Moving to Gilead

The current NH House of Representatives packed so much crazy into the last year, it’s difficult to imagine that there could be more. But there is more, so much more. The NH House is comprised of Free Staters, Teabaggers, and John Birchers, all simmering together in the least appetizing stew one could be served. Throw in a couple of outraged, old fashioned Main St. Republicans, and you’ve captured the essence of the O’Brien lead House.

In 2010, the Republicans campaigned on their perpetual slogan, “NH doesn’t have a revenue problem, NH has a spending problem” and their promise of a laser-like focus on job creation. Voters responded to these craven statements by electing any dimwit (see Harty, Martin) having an “R” next to his or her name. NH has long had a spending problem, but not the one the freebaglicans claim. NH doesn’t spend enough money in some very important areas. Take infrastructure. According to the American Society of Civil engineers: 51% of NH bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, 27% of NH ‘s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and there are 106 high hazard dams in NH. (This is only a sampling of NH infrastructure needs.) The “repair and maintain” can gets kicked down the road every 2 years, so that ultimately the state will pay the pound of cure. Or in the case of that bridge from Milton to Lebanon, ME the local businesses will go under while the bridge remains inoperable. Don’t look to the current legislature to actually address an actual need. They’re far too interested in making bold power grabs, eliminating the judiciary, eliminating public education, eliminating voting, eliminating women, and assigning everyone a gun. They realize they have to work fast, because most are unlikely to be reelected, thanks to the national humiliation they’ve brought upon our state.

By my (inexact) count, there are at least 5 bills aimed at gerrymandering districts, 15 anti-education bills, 10 involving elections, 6 anti-voting, 10 anti-union, 10 anti-local control, 10 telling Congress what to do, 11 gun bills, 2 whiny men bills, and at least 10 anti-women bills. There are also plenty of nonsensical bills. More on those next time.

With HB 1659, the forced birth crowd wants women to have a 24 hour waiting period to read incorrect anti-abortion propaganda before going through the LEGAL procedure of abortion. Apparently we wimmin are so dumb, we need men to make our decisions for us. We are not, however, too dumb to serve as involuntary incubators. HB 1660 would eliminate abortions after 20 weeks, and HB 1679 would eliminate partial birth abortions, even though there is no such medical procedure, and third trimester abortions. Third trimester abortions account for about 0.04% of abortions. (That’s four hundredths of one percent) These women have late term abortions for health reasons. Like saving the life of the woman, which doesn’t appear to be a concern of the folks who wrote this bill. Those health reasons are not the business of the people who want to stick their noses into women’s medical privacy. What about freedom and liberty, and no gummint interference in your personal life? Oh, right! That only applies to white, heterosexual men.

HB 1680 would compel HHS to compile and maintain termination of pregnancy statistics. That, dear readers, means making a list of names, and demonizing the women that had a legal medical procedure somewhere down the line. Get out your red capes, girls. We’re moving to Gilead.

The NH House voted this week to defund Planned Parenthood. Public money isn’t used for the legal procedure known as abortion, but that matters naught to the men who want to make decisions for women. Planned Parenthood does, however, do: pap smears, breast exams, STD screenings, and provides low cost birth control to low-income women. What the NH legislature is telling women is this: you have no value. We don’t care if you get cancer. Our only concern is a nebulous potential fetus. So, if you get ovarian cancer, that’s your tough luck, slut. The men who claim to value life above all else don’t place any value on YOUR life, if you’re a woman. Speaker O’Brien has attached an amendment to this that would ban public employee health plans from covering the legal procedure known as abortion. Papa Doc O’Brien knows what’s best for you silly girlies.

Imagine if all this scrutiny were aimed at male genitalia. It’s time to stop boys and men from murdering trillions of potential people every day via the Sin of Onan. Where is the GOP concern for all of that killing? Where is the cry for HHS masturbation statistics? Surely that information needs to be close at hand, along with the names of the multiple offenders. And isn’t it time for these good Republican Christians to be forced to go before a panel to explain why they need a Viagra prescription? It better be for purposes of procreation only, with only a legal spouse, in one of those “between a man and a woman” marriages. Men must come to terms with the fact that their impotence is God’s will, and stop trying to do an end run around God’s plan for them.

Either women are equal human beings, or chattel. If having a functioning uterus makes women property of the state, than it’s time for the state to start picking up the tab for the support and maintenance of their property. In fact, boys, I’d be wary about all those unlicensed guns you’re advocating for. The women just might start fighting back. I only hope I live long enough to see it.


“Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their oppressors.” Evelyn Cunningham



© 2012 sbruce
Printed as an op-ed in the January 20, 1012 edition of the Conway Daily Sun newspaper.