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The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

The Editorially Independent Voice of The University of Akron

The Buchtelite

Women's rights: what are those?

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that will undoubtedly change the lives of women forever. The bill will cut $60 billion of government spending if accepted by the Senate. It will also completely disband federal funding for Planned Parenthood.


The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that will undoubtedly change the lives of women forever. The bill will cut $60 billion of government spending if accepted by the Senate. It will also completely disband federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood has over 800 facilities across the country. They offer affordable and sometimes free care, including cervical cancer screenings, HIV testing, annual exams, birth control and family planning counseling.

The legislation is targeting Planned Parenthood, and by proxy, women are the victims. The majority of care provided is that of a preventative manner. The Indiana Representative who introduced the bill, Mike Pence, is an anti-abortion crusader. To him and most of the House, the idea is that they accept legal abortions, but aren’t willing to support them with government funding.

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Let me get this straight: millions of women are losing cheap health care because of abortions? That’s an entirely different battle to be fought. Planned Parenthood is a great institution. One in five women has used their services, and not for abortions. No matter what Obama does for health care, it’s still costly. I have a job. I have insurance, and sometimes co-pays are a bit much even for me.

Birth control and condoms are not cheap, but they are likely the two easiest ways to practice safe sex. The safer the sex, the less likely there will be an accidental pregnancy.

What about the less fortunate not only in financial situations, but education as well? Planned Parenthood is incredibly informative. Their website offers information on a plethora of topics. While most of what they do offer is in regard to sex, they also provide information on healthy relationships and body image. To the average person, these concepts are already instilled, but the point is that not everyone is fortunate. There are not many options for those without money and education.

Their website has instructions on how to use condoms. Pence argues, Why should a kid know how to put a rubber on his penis unless the organization is promoting sexual intercourse among young, nubile teens? Well, no one can stop another person from having sex. The options are to let them be ignorant or provide them with useful education. Teens aren’t the only ignorant people having sex. His arguments continuously fall short of making a real stance.

The majority of the House, Pence included, is male. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m fairly certain a man cannot give birth. How is the future for women in the hands of men? If men were able to get pregnant and forced to understand what happens when someone is raped or what have you, maybe their ideals would change.

The overall idea is to stop the practice of abortions nationwide. If preventing abortions from taking place is the number one concern, then why cut funding for the most lucrative and cheap alternative? Planned Parenthood does more prevention than anything else. Without it, the rate of abortions will rise. It seems that with every step forward America takes, the conservatives push us two steps back, dragging those who see reason with them.

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