Florida is having its own battle with religious extremism right now.

[madfloridian]

It concerns the Plan B contraceptive pill being denied to rape victims in hospitals. I quote one Florida legislator who won't help pass a bill to require this be offered. If we keep tolerating this stuff, with no one speaking out...there won't be change.

Here is an example of the type of religious extremism we have to fight.

A Florida lawmaker is refusing to vote for a bill to require hospitals to give contraception to rape victims. Why? He's a Christian.

Rep. Dennis Baxley, a leading conservative voice, said his belief that life begins at conception would preclude his support.

State lawmakers will consider a bill requiring doctors and nurses to offer the so-called ''morning-after pill'' to rape victims.

Consider a bill? I am talking to some folks who think it won't pass, that too many will give in to the right wing Christians here just as Charlie Crist did on stem-cell research. There should have already been a bill to protect women who are victims of rape....it should not even be something they should have to "consider."

The well-publicized case of a Tampa rape victim who was denied emergency birth control exposes a little-known fault line in Florida's treatment of sexual assault: Whether a victim gets medication to prevent pregnancy depends on where she ends up after the attack.

Rape victims treated at hospitals instead of specialized crisis centers frequently are not offered emergency contraception, advocates say, even though it has been available over the counter at major drugstores since last year. In the state-recommended forensic exam after a sexual assault, offering the medication is optional.

But outrage over the Tampa case could give momentum to a bill filed by two South Florida lawmakers demanding that doctors and nurses make emergency birth control available to rape victims.

I would agree with what Howard Dean said in 2004, even though I don't hear him saying it now very much. In fact, no one is saying it. We are too busy giving in and being fearful instead of pointing out this is imposing their religion on all women. It is wrong.

From You Have the Power in 2004 by Howard Dean:

..."it seems to me that the right wing of the Republican Party preaches virtue on the one hand and intolerance on the other"

Maybe if we keep saying this is wrong, this is not their right to do this...some politician might agree with us again. Because of their religious beliefs, many are being intolerant toward women who are victims of rape. It is wrong.

[Doctor_J]

1. You reap what you sow

let these people get a foothold in the government, and prepare to get trounced.

[Virginia Dare]

2. It's the same in Virginia...

they just upped the penalties for "forced miscarriages".

[madfloridian]

4. Penalties? Like being sentenced to jail?

Is this with the permission of Governor Kaine?

[Virginia Dare]

5. As in felony...

read this and weep, they are criminally insane in Richmond. I haven't heard what Kaine is going to do, but they could probably override it anyway..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content//article/2...

[madfloridian]

6. That is so tragic...is that like the bill Blanco signed in Lousiana?

I was so furious with that. Even the Third Way people blasted her for that. I don't know if it made it a felony.

Let's see now...you can't get the over the counter pill in Florida in a hospital if you are raped. You have to look far and wide for a clinic that gives abortions...with many being closed now.

And in VA they want to make it a felony.

And Amanda and Melissa have almost had their reputations ruined for speaking out on hypocritical stuff like this.

My head is reeling. Unfortunately in Florida so many of our Demcorats will go along with people like Baxley. They believe in appealing to what one lawmaker called the "bubba" vote.

[muntrv]

3. Rape is conception according to Baxley's fucked up logic.

[madfloridian]

20. I noticed that.

It is such an odd way of thinking.

[Vidar]

7. What hath Jeb wrought?

[madfloridian]

8. New state GOP says more of the same...stick to conservative social principles.

And we know what that means in Florida.

Right back to the same old agenda...and Crist knew he would when he appointed him.

http://www.flapolitics.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1523

"Knuckle Draggers to the End

Greer speaks about Florida's new Republican Party: "In a wide-ranging discussion with newspaper reporters, Republican Chairman Jim Greer of Oviedo expressed confidence that his party can regain much of the power it lost last November by sticking to conservative fiscal and social principles. That includes continued support for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, he said." "GOP confident it can regain party's power".

You read that right; it's back to the wingnut well for Charlie and his crew: "Florida's new Republican Party chairman said Monday he would like to see a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the 2008 ballot and would not rule out spending more state GOP money to support it." Charlie's handpicked head of the RPOF."

And can you just imagine how many of the Florida GOP will vote for a bill to give rape victims contraception? I am so tired of their bigotry.

