Voting Is a Right, Duty, and Privilege

America is on the heels of another big election year. That past four years have flown by, but not quite the way most Americans had hoped it would. With that said, I hope more people will go out and exercise their right to vote in the upcoming year. Especially women of color.

We need to take a more active role in politics. Although we live in a "free" country, the laws that are in place are a constant reminder that we don't always have total control. The issue with not participating is what happens when you don't. At best you'll have a representative who supports and follows through with some of the issues. At worst you'll have a representative who is not only misleading the masses, but is also on a destructive warpath to annihilating everything we have worked for. I refuse to let this happen. I don't want someone in office who knows or cares nothing about the issues that affect me as an economically disadvantaged black woman and manipulatively misconstrues the modicum of information they think they know about me. We need someone in office who will actually make a valiant effort to fight for our rights. We need someone who looks like us and thinks like us.

Although we may not have many freedoms, one of the beautiful things about being an American citizen is that we can actively participate in our government. So please take advantage of this! As Plato said it best,"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

Michele Bachmann, Think Before You Speak

Republican Michele Bachmann of Minnesota was recently quoted as saying,

"President Obama in a stunning, shocking level of power now just recently told all private insurance companies you must offer the morning-after abortion pill because I said so and it must be free of charge."

There are several reasons why this quote disturbs me. To begin, the morning- after pill is NOT the abortion pill. It is an amped up dosage of BIRTH CONTROL! How many times does that need to be reiterated before people finally understand?! They even explain it in the commercials. Bachmann should do her homework before she opens her mouth to spread lies. Another thing that perturbs me is that Bachmann is misinforming the masses. This is a powerful and dangerous thing. Lies spread like wildfires and before you know it they become out of control. This hurts and undermines our cause. Luckily, we have facts and the determination to spread the truth on our side.

Feminist Daily News 9/5/2011: Appeals Court Rules Women Have Existing Relationship with Fetus

On Friday, the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals overturned US District Judge Karen Schreier's ruling to block aprovision in a South Dakota law requiring that doctors tell women seeking abortions that they have "an existing relationship with that unborn human being and that the relationship enjoys protection under the United States Constitution and under the laws of South Dakota." Judge Schreier struck down the provision two years ago stating that a relationship can only exist between two people and according to the US Supreme Court, fetuses are not legally people. The provision is part of an anti-abortion law that states that in order for an abortion to be considered voluntary, doctors most provide women with certain pieces of information.

Elizabeth Nash, public policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, stated, "This law really isn't about health and safety, it's really about forcibly trying to dissuade a woman from getting an abortion any way the state can."

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals did, however, rule to uphold Judge Schreier's decision to block enforcement of another provision of the law that requires that doctors tell women seeking abortions that women who undergo the procedure are more likely to commit suicide, which the court argued was unsubstantiated.

Feminist Daily News 9/5/2011: Appeals Court Rules Women Have Existing Relationship with Fetus

Outlaw of abortion at six to seven weeks

This is very disturbing because most women don't even know they're pregnant until they are six to seven weeks, not to mention how long it takes to come up with the 500 dollars it costs to get the procedure.They just keep trying to restrict our personal choices by any means.What they don't realize that if this ludicrous law ever gets passed (which I don't see happening) how many women's lives will be in jeopardy.For some women they would rather die than carry an unwanted pregnancy to term, and this can lead to women doing some dangerous things to abort the pregnancy.The anti-choice people are constantly trying to send us into the back alley abortions. I personally refuse to be pushed back as if my voice doesn't matter.

Tsk, Tsk

Once again the anti-choice community has conjured up another plot to stop women from exercising their right to choose abortion. Not only will congress be voting on this bill but several republican presidential candidates are supporting this bill. They all claim to be pro-life but do absolutely nothing to support the lives of the millions of Americans who are living below the poverty line, struggling to find unemployment, and not receiving a suitable education. Protect the lives of the people who are here. Help build strong communities that will continue to flourish long after you leave office. And stop trying to pass laws that continue to oppress women so you can gain political power!