Thank you, Rick Perry: A Case of Women’s Rights

Is Governor Perry married? I hope not, because if he is, I’ll bet he’s going to have quite a fight over dinner tonight.

A recent article reports that the Governor and the legislature are refusing federal funds for the Women’s Health Program. The reason: abortion. It’s expected, really, but the great state of Texas – home of two recent presidents and countless popular hopefuls – has done it again. Rather than let funding for women’s health programs (and specifically not for abortions) go to organizations like Planned Parenthood, the good Governor and the Lone Star legislature would rather accuse President Obama of meddling in states’ rights and seek local funding in a down economy.

Good luck, Mr. Perry. In all honesty, I think you forgot your duty to the citizens of Texas (male and female) just like you forgot which three departments you were going to cut, in the unfortunate event that you were elected president. But seriously, the duty of every elected official is to the citizens of his or her constituency. It’s also to protect the Constitution of the United States and, in your case, of the State of Texas. And in all of these respects, you, sir, have failed.

First, you have not protected the interests of the citizens of Texas. Rather than take all the help you can get (especially in times of economic hardship like these) to ensure the health of Texan women, you have spurned your duty in favor of right-wing religious rhetoric. And while your standpoint on abortion is certainly tenable, it is not even a consideration in this case since federal funds already cannot be used for abortions.

Second, your refusal of federal funds has nothing to do with states’ rights. The federal government already funds programs like Medicare that support the elderly everywhere, just like it funds the interstate highways and other programs that affect citizens in many states. Women live in every state – in case you hadn’t noticed – and it is no encroachment on states’ rights for the Obama administration to fund programs that go toward keeping women healthy nationwide. Rather, the blame lies entirely on you and the legislature for withholding that funding.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/-Don-t-Mess-With-Texas-Women-rally-held-at-Planned-Parenthood/-/1735978/9282422/-/bdoj4az/-/