak out.

Can you sign the petition today? Just click below—and share this email with your friends, family, and social networks today.

Thanks for all you do.

–Kat, Wes, Joan, Peter, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “GOP Bill Would Force IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits,” Mother Jones, March 18, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207116&id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=5

2. “H.R. 3: A Dangerous and Misleading Bill that Threatens Women’s Health,'” National Women’s Law Center, March 2, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207136&id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=6

3. “GOP Bill Would Force IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits,” Mother Jones, March 18, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207116&id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=7

4. “Pro-Choice Advocates: GOP’s Revised Abortion Bill Remains ‘Extremely Harmful’ To Women,” The Huffington Post, March 3, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207117&id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=8

5. “GOP Bill Would Force IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits,” Mother Jones, March 18, 2011

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=207116&id=26652-17809870-pwT7nvx&t=9