The wave of religious conservatism that has taken over the Republican Party since President Reagan has reached new heights of insanity. Now candidates battle to see who can be the most conservative. The result of this is a rush to destroy the rights of women. Don’t agree? Check out the Huffington Post article “Newt Gingrich: Life Begins at Implantation, Not Fertilization” for a very ugly wake up call.

According to the HuffPost article “Gingrich voted multiple times to give legal "personhood" status to an embryo and supported the Federal Abortion Ban, which would impose a two-year prison sentence on doctors who perform certain kinds of abortions. He also repeatedly voted to deny military women the right to have abortions at military hospitals, even if they paid for it themselves. He also cited "biological problems" as his reason for opposing women’s right to join the military.”

Bachmann is a similar story according to the same article:

“She has cast 12 votes on reproductive rights issues during her four years in the House, and all were anti-abortion. She voted in favor of the Stupak amendment, which would ban the insurance coverage of abortion in the new health system; she co-sponsored two bills that force women to hear state-mandated lectures 24 hours prior to having an abortion; and she vowed to defund Planned Parenthood if she became president.”

Romney believes abortion should only be legal in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother, but has said if he were president he would support the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Rick Perry:

“He has signed a law banning abortion after viability, with no exception for the health of the mother, and an emergency measure forcing women to have an ultrasound before an abortion and to hear a detailed description of the fetus. He also signed a bill permitting "choose life" license plates that funnel proceeds to "crisis pregnancy centers," many of which mislead and harass women into changing their minds about abortion. “

Ron Paul

“He is strongly opposed to family planning, believes that abortion should be considered murder under the law and has said that as president, he would "veto any spending bill that contains funding for Planned Parenthood … and all government family planning schemes." He opposes the insurance coverage of birth control and he authored legislation to define a fetus as a legal person. He also believes that a woman who gets an abortion is a “participant” but doesn’t deserve the death penalty but wishes that doctors who perform abortions should receive a harsh penalty.”

Rick Santorum

“Santorum wants abortion banned in all circumstances, even in cases of rape and incest; is opposed to all family planning programs; and believes that schools should be forbidden to teach students about contraception. He voted against funding pregnancy prevention programs for teens and voted for the "family cap" and the "illegitimacy cap," which would have financially penalized low-income women for having children and penalized states for children born out of wedlock. He also wishes to defund Planned Parenthood.”

Jon Huntsman

“Huntsman is pro-life but has supported some family planning-friendly legislation. He has supported bans on second-trimester abortions but as also supported another that would trigger a full ban on abortions if Roe v. Wade were ever overturned. He also signed a bill that penalizes unmarried couples by taking away social services for their children. However, he signed a bill that established a public education campaign promoting prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and another that ensures that rape victims are provided access to emergency contraception.”

Herman Cain

“Herman Cain is unequivocally anti-abortion and vehemently opposed to Planned Parenthood. He called it "an absolute farce on the American people" in January and said that he would "absolutely" defund the family planning provider if he were elected president. He has stated that he is pro-life from conception and pledged that as president he would nominate justices to the Supreme Court who would be likely to overturn Roe v. Wade.”

Where does this leave the women of America?

Let’s take a closer look at these positions in order of the impact on women.

1. Abortion becomes illegal after the first trimester.

2. Abortion becomes illegal.

3. Abortion becomes illegal even in cases of rape and incest.

4. An implanted zygote cannot be removed under penalty of a felony conviction.

5. Birth control is unfunded if not illegal.

6. Women who become pregnant are punished.

7. The men who make them pregnant are NOT punished.

So poor women, if not all women, find it difficult to find birth control. No woman can choose to abort her child under any circumstances. Women lose all control over their own bodies and reproductive cycle.

Is this the world you would choose to live in? Is this America?

Why would the Republican candidates take such a stand?

The rush to the Right has caused a stampede. Candidates are pressured to meet the Republican plank of anti-choice and inevitably throw women under the bus. When Cain indicated that abortion after rape or incest was the woman’s choice, Santorum attacked stating that Cain was essentially “pro-choice”. Do these people actually believe these statements or is it a way to get votes?

Choice

This seems to be an essentially democratic notion. We are adults and have the right to choose our future. Unless you are a woman. Then the conservative Republicans seem to believe you don’t have a choice. Essentially, they do not trust women to make a good decision. The action of at least two candidates to require an interrogation and browbeating of pregnant woman prior to having an abortion proves this. And in the case of Michelle Bachmann, she trusts herself to make a good decision but not any other woman.

Abortion in the case of Rape or Incest

This stance is virtually unimaginable. In an act of terrible violence that happens every 2 minutes in America, a woman or girl is raped. She becomes pregnant. And now the government continues to punish this victim by requiring her to bear the child of the monster who raped her. While this position is beyond the comprehension of most people it makes sense when you consider it from the position of a misogynist. It’s hard to imagine but there are still people out there who blame the victim for the rape but such people ARE out there and they are running for President. Some of our current candidates believe deep down that the females who are raped “asked for it” or “dressed provocatively” or “had rape fantasies”. And therefore, they should be punished.

Birth Control

Is this America? To restrict the right of men and women to choose when and if they will have children is a basic violation of the American ideal to choose your future. To restrict the right of any individual to choose when and if they have a child indicates that these candidates want control – over all of us.

Life at Implantation

The citizens of Mississippi recently rejected this concept. The implications are enormous. If the US government concludes that life begins at implantation, then what happens if a woman miscarries? Does she go to jail? What happens if a woman has an ectopic pregnancy? Does she die because a judge has to determine if removing the zygote is legal? Do doctors go to jail for saving a woman’s life?

In all of this, one has to wonder if Republicans view the lives of women as disposable. After all, they are only there to give birth to children.

Yes, the economy is important. Yes, jobs are important.

But do you really believe that giving up your rights, your health, and your very being are trumped by these issues?