There. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way,
Now, let’s talk about what really happened in the Michigan Legislature when Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas, R-Midland, silenced two female legislators because he and other GOP members didn’t like their frank language the day before.
What we think happened was that Rep. Barb Byrum, D-Onondaga, suggested that the bill govern vasectomies as well as abortions. And Rep. Lisa Brown, D-West Bloomfield, in rejecting the abortion bill, told the male-dominated chamber Wednesday: “I’m flattered that you’re all so interested in my vagina. But, no means no.”
What we think happened was that the men in the room — and a few women who must call their nether parts something else — lost their minds. And the next day, Stamas would not allow the two women to speak — on anything. Not just abortion, but on any bill or to introduce constituents to the chamber.
But here’s what really happened in the Michigan Legislature this week: Democracy was shut down. And women’s voices were silenced. If our state’s other legislators, our voters and our patriots allow it, then we deserve what we get.
Lisa Brown noted that Michigan House Republicans never said why she was banned from speaking, but that all that she heard was criticism of the word “vagina.”
To be honest, I’m appalled/disappointed/outraged that Republican lawmakers in Michigan would stifle the voice of a duly-elected member of their body simply because they don’t like the fact that she criticized their efforts to insert government into her vagina – figuratively and literally. What’s more disconcerting is that what we’ve witnessed in Michigan doesn’t seem to be an isolated incident. Here in Wisconsin, we had Republican State Sen. Scott Fitzgerald assert his opponent, Lori Compas, couldn’t possibly have been behind the effort to recall him not to mention her own campaign against him, saying, “I don’t for one minute believe she is the organizing force behind this whole thing.” Sen. Fitzgerald asserted Compas’ husband and labor unions were really behind the effort to recall him, as if the idea of a woman having political beliefs and the ability to act effectively on those beliefs was somehow impossible.
Ultimately, I think what we’re seeing is a generation of Republican elected officials who quite simply don’t respect women, and that’s a terrible message to send.
“Republican State Sen. Scott Fitzgerald assert his opponent, Lori Compas, couldn’t possibly have been behind the effort to recall him not to mention her own campaign against him, saying, “I don’t for one minute believe she is the organizing force behind this whole thing.” Sen. Fitzgerald asserted Compas’ husband and labor unions were really behind the effort to recall him, as if the idea of a woman having political beliefs and the ability to act effectively on those beliefs was somehow impossible.”
Rather than offended, strategize.
Sometimes it’s good to be under-estimated. You know? 😉
Wouldn’t for a second defend the action – no way is preventing a legislator from speaking an appropriate action for something like this. And though I don’t think that the comment about being interested in her vagina is appropriate…whatever. But I do think the rape rhetoric is a bit beyond the pale & classless.
Locke, I think her point is valid though….what business is it of Republican lawmakers what women choose to do when it comes to their reproductive health?
Don’t women have a right to privacy?
For that matter, what happened to Republicans supporting less government intervention/involvement in the lives of citizens? It seems stunningly hypocritical to me that Republicans support smaller, less intrusive government except when it comes to women and same-sex couples who want to get married.
Is the word Republican critical there or do you apply the same standard to Democrats?
As quoted I quoted below in this thread:
Obviously the devil is in the details and the specifics of those things matter very much, but why shouldn’t the state have licensing requirements for clinics? It does for dental clinics and the chances of bleeding out or other major complications is much lower. Making sure the procedure isn’t coerced? Seems to me more about protecting women from control than controlling them. Requiring liability insurance? In Wisconsin, the state requires a minimum of $1 million for all health care providers. Why wouldn’t women’s health care providers be included? These are are all very much public health issues.
You know I agree with you completely on the hypocrisy of the Republican Party’s position on same sex marriage. But to turn your last paragraph back around…how do you question the role of government in those areas but not have a huge problem with the “Affordable Care” Act?
This may shock you, but I actually think there’s a reasonable argument to be made against the individual mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act. To be frank, I’ve long believed the health care reform legislation we ended up with is a well-intentioned but fatally flawed boondoggle, and I think there were much simpler ways to implement meaningful health care reform that worked to insure more Americans and reduce health care costs, etc.
Locke, inserting anything into a vagina is sexual assault by law, and sexual assault is the legal term for rape.
The government inserting machines into vaginas is “classless rhetoric”? Have you seen those machines? Have you had this done? Maybe you don’t have a vagina?
Okay, show me the laws pushed by legislators to require men to have machines pushed up their vagina, and then we’ll talk.
What machine are you speaking of? Admittedly, all I know of this story is what I read from the linked article which said:
I don’t see anything in there remotely like what you’re describing.
Ah…. the favorite topic of John Edwards, Bill Clinton, Teddy Kennedy, Al Gore…..
And also the favorite topic of David Vitter, John Ensign, Chris Lee, Newt Gingrich, and Marc Souder.
I find ironic that the blog’s spam filter is banning anatomical terms, just as Michigan legislators do. Mods here may want to adjust that or look foolish, too.
Hrrmmmm……I don’t have that set as one of our naughty words. Odd.
I believe “down there” is an acceptable term for the V word.
It seems as if sexism is a core component of the Republican ideology. First, Scott Fitzgerald suggested that Lori Compas couldn’t organize a recall effort against him in Wisconsin, and now Michigan Repubs went misogynist after two female, Democratic members of the Michigan House called them out for trying to pass horrible legislation.
Here in Illinois, U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, a Teabagger Republican to the core, claimed that his Democratic opponent, Tammy Duckworth, who lost both of her legs after a Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting in Iraq was shot down, was “dropped” into his district by Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Locke, did you read the post, too? The phrase “their efforts to insert government into her vagina – figuratively and literally”? Literally means in actuality there is an insertion involved.
Now, before you pontificated on this, did you read more? What do you think is inserted? Not the government, really; that’s good writing, but it is rhetoric.
However, “ultrasound machine” is not rhetoric; it’s the reality of what righties want the government to insert into our vaginas.
Get the h*ll outa our lady parts, Locke. History oughta teach you that women will take this c*ap for only so long, and then . . . well, keep your legs crossed.