The mostly white, male, Republicans of Texas, whose party mantra is less government, are following in the Taliban’s footsteps in denying women their rights. With their actions they are saying to all women, “you are too stupid to choose the right path so we are going to make the decision for you” and use the Bible as their source of conduct. The Pilgrims came to America to escape religious persecution and our Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion but not so in Texas where the state is controlled by religious Republican men. This group is harassing women with their latest witch hunt by denying funding to Planned Parenthood. Where are the women of our country to go to escape the religious persecution they are experiencing every day in Texas and the United Sates as a whole?
According to the federal government, for every dollar that is invested in planning a family, instead of just getting “knocked up” saves taxpayers four dollars in other health care costs. This means that the $60 million that the Republican controlled Texas House has stripped from the budget for family planning and shifted the money to anti-abortion programs, will end up costing tax payers $240 million. Planned Parenthood has been around for 90 years and does so much more than perform abortions; it does everything in its power to prevent an abortion in the first place. By denying funding to family planning the need for an abortion will increase. I may not believe in abortions but I definitely believe that the government has no right to tell a woman what to do and that goes for the Taliban as well.
Whatever your personal beliefs are about when life begins, supporting the bills that are being introduced across the country to cut funding to Planned Parenthood are saying that women are incapable of making the right choice. The women of Texas are so stupid that they need Rick Perry and Dan Patrick to make decisions for them instead of their families, doctors, clergy or friends.
The irony of the situation is that Republicans believe that life begins at conception but as soon as that baby is born it is just about kicked to the curb. As I have written about before, Texas children are 93 percent more likely not to have health care, are more prone to drop out of school and are 83 percent more likely to have a mother who has no health insurance with little to zero prenatal care. Texas has the highest rates of child fatalities from abuse or neglect. Pre-kindergarten programs have been slashed as well which would prepare these children for higher education goals.
Is the next step for the Republican Party to start stoning women to death if they’re not virgins on their wedding day? It’s in the Bible. In my opinion the religious zealots of the Texas Taliban and their War on Women has to stop.