[ProudDad]

9. Ban religion from any governmental process

I think we'd be better off if ONLY Atheists, Agnostics and Buddhists could run for office!

[Greyhound]

10. I think we would probably be better off if we just drew random SSN

and appointed the holders to office. Couldn't be worse, anyway.

[ProudDad]

15. Very interesting concept

I wonder if it would end up like jury duty -- no-one wants it...

On the other hand, I heard Thom Hartmann say that in Athens they had to round up 6000+ people (a majority of the population) to pass a law. Now THAT'S Democracy...

[Greyhound]

16. Could be, OTOH, unlike jury duty,

the jobs do come with a very nice salary and great perks in exchange for your 2, 4, or 6 years. When I first considered this I thought how silly, but as I grow older and see more of how the sausage is made, I'm thinking that it seriously couldn't be worse. The bureaucrats would still be there to give instruction on the hows and whys, rules and regs, and I think most people would honestly try to do what they believe to be right. Another benefit I see is that since there is no going back, there would be a strong incentive to resist the temptation to screw over your constituents for personal gain.

Anyway here's another

[madfloridian]

11. No state is exempt from the anti-women's rights actions and activists,

This article really opened my eyes.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-abortion11fe...

AUSTIN, TEXAS — austin, texas — "In an experiment that's opening a new front in the culture wars, a growing number of states are paying antiabortion activists to counsel women with unplanned pregnancies.

At least eight states — including Florida, Missouri and Pennsylvania — use public funds to subsidize crisis pregnancy centers, Christian homes for unwed mothers and other programs explicitly designed to steer women away from abortion. As a condition of the grants, counselors are often barred from referring women to any clinic that provides abortions; in some cases, they may not discuss contraception either.

Most states still spend far more money subsidizing comprehensive family planning, but the flow of tax dollars to antiabortion groups has surged in recent months, as programs have taken effect in Texas and Minnesota.The trend alarms abortion-rights supporters, who assert that the funds would be better spent — and would prevent more abortions — if used to expand access to birth control. But to antiabortion activists such as Nancy McDonald, the funding is both practical and symbolic, a way of putting the state's stamp of approval on their work."

And one more instance...

Here in Texas the state reduced grants to a Planned Parenthood clinic in downtown Austin — and began sending some of the money to the Roman Catholic diocese a block away. There, in a cozy office adorned with paintings of Jesus and Mary, counselors can collect $1.05 in public funds for every minute they spend encouraging women and teens not to abort. They show clients photos of a translucent fetus; they give away maternity clothes and baby blankets. Later this month, they will begin offering a statesubsidized one-hour class on infant care.

[sarcasmo]

12. Must believe every passage in the bible. Repeat after me.

Must believe every passage in the bible.
Must believe every passage in the bible.
Must believe every passage in the bible.

Brainwashing is a scary tool and they have about 33percent brainwashed right now.

[madfloridian]

13. That reminds me how true that is....did you see this?

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/...

It's OT of this thread, but it is a video showing how literal many are.

[mia]

14. k & r

Thanks for the post.

[xchrom]

17. the best way to control the masses -- is to control their genitals.

[madfloridian]

18. This WP article about Virginia's attempts to control women's rights..

is so sad to me.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content//article/2...

"RICHMOND, Feb. 5 -- The Virginia House of Delegates gave tentative approval Monday to a bill to make it a felony for a woman to cause her own miscarriage but rejected a proposal to give fertilized eggs and fetuses the "right to enjoyment of life."

With the legislative session nearing its midpoint, the House considered a half-dozen bills aimed at restricting abortion or cracking down on people who harm fetuses."

.."Two bills that would make it a crime to force a miscarriage received preliminary approval in the House. Under one, a person other than the mother could be charged with involuntary manslaughter for causing a miscarriage. Under the other, a woman who causes her own miscarriage could be charged with a felony and face up to 10 years in prison. The legislation would not outlaw the morning-after pill."

..."What you got before you," Watts said, "is a situation where a female who may be a month or two pregnant, her grandmother tells her 'whatever,' her friends tell her 'whatever' . . . and she decides to produce an abortion, and we are going to penalize her with a felony?"

Are we living in the dark ages?

[Hawkowl]

19. American Taliban

Next they will be advocated for death by stoning to all women engaging in pre-marital sex. We need to call them what they are the American Taliban.