McCain Doesn’t Know if He Supports Contraception

February 26, 2008 · Filed Under Politics ·

condoms I bring up John McCain on here quite a bit; the reason for that is because the more I read about him, the more I’m convinced that he just cannot be the Republican candidate for president. The more this man speaks, the more he makes even extreme right wingers look like peace-loving hippies. He makes Ann Coulter look liberal!

I am convinced that John McCain has absolutely no thoughts of his own and is simply taking the ideals of other people and of the current president and thinks to himself “Well it worked for them and so I think I feel that way, too!” His thought process depicts more of how a 13 year old teenage girl thinks and acts when trying to fit in with the cool crowd at school. Example A: McCain isn’t sure if he supports condoms.

We know that McCain supports abstinence-only sex education, as does the current president although it has been statistically proven to be ineffective. However, his case gets even worse when he was recently asked if he believes that US taxpayer’s money should go to fund contraception to prevent AIDS in Africa. This was his response:

“Well I think it’s a combination. The guy I really respect on this is Dr. Coburn. He believes — and I was just reading the thing he wrote — that you should do what you can to encourage abstinence where there is going to be sexual activity. Where that doesn’t succeed, then he thinks that we should employ contraceptives as well. But I agree with him that the first priority is on abstinence. I look to people like Dr. Coburn. I’m not very wise on it.”

Coburn, whom John McCain speaks of is the Republican Senator of Oklahoma; he has also been said to support death sentences for abortion providers so it is no surprise that McCain would be such a fan of his.

In the first part of McCain’s response he says that we need to encourage abstinence where there is going to be sexual activity. This is an insanely broad statement because it brings up the question of consenting adults. If two, consenting adults were to engage in sexual activity, does he believe they shouldn’t and that they should abstain? In all cases of sexual activity whatsoever, McCain believes that we must not give into temptation!

The last section of his response is a bit odd…How can you not be educated when it comes to contraception? While he may be cleverly trying to back up his broad abstinence remark and make us believe that he waited until marriage until engaging in sexual activity, which I believe to be highly unlikely; or that he is still a virgin, which again, is even more unlikely, how can you sincerely not have an opinion on funding contraception in Africa?

When asked about grants for sex education in the US and if they should include information on contraceptives, or if it should strictly be Bush’s policy, which is abstinence education and nothing more, McCain answered that “he thinks he supports the president’s policy.”

He thinks he supports the president’s policy. How can a grown, 71 year old man not know if he supports contraception? In the first question, he stated that when abstinence is not possible, we should then employ contraceptives. In this response, he takes that statement back by saying that we shouldn’t even educate people about contraception. Does he know what contraception is? Is he aware of what condoms are? If we took him to a store and asked him to point out a box of condoms, would he know where to go or what they look like?

When asked if he would agree that condoms stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, McCain refuses to answer, yet asks for Coburn’s paper regarding the subject so he knows what stance he has on it:

(Twelve-second pause) “Get me Coburn’s thing, ask Weaver to get me Coburn’s paper that he just gave me in the last couple of days. I’ve never gotten into these issues before.”

I still cannot wrap my mind around the fact that he claims that he has never gotten into issues of contraception and sex education before and in the process, admits that he has no real opinion on it and relies on the thoughts of other extreme Republicans for his thoughts on issues. I guess when it comes to these issues he was betting on just being able to say “pro-life” about a thousand times and he would be in the clear. Is he aware that abortion has to do with sex, which then has to do with the option of contraception? I can see him counseling women out of abortion now–”Well you should have just abstained from having sex in the first place. What do you mean ‘the condom broke,’ they can do that?”

Sorry John, we want answers this time and how about a presidential candidate with their own damn thoughts, would that be too hard?

Tags: 2008 election, abstinence-only, Africa, Ann Coulter, contraception, family planning, John McCain, sex education

McCain on Choice: Title X and Counseling on Abortion

February 18, 2008 · Filed Under Politics ·

family planning After a little break, we’re back to John McCain’s anti-choice record.

John McCain, an uber-conservative (for those who still think he’s in any way pro-choice) voted to permit federally funded Title X family planning clinics to decline to counsel women on abortion services.

Title X family planning clinics have served as health care facilities for typically young and low-income women for 30 years; one of the most-recognizable Title X clinics is Planned Parenthood, which makes up 14 percent of Title X projects. Their goal, as health care providers, is to educate women in this country on how to be safe when it comes to sex, avoid unintended pregnancies, and make education and services readily available to the women who need them.

These clinics offer a wide range of information and health care to women who need their services. They offer birth control, emergency contraception, literature and testing for sexually transmitted infections and diseases, education on how to prevent unintended pregnancies, pregnancy tests and screenings for breast and cervical cancer. The best thing about these clinics, in my opinion, is that absolutely no one is turned away from receiving the health care and/or education they need because of inability to pay.

Since Title X is federally funded, a law has been placed in Section 1008 of the law saying that Title X funds cannot be used “in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.” In other words, Title X funds cannot be used to provide abortions. However, Title X projects must offer women neutral and factual information, non-directive counseling and referrals upon request for all of their pregnancy options, including prenatal care and delivery, infant care, foster care or adoption and abortion.

Senator John McCain voted in favor of Title X projects not even counseling women on abortion, as if the option didn’t even exist anymore. If you are pregnant and go into Planned Parenthood, a reproductive health care facility located in a hospital, which make up six percent of Title X projects or health department, 57 percent, and are seeking information about your options as far as pregnancy or not going through with your pregnancy, John McCain voted to make Title X projects refuse to even bring up the option of abortion. In his eyes you have two choices–you are either delivering and raising the child or delivering and giving the child up for adoption.

