Legislating Women: Body and Soul

By Dale Bowling


Democrats have a well-deserved reputation for fighting for the civil rights of all Americans. It doesn't matter whether you're thinking of the fight for racial equality in the 50s and 60s or the Women's Rights movement in the 70s or Marriage Equality today, Democrats have been in the vanguard in the struggle for justice and equality before the law.

Republicans? They took more of a rearguard position on civil rights. Some might call it backwards even.

In the last few years especially, Republicans have taken a number of very distressing positions on what are commonly called "Women's Issues", but as Democrats like to say these are also family issues, rights issues, economic issues and above all American issues.

Governor Romney has said he would have vetoed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which forces businesses to pay their female employees the same as male employees if they're doing the same job. Romney says government shouldn't prevent businesses to make their own decisions. Lily Ledbetter was the first bill signed into law by President Obama.

Part of the Affordable Care Act is that women can't be charged more for their health care than men. Governor Romney has said he'd repeal that Act on his first day in office.

A few months ago a Republican candidate for Senate, Todd Akin said that women can't get pregnant if it's "legitimate rape" so abortion shouldn't be allowed even if the victim was raped. Not only is this mind-numbingly stupid, but demonstrates so little compassion that it's mind boggling. He's still running for Senate as a Republican in Missouri.

The other day the Republican Candidate for Senate in Indiana, Richard Mourdock said that if a woman gets pregnant during rape, it's God's Will, meaning that again abortion should be illegal in all circumstances, even if the woman is raped.

If that is his religious view, he's allowed to have that, but Republicans are not allowed to use the government to force their religious beliefs on the rest of us. If your daughter or granddaughter was raped and impregnated, would you want Senate Republicans deciding what your options are?

I didn't think so.

Also, Governor Romney as the standard bearer of the GOP has not taken back his endorsement of Mourdock and continues to allow him to use footage of him campaigning with Romney.

America deserves better than what Republicans have to offer women.

Democrats fight for women, not against them. Democrats empower women, not limit them. Democrats strengthen women's position in society by protecting their rights to make choices and to be treated fairly.

VOTE DEMOCRAT on NOV. 6