As a field organizer, it’s my job to make my community aware of issues and legislation that will affect women’s health in Michigan. One of the ways I accomplish this is through crowd canvassing at large events like festivals. I usually ask people if they would like to support women’s health, to which some reply yes. Many say no. How could this be? How could people actually say no to making women’s health a priority? One of my rationalizations is that people are too busy to stop, but that they really do care about women’s health. Thing is, if you don’t stop to sign or stand up to speak out, no one will ever know.
While some people are too busy to learn about the laws being passed in our country, many others are super-busy passing laws and lobbying for legislation that could negatively impact the very same people who didn’t care to speak out. There are those who would pass laws that never affect themselves personally, but affect poor, uninsured or under-insured people. These are the people who hope you are always too busy to stop, too busy to learn what’s going on in your community, too busy to stand up and call for change. Understand this: while they are hoping you are too busy to stop and make a difference, they are never too busy to stop trying to exert their control over women’s bodies by eliminating women’s choices. They are tireless when it comes to working against good sex ed in schools and making accessible and affordable health care for women a thing of the past.
I titled this blog “Do People Care?” because I really want to know if they do. I’m sure they do. I’m hoping they do. If you are reading this and you care about women’s health, post a comment saying “I Do!”
Thank you, I do too.
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3 comments:
I Do.
I agree completely with you that it seems that women's issue have been treated as so unimportant to the general public, which is why I say that sexism is still a huge deal in our country. That people don't care enough to really change anything, and the issues that surround "women's issues" are so morally based in some minds that the fight against it is the decorum of our society. There are those who are very vocal against choice, sexual education opposed to abstinence, true equality and respect, etc. And that number is very large, very publicized, and accepted. However, being for these things is declared a "sin" by those who oppose it, a word which designates evil towards the position which absolutly weakens the support and understanding. So because of the social atmosphere, women's issues are skirted away from for fear of being against society, causing a ruckus, especially since it involves morals. Being a feminist is bad in society. People don't understand that it means that we just believe in equality, the idea I have found in my own life is that it is believed that we're crazy and want more more more, when all we say is that we aren't getting our fair share of respect that we deserve. That we are infact second class citizens because we happen to have a uterus, which they want to control. However, right now we are safe (but for how long? (this next election can be a huge determinate afterall)), but we are austrosized if we believe in choice even though it is a perfectly legal law in the United States. Being pro-choice is deviant, and unfortunatly Planned Parenthood and feminism is purely grouped into choice which in return makes all other issues deviant: sex ed, women's care, birth control, etc. And people don't want to hear it when it comes to anything that has to do with pro-choice if they at all oppose it---even though infact Planned Parenthood isn't the ultimate abortionists and that's it.
I wore my Planned Parenthood shirt the other day and when I went over to a friends house her mothers friend was there and she mentioned my shirt. And I said "Yes, I believe in safety!" and she goes "Well, that's not what Planned Parenthood advocates..." and I was like "...yes it does" and she's like "Well, I guess it's how you see it, but it's not about being safe and responsible, really just the opposite" alluding to abortion obviously. And I was really put off, because that was so not fair at all. That just because PP advocates choice that it automatically becomes pro-abortion rather than pro-choice. And that's all PP stands for. That people literally see it as pro-life and pro-death, not choice. That with that, no matter what we do, our bodies instead become temples for those other than ourselves when it comes to anything having to do with our uteruses----birth control and choice. So anything that is in control of ourselves is against the "role" that has been set forth upon us. That the idea is that we do not own our bodies, but that "morals" do. And not our own! but that of the church (whatever church it may be (except Buddhists I have found out are pretty okay with choice)) and it's followers. And basically what gets me is: Seperation of church and state! Gaaaaah, but then again, that's just such tired rhetoric that we will fight forever in this country.
And even though there are those out there that are jaded, brainwashed, whatever, there are still people like us who really, really do care, and not just for our own rights, but for those of all women. And since I found this community recently, I found those who have the same passion as I do and do not feel as so...deviant, I suppose because I am not alone in this. And that gives me hope everyday now that I am not alone in this fight, in this passion, and we can do this.
And there will always be those who will never care, but there will always be those who have the capability to care aswell, they just need someone to inspire them and I think we can do it.
I'm going to try my best.
Thanks for the post Karisha.
Amanda Deschamps
Oakland University VOX President
I care. How can we not care about the wombs that carry us and breast that nourish us? How can we not care about the hands that rock us or the backs that carry us? How can we not care about the mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, partners and wives of the world? How can we not care about the women?
I DO!
I was surprised that people actually said no. There should not be any moment that an individual does not want to hear about the issues that surround mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and friends. If we have the choice to choose a president of the United States, women should beable to choose what is best for them.
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