In light of the current election, there's been a major topic that has resulted in heated debates again and again. Woman’s reproductive rights, abortions, pro-life versus pro-choice… whatever you want to call it. Politicians and people alike have been in a major argument regarding Planned Parenthood and their services, resulting in the decision to defund the service center.
It seems the only reason they've defunded Planned Parenthood is because of their abortion service. The politicians that voted in favor of this budget cut neglect the fact that Planned Parenthood serves a higher purpose than providing abortions to women who choose. They provide mammograms, STD testing for men and women, birth control services and much more in order for women to make decisions about their own bodies.
The keywords are their own bodies.
It seems as if Congress has taken it upon themselves to control woman’s reproductive rights. About 305 members of Congress (280 of them males) decided that women shouldn't have the access to services like those stated, because they feel that they should be able to control the female body.
Well, that doesn’t seem right, now does it?
(Elizabeth Warren speaking about the Planned Parenthood Defunding Bill)
Because of this reason, Alexa Natanson and Chelsea Kent launched a website called sendcongressyouruterus.com. When you get to the site, there's a paragraph explaining that for $3.50, you can pick and send a postcard to one of the 305 members of Congress who have attempted to control the female body. At the bottom of the page, the 305 members are pictured.
In a Huffington Post article last October, Natanson explained, “These postcards aren’t saying ‘I believe in a woman’s right to choose,’ these postcards are saying ‘Are you kidding me? Where did you get the idea that we’re nothing more than bodies for you to regulate? Did you think no one would notice that you’re chipping away at our reproductive freedoms?'”
On the postcards being sent, the message states, “Dear Congress member, You’re receiving this because your voting patterns have demonstrated to the women of these United States, that you believe you have a right to regulate our bodies. Enjoy the sentiment of this postcard.”
This website gives women the venue to speak their voice on the issue, without instant backlash from the politicians.
It's so important for all of us as women to stand up for our rights and our bodies! We are important members of this society, although it seems that congressmen (and women, for that matter) only see us as bodies to regulate and create laws against. As we enter the home stretch of this election, think about your reproductive rights, and men, think about the reproductive rights of your friends, girlfriend, wife, sister and mothers. Wouldn’t you want them to have the same rights and freedoms as you do?
They’re our bodies. They’re our reproductive rights. No one should be able to regulate the female body but females.
