It’s no longer possible for us mere mortals to keep up with the craziness in the Indiana General Assembly.
Yesterday, Doug Masson posted about House Bill 1123.
It prohibits a health insurance policy from covering abortion services provided by a medical provider except that it can provide such coverage if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or if an abortion is necessary “to avert the pregnant woman’s death or a substantial an irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.” However such coverage may be provided through an endorsement or rider.
The paternalism and anti-abortion zealotry that led to this particular effort to tell insurance companies what they can and cannot cover, and how, joins a raft of other equally high-handed measures.
Does your local government want to ask its citizens what modes of transportation they want –and what they’re willing to pay? Tough. We know better than you what’s good for you.
Does your local sheriff want to sponsor a gun buy-back to get weapons off the street? Don’t try it. Our gun freaks will not only forbid it, they’ll add a measure letting you bring a gun to school.
Who do you businesses and local governments think you are, anyway–trying to make your own decisions?
Whatever happened to the self-described legislative champions of free enterprise–the pro-business folks who advocate limiting regulations to those absolutely necessary to protect the public? Where are all the staunch defenders of local control–the legislators so protective of their prerogatives that they deep-sixed Common Core? (How dare anyone suggest that Indiana schoolchildren learn the same math and history as kids in other states?)
I guess when the General Assembly talks about “liberty” and “local control,” it means liberty from federal rules and the right to control everything else.
Unless intelligent, thinking, aware and active Indiana residents remember these past years of lack of humanity and forcing their interpretation of Bible verses on us in the form of laws, this will not stop. The GOP MUST be voted out to accomplish any progress. Controlling women’s health care and sex lives of the LGBT is part of their control. My health care and sex life are not political, religious or public issues. Health care and sex lives go hand-in-hand. I read the first few paragraphs of Ballard’s “State of the City” address and turned to the obituaries. What he espoused as his view for the future of this city is what residents have been begging for and been denied in the past due to misuse of our tax dollars for their personal agenda. We have a pro hockey team, a pro soccer team that Ballard now wants tax dollars to build an arena for, a cricket field but no pro cricket team yet. Sports fans; you cannot have progressive public education, enough public safety officers to protect us and a viable infrastructure without the tax dollars we have already paid for these necessary services but been denied. To accomplish these goals, the constant addition of sports venues and pro teams must STOP.
I used to get up in the mornings and say “Another Day, Another Dollar”
These day’s, I assume, “Another Day, Another Battle”.
Since Fried Chicken and Collard Greens, are off the menu at Park Tudor. I’m going to assume that “Corned Beef and Cabbage” are off the Menu on Saint Patrick’s Day. Who would want to insult the Irish by eating a stereotypical meal?
House Bill 1123 has been introduced, by the time it gets through several committees; it will be shaved down to, abortion only being available if the Woman was raped by a three legged blind dwarf from eastern Europe.
The streets on Indianapolis (the bits we drive on) look like “No Mans Land”, Flanders Field during the First World War.
As “Larry Grayson” (The English Comedian) used to say, “What a Gay Day”
It’s Friday, I’m never serious on Friday’s.
Which bill is it that will call to task all those little swimmers that created the pregnancies? Huh? We can’t hear you?
One last thought on Park Tudor.
Perhaps, they should have announced:
“Celebrate Black History Month with your favorite Soul Food Recipes”.
Similar to the Daily Express, “Celebrate St David’s day with your favorite Welch Recipes”. (St David’s Day being March 1st)
Or
“Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with your favorite Irish Recipes”. (St Patrick’s Day being March 17th)
Or
“Celebrate St George’s Day with Fish ‘N’ Chips” (St George’s Day being April 23rd)
Or
“Celebrate Guy Fawkes Night by Burning Somebody at the Stake” (November 5th)
BTW – “What a Gay Day!” was (An exclamation used after something risqué or innuendo-laden had been said or done)
And if, by chance, you are a “Three legged, blind Dwarf from Eastern Europe” Then I do, humbly “beg your pardon” and sincerely apologize for my rudeness.
Perhaps, I should share a few Cricket phrases.
The batsman has clipped the ball to Square Leg.
Ah, he bowled a maiden over.
Leg before wicket.
Stumped
That fielding position is “Silly Mid Off” as opposed to “Silly Mid On” and “Silly Midwicket”
Out for a Duck (Out for no score)
Out for a Diamond Duck (Out before facing a bowler)
Ow-Zat!
