In The Powder Room

Jun 18

Vagina. Vagina. Vagina.

Comments (32) by Lerner June 18, 2012 - 3:03 PM

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Have you seen the headlines about Michigan Rep. Lisa Brown being barred from speaking on the state House floor? Surely she was drunk and disorderly; she came in half-naked while waving dead puppies in the air; she lost control of her faculties and pissed on the floor?

No. She said the word vagina... while discussing a bill that would legislate vaginas. What a harlot.

Lisa Brown said, "I have not asked you to adopt and adhere to my religious beliefs. Why are you asking me to adopt yours? Finally, Mr. Speaker, I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina, but 'no' means 'no.'"

The Republican Majority Floor Leader, Jim Stamas, determined Brown's comments violated the decorum of the House and barred her from speaking further. Are you kidding me?!

If it wasn't true and happening right now, it would be laughable. But seriously, what the hell has happened to partisan politics in particular and democracy in general that this is the extreme to which our legislators will go to silence the opposition?

Michigan House Bill 5711 is attempting to legislate abortions back into the Stone Age, and tie the hands of healthcare providers with so much red tape that it would be highly improbable they could provide any kind of care at all.

It's a fancy backdoor route to shutting the front doors of clinics that provide safe, effective treatment for women who deserve access to qualified doctors-all shrouded in a bunch of flowery language that can be theoretically spun to be in the best interest of women.

It is subsidized mostly by a Catholic interest group who is trying to make religion a legal standard and quite frankly is an assault on a woman's right to not just choose whether or not she has an abortion, but to receive that care in a safe environment.

Because here's the thing: making abortions illegal has never stopped abortions. Making abortions illegal only stops safe abortions. To stop abortions, you have to educate, outreach and provide healthcare and services like the ones offered at the very clinics this law aims to shut down.

We fought for and won the right to choose in 1973 and there have been groups trying to shut it down ever since. And that's fine. That's what the legal process is all about. Opposition, debate, informed decisions and going through the proper channels to execute the best result for the public interest.

But silencing one half of the debate, completely barring her from speaking... I call bullshit on that play, and so do a great many other people. I suppose I should be grateful, that such an ignorant man in a terrifyingly great position of power showed his ass so completely at such a crucial time. I mean, it's important that he looks like a fool when he's acting like a fool, so I'm glad that it was done in such a public forum.

Mostly though, I'm just really sad and distraught over how far we haven't come in such a long time that we find ourselves back at this seeming square one. Will there ever be a time when we can all agree that denying women access to healthcare is never going to be in anyone's best interest?

High five to Lisa Brown and her hootzpah. I'd like to buy that girl a drink.

by Lerner June 18, 2012 - 3:03 PM

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    Your vagtastic vagina is not a black hole

    by Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms April 23, 2013 - 6:01 AM
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    The jealous vagina

    by BadParentingMoments April 19, 2013 - 6:01 AM

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  Report Mon Jun 18, 2012 - 11:26 pm

  by  Holly

  I agree with Lisa Brown and certainly don't think she should have been barred, but she was clearly trying to be "edgy" and provocative. I didn't find it offensive -- I thought it was unnecessarily smarmy. Legislature is not The Daily Show, there's no need to angle for cheap applause. It might get them virtual high-fives, but it doesn't really help their causes.

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  Report Mon Jun 18, 2012 - 11:44 pm

  by  Lerner

  @Holly: I will agree that she was trying to be provocative, but I have to disagree on the smarmy part. This bill is dangerously close to being rammed through the fast track without being full vetted and she needed to bring a bright and quick spotlight onto the situation. Which she did. There was little standing in between women's rights and this badly written bill (even if one agrees with the intentions of the bill, the wording is weak sauce at best and poorly-written legislation is dangerous), so she flung herself in front of the moving bus. It worked, we're all paying attention now. She gets virtual high-fives from me until my virtual hand goes numb

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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 12:08 am

  by  Holly

  @Lerner: Then there should be no outrage that she was barred -- getting barred was a success, if it was a tactic meant to result it attention-getting consequences. I can respect that, if that's what it was. But the vast majority of the attention it's getting is about the word "vagina" and how Republicans can't handle the word "vagina," and how it's a medical term, and let's all post "vagina" in solidarity on our Facebook pages. This post is an exception, though, in that it does discuss the bill in detail. I guess I do have to concede that at least some people might learn something from how Rep. Brown played it..

