The DNC seems to be bringing out all the protesters. Including the protesters who feel that both the number of (1) women killed by a lack of access to reproductive healthcare, and (2) the number of car accidents stemming from drivers being distracted by giant fetuses, are far below what we, as a nation, could achieve.
(Disturbing fetus picture below the cut.)
That’s actually on the side of a truck. It’s tricky taking cell phone photos out of a car while you’re trying to drive.
Note how the fetus appears to be in the process of being literally dismembered by a quarter-dollar coin, thus symbolizing the inherently cannibalistic nature of capitalism (or possibly ascribing it to George Washington, personally). That may in fact be a reference to the actual genocide of Native Americans, which Operation Rescue likes to talk about never. Note also how the dismembered fetus’ hand is reaching across Washington’s face and throat, no doubt invoking the very real danger of zombie fetus attack that today hangs over the head of every American.
They were also holding signs over the highway today (I pulled my cell out and swung around, but they were gone), and a few days ago at Cherry Creek (Denver’s hoitey-toitey mall), my girlfriend had to bike past a large group of anti-choicers, comfortably ensconced in the warmth of their giant fetus signs.
So, Operation Rescue and Justice for All are here because Obama professes a modicum of respect for women as people who ought to have access to health care, even reproductive health care, even if looks kinda gross (but not too gross). That’s not really news. But they’re also here to agitate for the passage of Ammendment 48, a ballot initiative to amend Colorado’s constitution to define any fertilized egg as a person with all the legal rights and entailments of personhood. It’s primarily backed by funeral industry lobbyists, who are looking forward to vast growth thanks to the introduction of menstrual blood coffins. Oh, also, it would outlaw abortion and most forms of birth control, and if it passes will almost certainly be pushed as a legal challenge to Roe v. Wade.
I keep wavering between, “this thing will never pass,” and, “just enough people don’t even understand the thing that it could pass.” I’m hoping being accosted with fetuses will lead people to be more fed up with anti-choicers than anything else, and I’m hoping enough people actually do their minimal amount of reading or even skimming research before we amend the state constitution to say, explicitly, that if you’re a woman, your desires and life are much less important than a clump of cells that inconsiderately takes up residence in your uterus.
I’m not much for electoral politics, and I think a tunnel-vision focus on abortion rights is pretty unhelpful for actual reproductive justice, but seriously. Fuck. Any kind of reproductive justice is preceeded by the understanding and affirmation—and yes, sadly this includes the machinery of state”that women are actually people with desires, rights, and power. So no, you cannot assert by way of law that my value is as a walking baby factory, you fuckhead.
Ah, the fetusmobiles. I don’t normally go around crying that people should think of the children, but you’d think people so concerned with adorable small humans would give half a thought to the small children that truck drives past. There’s a time and a place for that shit.
better yet, ask a an anti-abortionist what percentage above 20% of their monthly salary they will be contributing to the rearing of the child they demand you carry to term. Then tell them you accept direct deposit.
Your patriarchy is but a figment of your imaginations. There never was a patriarchy.
ah…what?
adfdf: oh thank god! then I should be getting my check for the years and years of the back-owed remainder of the dollar that I wasn’t paid for working because I’m female soon, right?
HOT DAMN I can buy myself a Cadillac with that money!
I’m inspired. My new screen name is ;jkjkj.
There is no patriarchy. There has never been a patriarchy. Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia. Nothing to see here. Move along, move along. * wiggles fingers suggestively *
(I find it humorous that I didn’t even write the word “patriarchy” in the post.)
I think it’s that the patriarchy is supposed to be SECRET club. Rule one of the patriarchy is “There is no patriarchy”. Rule two is “There IS no patriarchy.”
OT: Violet, trying to get in touch with you, but I can’t figure out how to reach you. Mind popping me a note?