Leg Break and Leg Cutter
Jockstrap and Box (Protective equipment)
That Fielding Position is “Gully”
Gozza (Out first Ball – also a Golden Duck)
Googly (Type of Pitch)
Full Toss (Type of Pitch)
Following On (Batting first in the second innings after batting second in the first innings)
Doosa (Urdu) a wrong way Googly (developed by “Saqlain Mushtag)
And many, many more.
Letter to senators re: HB 1123:
Why is your legislative agenda in my vagina? Instead of expanding medicare, you limit policies by legislating what policies can pay for. Fine. Let’s get rid of viagra for all of you old white men who can’t get it up anymore because of your blood pressure meds. How about if I stand in front of your church and give STD lectures? Your kids sure aren’t getting any sex education at school–that also offended you all. Why don’t I stand in front of Senator Patricia Miller’s church and give a medical ethics lecture about how an RN can sponsor legislation that uses invasive medical procedures to punish women who want to have chemical abortions and keep her license? How about if I stand in front of Brandt Hersman’s church and expound on the evils of divorce? See where I’m going with this, folks? Mind your own business–none of you are entitled to the first pitch, if you know what I mean….So if I can live with your shortcomings, you can at least mind your own business and get out of the moralizing business. It’s not very attractive on you all. Should I also bring up the story about the closeted Indiana legislator who was caught trying to pick up a male high school student for sex in an Indianapolis motel room? See? It’s pretty ugly and petty.
I miss Doc Bowen. You know… Indiana used to be a run-down little hole in the wall. Now we’ve got a barn-thing looming over the south side of Indy filled with overpaid hulks, a cricket field, and rich people living up in Carmel (McMansion Woozles). The old Indianapolis was a bit drafty and threadbare, but when I was a kid I never worried about getting shot, run over, kidnapped.
Now we have PROGRESS, which certainly gives a much better selection in place to eat and drink (yay Mass. Ave!) but the crazies came with the progress and decided that morality was money, power and their own version of Christianity. Yuk.
I can stand to live in a place with crappy weather, or a place with crazy Republicans, but crap weather AND crazy Republicans? No thanks.
“The streets on Indianapolis (the bits we drive on) look like “No Mans Land”, Flanders Field during the First World War.” No, Red. There are no poppies growing in the potholes.
“No Poppies” great response
Although, I thought I heard a chorus of voices singing.
“Mademoiselle from Armentières”
Our Legislators here in Indiana seem to be on the look out for Sin as defined best by the Indiana General Assembly. Are they concerned at all by the potential for sin by the possible misuse use of prophylactics or condoms?? Perhaps the Legislature can pass a bill that would require the Pharmacist or Store Clerk to ask the purchaser of a condom if the device will be used solely for the prevention of disease or prevention or pregnancy? If the answer is pregnancy the Pharmacist or Clerk could refuse to sell the condom based on a sincerely, deeply held Religious Belief.
While spending 20 or so minutes in the reception area of the Coleman Hall Health Center on the IUPUI campus this afternoon while waiting for typhoid and yellow fever shots for an upcoming trip to Africa, I overhead a conversation between a couple of faculty members hunkered over their iPads. The conversation sounded so interesting that I moved closer and butted in to learn more about their topic. Seems that the three of us were totally wide-eyed and more or less speechless regarding the Planned Parenthood of Northern New England’s special project for teens that appears to have gone beyond birth control measures, abortion, or women’s health issues and into an area that may, or may not, be appropriate for the emotional developmental levels of teenagers. I’ll share the link to the ‘A Naked Notion’ and ‘Laci Green’ series of videos produced in partnership with the Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and let you guys make your own decisions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Sv7_7IRPo
Eric, I’m so sorry you and the two faculty members were so upset over the Planned Parenthood videos. I know how unsettling it must be to you fellows to think that women are allowed to enjoy sex and to have questions about various sex practices. However, since these videos are clearly made for adult women (they’re not going to be shown to Girl Scout troops), what is your point?
Rosemary, actually the two faculty members I referenced were females, both medical practitioners, one from the IU School of Medicine and one from the IU School of Dentistry. We’d not have been left wide-eyed and more or less speechless if the videos were produced for adult females. However, the videos were produced in partnership with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and are specifically targeted ‘For Teens’ as per the homepage of the group. That is my point. See below link: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppnne/