janegodzilla | warning: incoherent capslocking ahead

From Mother Jones: 9 Bills That Would Put Creationism in the Classroom

I have tried five times to write about this without devolving into utterly incoherent capslock rage, and it's, uh...it's not working. In fact, I seem to be completely incapable of writing about the current state of politics in my country without losing my fucking mind, because what's happening right now is ridiculous and frightening and I feel like I'm living in some Bizarro-world United States where up is down and words do not actually mean what they're supposed to mean because the GOP doesn't like the real meaning. Or something.

I'm currently sitting on a long, LONG post about my fear and anger and betrayal over what's happening with the GOP's attack on reproductive rights, and how this dovetails into my fear and anger and betrayal over what's happening in the US in general, but I just...ugh. I'm so hesitant about posting it. Because the thing is, I don't want to have to argue about this shit. I don't want to have to explain why the prospect of being denied a life-saving abortion if I get pregnant and develop early HELLP syndrome is so deeply frightening. I don't want to have to explain how nauseating it is that there are people who genuinely think it's a reasonable and good idea to propose legislation requiring investigation of miscarriages -- miscarriages! -- as potential "prenatal murders." I don't want to have to explain why, as a union employee, I find the idea of losing my bargaining rights and benefits so incredibly upsetting. Or why it's stupid and wrongheaded to insist that creationism is science (protip: if you can't test it in any way, shape, or form using the scientific method, it's NOT FUCKING SCIENCE) and require its presence in school curriculum. Or why it strikes me as so boneheaded that these are the things the GOP wants to push instead of, I don't know, WORKING TO FIX OUR BROKEN FUCKING ECONOMY.

I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like all of these things are...kind of self-evident? Like, golly gee, defunding National Public Radio? Why on earth would that be in any way upsetting when the majority of our broadcast news comes from stations owned by mega-corporations who have a vested interest in seeing their political interests protected? GOSH. That's not problematic at all!

anjdnsjfndjsjk

So, yeah, I don't want to argue. And I don't want to explain, and I guess that's why I'm mighty hesitant to post something that boils down to, "FEAR FEAR ANGER FEAR," more so than this entry even. So much of this stuff affects me -- like, personally affects me, to the point where I'm glad I live in a state like Oregon because Portland's population is big enough to skew voting in a liberal direction -- that it's pretty much impossible for me to be all cool and academic about what's happening right now.

(I was originally going to spend this entry complaining about an interview I'd read with Rep. Bill Zedler from Texas, where he blasted "evolutionists" for believing evolution happens by "random chance," and it made me so angry I couldn't see straight because he is SO WRONG, HE IS SO WRONG I CAN'T EVEN STAND IT, no one is arguing that evolution occurs by random chance because that's not how it fucking works. And then this entry happened instead, so. Um. You're welcome?)

((I have no idea how to end this.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And even when you explain, they can still go "but god says it's like that," and that's meant to cancel out logic. They're not interested in understanding. It's like smashing your head into a wall, only a lot more frustrating. :/

Don't get me started on the prenatal murder thing, either. Seriously, even in cases of, um, real murder, they take into account mens rea.

Sometimes women have miscarriages without even realising they're pregnant. And they're about as fun as being in a car accident. How someone can seriously suggest that a body not working properly, or a fetus not developing properly enough to stay alive is intentional-- and on the same level as murder-- is batshit insane.

I'm not just offended about this on behalf of women and on behalf of people who've been through miscarriage, but on behalf of everyone who's lost a loved one to homicide. Miscarriage SUCKS. But seriously, I don't think it's comparable in any way, shape or form to someone murdering someone who's here and alive.

And even when you explain, they can still go "but god says it's like that," and that's meant to cancel out logic.

One of the things I find endlessly frustrating is that it perpetuates the idea that belief in god and belief in science are mutually exclusive, and...they're not. Not even remotely! There are many great men and women of science who did/do believe in god (or some sort of spiritual entity, whatever you want to call it) and don't see any sort of conflict between their religious/spiritual views and the scientific world. Because science and religion are two separate things! Maybe an individual's views on one can inform and influence the other, but they're not the same.

To put it a little more flippantly, I don't demand that churches teach string theory and quantum physics in church as an "alternative" to religious dogma. Religious dogma has no place in scientific curriculum.

How someone can seriously suggest that a body not working properly, or a fetus not developing properly enough to stay alive is intentional-- and on the same level as murder-- is batshit insane.

When people called Rep. Bobby Franklin (from Georgia, the genius behind the bill in question) on this very thing, he hemmed and hawed and backtracked, saying that the bill was MEANT to be used as a rubric to rule out "human involvement," but the bill also never explained or defined what the fuck "human involvement" entails. It's also one of those bills that claims personhood begins at the moment of conception (ugh), so one could technically argue that using things that prevent implantation of a fertilized egg (like birth control pills or IUDs) is tantamount to murdering another human being in cold blood. Which is just...horrifying and mind-boggling to a degree that I can't even begin to explain.

That's one of the things that frightens me SO MUCH about a lot of the bills being proposed right now. Their wording is so terrifyingly vague that it would allow the laws to apply in ways they should never, EVER apply. Like the law that was on the table in South Dakota that would've essentially legalized the murder of abortion providers. It got shelved after everyone flipped their shit about it, but the fact that it was even under consideration in the first place is appalling. There's a lot of that happening right now. It's very, very scary.

(I think the miscarriage bill got shelved too, which is good...but it also seems like the outcry around the REALLY awful bills is being used to mask the passage of laws that are less outlandish but no less awful, like the one that just passed in South Dakota. Women now have to wait a mandatory 3 days and undergo "counseling" before they're allowed an abortion. There's only one Planned Parenthood in the whole state, so women who have to travel aaaaaall the way across the state either have to make several trips or they have to find a way to stay three days, which -- if you're working and don't have the money/resources to do this -- is going to make things damn near impossible.)

Miscarriage SUCKS. But seriously, I don't think it's comparable in any way, shape or form to someone murdering someone who's here and alive.

I have nothing to say to that except, "ABSOLUTELY," and "you are so very right."

You know what's funny? Before things started getting bad in the past several months, I never even thought of OB/GYN as a career track I might interested in. Now? Part of me really wants to go work for Planned Parenthood after I get my degree and my nursing license. I've been donating to them, but if this kind of shit keeps up (and if the GOP takes the presidency next year and the Senate in 2013, ugh ugh UGH) they're going to need more than just money -- they're going to need doctors and nurses willing to work for them as well.

Oh my god, long comment is LONG. Sorry about that.

Or why it strikes me as so boneheaded that these are the things the GOP wants to push instead of, I don't know, WORKING TO FIX OUR BROKEN FUCKING ECONOMY.

OMG BUT THEN THEY'D HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT BLAME IT ON OTHER PEOPLE???

all of this post is me. you could just write capslocks and i'd probably understand.

OMG BUT THEN THEY'D HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT BLAME IT ON OTHER PEOPLE???

This made me laugh, and then I felt sort of like crying.

all of this post is me. you could just write capslocks and i'd probably understand.

Ahhhhh, thank you bb. *clings to you* Writing about politics and current events scares me so much, because stuff like this is always stuff I have a really personal and emotional stake in and the thought of having to justify why I'm angry and afraid is just terrifying. :(

warning: incoherent capslocking ahead

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