It’s no secret that McCain wants to abolish reproductive freedom for women, but to insist of closing the door on even the thought of terminating pregnancy is ridiculous. It is saying that McCain, along with the rest of the anti-choice brigade do not believe in women. They do not support or even like women unless they are in their place and doing what the conservative agenda believes is right. They do not trust women to make informed decisions about their own bodies but would love to force them into delivering and raising a child that they are either not ready for, in a matter of financial stability or mentality, or simply do not want. But we went over the reasons for this in the last McCain on Choice post. The more low-income children born to low-income mothers or families, the more future troops we have to carry out our world domination agenda.

Tags: 2008 election, anti-choice, family planning, John McCain, low income women, Planned Parenthood, Title X, world domination

For a Better Understanding

January 23, 2008 · Filed Under Reproductive Rights ·

I came across a fantastic documentary last night while poking around online a bit. Via Jezebel, I read about a broadcast that aired on Frontline in 1983.

The documentary won the 1983 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy Award for Outstanding Background/Analysis of a Single Current Story. Even today, 25 years after the date it had originally aired, is a fantastic source of education when it comes to what an abortion is, how it’s performed, what women feel before, during, and after they get an abortion, how the abortion provider feels, the counseling that the women who are seeking abortions receive before the procedure, and what others are doing to try to stop women from seeking abortions all together.

In the video, the “doctor” who is basically running a halfway house for pregnant women, seems a bit creepy to me.

“Yes, you’re pregnant and I don’t want you to get an abortion, so come live with me along with several other women I’ve recruited through my intimidating tactics! And did I mention that my wife is also fully skilled in talking women out of having control over their own reproductive systems? Oh yes, and on Saturdays we all make signs about how the decision you were going to make is “murder” and go hold up signs–that young children also helped us make–and pray outside of the clinic that you were going to go get your abortion performed at. But don’t worry, you made the right decision because it coincides with our religious background!”

Click on the picture below to watch the full documentary!

Tags: anti-abortion extremism, documentary, education, family planning, films, Frontline

Blog for Choice 2008

January 22, 2008 · Filed Under Reproductive Rights ·

Today is the 35th anniversary of Roe v Wade. 35 years ago abortion was made legal for all women and now, 35 years later, it is important to celebrate this day in history as well as continue to educate ourselves and each other about safe sex and contraception and the right to safe and legal health care.

Celebrating Roe this year is extremely important, especially since 2007 initiated quite a few new abortion bans and even more that are on their way to passing. These points have marked the undeniable war that politicians, anti-abortion and religious organizations, and extremists have declared on women’s rights.

With the elections coming up and the possible overturn of Roe v Wade due to the Republican side of the presidential candidates, all of whom who vote to overturn legislature that gives women the right and control over their own bodies, it is very important to take a closer look at these candidates and choose to vote pro-choice.

I vote pro-choice because I believe in women and I believe that women are capable of making their own informed decisions about what they can and cannot do to their own bodies. I vote pro-choice because women are smart and educated and they deserve to choose for themselves whether or not to go through a pregnancy. I vote pro-choice because no other person–women, and definitely not men, have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body. I vote pro-choice because I believe that every child should be wanted.

It is important to vote for the candidate who will protect the rights of women because no matter what the laws say, women will continue to have abortions. Before Roe v Wade was passed women had abortions and women died in tremendous and tragic numbers. It is important to realize that abortions will always occur and it is imperative to protect the lives of the people of this country. It is imperative to ensure that all women will have access to safe health care and not doing so is simply turning your back on the people who live in this country and saying that you do not care and that your religious views mean more than their lives.

It is ridiculous to assume that because of your personal morals, that you and your opinions hold more weight than 35 years of helping women live the lives that they want for themselves. That your opinions mean more than the rape and incest survivors who sought abortions and not being able to receive that health care would in turn jeopardize their lives and overall wellbeing. The outright arrogance that goes on in this country and in the minds of extremists who are willing to jeopardize the lives of so many women to “save” an unborn fetus is absolutely disgusting. By voting for a candidate who will do what it takes to save Roe v Wade and save the lives of so many women, you will be saying that no, women will not go back 35 years in time and that no, women do not deserve to die in the streets after receiving a botched abortion because they were that desperate not to go through 9 months of pregnancy and birth a child that is not wanted. Each and every single child should be a wanted child and by voting for a candidate who supports that, that is exactly how it will continue to be in America.

So on this 35th anniversary of Roe v Wade, we must ask ourselves, how important are the lives of women? What will we do to ensure that women will not have to resort back to back-alley abortion days?

Tags: 2008 election, Blog for Choice, Blog for Choice 2008, family planning, Roe v Wade

Have You Ever Taken Plan B?

January 19, 2008 · Filed Under Reproductive Rights ·

Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that in August of 2006, was FDA approved for over the counter sale to people over 18 years of age. However, only if you live in these 9 states, you may now get this emergency contraceptive directly at the pharmacy without visiting a clinic beforehand–Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Washington, and Vermont.

This emergency contraceptive is given to women to prevent pregnancy who have either had unprotected sex, if the means of protection that you used during sex failed, or if you were forced to have sex. When plan A fails, you have Plan B.

So the question is–Have you ever taken Plan B? If so, please take this survey, put out by AED, the Academy for Educational Development and it is all 100% anonymous.

And if the reason why you had taken Plan B is triggering or if this survey brings on triggers, please visit RAINN.

Tags: contraception, family planning, Plan B