Bitter Knitters Unite!
Posted: March 27, 2012 Filed under: 2012 presidential campaign, 2012 primaries, abortion rights, Civil Liberties, fetus fetishists, Health care reform, Human Rights, legislation, Planned Parenthood, PLUB Pro-Life-Until-Birth, religious extremists, Reproductive Health, Reproductive Rights, Republican politics, War on Women, Women's Healthcare, Women's Rights 37 Comments
Okay, for all you knitters out there—this one’s for you. And it’s a Doozie.
A new group has formed in response to the unapologetic Republican Crusade Against Women: The Snatchel Project with the goal of sending all howling male members of congress their very own hand-knitted uterus or vagina because:
If they have their own, they can leave ours alone!
I love the humor of these women!
And look at the variety!
Still, there are many deniers of the ongoing Holy Crusade. Yesterday, I mentioned a piece in The Hill by one conservative writer Sabrina Schaeffer, who scoffed at the very notion of a War on Women beyond a false narrative hatched in devious Democratic minds. Another woman writer joined the chorus in the Wall Street Journal, a Mary Eberstadt, who mused whether the Sexual Revolution Had Been Good for Women, answering with a firm ‘No.’ What a surprise. Ms. Eberstadt presumably explodes four myths in her own mind ala the Phyllis Schlafly tradition—women are restless, unhappy and dissatisfied ever since the Pill changed the world and sex was severed from procreation.
I’m sure this point of view makes Rick Santorum swoon with absolute pleasure. Or whatever the Rick Santorums of the world do when they experience joy. To think you could convince women, any woman to voluntarily march herself back to the Middle Ages is quite incredible. A monumental feat. No wonder Mr. Sanctimonious refuses to give up!
But I do sense a certain retreat by the zealots, who seem to squirm mightily under the harsh glare of public scrutiny. Here is the letter recently published in the Daily News Sun by Arizona Rep Debbie Lesko defending her bill [HB 2526], where an employer of conscience can insist a woman prove that she is using contraception for ‘nonsexual’ purposes because otherwise said employer would be religiously offended:
My legislation to protect our First Amendment rights does one thing and one thing alone: It allows an employer to opt out of the current government mandate that forces them to include the morning after pill and contraceptives in their employee’s insurance benefits, if and only if, the employer has a religious objection. The current mandate, which has been highlighted by the Obama administration’s actions, forces employers to include the morning after pill and contraceptives in their insurance benefits even if it violates the employer’s religious beliefs.
Employers should not be forced by the government to do something against their religious beliefs. That violates their First Amendment rights.
My legislation does not authorize employers to ask or know about their employee’s contraceptive use, and it does not authorize employers to fire anyone for that use.
The Catholic Church and other faith-based organizations support my legislation. Under it, employers like St. Vincent De Paul, a Catholic-based charity, would be able to opt out of the mandate. Since the legislation was written with the help of a national legal organization that fights for religious freedoms, I believe it will withstand legal tests.
Ironically, most of the controversy surrounding my legislation revolves around language already in Arizona law for 10 years — language that I did not even introduce. Current law allows a woman who works for a church that has opted out of the mandate to have the medicine paid for if the woman uses it for a purpose other than birth control. The insurance company, not the employer, knows that information. The key is that I didn’t introduce that language in my bill. It is already in law and it will still be in law whether my legislation passes or not.
I am not Catholic, and I do not have a moral objection to the use of contraceptives, but I do respect the right of those religious employers that do.
Since I am a woman, I would never create legislation that takes away women’s rights. Women who work for religious employers will still be able to obtain medication somewhere else. Since Walmart sells it for $9/month, the cost may even be cheaper than the insurance co-pay itself.
If the government wasn’t forcing religious employers to do something against their religious beliefs, I wouldn’t be talking about this issue. But protecting our First Amendment right to freedom of religion is one of the most important things we can do. If we lose that, America’s future is truly lost.
It is unfortunate that some in the media are repeating distortions and untruths brought about by the opposition. I wish they would have called me or the lawyers that wrote it so they could report the truth. I guess that wouldn’t make a juicy story. Thank you to the media that are publishing my side of the story.
House Majority Whip Debbie Lesko is the State Representative for LD 9.
