Two centuries ago, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton advocated for women's suffrage, including women's right to control their lives, finances, health, the right of women to organize and finally, an end to slavery. These two women believed ultimately they would win the right to vote for women when the 13th Amendment was passed, but the final legislation excluded any language concerning women.
Did you know that an anti-abortion, anti-women's rights group has absconded with Anthony's good name (www.sba-list.org). Frankly, I had no idea this group existed, but their positions clearly run counter to those espoused by Susan B. Anthony when she was alive. During the twenty years SBAList has existed, this group has fought to abolish women's control over their bodies by insuring that potential legislators with like-minded values are elected to state and federal legislative bodies.
Perhaps you've also noticed... many of the decisions that would affect women's rights to control their bodies are being imposed by MEN, beginning with the U.S. Supreme Court.
The recent congressional panel chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa, supposedly enjoined to debate women's contraceptives in the health care bill began with an obvious omission...
Where were the women?
After all, wasn't this conversation about access to contraceptives... and just who normally uses contraceptives? Certainly not the men on the panel...
In reality, this panel wasn't about women's health care, but rather, as Issa remarked, "about religious freedom" (although I didn't quite get the connection... I thought there was church/state separation in this country).
There was a time when women were treated as the property of their husband, father or brother. During the era of the Salem witch trials, anyone who stepped out of line (as in the case of Bridget Bishop1, the first woman hanged for the crime of witchcraft) could find her/him-self accused of cavorting with the devil if she/he refused to remain subservient. At the end of these trials, nineteen individuals were hanged, and hundreds imprisoned. Ironically, it was two young women who began the process, accusing individuals who had somehow "dissed" them.
Recently, it was announced that Susan G. Komen for the Cure had severed ties with Planned Parenthood because Planned Parenthood provided abortion services to women facing unwanted pregnancies. It was only after the Komen offices were inundated with phone calls from irate women, that they backed off their position, yet they've not completely rescinded the idea of severing ties with Planned Parenthood.
Achieving equality has been a long hard struggle.
One step forward... two steps back...
Here's the bottom line (at least for me)... I don't want anyone telling me what I can, or can't do with my body. I don't want congress butting in, and I certainly don't want some busy-body from an anti-female group forcing me to adopt their backward views when it comes to control of my body.
And, that's all...
1 June 10th -- 1692
According to the Within Written precept I have taken the body of the within named Brigett Bishop of their Majes'ts Goale in Salem and Safely Conveighd her to the place provided for her Execution and Caused the s'd Brigett to be hanged by the neck untill Shee was dead # [an d b uried in the pla] all which was according to the time within Required and So I make Returne by me
George Corwin Sheriff
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