Everyone knows Republican women like Ann Romney and Terri Proud (Republican Representative, AZ) are the "real" feminists of our day. What with defending patriarchy and preventing education in the name of abstinence-only education, we should really applaud them for supporting women's rights.
On Tuesday, a member of the Arizona National Organization for Women received the following response to an email she sent Terri Proud in regards to SB 1359. Note Terri's quoting of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony below. I find it ironic that Ms. Proud would quote such women. To that I'd like to ask her, in Stanton's own words to law makers: "Now, gentlemen, we would fain know by what authority you have disfranchised one-half the people of this state? You who have so boldly taken possession of the bulwarks of this republic, show us your credentials, and thus prove your exclusive right to govern, not only yourselves, but us." And again, "We support ourselves, and, in part, your schools, colleges, churches, your poor-houses, jails, prisons, the army, the navy, the whole machinery of government, and yet we have no voice in your councils." Address to the Legislature of New York, 1854
Ms. Proud goes on in her email to say that, "A woman should have the right to sue a school who tells her daughter that her womb can be violated without her mother's knowledge, but the left says otherwise." Proud is a religious zealot at most, presuming that our country was founded on the belief that God is an abusive male, lashing out on women for being sexual and in control of their bodies. Although Proud may serve that God, her religious freedom does not grant her rights to bring her anti-feminist and oppressive theology into the laws of our country.
Women in the United States and worldwide need access to contraception and education that isn't censored by the Religious Right.
Terri Proud's email is below:
Subject: RE: SB 1359 on House Calendar for tomorrow
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:34:22 -0700
From: TProud@azleg.gov
To: d...
D.,
This issue of a woman's choice has been declared a 'war on women' by the left stating that republicans are trying to adversely impact women's "health".And if that weren't enough, those who shill for Planned Parenthood claim that this is 'an attack by men against women,' clouding the issue and making it about gender rather than life and death.
I take the rights of women very seriously and I have found that when a woman defends the unborn she gets called "ignorant", "anti woman" and other vile words that I dare not repeat.
There was a time in our history that women didn't have many rights, and many women fought for them. But what did these women say about the rights of the unborn?
Elizabeth Stanton, a leader in the woman's suffrage movement Oct. 16, 1873, in a letter to Julia Howe, located at Harvard University Library said that,"When we consider that women are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit."
Susan B. Anthony, a recognized feminist, said, "I deplore the horrible crime of child murder... No matter what the motive, love of ease, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed... but oh! Thrice guilty is he who drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime." In her publication The Revolution, July 8, 1869.
She went on to say: "When a woman destroys the life of her unborn child, it is a sign that, by education or circumstances, she has been greatly wronged."
I find it interesting that the same party who advocates for the word 'education' has little knowledge of our history as women. These women knew lack of freedom and understood that when women are exploited they begin to digress in freedom and are not free at all. The cry for equality doesn't mean a woman advocates to be manipulated by society however equality is the freedom of being able to be a woman without the threat of losing worth.
A woman should have the right to avoid re-victimization for years in a courtroom after being violated, but the left often coddles the criminal instead of the victim.
A woman should have the right to sue a school who tells her daughter that her womb can be violated without her mother's knowledge, but the left says otherwise.
The left is on the wrong side of these issues when it comes to a woman's right in these instances but will advocate for the destruction of life in her womb as her right.
The most wonderful thing a woman can do is give life, as evident to us (and you). No other event in our world is as important as the one that changes a woman's title in one moment to 'mom or mother.'
The procedure they say should be "safe and rare," is a major detriment to the health of women. It destroys the most miraculous function of a woman's body. It can lead to many future health problems, both physical and emotional and on numerous occasions' death, however they continue to compound their deceit by saying that those who try to protect the most innocent among us are harming women's health.
It is not the protector of the innocent, but their destroyers who are waging this war.
I'll end with this: Victoria Woodhull, another leader of women's suffrage movement in the 1800's said "The rights of children as individuals begin while yet they remain the fetus." and "Every woman knows that if she were free, she would never bear an unwished-for child, nor think of murdering one before its birth."
The women of our past who fought for women's freedom understood that abortion is a symptom of inequality and exploitation to women in America. Because I want my girls to remain free in this Country I will fight against those who advocate for anything less than that.
I feel your need to speak for those who you feel can't speak for themselves...I feel that same need for the unborn...seems we have more in common than you thought.