To All the Men Out There - Free Ponies! Free Money!

We are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.        Thomas Jefferson

I have been astonished that more males haven't seen through the veneer of the Republicans offering the pie in the sky, no specifics for their "plans" to take back the country. Indeed if they are elected-- they will take back the country, right back to the 1920's prior to women's right to vote, and to the 1950's where misogyny was accepted. They are doing this by offering the equivalent of free money! and free ponies! to all. Oh, how silly of me, this is actually true for the people who are millionaires, not for the rest of us ungrateful, lazy slobs of the 47%. We won't be taking our ponies to the Olympics anytime soon.

Why would otherwise intelligent men fall for this? I am asking you. Why? Isn't it just dopey to suggest that we increase the military budget when the military is not even requesting it? Isn't it foolish to go backwards to policies that make it impossible for the people with preexisting conditions to afford or even obtain health care? I just read in the AARP Magazine [Oct/Nov] that the health care reform policies of the Obama administration offers will reduce the nation's deficit by $210 billion dollars in the next ten years "by reducing subsidies to private insurance companies, cracking down on waste and fraud and reining in profits." Also this will help by stopping the enormous pay outs for people that are currently flooding the emergency rooms with no insurance and the inability to pay. When the truth is this: currently we all end up paying for the uninsured. Think about it.

Then there are women's reproductive rights that are on the auction block. These rights certainly affect men and families. It is a grim, grim thought if Planned Parenthood is obliterated. Where will the poorest of the poor women go for birth control? Guess what? Duh, you'll see an increase in births. And further guess who doesn't want to help to pay for these blessed bundles brought to you by no access to affordable birth control? Interesting how sacred "life" is held up to all of us until the baby is actually born. Shades of Charles Dickens in the 1880's. Oliver Twist! Marie Antoinette! Let them eat cake! No too costly, let them eat surplus corn.

A woman's body can prevent pregnancy in cases of 'legitimate' rape.

Todd Akin,  Republican from Mo., sadly a member of the House Science Committee

There are in fact two things, science and opinion: the former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance.               Hippocrates, Law

To all the men reading this here's a very elementary thought: isn't what happens between a woman and her doctor private?  This is certainly true for all of you men. In my business, I hold sacred the rights of all my clients to keep whatever is said in my office in confidence. The exceptions: the client is a danger to themselves or others. An example [one that is true for counselors and doctors everywhere] is that if the client is being abused, or is suicidal or worse homicidal, then someone must be alerted. Other than that it is private, and I hold this as sacred as the priest hearing a confession. I don't repeat outside office what I've heard inside without the written permission from the client.

So, why is it OK for the politicians to be dictating to the doctors? Why is what discussed and decided upon with a women and her doctor open to political whim? Well, it's not OK ever. The right to privacy must be upheld. If that right and that trust is broken then it should be broken for any man considering a vasectomy ["every sperm is sacred" a la Monty Python] or penile enlargement, or Viagra for that matter. Do you see sweat forming on some of the lower male brows? I do, because this is a logical argument. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Just as for a young man, any grown woman over the age of 18 has a right to privacy between herself and her doctor.

Let's connect the dots. Who, I must ask all American voters, has the babies? Who brings that baby into the world? Who earned the right to vote in 1920 through a hard fought battle? Who has tried to keep these baby givers and voters restricted? I have a hint for you, it's not the Democrats. And it's not the Democrats who have it in their platform that no abortion is allowed, even in the case of incest or rape. [Richard Mourdock from the Republican party who Romney endorsed said that "God wanted that pregnancy"].  Is this a loving, nurturing, concerned or caring platform for women or their families? Is it right to attack the victim of a rape by requiring her to carry the child of her violent abuser? Isn't this just another form of abuse? Why and how can the Republicans justify no right to privacy for a victim of rape or incest? The fact is, horribly, most of the victims of incest are under the age of sixteen. So, not allowing her to have an abortion is a form of child abuse. In essence, they are recommending child abuse in their platform. Think about it: this is almost as egregious as the sexual abuse that the little child suffered.

When an entire party agrees that abuse of girls and women is acceptable and allowable, there is a word for that---misogyny, meaning hatred of women. If, in fact, you broaden the concept to include all of the countless families that would be affected by these insensitivity's: it is misanthropy, hatred of humanity. Ain't that a kick in the head? So if you are inclined to vote for the Republicans and their platform, well, then gentlemen, fill in the blanks.

There is a solution to the above. Vote for candidates who actually like and love women. Who respect the rights to privacy for men and women. Who would never dream of taking away your grandma's or grandpa's right to vote because he/she doesn't have a driver's license and hence no photo ID.

As simplistic as this sounds, vote for your daughter's rights, vote for your mother's, your granddaughter's and your grandparent's rights. Vote to honor women, not to disrespect them. Vote to promote kindness to the sick and the struggling and their families. Do this with love and gratitude that we currently have these rights and sincerely do not want to lose them.

susansmagicfeather copyright 2012 Susan R. Grout all rights reserved