Saturday, March 03, 2012

Rush & Fluke

Georgetown University officials have released a statement defending law student Sandra Fluke, calling Rush Limbaugh’s attacks “misogynistic” and Fluke “a model of civil discourse.” And President Obama has called to thank her for “speaking out about the concerns of American women,” according to Fluke.

The Georgetown law student derided as a “slut” and “prostitute” by Rush Limbaugh for her support of women’s access to birth control spoke out against the conservative talk show host Friday morning.

Appearing on NBC’s “Today,” Sandra Fluke said she was “stunned” and “outraged” by Limbaugh’s comments, which she deemed “an attempt to silence me, to silence all of us from speaking about the healthcare we need.”

----- Waa waa waa. No more than the usual Limbaugh "attempt" to manufacture attention for himself and ratings. Nothing more than the usual political sideshow so we the little people are not mentally challenged to think too long about other things, such as political corruption, political greed, collapse of the empire, etc. Note, Nancy Pelosi got in on the "act" by arranging a "hearing" so Ms. Fluke could give her speech. Then Obama thanked Fluke for speaking out ... and now I too kill time porking this non-story with a story.

At Pelosi's hearing, Fluke testified her fellow students at Georgetown, a Jesuit university, pay as much as $1,000 a year for birth control. Wanna know how much a baby will cost per year?

Putting OxyContin Rush aside for a moment, how real is Fluke? Is she just another advocate/activist who in 10 years or so will hold a government position with perks and power or maybe a lobbyist? A future Hillary on the Hill? A present or future recipient of a govmint grant to write/research scholarly on domestic violence and the horrendous plight of American women today? Oh, if only I could find a worthy cause someone would fund me to bellow creatively about.

In Fluke's own words from the written transcript, "Georgetown does not cover contraceptives in its student insurance, although it does cover contraceptives for faculty and staff." She goes on to say that her fellow students have told her they have to go without contraception because it is not covered by insurance. Seriously. Grown-ass educated women going without contraception because someone else isn't paying for it?

How did women of my generation survive womanhood without Big Daddy government mandating birth control coverage? Wanna know when "the pill" went from about $2.25 a pill pack to the current $60? It happened when government launched health care with Medicaid, Medicare, funding clinics, health departments, etc. Anytime Big Daddy picks up the tab the costs soar and quality sinks, because it's a gravy train, and Big Pharma, Big Insurance, and Dr. Quacker are more than happy to ride the rising cost train if taxpayers are pulling it.

Assuming Ms. Fluke's friends and acquaintances are smart enough to be at Georgetown (BTW my youngest daughter was just accepted there, proud momma) are they not smart enough to find a way to manage their own contraceptive options?

Fluke says "A friend of mine, for example, has polycystic ovarian syndrome and has to take prescription birth control to stop cysts from growing on her ovaries. Her prescription is technically covered by Georgetown insurance because it’s not intended to prevent pregnancy. " But she must have 2 friends with PCOS because she also is quoted in other articles as having a "friend who lost an ovary" because birth control was not accessible. Maybe she has several friends with bad ovaries.

I haven't listened to Limbaugh's program, and right-wingish or not, Limbaugh may have a grain of truth in his latest rant that the mainstream and alternative media tell us is newsworthy.

The classic triad in PCOS is chronic anovulation, hirsutism, and obesity. PCOS is most often found in younger, overweight or obese women, often accompanied by diabetes or prediabetes, and promiscuity, yes promiscuity. I suppose PCOS does prove that even hairy fat women have lots of sex. So, even though I cringe at the word "slut" cone-head Limbaugh may have a point.

Medical professionals will say "Although a great deal is now known about polycystic ovary syndrome, the exact cause has yet to be determined." And then go on to say that it may be genetic or probably inherited. May be or probably. Hmm. Have you noticed that medically, in the last 50-70 years or so, much has become "genetic?" Even when there is no evidence to support the genetic theory?

When PCOS was first discovered in 1935 it was considered a rare reproductive disorder. Today, it's the most common female plumbing disorder, often resulting in infertility. So what caused this "rare" disorder to become the "most common?" Has female sexual behavior changed? Could be, could be. I mean, in 1935 the majority of women had a decent BMI, healthier diet and exercise, and were more selectively cautious when choosing sexual partners. If the medical profession today had an ounce of decency they would be honest about the destruction women are reaping with their "sexual freedom." Do you think men created feminine virtue just to keep us oppressed? Could it be that somewhere on the ladder of evolution mankind realized that limiting sexual partners was healthier for mind, body, and soul?

But why "cure" something with lifestyle changes when a syndrome can be "treated" for years and is maybe probably genetic, therefore out of your control.

As for Limbaugh and Fluke, I don't who is phonier, gasbag or professional activist. Both blow hard without any common sense.


Cobra said...


According to the Blunt Amendment, an employer would have the right to refuse to pay for, via employer provided health insurance ANYTHING they may object to on moral or religious grounds.


Not just contraception. I can't tell from your picture alone what your ethnic/racial background is, but from your profile, you claim to have married a Sicilian man (technically White).

We know from POLLING data that anywhere from 20% to HALF of Republicans in some Southern States are against interracial marriage, so my question to you is...

Would you be okay with your employer denying to pay for any of the ob-gyn visits, prenatal care, ultrasounds and childbirth hospitalization coverage you've incurred from the births of your four children on "moral grounds", as would be allowed in the Blunt Amendment?


Kate-A said...

I hear spinning. And moot as the Blunt amendment has been defeated, at least for now. Back in the "old days" ('60s early '70s) we paid out of pocket for a couple of our children but that was when an OB total bill for prenatal and delivery was $250. It was also the days when employers enticed potential workers by offering great healthcare and pension benefits, etc.

The Blunt amendment, according to spin, would allow religious groups to exclude contraception on moral grounds, but let us spin it even further to include all employers and other preventative medicine, colonoscopy screening, mammograms, flu shots, etc. on a moral or conscience ground. But it ain't gonna happen.

The actual amendment, if one reads all 8 pages, says it must cover specific preventative health services, and must practice nondiscrimination and offers legal remedies if victim of such. It's supposedly to exempt Catholic Hospitals but mainly it's political theater for Roy Blunt, wannabee advocates, and opposition party wailers.

Sounds like the usual distraction scare tactics of an election year. Both parties will do anything to avoid the real issues - the economy, energy prices. Along with education, gays, guns, and god, "women's rights" is occasionally thrown into an election year mix, usually it's the 40-year-old abortion argument.

If I had my way, birth control would be free of charge to anyone who wants it, just to potentially cut down on the number of unwanted and/or unplanned children which the taxpayer so often these days has to clean up after. Wonder why Ms. Fluke and friends don't use Planned Parenthood for b.c.

As for all those disapproving anti-interracial southern republicans they must be hiding as I haven't ran into any in a while. Gallup says 86% of Americans overall approve now, but I've never been one to trust pollsters, believing they manufacture opinion as much as try to gauge it. Believe it or not, here in southern Podunk, on grandparents day at my grandkids school, about 3 out of 10 white granny and grampa will be sitting with racially a mixed grandchild. I think the racial scare tactic is long past it's usefulness.

By the way I have 5 kids (planned and spaced), not 4, and self-employed for decades. Having grew up in the Mississippi delta and traveled a good bit I assure you racism is not limited to southerners or republicans - they're just usually more up front with it. Furthermore, not that it would ever happen, excluding an interracial couple from health benefits would be a lawyer's dream suit.

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