On Thursday May 19, 2011, our esteemed Governor Perry signed the Abortion Sonogram Bill into Law for the state of Texas. It will take affect this coming September 1st. Thursday was a sad day, though not an unexpected day, because I never had any pie-in-the-sky ideas that it would not actually become law this time around, not with all of those, “Don’t Tread on Me,” people that were just elected to go along with the others that were already there, zealously anticipating their arrival. Our Governor of the Unnaturally Wide Shoulders and Good Hair is now planning a “formal signing ceremony” for sometime in the near future so he can thank all of the dear people that just got through treading all over the rights of women; on Doctor-patient privilege; on right to privacy; and, not to mention, on the Roe v Wade decision.
To make matters worse a month ago, under the guise of budget cutting, then re-appropriating the monies to autism; children’s mental health services; EMS and trauma care; early childhood intervention services; services for the deaf and blind, you get the picture, the House passed a bill stripping $61 million from family planning agencies that provide abortions. (http://www.texasrighttolife.com/action/FSYRUOZWPB31/Texas-Right-to-Life-removes-61M-tax-funds-from-abortion-industry) Can you say Planned Parenthood? Now it looks like the Senate will adopt the same damn bill, after first saying it would not. Spineless wimps! Also, a bill to re-authorize the Medicaid Women’s Health Program (which is a 9 to 1 Federal Dollar match, let me repeat that 9 to 1 Federal Dollar match) is dead. (http://www.texastribune.org/texas-legislature/82nd-legislative-session/family-planning-programs-face-cuts/) This program provides breast exams and other types of cancer screening for women that cannot otherwise afford to go to a private doctor. Why, you may ask? Because Planned Parenthood provides these services, that’s why.
The following are some quotes I ran across in the above Texas Tribune article from Elizabeth Graham of Texas Right to Life.
The following are some quotes I ran across in the above Texas Tribune article from Elizabeth Graham of Texas Right to Life.
" …women and teens should not be going to facilities that are also in the abortion business for these services." Who appointed that, that, that, THING the guardian of all women and decide where they go for medical attention?
"Furthermore, access to women's health services is available at over 300 clinics and offices across the state; these agencies are clean and not affiliated with the abortion industry." Really? 300 whole clinics to service the family planning and medical needs of the women of the state of Texas. Yeah, that should be enough. Glad to hear they are"clean."
"The first rule in war is to sever the enemy's supply line.” War? Is that really how they see this? No wonder they are bombing clinics and assassinating Doctors.
"The enemy in our culture war is the huge billion-dollar abortion industry." Now this is the biggest lie, “huge billion-dollar abortion industry.” How does this woman live with herself, much less sleep at night? Oh, right, prescription drugs.
Once all of these ridiculous cuts are made to Planned Parenthood and the like, women and families will be cut off from reliable, inexpensive contraceptives, cancer screenings, pre-natal care, and yes, safe abortions (which are not tax payer funded) there will then be a huge increase of preventable deaths. However, the right to life people will never see these dying people as worthy of inclusion in their right to live club.
On the bright side, or at least as bright as things can get in this right-wing dominated state, of things here in Texas, it looks as if the Sanctuary Cities Bill is dead for this session. However, the Homeland Security Bill is its replacement, which has some problems of its own, not the least of which, involves turning the DPS into INS. It looks as if there are enough sane people in Austin who realize that, not only the economy of this state, but of many others, depends on getting people who are willing to work extremely hard for very little money. That does not describe the American worker, not yet at least. The Koch brothers haven’t been able to accomplish that part of their plan, so far.
Did you happen to catch the video of one of the Presidential limos get stuck leaving the embassy in Ireland yesterday? Wow what a loud clank that armored baby makes. You have to admit it was funny, but I bet the Secret Service didn’t think so. http://www.khou.com/video/featured-videos/Exit-ramp-puts-Obama-motorcade-limo-in-limbo-122486239.html
For those of you counting the days, the new adjusted date for the beginning of the end of the world, according to preacher Harold Camping out in CA, is October 21, 2011, not May 21, 2011, as he said before. I think in his new conference he said something like, “Oh, my bad. Sorry for all you people that spent all of your life savings, but if you can just hold on for another five months, and contribute any extra money you happen to bring in between now and then to my poor struggling church and radio station so we can continue to broadcast the end date…” Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s how his news conference went.
UPDATE: What the crazy preacher actually said is far better than what I made up, here’s a link.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/national_world&id=8147320
All I can say is real life really can be funnier than fiction.
