First, I am a woman.
- Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as the first bill he signed of his first term. Mitt Romney still refuses to answer whether or not he would have signed this bill. I can't imagine being a woman and voting for someone who refuses to answer whether or not he thinks I should get equal pay for equal work.
- Under Obamacare, starting in 2014, I will no longer have to pay more for my health insurance than men pay. If Romney is elected and gets rid of Obamacare, I will continue to have to pay more for my health insurance than men simply because I am a woman.
- Under Obamacare, my birth control is covered. I pay a fraction of what I used to pay to get my prescription birth control. I have had a lot of people ask me, "Why should I pay for your birth control? Just don't have sex." Here's the thing: people are going to have sex whether they are on birth control or not. I think it's more important to keep women who can't afford to have children from getting pregnant, instead of complaining about the kids being born into poverty and the "irresponsibility" of the mothers.
- Mitt Romney is going to make all abortions illegal. There will be no exceptions for pregnancies that occurred because of rape or incest. I have a friend who was raped at 17 and became pregnant. She ended up miscarrying, but was planning on getting an abortion because she was absolutely not in a place financially or physically where she could have had the child. What would have happened to her if she hadn't miscarried and abortion wasn't legal? Making abortions illegal is terrifying because if women can't get them safely and legally, they will get them illegally or try to perform them themselves. This is really scary because it is going to put many more women at risk for infections, diseases from unclean instruments, and death than if abortion was legal and they could have it done safely. Last night Romney said that he didn't want a board of people making decisions about his healthcare (in regard to Obamacare). I don't want him making decisions about my healthcare.
Second, I am someone who is currently benefiting from Obamacare.
- Last night, Romney said that his plan would allow young people up to 26 years old to stay on their parents' health insurance plans--if their private health insurance company allowed it. I know that before Obamacare was passed my parents' health insurance plan did not allow that. I am 23 years old and unemployed. Now, because of Obamacare, I get to stay on my parents' plan and I have health insurance.
- Last night, Romney said that his plan would make it possible for people with pre-existing conditions to have insurance--if they were already on an insurance plan that allows that. I know that my parents' health insurance plan doesn't cover pre-existing conditions. I don't know how I could find insurance while being unemployed that I can afford that would cover pre-existing conditions. Because of Obamacare, I will get to have health insurance even though I have a pre-existing condition.
Third, I am part of the LGBT community and so is my older sister, who was married to her wife in 2008 when it was legal in San Francisco.
- Obama supports same-sex marriage. Romney is going to amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
- Obama repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" so now people can serve their country without hiding a part of who they are.
- Obama made it possible for my sister to visit her wife in the hospital. Romney would take that right away.
- Mitt Romney favors allowing states to ban civil unions, which means that people of the LGBT community would not be allowed to even be in a union. This is a problem because this affects LGBT couples' health insurance, life insurance, adoption plans, visitation rights, and also the right that they don't have just because they are in the LGBT community: to marry the person you love.
This is the second sentence of our Declaration of Independence:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."
Obviously, it was written at a time when only men (white men who owned property) were "created equal." But times have changed. If these rights are "self-evident" then why are we (women and the LGBT community) having to fight so hard to get our rights? President Obama has, and is going to continue to finally grant us our "unalienable Rights." If Romney is elected, we, the mothers, daughters, sisters, and leaders of the community, will not get the self-evident truths upon which our country was founded.
I agree: this is a very clear choice.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi
Sources for this article include:
You make a good point about how you don't want Romney making your healthcare decisions--what if the board of unelected people set up under ObamaCare had people who feel the same way as you claim Romney feels. The point is that YOU/ME would have no say as to who is on the board! I DON'T WANT THE GOV'T IN MY HEALTHCARE!
ReplyDeleteI have many gay/lesbian friends who have never(during the last 30 years) been kept from seeing their partners in the hospital.(having babies, operations, etc.)
Abortion: It will always be legal. One president can't change that with so many Reps and Dems being pro-choice. The problem most conservatives have is PAYING for abortions when it goes against their religious convictions. The gov't should not be paying for them when there are so many private orgs. that assist women in this. Obama was for and fought for very late-term abortions; in fact, when he was in Illinois, it was one of the few things he voted 'for' instead of just voting 'present'as he did on just about everything else.
Yes, the states have the right to legislate issues--my state voted on L/G issues before Obama was even president. It's easier to get things done on a state level--more local, you have more of a voice. If people don't like it, they can move to a state that conforms to how they feel.
By the way, my son is 27 and was on my ins. until 26. We shopped for an ins policy that suited our needs--I didn't pay any more. This was way before ObamaCare. Co's want customers and competition fosters the changes that people insist on for a lower cost than the gov't can do it.
