Banning Birth Control?

Are We On The Path To Banning Birth Control?

By Karen Teegarden

For more cartoons by Pat Begley, click here.

Are we on a path to banning birth control?

In February of 2012, two women decided to organize rallies across the country to fight the war on women. Personhood Amendments were popping up in states across the country. 

A panel of men were testifying for Darryl Issa on our behalf regarding birth control. Friends thought I was crazy to think that the rhetoric and legislation would soon take us down the road of banning birth control.

Do they still think I’m crazy?

• We have legislators and candidates openly talking about sex only for procreation (Rick Santorem),
• Anti-choice legislation passed in most states that re-defines many forms of birth control as abortifacients,
• A SCOTUS decision that now codifies that definition in addition to redefining religious freedom,
• The GOP Platform’s stated intent for a constitutional amendment deeming a zygote full personhood rights under the 14^th amendment – a right women do not even enjoy!

We have all been beyond angry with laws passed eating away at our reproductive rights. The SCOTUS’ decision wasn’t just about taking away some forms of birth control for some women. Their decision solidified new definitions that legitimizes and emboldens anti-choice activists and legislators to continue their effort to take away our reproductive rights. Mitch McConnell has already announced he will introduce a 20 week abortion ban if they take the Senate in November. You think he’ll stop there?

So you understand how all of this affects birth control, you need to understand Personhood.

Personhood: A constitutional amendment to give legal status as a person to any fertilized human egg, from conception until birth. This includes the zygote before it has been implanted.

A zygote would then have more rights than a woman under the 14^th Amendment. Since a “person” begins at conception, birth control would be harmful to that person. Any miscarriage can potentially be considered manslaughter or a murder, depending on what the woman did or did not do during her pregnancy. Modern fertility treatments, specifically “in vitro” treatments would also become problematic.

The GOP Party Platform clearly states their commitment to Personhood: “We assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life.”

Typically, anti-choicers are highly motivated to show up to vote in mid-terms…we don’t. This is why after 2010, our reproductive rights have been eroded. The only way to reverse this trend is to vote in our primaries and in the general election in November. 

Every one of us should be talking to women and young people about what’s at stake. So many feel their vote doesn’t matter. The SCOTUS decision yesterday demonstrates just one of many reasons our votes do matter. How many people who are on the fence about voting will you talk to this week? Next week? Every week until November?

Karen Teegarden, President/CEO, UniteWomen.org: www.unitewomen.org. Like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/unitewomen. Follow them on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitewomenorg. Follow them on Tumblr: http://unitewomenorg.tumblr.com. Follow Karen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenUniteWomen.