Duh-Mint is a Jackass

But he was our (SC's) jackass.  Now he's in a position as Prez of the (pretend) think tank, Heritage Foundation, to spread his misogynist and ill-informed burble countrywide. 

Duh-mint's Wisdom

I enjoy a good chuckle as much as the next person, and we all know that our own Jim DeMint has given us plenty in that regard.  And I can understand him being made president of the fake think-tank, Heritage Foundation.

But can't they draw the line on having him on the Meet the Press panel?  I mean, listening to Lynn Cheney on the talk shows was bad enough, but couldn't they at least make potential panel members take a quick paper-and-pencil IQ test?

Listen to him answer a question on rape and racism:

“The fact that we are losing over 3,000 unborn children a day is an important issue,” DeMint opined. “But Republicans or conservatives should not engage in a wish list about exceptions for abortion when the other side will not even agree that we have real people, real human beings. And we need to fight the battle where it should be fought. Life is important. We know from all the new technology and improved sonograms that we do have a baby.”
Raw Story (http://s.tt/1z0rh)

Jim, Jim, Jim, we knew a long, long time ago about how babies are born.  The technology doesn't tell you there's a baby in there -- it's still a fetus, honest.

If you get a chance, watch the clip.  It's worth having to listen to DeMint just to see Andrea Mitchell shake her head at the idiocy she is having to listen to.


  

Small Minds

House GOP has made so many hateful decisions.  They are the definition of the narcissist -- enjoying their "celebrity," being wined and dined by all those other wealthy white men.  Having lived in that bubble and breathed that air for so long, they truly don't see anyone who is not like them.  They aren't capable of empathy; they are the bullies that whine when they don't get their way.  They have been forced to acknowledge women, but they don't have to like it.  So they chip away at legislation that would show respect or give aid to women just to prove to the world, and themselves, that they've still got it -- the power to do it, that is.

Violence Against Women Act Revisited

The Charleston City Paper recently published a guest column by Alison Piepmeier on the Republican "no" vote on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. (Dr. Piepmeier is the Director of the Women's and Gender Studies program at the College of Charleston.) ( http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/why-did-house-republicans-refuse-to-vote-on-the-violence-against-women-act/Content?oid=4504192) The subtitle of her column was"GOP Jerks."

She discusses the importance of the Act and the programs on domestic violence which it funds.

She also outlines the reasons that the House Republicans blocked the bill: "because it would offer support to victims of domestic violence that apparently many in the GOP don't like: undocumented immigrants, members of the LGBT community, and Native Americans." 

"We know this was their motivation," she goes on, "because in May the House approved its own revised version of the Violence Against Women Act, which removed protection for LGBT individuals, undocumented immigrants, and Native Americans-and the Republicans, including South Carolina's entire GOP delegation in the House, voted for it.

"Surely," writes Dr. Piepmeier, "the men and women of the GOP understand that members of the LGBT community....undocumented immigrants....Native Americans don't deserve to be beaten, raped or stalked. Come on, now." 

Come on, now, indeed!
 
And Dr. Piepmeier closes with "I'm baffled that some of our national leaders are such jerks."

And so am I!

Controlling Women By Controlling Doctors

Our SC Senate is already hard at work punishing women who need abortions.  S 204 was introduced yesterday, and would require physicians who perform abortions to be board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, and if performing that abortion outside of a hospital, must have privileges at a certified hospital.  This is another blow for clinics.

The further absurdity of this proposed legislation is that in South Carolina, certified midwives are allowed to deliver a child at home, and are considered qualified by DHEC to carry out life saving measures.  Yet it will take a board certified physician to perform this typically routine procedure.

Now might be a good time to contact our own anti-choice democrat Senator Vincent Sheheen, and let him know that we women (and the men who love them) are unlikely to support him for governor in 2014 if he's going to vote against women's reproductive rights.

* * *

And on the national front, Paul Ryan has just co-sponsored a "personhood" bill that gives zygotes full human rights from the moment of conception.  How can this be worse, you might ask?  He could have been our Vice President.

Or Perhaps Women should...

Quit asking for it...by having the temerity to leave the house alone, without a male escort. Or the audacity to flaunt ourselves in short sleeves. Or the insolence to shout back at their mates.

I have a feeling sometimes that that's what's this is all about.  That the reason violence, particularly against women, is given such little notice in some quarters, is because some people believe if women would just behave, there would be no problem. If women would just shut up, nobody would get hit!

So what do you all think about that?

Let Them Buy Guns

Jim DeMint's comments about his opposition to the Violence Against Women Act is pretty much the republican excuse for any no vote that would help or protect a woman or child.  Letting the state handle it, when the state won't, is the dodge they have been using and getting away with for many years.

Basically, it doesn't matter where the tax dollars come from, DeMint is against it.  And as far as victims of violence go, it's the 1950's, where a woman only gets raped if she's asking for it.  The country as a whole may have rejected that backwards ideology in the last election, but let us never accuse our legislators here in South Carolina of being in touch with reality, or admitting they may be wrong.

I would imagine that a bill in our state legislature to fund handguns for women would go farther than one offering protection from violence.

Violence Against Women Act

You might not know this since the local (Charleston) paper and local (Charleston) broadcast media have not mentioned it, but the US. House of Representatives let the Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act (1) die without a vote last week.

The Senate version, passed in April, redefined domestic violence victims to include undocumented immigrants, Native American women and members of the LGBT community, including men.

The Republican-controlled house apparently believes only women who are straight, American citizens and not living on an Indian reservation are possible victims of domestic violence.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) plans to reintroduce the revised bill in 2013.

I wrote our then Senator (R-SC) DeMint asking why he had voted against this bill in April. Here's part of his response to me.

"As you know, the Senate passed S.1925 on April 26 by a vote of 68 – 31...I voted against this bill because I believe law enforcement is best addressed on a state level as state and local law enforcement officials play a crucial role in combating crime and ensuring the safety of South Carolina's citizens.

   ... This well-intentioned bill...forces states to surrender their ability to offer help in specialized, individual ways..."

 

First of all, we can only be thankful here in SC that DeMint is no longer representing us in Congress (if he ever did! ).  He resigned--always the sign of a dedicated public servant. But, as the saying goes: Be Careful What You Wish For...and now we've got Tim Scott, who I doubt very much would have voted differently or had anything smarter to say.

 

Secondly, we certainly don't want the State of South Carolina to be in charge of helping victims of Domestic Violence.  This state was ranked number two in 2011...that's SECOND in the nation... for the number of women murdered by men. (http://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2011.pdf.)

 

And even if we were to trust this state, our current Republican (and woman)  Nikki Haley doesn’t believe that rape and domestic abuse are matters of public health, which is why she vetoed nearly half a million dollars slated to go toward domestic violence and sexual assault prevention programs.(http://www.care2com/cuases/south-carolina-gov-vetoes-sexual-assault-and-domestic-violence-funds.html)

 

Pretty sad state of affairs.

 

 

 

 

 

(1) The original 1994 Act provided, among other things, federal monies for investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women . (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-109hr3402enr/pdf/BILLS-109hr3402enr.pdf) It also established the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice.