This has been an emotional week for me and many other women. I don't remember the last time I was so personally effected - emotionally, intellectually, and otherwise - by so many upsetting events in the news: Chris Brown being celebrated at the Grammy's, Foster Friess (Rick Santorum's ally and one of his largest financial backers) telling women to hold an aspirin between their knees as birth control, the Violence Against Women Act's reauthorization being held hostage in Congress, the "personhood" bill being passed in Virginia, limiting if not restricting completely Virginians ability to seek abortion, the general attack the GOP is wagering against Obama's birth control mandate, and specifically the all-male panel of witnesses we saw testifying on the birth control debate on Capital Hill.
I started this week by writing a piece about my reaction to Chris Brown's face being plastered all over the Grammy's and the backlash that has rightfully ensued. But I've been struggling to put my reaction into cohesive sentences, because as someone who has experienced sexual assault and domestic violence firsthand, my reaction is guttural, emotional, and personal. And as I struggled with this, the blows kept coming.
What, that co-payment for my birth control that I thought was going to disappear might not? Right, that co-payment that I can hardly afford because I am ill and unemployed and I spend nearly $600 a month on medical and prescription insurance coverage, is going to stick around AND my future employers may be able to deny coverage of my birth control completely if the GOP get their way. So, in the future I may need to spend $80+ on this essential medication each month - something that I very literally cannot afford. And then to see that panel of all-men, predominantly OLD WHITE MEN, testifying in front of Congress... well, it's quite honestly enough to make me cry with sadness and frustration.
So it is any surprise that I feel like my body is personally under attack? I know I am not alone. And on the off change that this little personal blog has any readers, I'd love to hear your opinions and reactions to these recent events as I try to formulate my own response.
I started this week by writing a piece about my reaction to Chris Brown's face being plastered all over the Grammy's and the backlash that has rightfully ensued. But I've been struggling to put my reaction into cohesive sentences, because as someone who has experienced sexual assault and domestic violence firsthand, my reaction is guttural, emotional, and personal. And as I struggled with this, the blows kept coming.
What, that co-payment for my birth control that I thought was going to disappear might not? Right, that co-payment that I can hardly afford because I am ill and unemployed and I spend nearly $600 a month on medical and prescription insurance coverage, is going to stick around AND my future employers may be able to deny coverage of my birth control completely if the GOP get their way. So, in the future I may need to spend $80+ on this essential medication each month - something that I very literally cannot afford. And then to see that panel of all-men, predominantly OLD WHITE MEN, testifying in front of Congress... well, it's quite honestly enough to make me cry with sadness and frustration.
So it is any surprise that I feel like my body is personally under attack? I know I am not alone. And on the off change that this little personal blog has any readers, I'd love to hear your opinions and reactions to these recent events as I try to formulate my own response.
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