Please explain. If you’re a woman and planning to vote (or
have already voted) for the Republican Presidential candidate next Tuesday, I
really want to know why. And I’m asking you to submit a substantive explanation
in the comments section following this post. You may do so anonymously, if you
wish. Or you may email the blog directly
artandthinking@gmail.com. I will
post those comments anonymously in the days that follow.
Below I will list some of the reasons why I will be voting
for President Obama in this year’s election. I hope this explanation may
explain my confusion as to why American women would choose otherwise.
Faith and Religion
I believe that every human is, in God’s eyes, equal.
Yes, I believe in God. I am also a Christian, rather inadequately practicing my
faith in the Roman Catholic Church. I believe God is all knowledge. I also believe
that any spiritual exercise can lead to a closer relationship with God, thus
the non-Theist practices of Taoism, Shintoism and Buddhism, among others, only
expand the experience of any life, even for the faithless. But I am only human,
thus I am incapable of stating that Allah, Elohim, Brahman, Baha, and Yahweh
are not God. I try not to inflict my religious on others, and I believe that it
is wrong for a politician to inflict his/her religious beliefs on anyone.
Being Female
I would not label myself a feminist, but I do believe EVERY
human being is entitled to equal treatment and rights. Prior to Obamacare,
being a woman was considered a preexisting condition. Childbearing age in women
was considered a condition that automatically increased insurance premiums, or
in some, cases disqualified or set limitations for women’s prenatal care. As a
result, according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the United
States ranks 174
th (behind 48 other countries) in infant mortality.
According to the same index, The United States ranks 136
th among 183
countries in maternal deaths
.
This is ridiculous in a country as wealthy as ours.
As a personal note, my husband and I pay approximately $5000
per year for insurance. We each have a $7500.00 deductible. I am currently
forgoing certain medical tests, because with only a part time job, I cannot
afford to pay for it. Essentially, I have to pay $10,000 before the insurance
company kicks in anything. I know a couple whose dog recently had an MRI. Fido
can, but I can’t. It’s funny.
I also believe I have the right to choose what happens to my
body. The Pro Choice movement has been demonized as a pro-abortion movement. My
intimate experience has taught me that this is not the case. For women who
elect to do so, terminating a pregnancy is often and at best, a harrowing
decision. It stays with her the rest of her life. If her faith precludes
condemns abortion, then it is her decision whether or not to follow the rules
of that faith, and accept the consequences. Yet it is not any individuals right
to prevent either decision.
The same is true for Birth Control. An
extensive
study, performed by Dr. Jeffrey Peipert, a professor at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and recently published in
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology demonstrated
that access to and availability of free birth control lead to a notable drop in
the numbers of unintended pregnancies and subsequent abortions. The study added
that unintended pregnancies and subsequent births cost American taxpayers $11 Billion
dollars each year. Once again, if you don’t want to utilize birth control don’t,
but don’t enforce your beliefs on those that can benefit from their
availability.
Finally, if you are a Christian, how do you interpret
Christ’s Golden Rule? What are the restrictions that you put on “do unto
others”?
Education
I sincerely salute those who have educated themselves with
no government or academic assistance. You have demonstrated the work ethic and
commitment to education that have been cornerstones of this country. Education
has long been the most reliable way to financial security. Note: the operative
phrase here is financial security, not wealth.
Higher education is considerably more expensive than it used
to be.
According
to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 1979, the average
annual cost of tuition and required fees at in-state, 4 year, public
institutions was $1513. In 2007, the cost for the same education had grown to $10,913.
The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to
low-income undergraduate and certain post baccalaureate students to promote
access to postsecondary education. Though eligible families may earn as much as
$60,000 annually, Pell grants are awarded to families with incomes, on average,
less than $30,000 a year. The In 2012-2013, the
grants range from $575 to $5,550. The average grant in 2010-2011 was
approximately $3,590.
Gov. Romney has stated that he both supports an increase in
the funding of Pell Grants and supports his running mate Paul Ryan’s budget. He
seems to have trouble telling the truth and making up his mind.
According to
the
Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan think tank, the proposed Ryan
budget would “both cut Pell benefits and eligibility and freeze the maximum
grant at $5,550 per student per year, apparently on a permanent basis. … It
would repeal the entire $101 billion in existing mandatory funding for Pell
over the next ten years—both the permanent, open-ended funding and the
temporary pools of fixed funding.”
In the Chicago area, a family earning $30,000 annually and claiming two
dependents will actually take home approximately
$26,000 per year. If they do
receive a Pell Grant, how do they make up the difference for the cost of a
college education? These are hardly the parents that Gov. Romney suggested
students borrow from.
