General

What springs to your mind when you hear this phrase?

Perhaps programs which allow people access to the essentials for living– homes, food access to health care.

Perhaps you think of the bike helmet you bought your child, or your resolve to never drive drunk or tired or otherwise occupied.

Maybe you think of the aid you send to a foster child, or women’s shelter or other hands on charity.

I wonder in your deliberations if you ever consider refusing to fund abortions for poor women.

There has been much ado amongst the “I’m alright jack” and the “woo hoo lets legislate the hoo hoo” over this;

A clause was added to the Hamilton County indigent care levy contract 10 years ago to block the money from being spent on abortions for poor people.

Recently, that change almost was reversed.

Oh dear the horror!! That women would have the choice not to bring more children they can’t afford into the world!

Of course lets not forget that as poor women they shouldn’t be having sex at all. Nope no way, no pleasure for you lady. And that “sweet precious wonderful protected life” in your womb, well don’t get too attached to having it thought of that way because as soon as it’s born it becomes “another goddamn miserable drain on society that my tax dollars have to go to support“.

Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati had sent word of the clause deletion to more than 1,000 people on its e-mail list. It has since sent a follow up e-mail on the reinstatement.

Executive Director Paula Westwood said she was pleased that the clause is back in.

“Our foremost goal is to make sure that life is protected,” she said. “It looks like the language will remain on this, and that is a good thing.”

One can only hope that Ms. Westwood will put as much effort into ensuring that the resulting children are fed and clothed and babysat while their mothers try to support them. Perhaps she can also direct them to counselling for the depression, anger and terror they feel at being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. No doubt that would not fall under Ms. Westwood’s umbrella of protecting “life”.