I support choice for a very simple reason: I want it. I want choice for myself, and I want choice for other people. And I trust those people to make the best choices for themselves. That's about the long and the short of it.
All the rest—the hand-wringing, the shaming, the religion, the exceptioneering, the assertions of certitude about when life begins—is just so much noise, just so much obfuscating bluster, just so many different ways of qualifying why, exactly, it is that women and other people with uteri supposedly aren't fit to make decisions for themselves about their reproduction.
I trust women, and the only question I have for someone who rejects choice is: Why don't you?
Pro-Choice
Best Wishes for Senator Mark Kirk
Republican US Senator Mark Kirk, from Illinois, suffered a stroke and is currently recovering from surgery at Northwestern.
"Get well soon" isn't particularly appropriate, as Kirk will likely have some long-term physical impairment from the stroke, though his doctors say his chances for a full cognitive recovery are good.
So I'm just going to wish him the best.
Fortunately, because he is a member of the US Senate, Mr. Kirk has excellent healthcare coverage.
[H/T to Shaker ASDkids2.]
Photo of the Day
Wow.
Warren Buffett Is Hilarious
Sometimes I just love Warren Buffet, I really do:
[Mitt Romney] makes his money the same way I make my money. He makes money by moving around big bucks, not by straining his back and going to work cleaning the toilets or whatever it may be. He makes it shoving around money. I make it shoving around money. If you look at the 400 highest incomes in the United States, they average $220 million. Something like 90 of them are effectively unemployed.LOL! It's funny because it's true.
Monday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by books.
Recommended Reading:
Eesha: Gabby Giffords Steps Down from Congress
Cecile: Women are Watching on Anniversary of Roe
Andy: [Content Note: This post is an update on the Cleveland, Texas gang rape case which has been previously discussed at Shakesville] Teen Rapist Says Gay Taunts Pressured Him Into It
Crunklife: Culo, Coffee and Crime: More on Disrespectability Politics
Tami: [Content Note: Violent homophobia.] Tracy Morgan's Homophobia Shouldn't Be Comedy Fodder
Kendra: On a Wing and a (Box-Office) Prayer: The Racialicious Review of Red Tails
Angry Asian Man: Jason Statham Saves the Asians Again in Safe
Mustang Bobby: Neutral Jeb
Leave your links and recommendations in comments...
Quote of the Day
"President Obama's record of support for abortion is radical and extreme."—Rick Santorum, in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal about his unassailable anti-choiceyness.
LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! Etc.
If only!
I can't imagine a better way to celebrate the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade than with a presidential election in which a candidate who has remained silent while a record number of anti-abortion restrictions have been passed all across the country is cast as a "radical and extreme" defender of abortion rights by a candidate who would consign women to forced pregnancies and unsafe abortions and calls himself pro-life.
What a great country we live in!
By the way, there are loads of great quotes in that piece. I also really loved this one: "I am disappointed that President Obama, who rightfully fights for civil rights, refuses to recognize the civil rights of the unborn in his country."
Yes, how terrible. So let us elect someone who doesn't give a flying flunderton about the civil rights of half the nation's population. Awesome.
Primarily Awful
![Republican U.S. presidential candidate and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich is pictured at his South Carolina primary election night rally in Columbia, South Carolina, January 21, 2012. [Reuters Pictures]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v642/shakespeares_sister/shakes3/610x-43.jpg "Oof.")
WOWEE WOW! Are you all still hungover from celebrating Newt Gingrich's big win in South Carolina this weekend?! What an upset! He really turned things around with that fiery debate performance last week, during which he attracted the support of the Moral Values brigade by getting indignant at being questioned about his lack of moral values. COOL! So cool, you Republican voters!
It's really neat how Newt Gingrich first won the hearts of the nation's conservatives by attacking President Bill Clinton over an affair, and now he wins their hearts again by acting like such attacks are vile & outrageous! Wowwwwww!
I also love how the professional lobbyist and highly-compensated corporate shill with multiple lines of credit at Tiffany's has managed to convince poor working people that he's definitely the candidate everyone wants to have two fingers of 50-Year Chivas Regal Royal Salute with.
"I just really think Newt cares about the common man. It's like he gets me, you know? I feel like he wants to open his marriage...for ME!"—Some South Carolina primary voter, probably.
If Newt's win teaches us anything, besides how suddenly close we are to having a president who shares his name with an amphibian, it's that the most important attribute for any GOP candidate is still abject shamelessness.
Also: Endorsements from Chuck Norris help for sure!
Mitt Romney, who did not expect this egregious insult on his way to losing to President Obama, is undoubtedly very upset today, because he can't tell if he lost mostly because Newt Gingrich is a race-baiting fuckhead who's still using the Southern Strategy to winning effect, or because he's a Mormon. He's definitely sure it has something to do with Republican primary voters being bigots, but obviously it's important to know which kind, so he can decide whether to amp up the race-baiting or convert to Southern Bapmethodluthercostalism.
