Aw Hell No

Stunned into relative silence, it took a day or so to let the anger find its way to the surface. Now I'm just furious. The idea that Democrats in the House just eliminated access to reproductive health services for millions, and possibly all, women is just stupefying.

I think incomprehension has been the main force behind the slow rolling reaction - only late last evening did it seem clear that the full horror had begun to sink in widely - an incomprehension that itself seems cheerfully naive.   The signs that healthcare reform had become a political exercise fully ignorant of larger implications was clear months ago, the sense that women's heath concerns were being dismissed was clear weeks ago, and the national madness around abortion policy is just part of my entire lifetime. Yet, still... it's hard to imagine something quite this unbelievable taking place.  Even as I watched it unfold on Saturday afternoon... and then went to see Precious.

For years, I have tried to be one of those voices of "it's not their fault" when it comes to Democratic missteps. I've been one of those "gee I hope they get their act together one day" type of Dems who, since the seventies, has figured I just happen to be in the hapless party that can't quite pull it together. Sometimes we do... but usually, wecave, or we get scared, or we fold too soon.  If only we could get our act together... well, I have to admit, this one's got me realizing... this is their act. And it is together... and that's the scary part.

As others say so often, the Stupak amendment is "a feature, not a bug;" These things don't "just happen" and Nancy Pelosi doesn't just get to say some group or other made her do this, against her will. The woman who could claim to be prochoice and let this happen can't claim to be buffeted by circumstance. This is a choice that can be made, comfortably, by people who lead a party no longer attuned to the needs of poor people, working people, people in need. It's a cavalier, uncaring assessment that somehow, people can make do... or they'll just have to deal with it. Or the kind of bald political calculus that says, somehow, magically, this will all just go away.

There's plenty of reasons to be unhappy about the healthcare "reform" still going full steam ahead, racing pell mell to a foregone conclusion that looks less and less appealing each day. But there's unhappy... and then there's this, a situation which cannot be acceptable, cannot be excused, cannot just be called okay, if we just make a few changes. This is a "hell no... and what the hell were you thinking?" moment. Say it... shout it. And dammit, let's do something about it.

Comments

[jinb]

I was wondering if you were going to comment on this one...worth the wait.