Progressive Outreach,
Colorado
Limbaugh Smackdown and Women Unite
When
the GOP decided to create a fictitious "war on religion" to smear
President Obama, and chose contraception coverage for employees of
religiously-based hospitals and universities as their battle-ground, they had
no idea what they were starting. Women across America realized it could potentially
be a two-fer for Republicans -- not just an attack on the president's
character, but also a pre-meditated, Rovian-style attempt to undermine the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
And
they thought we wouldn't even notice. "Stupid women -- too busy raising
children and buying hair products to notice some of their health care benefits
are being taken away," must have been their thinking.
The
argument that requiring religiously-based institutions and organizations to
provide contraception coverage is an affront to the First Amendment fell on
disgusted, disbelieving ears. The United States government requires people to
do things that violate their spiritual beliefs every day. For example, a number
of religions believe war is morally wrong, yet, every working adult is required
to pay taxes which support the Department of Defense. Some religions find
eating pork offensive, yet no one has declared that food off-limits under the
school lunch program. Some faiths believe in healing through prayer, yet the
government can, and does, require families to seek medical care for their
dependent family members. With hundreds of religions in this country, and many
levels of observance within each one, it is impossible to please everybody.
Freedom
of religion is a straw-man argument, and American women's bullshit detectors
are going off at record decibals. Add to the contraception debacle the many anti-choice bills being presented in
states all over the nation this year, and you get millions of women madder than
Tom Tancredo lost in the middle of a Cinco De Mayo crowd with no one willing to
give him directions in English.
How
angry are American women? When Rush Limbaugh personally attacked law student
Sandra Fluke on his radio program last week, calling her a "slut,"
women took to the Internet to boycott his sponsors. Within three days, he lost 15 sponsors and two radio stations (and
counting).
Meanwhile,
women are organizing all over this country, in ways I've not seen since Gloria
Steinem and her contempories in the 1970s. When Tea-Party Republicans held a
hearing on contraception that did not include any women on the panel, Nina
Elansi posted an angry YouTube video, produced in her kitchen.
Within hours, it was seen by Karen Teegarden in Birmingham, Mich., who decided
to do something about it.
Using
Facebook, Karen declared there would be a nation-wide March against the War on
Women. Word spread quickly. Within a few days, organizers were volunteering to
plan marches all in every state. One of the first was Colorado, where Colorado
Springs activists passed the baton to Denver activists.
Two
weeks later, the National March Against the War on Women is becoming
well-organized. Volunteers have emerged in 50 states; the orginal organizing
page has nearly 19,000 members, and is growing rapidly. At last count, the
Colorado march page has more than 700 members. Perhaps the most astonishing
sign of success is our leadership groups (made up of volunteers) have as many
registered Republicans as Democrats and Independents... and some are men.
As
Republican member "Jane" from Douglas County put it today:
I'm
a Republican and I have always been a Republican because I believe in
conservative fiscal policy. None of the Republican presidential candidates are
worth taking seriously -- I couldn't vote for any of them. And, I'm a mother. I
am protecting my daughter's right to make decisions about her own body. I'm
thrilled to be involved with this movement.
Please
join us to Unite Against the War On Women. March with
us on April 28. Show the world Americans will not tolerate women being treated
as second-class citizens. Do it for your mothers, sisters, nieces, daughters
and granddaughters. And do it for mine.
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