America, the experiment, is one that will fail. And no, this isn’t yet another report about the disastrous regime, which is simply yet another symptom of the failure in progress. It doesn’t matter that there a few states sprinkled here and there that you could consider progressive and social minded. The majority of states are not those things. A whole hell of a lot of people aren’t those things. Christianity is the biggest obstacle to social progress, morality, and humaneness. And no, I don’t give a shit if you’re a progressive, social minded christian. Until I see all of you busy, active, protesting, and lobbying against all the asshole christians, I don’t care what you say in private. Whatever you’re doing, it isn’t enough.
The insistence on puritanism rooted in misogyny is one big reason this lost country will continue to slide inexorably downwards. Too many Americans seem to think of the country as a church, and they should have the right to oppress and stomp all over certain people. Missouri is providing a fine example of this in action:
Missouri’s Senate is considering legislation that would allow employers and landlords to discriminate against women who use birth control or have had abortions. The bill, which has the support of the state’s governor, Eric Greitens, was approved by the Missouri House Tuesday.
Known as SB 5, the bill was first passed by the Senate on June 14 following a special session called by Greitens. His aim was to overturn an ordinance that prevents employers and housing providers from punishing women for their reproductive health choices, according to a report by Feministing, a feminist website.
The ordinance was passed by the city of St. Louis, and Greitens had said it made the area into “an abortion sanctuary city.” The Senate seemed to agree with him, as did the House, which on Tuesday passed an expanded version of SB 5 that included more anti-abortion restrictions. Given the Senate’s vote on June 14, it it seen as likely to approve the updated version of SB 5. This would mean that landlords could refuse to offer housing to women based on their reproductive health choices, while employers could fire female staff members who were using birth control, or refuse to hire them. And while of course this isn’t information most landlords or employers have access to, under SB 5 they could ask women what forms of reproductive health care they are using.
Yes, of course women could lie; that’s not the point though, is it? The mere fact that anyone could be given the authority to question you on your contraception use* or specific bits of your medical history ought to scare the living hell out of everyone, it should not be something enshrined in law, to say the least. Can you imagine anything of this kind of thing being applied and passed in regard to men?
* Not that most women will be able to afford contraception in the near future.
Dunc says
What the actual fuck? Oh, America -- every time I think there’s nothing you could do that would shock me any more, you find a way to prove me wrong.
Caine says
Yeah … me too.
inquisitiveraven says
I grew up in St. Louis, but left over thirty years ago. Stuff like this makes me glad I did.
johnson catman says
How the fuck is it a landlord’s business whether a woman uses contraception or not? This is so far beyond “None of your damn business” that I don’t even have words. (I also believe employers should be in the same boat.) Authoritarians gone crazy.
mordred says
But remember: It’s us liberal commies here in Europe who live in communist totalitarian nanny states!
Caine says
Mordred, oh, I remember! I’m envious, too.
vucodlak says
A more cynical person than I might say that it’s suspicious that the governor announced this special session literally hours before the news that he is under investigation (for alleged misappropriation of nearly $100,000 in funds for a charity he ran before he became governor) went public. But I’m sure that’s just a coincidence, and that Governor
GunfondlerGreitens is sincerely concerned about fostering a government small enough to fit in the uteruses of people who possess them.