Democratic Congressman from Michigan Gary Peters, who is currently running for a US Senate seat, opposed Michigan's "rape insurance" bill which was passed last December and took effect earlier this month. In a statement last week, Peters said: "As the father of two daughters, I struggle with how to tell them that the state we love and where our family has been for generations is now unfairly discriminating against them and makes health care less affordable."
Cue the hyperbolic anti-choice reaction:
Right to Life of Michigan — the right-wing group that was instrumental in getting the new law approved last winter — has seized on that sentiment. In a new website highlighting Peters' abortion policy positions, the group cites Peters' recent comments to assert that the pro-choice lawmaker "wants to make sure abortion is accessible and cheap for his daughters."In response, Peters reiterated his support for access to reproductive healthcare and asserted, "To include my teenage daughters in their attack crosses the line."
I like his response because he doesn't actually reject their contention. And nor should he. Because there's nothing wrong with wanting to make sure abortion is accessible and affordable for one's daughters, should they ever need to terminate a pregnancy. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, that's being a pretty good dad.
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