Ooooo. A wee bit defensive aren’t we, Ms. Lesko? All about First Amendment Rights? Really? What about the rights of the employee? Why should any employer have the right to demand a doctor’s note, giving a woman permission to take any medication, contraceptive or otherwise? And just because you Ms. Lesko are against abortion [note the mention of the morning after pill] does not give you the right to impose your religious beliefs on your constituents, nor does an employer have the right to know anything about my medical history, which would be necessary in this twisted piece of legislation.
This is not a theocracy. At least not yet.
And why mention the Catholics since you’re not a Catholic yourself? Unless you know what we know: The Catholic Bishops and Religious Right have made an odd couple’s Holy Alliance to rid the world of witches [otherwise known as Fallen Women, wanton sluts and/or the Daughters of Eve].
Note one other thing. As with so many others in this Cult of Procreation, Ms. Lesko points a crooked finger, blames distortions on the press, untruths hatched by the opposition. Rather than taking a long, hard gaze in the mirror.
Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the worst liar of them all?
I have a suggestion for the knitter’s group. I wouldn’t limit these handcrafted items to men only. It’s clear that a number of women need a back up set of anatomically-correct body parts with the scripted note suggested by Government Free VJJs:
Get You Pre-Historic Laws Out of My Uterus!
Better yet, here’s one of your own.
Check out the site. It will make you smile. And Lordy, we need all the smiles we can get right now. Btw, the site provides patterns for your work of art, be it knitted, crocheted or made of fabric. And though the site invites you to hand deliver the items to your representatives, they are quite happy to have a volunteer do the honors. Think of these items arriving in the office of your favorite Congressperson, the item unwrapped and then the expression of . . . well, I‘ll leave it to your imagination.
Let the knitting begin! And remember, these women weren’t polite either:
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
grayslady
mablue2
JJ Lopez aka Minkoff Minx
peggysue22
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
As an addendum [after I wrote this piece last night], I noticed Alternet had a post featuring the Government Free VJJs as well as other activist projects in the mix. You can read the article here:
http://www.alternet.org/activism/154668/7_ways_citizens_are_using_humor_and_creativity_to_protest_injustice/
Humor is an effective tool and definitely catches people’s attention. I’m glad to see these creative responses being used. This Government Free site just made me laugh like crazy!
Btw, here’s a You Tube with Ms Lesko herself [the quality isn’t vey good]. If you go to the end, there’s a short clip of one woman involved with the ‘Snatchel Project.’ She’s whipping up those uteruses like mad. Too funny!
Oh PeggySue22,
I just adore you for saying like it is. Yes, Bitter Knitters UNITE! 🙂
Thanks WV.
This group and their ‘project’ just made me laugh out loud. There’s a rep in Pa who got herself in trouble [well, not trouble but in a controversy stew] because she suggested that women who support this anti-contraception/abortion nonsense might really be ‘men with breasts.’
You can imagine the howl.
I’ve always thought of myself as pretty tolerant. But these procreation purists are tolerant of no one but themselves, so the hell with politeness. The time for push back is now.
Not even themselves, as they will then snicker and bicker about who is the ‘Better Christian’…or the better ‘WOMAN’. (Head Desk)
Me too! I wish I could knit or crochet. I’d crank out hundreds of them to send to DC and Richmond!
Crochet is easier to me than knitting, just start with the chain, then reverse, then add a link, then reverse and ya got a pattern! Check out youtube, they have many ‘Bitter Knitters’ there showing people how to do it for free. 😉
Speaking of civil rights, NOM is particularly despicable.
“In Secret Documents, Anti-Gay Marriage Group Looked To Divide Gays, Blacks”
http://www.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeedpolitics/in-secret-documents-anti-gay-marriage-group-plott
I read that earlier, Ralph. All that ‘pure’ family values schtick comes crashing down when you realize the tactics these people are willing to utilize–set one group against the other and the hell with the consequences.
Nice!
Donna Brazile did a wonderful job, she got LGBT removed Delegate Selection (representation) from the Democratic Platform, only problem is someone sued and someone LEAKED THE VIDEO DEPO! See deposition at 10:56 . NO CHANGE means LGBT issues were not to be included in the Democratic Platform.
I must say that leaking does serve to enlighten us who are kept out of the ‘IN’ by Nancy Pelosi and Gov Howard Dean who was the Democratic Chair were making decisions and at times held hostage by ‘Powerful Individuals’ like Donna Brazile who aren’t even elected, but are SUPER DELEGATES.
