Sunday, February 12, 2012

Some Questions for U.S. Bishops (trying to spare you the task of compassion or original thinking)

Headline from today's Washington Post:  "U.S. bishops blast Obama's contraception compromise."

So: the U.S. Conference on Bishops "has declared total opposition to any compromise on the issue." As I understand the most recent iteration of this debate, President Obama and his advisers worked out a compromise so the churches and religious institutions in general weren't required to foot the bill for women's contraception but, instead, insurance companies would cover the costs. So that women were still covered and church fathers were spared the task of compassion or original thinking.

Assuming the Conference assumes it knows best I have to ask the U.S. bishops about their experience with contraception, and the cycle of life (as in the menstrual cycle) itself. I realize there are some lay bishops who are female, bur we're still talking male domination.  So let me ask you, bishops:


-Have you ever wondered by Tampax aren't tax deductible?
-Have you ever had a miscarriage? 
-Have you ever worried about leakage?
-Have you ever asked a stranger if she had an extra Tampax you could use?
-How many underpants have you tossed away because they had menstrual blood on them?
-How many slacks or pantyhose have you thrown away because they had menstrual blood on them?
-Have you ever been forced to have sex with a man, against your will?
-Have you ever had a miscarriage? 
-Has your life ever been at risk from a dangerous pregnancy?
-Have you ever been raped?
-Have you ever known you just didn't want to have children?
-Have you ever had to support children after their father had abandoned you?
-Have you ever found that raising children, with or without the support of a partner or village was too stressful an experience to repeat?
-Have you ever wanted to have a career, you know, in a field you had gone through apprenticeships or college before you could achieve success?
-Have you ever wanted to have a child but known it just wasn't the right time in your life?
-Have you ever wanted to make decisions about your own body?
-Have you ever felt disgraced or enraged because institutions believed they knew what was best for you when in fact they simply wanted to control you?
-Have you ever realized that an overwhelming majority of Americans are in favor of Planned Parenthood and organizations providing similar care, but that the U.S. Conference of Bishops still thinks it judge and boss women?
-Have you ever had cramps?  PMS?
-Have you ever considered killing the next person you saw if you couldn't get some relief to your pain (from cramps or PMS)?
-Have you ever had a vile workday where all you wanted to do was go on and wrap yourself in blankets? But you still showed up for work and did a good job?

2 comments:

  1. I'm glad I stumbled upon this blog post of yours Sarah (via twitter actually). I like it a lot and am going to link to it o my fb page. Juliet

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  2. Thanks, Juliet. I keep thinking of more questions, but will let others ask their own!

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