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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 12:32 am

  by  lhewitt

  @Holly: check your news feed - the legislation is getting the attention

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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 12:47 am

  by  Lerner

  @Holly: P.S. Thanks for saying my post was the exception. I agree, many people are focusing too much on the word vagina and not the bill and its contents. That's the point, the rest is just frills.

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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 12:48 am

  by  Lerner

  @Holly: @Holly: Knowing that someone will react in an unreasonable way, doesn't make the way any less unreasonable. I'm sure she knew what would happen, but it doesn't make his response any less outrageous. I am completely outraged that she couldn't say vagina when discussing a bill to legislate vaginas, but if needs must then I am pleased (as I said above) that he made an ass out of himself on such a grand scale and the bill has been brought to light. The outcome is good, it doesn't mean his behavior was any less ridiculous.

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  Report Fri Jun 22, 2012 - 11:17 pm

  by  Robyn Welling

  Ridiculous. My husband is a regular guy who, like the rest of us, got sick of this kind of thing happening and being called part of the "political process;" no wonder nothing gets done. He's hoping to change that, and is currently in the race for a seat in the Michigan State House; we need some new folks with updated ideologies in our government. This is just embarrassing.

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  Report Wed Jun 20, 2012 - 11:09 pm

  by  The Suniverse

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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 3:49 am

  by  Just Jennifer

  I am so pissed right now! What kind of bullshit is this?? The stupidest thing I've heard lately. Dear God.

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• 2 replies, Last reply by Just Jennifer on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 9:14 pm
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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 4:17 am

  by  Lerner

  @Just Jennifer: No, not dear god. That's the point isn't it? God in politics... never a great idea ;). But yeah, just busting your chops. It is exhausting. I wish we could just look at the issues, decide the best course for the most people and then proceed in a sane and orderly fashion. Too much to ask? Obviously.

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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 9:14 pm

  by  Just Jennifer

  @Lerner: I hear you. It's like banging our heads up against the wall.

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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 9:15 am

  by  Janie Emaus

  This story floored me.

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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 1:42 am

  by  Gigi_E

  I couldn't believe this story when I read it - and then I realised that, wait a minute, this happened in America - of course! And all of our sweeping generalisations about American politics and bible-bashing mid-westerner-type-folks (okay maybe Amish too - who knows...) were confirmed in one fresh fell swoop. It's a shame because I hear on the grapevine that American politics is sometimes more complex, more in-tune and infinitely more intelligent than a group of Republican Vagina-phobics.

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• 1 reply, Last reply by Lerner on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 4:20 am
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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 4:20 am

  by  Lerner

  @Gigi_E: There are even some intelligent Republicans who are Republicans for the rights reasons. The party was founded on the belief that the Federal government should stay the hell out of state's rights and for that reason Republicans wanted a smaller federal government. I disagree with that, but I get it, and at least it's a logical and understandable position. In the last fifty years, unfortunately, the religious right has ruined the credibility of the Republican party and hijacked the agenda to something so ridiculous that they look like a bunch of lunatics... scratch that... they ARE a bunch of lunatics. While tragically overshadowing the actual sane-minded Republicans who are grossly outnumbered. It's exhausting. Totally exhausting.

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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 12:16 am

  by  lhewitt

  I could not believe this when I read it. I also call bullshit. I did not find it unnecessarily smarmy. The Legislature is The Daily Show and proved it. I am paying attention and virtual high-fiving Ms. Brown.

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• 2 replies, Last reply by lhewitt on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 1:36 am
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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 12:43 am

  by  Lerner

  @lhewitt: I'd grab her ass if I got the chance. Can I blame it on you? :)

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  Report Tue Jun 19, 2012 - 1:36 am

  by  lhewitt

  @Lerner: You grab one cheek, I'll grab the other and take the entire blame. :)

  Reply Delete