I'm sorry that your guy wasn't on the ball last night--he's just not up to the job. The emperor had no clothes--he can't defend what he's been doing for the last 4 years--it's been a disaster. He clearly has no idea how the economy works-NONE! Americans want to be free and unencumbered to soar to reach their potential and beyond! When we do, all Americans and the world, for that matter, does better. The president has never had to deal with people disagreeing with him, asking tough questions, he was lost last night. When you have basic principles and beliefs that guide you, you are never lost, you know exactly where you are coming from and what you stand for--Obamas principles change depending on what group of people he is talking to. Last night he had to talk to all and defend his policies--he couldn't. Enough. Thank you.
I completely agree that Obama wasn't on point last night. I don't really think that last night's debate is a reason to say that he's "not up to the job."
DeleteI'm glad that you have your perspectives on this, too. I can definitely understand not wanting the government in your healthcare; it seems a little bit invasive. I was just pointing out that for me, having government mandated healthcare that allowed all visits with women's health to be included would be the best choice for me.
I'm glad that your LGBT friends have had such great experiences. I'm not saying that all gay and lesbian couples get treated badly and unfairly, but a lot of them do, and it shouldn't be legally okay to not treat them like real couples. I mean, that's also just my opinion. I feel like my sister should get to never be worried about seeing my sister-in-law in the hospital and should get to have my sister-in-law on her healthcare plan, but if you don't agree with that and you think that the LGBT community shouldn't get to have the same rights as you, then I guess that's your view that you have to live with.
You're right in that there are many private organizations out there to help with abortions and women's health. However, defunding Planned Parenthood (the largest and most successful of these organizations) in my opinion is a huge mistake.
I don't see a problem with states choosing what to do on some issues, but when it comes to "unalienable rights" for ALL people I feel like that is something that should be federally mandated. People shouldn't have to move states because it's been decided that they don't have rights in the state they're living in anymore.
I think it's great that you found an insurance provider to cover your son even though he's over 26 years old! Having the luxury to shop around for private insurance is something I wish all of us had.
Thanks for sharing your opinions! As I mentioned to the person below, please don't be rude. There are so many fun names and cute phrases I would love to use to describe Romney, but name calling doesn't really get us anywhere. Let's just keep it on a high level and discuss real things, not compare the president to a fairy tale character. Thanks!
Wow--Romney has never said that he will make abortions illegal. He couldn't unilaterally anyway.
ReplyDeleteDo you know how our government works? You don't seem to.
http://www.freep.com/article/20121004/NEWS15/310040237/Where-Obama-Romney-stand-on-major-national-foreign-issues
DeleteOkay, so according to this source, Romney would repeal Roe vs. Wade and allow the states to ban abortions. Sorry--I guess I saw being open to having abortion banned was the same as encroaching on my body. Thanks for asking me to clarify that point.
Also, just because we disagree on our positions doesn't mean that I don't "know how our government works." People who are against Obama often say that he himself will unilaterally do something. Obviously there will have to be changes to almost any bill because it has to get through Congress. Please keep the personal attacks to yourself, because I'm creating this space as a forum for people with all views to share safely. Thanks.
Gee, sorry--I just asked a question.
ReplyDeleteDidn't think I was being unsafe or attacking. If I can safely observe, your blog IS personal--it's all about you and your personal views. If I disagree with you personally, I'm attacking and unsafe? I'm so very sorry you feel that way.
To repeal Roe v. Wade takes way more than 1 person. Simply being president, he doesn't have the power to do that. To repeal ObamaCare, he will need majority votes. All Reps and several Dems have already said they want to do that, so it is possible. Most people in our country believe abortion is a personal choice and should not be legislated. If they didn't, Reagan and the 2 Bushes could have pushed for a repeal--there is no mandate for this. Liberals use this issue to scare women that their rights are being infringed upon--it comes up everytime. I'm very old, so I know. :) I sincerely apologize for the personal attack.
Fair enough; I just thought the way you brought that around seemed a little snarky for my taste, but you're right: disagreeing is all in how it's perceived. :)
DeleteYes, I agree that it takes more than one person to get something like repealing Roe v. Wade or Obamacare through, I just hope they don't do it. Abortion IS a personal choice; I completely agree! I just think that it should be legal if a woman decides to make that choice. If a state bans it, then that woman doesn't have a legal option in making that very personal choice.
I'm sorry for coming around on that so quickly; I've had comment discussions on here get out of hand before and I just wanted to nip it in the bud. :) Thanks!
Last night Romney had a chance to define himself instead of the president defining him. Made a good argument and the president was unable to defend his misrepresentations about Romney. Now the press is angry; it's going to get ugly! They don't like seeing the guy they've been protecting and defending for 4 years, back on his heels.
