Friday, June 15, 2012
Human rights Woman legislator gagged for comments on anti-abortion measure
Posted by Max Brantley on Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 6:29 AM
Michigan Republican legislators are running roughshod over women, lately with passage of one of the country's most restrictive anti-abortion bills. Crooks and Liars reports on the activity.
Stripping women of their medical rights is par for the course nowadays in Republican politics.
What's new is the stripping of constitutional rights of free speech.
During the very heated debate on the bill, female representatives tried to introduce an amendment that would have the same rules apply to vasectomies, and Rep. Lisa Brown had this to say: "I'm flattered that you're all so concerned about my vagina. But no means no."
For speaking the words vasectomy and vagina on the House floor, the female representative was banned from speaking at all the next day. It was deemed immature and uncivil to mention these relevant, adult terms in the halls of the legislature.
House Republicans didn’t take it well. “What she said was offensive,” said Rep. Mike Callton (R-Nashville). “It was so offensive, I don’t even want to say it in front of women. I would not say that in mixed company.”
UPDATE: Repubs are alibiing, claiming Brown alluded to rape and thus was disciplined for that, not use of the word vagina. You decide.
Also: Ask your Republican legislative candidate if vasectomies and invasive tests that require vaginal penetration (such as allowed by legislation introduced in 2011 by Sen. Jason Rapert) are fit subject for discussion by women on the floor of the Arkansas legislature. Or only by men regulating same. Following is Rep. Lisa Brown's speech.
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May 18, 2013Sen. Jason Rapert, author of the patently unconstitutional bill to ban most abortions in Arkansas at the 12th week of pregnancy, took heart yesterday at Judge Susan Webber Wright's indication that she was inclined to uphold the part of the law that requires women seeking an abortion in the 12th week of pregnancy or later to have an ultrasound and to be shown the results of that test. /more/
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