On November 6, 2012, women will have the choice to go with the candidate who is not only working to preserve our rights but to expand on them. The Affordable Care Act gives women more access to reproductive and overall health services.
Romney has made it clear that he wants, and will work toward, overturning Roe v. Wade (even though in 1994 he supported it). Romney also said that he will repeal the Affordable Care Act “Obamacare” (even though he implemented the same plan “Romneycare” as Governor of Massachusetts).
At a women’s blogger conference on Thursday, Obama promised to “not give any ground” to the attacks on abortion rights or women’s reproductive issues. He addressed the crowd at a Blog Her event via a closed circuit feed while traveling in Florida:
“Millions of young women have coverage through their parents’ plans. They are beginning to gain access to contraception at no additional cost. I’m not going to give any ground to those who would deny women their own health care choices. Women should have control over decisions that affect your health, your lives, your careers.”
As the Republicans waste the taxpayers’ money and obstruct for the purpose of creating the illusion that the Obama administration has accomplished nothing, their efforts to defund Planned Parenthood were recently thwarted. The Obama administration awarded three states Title X grant money, which not only allowed clinics to stay open but to expand programs to men and include sex education for teens. These clinics are vital in helping millions of women get preventive care with pap smears, cancer screenings and mammograms.
Addressing a group of women at Barnard College, Obama said:
“We are better off when women are treated fairly and equally in every respect, whether it is the salary you earn or the health decisions that you make. Fight for your seat at the table, or better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table.”
It’s really easy and perfectly clear: Obama cares about women’s rights and health. He is working to make sure the rights we have now are protected by fighting for equal rights for all, not just women.
When it comes time to vote, please consider this: the House and the Senate will be determining factors in what can and will happen in the next four years. If either has a Republican majority, we will be in the exact position we are now. We will be unable to make the progress we need to improve the economy, healthcare and jobs. Republicans in the House have fought Democrats every step of the way and they have succeeded.
Keep in mind, politicians are YOUR employees. If you were a business owner and one of your employees did an awful job, made you angry and destroyed part of your business, would you just throw your hands in the air and say “Oh well, that person is a jerk but I’m just going to keep paying their high salary with perks and a great pension.” Or would you fire them? You employ the elected officials. It’s YOUR business. Women make up the majority of the electorate. Women’s rights are on the line. It’s time to come together and vote for the party that will protect the advancements we’ve made and to make sure we keep moving in a positive direction. Use your power. VOTE!
Kimberley A. Johnson is the author of The Virgin Diaries and The Spokeswoman for Rock The Slut Vote, an organization standing up and fighting the war on women. Find her on Facebook, Twitter and “like” the Rock The Slut Vote Facebook page
