This past week, there were a lot of hurtful words, accusations and slurs passed around… from woman to woman. If you happened to miss it, this past Tuesday, Susan G. Komen (SGK) announced that it would no longer grant funds to Planned Parenthood (PP,) due to Congressional Investigations. When that happened, the internet was all buzz with opinions with SGK being accused of bowing to “right-wing, anti-choice pressure” and being “anti-woman.”
Three days later, officials at SGK, issued a statement that they would continue funding the current PP grants, but would place any new grant proposals under review. What that happened, the internet was all a-buzz with opinions with SGK being accuse of bowing to “left-wing, pro-abortion pressure” and being “anti-baby.”
I will admit. I do not stand with Planned Parenthood and I think Susan G. Komen is a joke. Both are corporations concerned about the all mighty dollar. But what we seem to be missing is, while we sling mud and words at one another, making ourselves feel better in the process, there are women and children and families being caught in the crossfire.
Proponents of PP will attest that PP is more than just abortions. That they care for the whole woman. Opponents to PP will attest that while PP may offer a few tests, really they are just about making as much money as they can by offering and performing abortions. Furthermore, PP is not the only place that low and no-income women can go to get well-woman care.
But is it? Depends on your address.
Here in Los Angeles, there are over 50 free/ sliding scale clinics that are not affiliated with Planned Parenthood. In Lawrence Kansas it seems that there is one. In some places Planned Parenthood is the only viable option that doesn’t require a months long wait. How is that possible?
Where does the girl go, who finds herself in need of well-woman care or contraception and she has no insurance or money, if she does NOT stand with Planned Parenthood?
Where is her choice?
Would our collective reactions been different if SGK had said that they were going to pull funds from PP with the intention of opening a series of non-abortative, well-woman clinics in underserved areas? Would the left have been just as angry? What if SGK said that they would continue to fund PP provided that PP spun their abortion services into a separate entity, with a new name and new structure? Would the right have been just as angry?
So, why is this blog titled “Quiet on the Blog Front?”
Because I am tired of it all. I am tired of being accused of being anti-woman because I don’t support reproductive rights. I am tired of pink. I am tired of being called stupid or a “mindless God-follower.” I am tired of lies and I am tired of the fighting.
Now, because I am, by nature, a little confrontational, I am not going to promise much but, for the rest of the month of February, I will be quiet about these topics that just drive friends and women apart.
For the month of February, this blog will be all sunshine and rainbows and coffee, because there is enough bad stuff going on in the world.
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Black History Month Facts: Henry “Home Run King” Aaron, baseball superstar was born today, Feb 5, in 1934.
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I agree, as I tend to be the type of person that takes all of this conflict and frustrating behavior extremely personally. I just want all women and children to be treated as treasured people with dignity and respect. I’ll continue to pray for all of this, but I’ll join you in trying to make February a positive month!
Karianna, I hear you, especially as someone who moves around in the feminist online world like you do. Sometimes I just don’t even get involved in it anymore. Actually, getting rid of my Facebook account helped a lot, honestly. But then again, a lot of that conflict on FB ended for me with the last election cycle when many of my liberal friends either dropped me or just stopped communicating because I dared to express my reservations about Obama.
Ugh. I am actually so, so grateful that I do not have to go through that again right now and for the next 10 months.
I spend most of my time on more Catholic-oriented boards now and try to avoid getting myself too upset that way. (of course the Catholics are another story…amirite? heheh.)
I, for one, love what you just said. It is hard to join in the fight when the opposing sides are exhausting and relentless and rude. But this is not the argument I spend much time on, and your perspective just helped me. I am tired of the woman-in-leadership debate in the evangelical church, and I’ve found that keeping up with the debate twists something in my heart…so I’m keeping quiet about it too. I stand with you with my mouth shut, I’ve said enough. Thanks for the post!