I have received a “Call to Action.” In the midst of a historic heat wave (108 today), my bus riding feminist sisters would like me to ignore my physical ailments du jour, and ride on over to Richmond as counter-point to the Family Research Council’s “Values Bus Tour.” In the past I’ve marched for peace, rallied for Planned Parenthood, and yes, got on the bus for Richmond to protest the Republican-led War on Women. But I have never, ever been asked to serve as the opposing view at someone else’s rally. I must be moving up in the social hierarchy of activism!
“The “Values Bus Tour” is billed as ‘bringing Americans around the nation together to voice support for fiscal responsibility, religious liberty, life and marriage,’ according to an announcement from the Family Foundation of Virginia.” They are rolling into Richmond on Tuesday, July 10th for a Conservative Coalition Meeting with the Virginia Institute for Public Policy at 10 am, followed by a press conference on the Myth of the War on Women at 12:15. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/values-bus-tour-rolls-into-virginia/2012/07/05/gJQA5Ud4PW_blog.html
If you would like to know just what the Family Research Council is about, you can read all about their misinformation and faux policy research on the LGBT community here: http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/family-research-council Thank you Southern Poverty Law Center. OK, I get that they view gays as a threat to their value system, not that I understand it at all but I get the hatred. Bigotry is alive and well, and in certain parts of our country its roots run deep. But the GOP is barking up the wrong tree if they think they can sell the War on Women as a myth. Holler!
According to the Chicago Tribune, “There were over 1100 antichoice provisions introduced in 2011 and 900 antichoice provisions introduced so far in 2012. Legislators in 13 states have introduced 22 bills seeking to mandate that a woman obtain an ultrasound procedure before having an abortion. Of these, seven states are pursuing the state-rape vaginal probe variety. In addition, legislators in 13 states have sponsored right-wing “Personhood” type bills, too extreme even for the electorate of Mississippi, that could make both abortion and reproductive choices highly restricted.” http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-11/news/sns-201204111215usnewsusnwr201204090410debate.women.baapr11_1_gop-war-ultrasound-bill-poor-women
I think they are scared, because many Republican women are not buying this myth business. And women are not a minority, like the LGBT community, or undocumented workers. We women vote, and will do so in unprecedented numbers this fall. We women know when a myth, disguised as religious freedom, works its way into the public discourse and starts chipping away at our human rights. We would like to call on that elephant with all those arms to get these ridiculous bills out of our state capitols. One person’s myth is another person’s caterpillar, or elephant.
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