In other news, Romney has decided to copy Newt Gingrich's well-known strategy of expressing contempt for democracy by telling protestors at a rally to "take a hike."
At one point during his outdoor rally at a building supply company, Romney was interrupted by protesters chanting, "We are the people." He quickly dismissed them."I believe in free speech so SHUT UP!" Ha ha, smooth move, Ex-Lax.
"No, actually, these are the people," Romney shouted back. "These are the people; you're the interrupters. We believe in the Constitution. We believe in the right to speech. And you believe in interrupting. Take a hike."
So, for those of you keeping score: Corporations are people, but dissenters aren't. And corporate donations are speech, but interrupting isn't. All righty then.
Something something Ron Paul. Go to hell, Ron Paul.
Speaking of hell! [Content Note: Homophobia.] Rick Santorum sure is BFFs with some world-class homophobes! Check out this full-tilt fuckneck, who says that homosexuality is the "paramount of sins" (which must be why Jesus talked about it ALL THE NEVER) and is "something so nasty and disgusting that it makes God want to vomit." LOL!
True Fact: Hailstorms are God vomiting after watching gay porn. I bet you thought it was angels pooping, but you're wrong.
Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.
Joe Paterno Died
[Content Note: This post includes discussion of rape apologia.]
This weekend, former Penn State football coach, Joe Paterno, who recently vacated his long-time position after allegations he did nothing to stop assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's rape of children, died.
There are literally hundreds of obits wringing their hands about his complicated legacy. And those of us who don't feel inclined to mitigate his role in perpetuating sexual abuse of children by remembering his great career in college football are being accused of disallowing his loved ones from being able to mourn in peace.
Well.
I have only this to say: If Joe Paterno's family finds it difficult to have to hear about how he abetted child rape, they have no one to blame but Joe Paterno for the terrible decisions he made.
Jerry Sandusky's victims haven't had the luxury of peace while thinking about any of the men who ran the Penn State football program, where institutional sexual violence was allowed to continue after its discovery.
Nothing's fair about sexual violence.
But let us be honest about the fact that Joe Paterno's family, friends, and colleagues could, today, be recalling among his other successes the time he was a hero who stopped a child predator in his tracks. The reason they're not is because Joe Paterno made the choice to value football over the safety of children.
Forgive me if I don't find it in me to acknowledge his love of the game, his dedication to the sport, his legendary relationship with the Penn State football program, when it was these very things that he privileged over doing what's right.
I do wish my condolences to those who loved him, even as I argue for the right to acknowledge that which may be hard for them.
And I wish Jerry Sandusky's victims some measure of peace.
This is a real thing in the world
Ron Paul action figures! Only $94.95! Each! Fully clothed!
Comes equipped with mini US Constitution (the "good parts" version)!
Sunday Shuffle
This is one of my favorites by this duo--who I'm going to see in concert tonight (I shuffled a playlist, lol)!
How about you?
Open Thread
Hosted by Edelweiss.
This week's open threads have been brought to you by albums I bought in high school.
Bonus Weekend Cute
We had eight inches of snow here yesterday during our first serious winter storm of the year. Today, however, was a beautiful sunny day, and the dogs and I had all kinds of fun running around in the backyard. I do love a good gorgeous winter day.
Video Description: Dudley and Zelly run around the backyard, through piles of snow that somehow don't even slow them down in the slightest.
That was at the tail-end (very punny!) of a burst of energy that sent Dudley around the yard at top speed for dozens of laps. He just loves running around in the snow. And Zelly loves chasing him. She also has enormous amounts of fun burying her wee muzzle in a snow drift then looking up at me with snow all over her face, sending me into gales of laughter.
For those who can't view video, here are some still pix:
Zelda
Dudz
The Virtual Pub Is Open
[Explanations: lol your fat. pathetic anger bread. hey your gay.]
TFIF, Shakers!
Belly up to the bar,
and name your poison!
Texting! With Liss and Deeky!
Conversation during a commercial break while we were watching Top Chef "together" via text the other night. Needless to say, I'm sure, we were texting the identical messages to each other at the same time.
(As always, published with Deeky's permission.)
Quote of the Day
[Content Note: Reproductive rights encroachments.]
"Burden schmurden!"—Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. That is not actually a direct quote, but it may as well be.
Have I mentioned that the anti-choice movement, having gained momentum with the unilateral support of no less than the Republican Party, parts of the Democratic Party, and 4-5 members of the Supreme Court, is nothing less than state-sponsored terrorism in defense of an inherently violent ideology? 'Cuz it is.
[H/T to Misty.]
I Write More Letters
Dear President Obama:
Thank you: Obama Administration Approves Rule That Guarantees Near-Universal Contraceptive Coverage.
And thank you for rejecting the expanded religious exemption, too.
Love,
Liss
