Warning: Angry Feminist (Sorry to my conservative friends)

I don't like to talk about politics too publicly.  My opinions are pretty liberal (at least socially) and it tends to create controversy, so unless I'm comfortable with people who share my beliefs, I try not to stir the pot too much.  However, today I reached a breaking point.

I started my morning by reading a blog post from Ms. Magazine about the Personhood Bill that's showing up in many states.  This bill states that a fertilized egg would be considered a "person" with constitutional rights.  I don't pretend to be an expert, so if you're curious, I highly recommend doing some research on it.  This probably started as a way to overturn Roe v. Wade, but the things that could happen from it terrify me.  This could outlaw hormonal birth control, emergency contraception, IVF for couples with fertility problems.  It could start criminal investigations of women who have miscarriages.  Again, I'm not an expert, but this is what I've gathered from my research.  This goes far beyond Pro-Choice and Pro-Life.

Later in the day I was listening to the radio and heard a clip of Rush Limbaugh calling Sandra Fluke a slut/prostitute.  He said that if "we're" expected to "pay for her to have sex", then the least she could do was post videos of it.  I listened to Sandra Fluke's opening statement.  I listened to Rush Limbaugh's radio show (I can't find the link directly to his show, but this is the gist of it).  And I'm pissed.  Sandra's statement never once referred to having sex.  She never even referred to her own personal battles.  She shared stories of women with specific medical needs pertaining to hormonal birth control.  And Rush (a bully if you ask me) attacked her personally.  He said things about her sex life.  He made assumptions about her character.  He made a mockery of the REAL issues she addressed.

I've always considered myself a feminist.  I've always been concerned with women's rights.  But the past few months have scared me.  I have never before seen my rights as a woman threatened like this.  When did the option of getting birth control end up back on the table as a political discussion?  I am getting married in a week.  I also plan on going to nursing school.  I do not want to get pregnant during those years I'm in school.  And some politicians are creating bills that may take that right away from me.  The right to plan my family the way I want to.  I could have a complicated pregnancy.  What if I get pregnant and for whatever medical reason, I can't carry that child to term?  What if I can't get pregnant and we want to go to whatever lengths (IVF) necessary to make that happen?  What if I just want to get through school without having a baby?  These are questions that my husband and I should have to discuss if we ever come to those issues.  This is not something that a politician should decide for me.

I really truly feel that pro-lifers have every right to fight for what they believe is right.  I do.  I used to love that we lived in a country where I could express my beliefs and they could express their beliefs in a safe and non-violent manner.  But I think that what's been happening is going beyond that debate.  It's potentially giving politicians too much control over my body.  But I do encourage the demonstrations of both sides of the Pro-Choice/Pro-Life debate.

I know this post will probably rub people the wrong way.  And I probably got some of the facts wrong (because I'm human and not a poli-sci major).  But these discussions regarding women's...  I'm sorry, MY rights are scaring me.  And I just couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore.