Saturday, February 04, 2006
Republicans say "F# You !" to Women serving our Nation in uniform.
Upon researching the story above, your devoted blogger stumbled upon a remarkable piece of legislation defeated by the Republican conrolled House of Representatives. The following summary is from the NOW (National Organization for Women) website :
"Servicewomen and military dependents are currently prohibited from obtaining abortions at overseas military hospitals, even if they pay for the services themselves.This unfair, dangerous ban applies even in cases of rape, incest, and threat to maternal health. Denying our servicewomen stationed overseas the same rights that women are afforded at home is completely unacceptable and hypocritical. Why should these women fight to protect our freedom when they are not afforded those same rights? The ban is especially reprehensible considering the prevalence of sexual violence in the military. In one study by the Iowa Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 30 percent of female U.S. military veterans reported having been raped or suffered a rape attempt during their military service. It should be emphasized that there should not be any ban at all: Servicewomen and military dependents should have the same constitutional rights at U.S. military hospitals overseas as they would at a hospital or clinic in their home town. This ban, adopted by a right-wing anti-abortion rights majority in Congress in 1996 and later supported by an anti-abortion rights administration, risks the health and lives of military servicewomen and the female dependents of all service members stationed abroad. These women are now forced to turn to hospitals and clinics in less developed regions of the world which may not have safe medical procedures. "
PS: Despite the eloquent appeal quoted above, the measure to lift the ban was defeated 233-194 along primarily, but not exclusively party lines. Here is the voting record on the ammendment to HR 1815, Roll Call No. 216. ¶ 2:55 PM
"Servicewomen and military dependents are currently prohibited from obtaining abortions at overseas military hospitals, even if they pay for the services themselves.This unfair, dangerous ban applies even in cases of rape, incest, and threat to maternal health. Denying our servicewomen stationed overseas the same rights that women are afforded at home is completely unacceptable and hypocritical. Why should these women fight to protect our freedom when they are not afforded those same rights? The ban is especially reprehensible considering the prevalence of sexual violence in the military. In one study by the Iowa Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 30 percent of female U.S. military veterans reported having been raped or suffered a rape attempt during their military service. It should be emphasized that there should not be any ban at all: Servicewomen and military dependents should have the same constitutional rights at U.S. military hospitals overseas as they would at a hospital or clinic in their home town. This ban, adopted by a right-wing anti-abortion rights majority in Congress in 1996 and later supported by an anti-abortion rights administration, risks the health and lives of military servicewomen and the female dependents of all service members stationed abroad. These women are now forced to turn to hospitals and clinics in less developed regions of the world which may not have safe medical procedures. "
PS: Despite the eloquent appeal quoted above, the measure to lift the ban was defeated 233-194 along primarily, but not exclusively party lines. Here is the voting record on the ammendment to HR 1815, Roll Call No. 216. ¶ 2:55 PM
