Outrage Fatigue
I am so damn tired of men commenting on women's health issues, telling women how immoral they are for taking care of their reproductive systems. When was the last time you saw a woman on CNN talking about how testing for prostate cancer is immoral? But to get back on point:
I was watching a health series on CNN this afternoon and the topic was the new cervical cancer vaccine. Researchers have found that most cervical cancers are caused by a variation of Human Papilloma Virus, better known to you and I as herpes. Which is transmitted sexually most of the time. So, Merck has developed a vaccine that is meant to be given to girls before they become sexually active so that they don't get HPV and thus cervical cancer transmitted by sexual partners. Seems logical, right?
Not to "Christian" and conservative men. There was this guy on who was from the "Family Research Council", a right-wing Christian organization saying that perhaps we shouldn't be giving the vaccine to young girls because it can encourage pre-marital sex. So basically, women who get HPV from a partner - A MAN - deserve to die because of it.
I am fucking outraged. And not for just the obvious reasons. But let's run down the list.
1. It is unacceptable for anyone of any religion to try to impose their will and beliefs on anyone else. We live in free societies in North America (I know that because I hear Bush and Harper telling me almost daily that the terrorists hate me for it) and Christians, Jews, Muslims, Wiccans and anyone with faith has no God-given right to tell anyone else that they should behave according to the rules of their religion. The only reason the Family Research Council doesn't want people having sex outside of marriage is because it is offensive to their beliefs. Well I don't give a rat's ass what's offensive to FRC's beliefs. I'm free and that means I get to decide who I sleep with and when. So shut up.
2. It's is so. fucking. arrogant and paternalistic for a man to tell a woman when she's allowed to have sex. Do we live in Sudan? No. So shut up.
3. Notice that there is absolutely no responsibility put on the men in the situation. It's all about how women are sluts and entice men into their beds and thus getting an STD is the woman's fault because she's a whore. Where is the responsibility for men and boys? Why isn't this guy saying, "men, keep your dick in your pants until you put a wedding band on some girl's finger. And ladies, it's a good idea to get the vaccine to protect yourself just in case some asshole decides to rape you or your uncle visits you in the middle of the night".
4. On the greater point of reproductive issues for women, it is so rare to see a female representative from one of these hateful organizations and it makes me think that women who may be associated with them are embarassed to be spokespeople. I remember when the partial birth abortion ban was signed into law, there were 12 people accompanying the President as he put pen to paper - and all 12 were men. It is unconscionable for men to think that they can possibly understand what women go through with sex, pregnancy, sexual assault and other women's reproductive health issues and any man who deigns to voice his opinion on what women should do with their own bodies should be ashamed of himself. If men don't want women to abort a pregnancy, perhaps they should take greater responsibility for birth control in general. And maybe they should get more involved with domestic violence and anti-sexual assault organizations and make it patently clear that this type of behaviour is completely unacceptable.
5. As far as making laws taking birth control off insurance formularies, yet leaving viagra on, well, I can't understand how they can't see the stupidity of it all.
There's so much more and I could write a long essay on it, but I'm outraged. And I'm tired of being outraged. I have outrage fatigue.
I have no other news. I'm too angry.
I was watching a health series on CNN this afternoon and the topic was the new cervical cancer vaccine. Researchers have found that most cervical cancers are caused by a variation of Human Papilloma Virus, better known to you and I as herpes. Which is transmitted sexually most of the time. So, Merck has developed a vaccine that is meant to be given to girls before they become sexually active so that they don't get HPV and thus cervical cancer transmitted by sexual partners. Seems logical, right?
Not to "Christian" and conservative men. There was this guy on who was from the "Family Research Council", a right-wing Christian organization saying that perhaps we shouldn't be giving the vaccine to young girls because it can encourage pre-marital sex. So basically, women who get HPV from a partner - A MAN - deserve to die because of it.
I am fucking outraged. And not for just the obvious reasons. But let's run down the list.
1. It is unacceptable for anyone of any religion to try to impose their will and beliefs on anyone else. We live in free societies in North America (I know that because I hear Bush and Harper telling me almost daily that the terrorists hate me for it) and Christians, Jews, Muslims, Wiccans and anyone with faith has no God-given right to tell anyone else that they should behave according to the rules of their religion. The only reason the Family Research Council doesn't want people having sex outside of marriage is because it is offensive to their beliefs. Well I don't give a rat's ass what's offensive to FRC's beliefs. I'm free and that means I get to decide who I sleep with and when. So shut up.
2. It's is so. fucking. arrogant and paternalistic for a man to tell a woman when she's allowed to have sex. Do we live in Sudan? No. So shut up.
3. Notice that there is absolutely no responsibility put on the men in the situation. It's all about how women are sluts and entice men into their beds and thus getting an STD is the woman's fault because she's a whore. Where is the responsibility for men and boys? Why isn't this guy saying, "men, keep your dick in your pants until you put a wedding band on some girl's finger. And ladies, it's a good idea to get the vaccine to protect yourself just in case some asshole decides to rape you or your uncle visits you in the middle of the night".
4. On the greater point of reproductive issues for women, it is so rare to see a female representative from one of these hateful organizations and it makes me think that women who may be associated with them are embarassed to be spokespeople. I remember when the partial birth abortion ban was signed into law, there were 12 people accompanying the President as he put pen to paper - and all 12 were men. It is unconscionable for men to think that they can possibly understand what women go through with sex, pregnancy, sexual assault and other women's reproductive health issues and any man who deigns to voice his opinion on what women should do with their own bodies should be ashamed of himself. If men don't want women to abort a pregnancy, perhaps they should take greater responsibility for birth control in general. And maybe they should get more involved with domestic violence and anti-sexual assault organizations and make it patently clear that this type of behaviour is completely unacceptable.
5. As far as making laws taking birth control off insurance formularies, yet leaving viagra on, well, I can't understand how they can't see the stupidity of it all.
There's so much more and I could write a long essay on it, but I'm outraged. And I'm tired of being outraged. I have outrage fatigue.
I have no other news. I'm too angry.
posted by WitMistress at 4:13 PM
2 comments