Given Donna Brazile’s position on LGBT issues, you can see why she voted the way she did and why she did her big speech against Hillary Clinton on May 31, 2008. Hillary Clinton even today as SOS has spoken on the Civil Rights of LGBT as Human Rights here at home and around the world.
I do hope some people who wore blinders during the 2008 Primaries are seeing through the smoke and mirrors and realize that some in the Democratic Party have power that the people didn’t bestow to them and they are making decisions that impact LGBT people and their families, their lives.
I agree with Coretta Scott King and Hillary Rodham Clinton!
Delegate Selection 2008 “No change at the other end…influential individuals that took position that there be no change, Donna Brazile was one of them…” “Separate but equal”…
I thought Brazile was openly gay? Please don’t tell me she is a self-loather?
I don’t know, but listen to the deposition of then Democratic Chairman Howard Dean and Donna Brazile was not supporting the LGBT community and putting one group against the other. The deposition is there…
Syria has accepted a UN peace plan and Scalia can ask really dumb questions.
Lawyers, Guns and Money: Specious Argument Theater, With Nino Scalia
I hope someone is knitting this asshat something. Dude’s a fool.
“Sen. Johnson’s Advice To Women Who Can’t Afford Contraception: Google ‘What If I Can’t Afford Birth Control?’”
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/03/27/451563/ron-johnson-google-birth-control/
Another tone-deaf soul who would like to return to the good ole days. He deserves at least two, handcrafted items!
great post PeggySue. 🙂
Thanks, foxy. Hope i gave you a smile.
Instead of pitch forks, we got Knitting Needles and Crochet Hooks…while marching to display our displeasure with the War On Women …we won’t take it anymore!
Here’s some interesting information from another leak.
ABC News: Trayvon Martin Investigator Wanted Manslaughter Charge
Hey ralph, can’t take the Auntie Invective any longer, especially on this issue. Hope y’all don’t mind me hanging out and opinionating here from time-to-time.
I think when the timelines are layed out with all of the 911 calls, the recollection of events by witnesses at the scene and the recollection of Trayvon’s girlfriend and the timeline of her cellphone conversation with Trayvon, Mr. Zimmerman’s self-defense story is going to evaporate.
Hi Mouse, I’m sure we would all love having you here. I know I sure would! Auntie Invective is enough to drive anyone over the brink. 🙂
Thanks, Ralph. 🙂
(Waving) Yes welcome, I read your comments at Cannon’s blog. Good insight.
Great work Peggy and thanks for reminding us “remember, these women weren’t polite either”.
Great to see/read you again, Mouse. I do read over at John’s site, just don’t comment much anymore. I saw you on a rip with a favorite poster over there. The beat goes on! :0)
Peggysue, wonderful post and thanks for the giggles – gosh knows, we wimmenz need them. ANonOMouse, I’m a lurker, and I’m happy to see you here on my number one and a half lurker site.
Yup, am a lurker at Cannon’s site, and do chime in from time to time. Hope to go review over there on my break coming up.
Thanks for the smiles, Peggy!
I want to carp about one thing though. Pre-history isn’t the problem. It’s the antiquated, historical, irrelevant crap we’re objecting to! 😀
I agree, quixote. Those are Government Free’s words. I suspect they’ll get the recipient’s attention one way or the other.
Glad I made you smile!
This is a wonderful idea! I wish I could knit.
I don’t knit or crochet either, BB, but I do sew [or at least I use to]. They have a pattern for fabric and a photo of a hot pink uterus someone fashioned under the pattern link. Looks almost like a headless angel :0).
I’m just so glad that women are fighting back all over the country.
I think Mr. AnGry Santorum is seeing that he has become the poster AnGry Cave Man of the the War On Women and women have LOooong memories. Wimminz UNITE!
Not sure I understanding that. Plan B and other “morning after” pills don’t cause an abortion. They can prevent pregnancy, but have no effect on an existing pregnancy. Now, Lesko doesn’t seem very interesting in having precise or logical arguments here, since she thinks a corporation’s First Amendment rights are supposed to trump American citizens’ First Amendment rights.
The knitted uteri, Fallopian tubes & ovaries are hilarious!
Peggy Sue, I love this! So much so that I gotta repeat that…I love it!
YEA!
When these loons dredge up the freedom of religion trope – I’d like to remind them that to many Christians taking care of their bodies and planning well-spaced births or avoiding high-risk pregnancies do follow their own religious tenets. The use of contraception decreases abortion rates – and that sounds like good moral values to me.