Education does pay.
The hard truth we have to learn is that the factory isn’t coming back to your
town. Our work force has to be trained in fluid, more diverse areas. How does
the United States expect to compete globally, if it doesn’t educate its
population? Are you only allowed to attend college and university if you can
afford it?
Actually, today more young women than men are enrolled in Medical School
and Law School. This is not true of business school. But don’t you want your
daughter to receive the same pay and benefits and have the same opportunities
for advancement as your son? Governor Romney, when elected Governor of
Massachusetts, was so oblivious to the number of talented, skilled women
available that he had to ask women’s groups to submit the now infamous “binders
full of women” for his consideration.
Poverty and Corporations
I believe it is the moral responsibility of every individual, corporation
and nation to care for the poor, the sick and the disabled. Why do we declare
who and who is not afforded assistance based on preconceived notions? Why do we
assume every individual receiving on public assistance is lazy, drug-addicted
and/or crazy? In Chicago, and according to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless’ 2011-12
CCH analysis, families made up 48.6% of Chicago’s homeless population. There
were 35,625 children (33.8%) and 15,557 parents or grandparents (14.8%). Yes,
everyone knows someone who at sometime abused government assistance. But to
blanket every instance as abuse is shortsighted, if not ignorant. Especially
when we refuse to hold Corporate America accountable for tremendous harms done
to each and every individual in this country.
Everyday, Americans purchase, use and promote the products of
corporations that remain blameless in the financial disaster that came about
because of deregulation, greed and profits. Earlier this year, Chase Bank lost
an estimated $9 billion in a bungled trade. What were the consequences?
An executive with the bank resigned. Prior to her resignation, Ina Drew was the
4th highest paid individual at the bank, earning a reported $14
million annually. Obviously, she was overpaid. Do we blame her? Do we blame
Chase? Do we even care? Yet, we blame the poverty-stricken for poverty?
As for Government Regulations, let’s consider the BP Oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico. Now called the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (an obvious positive
marketing spin), this disaster was the largest oil disaster in the history of
the Petroleum Industry. Its consequences will not be understood for decades.
Gov. Romney believes that energy independence will come from drilling more on
this continent, not from research and development or new technologies. He
mentions the failure of a handful of “green” companies when promoting the
expansion of oil exploration on this continent. And please don’t forget the
esteemed Sarah Palin’s catch phrase, “drill baby drill.”
Most, if not all of the tax benefits from the Bush era remain intact and
have been throughout President Obama’s first term. Yet, Gov. Romney’s so-called
job creators, the wealthy, aren’t hiring. They remain cautious. No Governor Romney, they remain greedy and fearful. Las Vegas casino
billionaire Sheldon Adelson and members of his family have donated more than
$50 million dollars to super PACs to help elect a number of Republican
candidates. Imagine the good that vast
amount of money could do elsewhere.
By the way, Sheldon Adelson’s casinos are under investigation for money
laundering.
If you’re a woman concerned about “your children’s and their children’s
future”, wouldn’t you like them to see a polar bear, a glacier or a National
Park? Do you want them to have clean water to drink? Do you want their
medications to be safe? Do you really believe corporations and banks are
capable of self-regulating?
Gay Marriage
Ladies, I just want to know how this threatens you and why are you so afraid
of it? What do you think will happen if gays are allowed to marry?
Bad Manners
Two Republicans raised me. I’m not ashamed to say that. They experienced
far more difficult times than i- the Great Depression and World War II. They
had a much broader scope of knowledge, more inclusion, less fear than the far
right does today.
They also had better manners.
My parents would not accept, on any level, Ann Coulter
calling the President a “retard”, whether he/she was a Republican, a Democrat
or even actually cognitively disabled.
My parents would not accept any American booing at the First
Lady of the United States.
Shame on the parents that raised these people! Shame on those
that condone this behavior!
I believe that acceptance of any of the aforementioned bad
behavior, is complicit with that behavior. As Howard Zinn, the liberal scholar
once said, “To be neutral in such a situation is to collaborate with what is
going on.”
The Conclusion - thank God!
That’s probably what your saying. I’ve bored you long
enough, and though I could continue on talking about the Arts, Donald Trump, Michele
Bachman... I won’t. I would rather be making an apple pie. How patriotic and traditional
of me.
I have to believe that women are compassionate, intelligent
and independent. We’ll see how the women’s vote is cast next week and if I lose
faith in my own sex. In the meantime, I hope to hear from you and I respect
your opinion - or at least, your right to have one.