ReplyDeleteI think you've put forth a very good assessment of what happened last night. Romney was very well prepared and in my opinion, Obama didn't take advantage of the situation like he could have (e.g. being the charismatic speaker we've all come to know and love). It's going to be a very interesting month.
DeleteNo problem, thanks for clarifying.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Anytime. Thank you for joining in the discussion!
DeleteI didn't realize I was calling names or being rude. You will have a choice of health plans, if Romney and Ryan are being truthful and can pass their ideas into legislation. That's the point; many companies will be in competition for your business if we can buy insurance across state lines. Right now, we are prohibited from that. More competition, lower cost, more choice--IF the gov't gets out of the way! :)
ReplyDeleteIF the Romney-Ryan idea is exactly what they say it is right now, yes, we will be able to choose our plans. We'll see what happens! :)
DeleteOur country is in very deep trouble right now. I think most of us are looking for substance rather than charisma and happy platitudes and bromides. We fell for that 4 years ago and now we're in worse shape in all areas (economy, foreign relations, etc...).
ReplyDeleteI can understand wanting substance. That's why I like what he's done so far. Is he done? No. But no one would have been done in 4 years. The Bush administration left stuff that lasted well into 2009...while it shows up as "while Obama was in office" that doesn't mean he did it. Sure it happened while he was in office, but it's not because of anything he did. He walked into an absolute wreck.
DeleteThat's my point; things are bad and the things that Obama did to 'fix' them didn't work. It never works when you borrow massive (6trillion more debt)amounts of money and throw it at 'projects'. All it does is burden the American people and their children, grandchildren for decades to come. I'm sure that the president does not understand basic economics. I wish Obama was the grown up, stand up guy I thought he was; everything is Bush's fault. ALL presidents have to deal with what was done previously. Instead of saying that maybe we need to change course or instead of outlining a new set of plans to make things better, we just get the same old stuff plus loads of whining! Major disappointment, that man has been!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you feel that way--I think that a lot of what has been said in this comments is "one man can't change it by himself" when talking about pushing agendas through Congress. But now you are asking one man to completely reshape the economy and change the debt situation. I'm sorry you feel that he has been a disappointment. I am also not wowed by the way he handled everything, but at the same time I can understand that we need to be realistic in our expectations. If you think that Romney can bring our debt down and make sure that our economic policy is one that's better for all of us, then that's fine. He MAY have a better economic plan. Economics are not my strong suit at all. I just know that even if we have an incredibly great economy but I can't have the insurance I need and my sister cannot marry the person she loves, then our country had failed.
DeleteNo, one man can't do it all himself unilaterally as we have a
ReplyDeleteConstitution that says they can't. But what I meant was, the president needs to LEAD.Discuss, Debate, and formulate legislation with all our representatives. This president lacks leadership skills when actually put into practice; speaking when on the telepromter and reading prepared statements are not leading. I'm so glad your sister can marry whom she loves and you have your ins., but we need to look at what is best for the entire country, as a whole for generations to come.
Jen, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner!
DeleteI agree that we need a leader. I'm watching a documentary series about John Adams and in it the George Washington character shows what it is to be a leader; the reason he was chosen as the first president. I, too, hope we can have a great leader as our next president, whether it be a continuation of the one we have with a bit more gumption, or a new one. I absolutely agree that we need someone who can bring our country along and lead us through whatever lies ahead.
Unless you're an illegal alien, or a big fan of them, you have no business voting for Obama. See:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.numbersusa.com/content/action/2012-presidential-hopefuls-immigration-stances.html
http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/should-obama-have-by-passed-congress-to-unconstitutionally-give-amnesty-and-work-permits-to-800000/question-2737287/
http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/beginning-this-month-on-august-15th-for-a-465-fee-obama-will-be-giving-amnesty-to-illegal-aliens/question-2856031/
http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/75-of-all-jobs-created-since-obama-took-office-went-to-illegal-or-legal-immigrants-yay-or-nay/question-3215581/
Hi,
DeleteThank you so much for your comment.
While I appreciate your sharing your opinion that President Obama is not the leader we need, I would be interested in seeing some sources that have interested you other than "sodahead.com" and forum posts. As a researcher, I find it almost insulting that you think I would see forum posts as research based in fact. I do incredible amounts of research for my blog posts and I would really appreciate it if you would do the same, if you are going to send me URLs that supposedly argue your case.
I really don't mind it if people just share their opinions without citing sources, but if you ARE going to cite something, please have the common decency to have a credible source.
As for me being an illegal alien, I'm not. Am I a fan of them? A fan--no; empathetic, yes.