Under orders from the Christian religious right, Republicans have waged a war against women for decades. They believe that the first amendment is wrong, and women do not have a right to decide the health of their own bodies.

For generations common sense was the rule. Regardless of the discussion about legal abortion, if a woman was raped or a victim of incest, she could exercise her right to terminate a resulting pregnancy. Steve King, America’s leading racist and bigot, wants to change the law. A fetus; any fetus is of more value than all women.

“On Saturday, King tweeted that babies conceived through rape or incest are ‘as precious as any other,’ which is a great way to prioritize the potential life of an embryo over the real life of a pregnant person who, among other things, is the survivor of a traumatic assault.”

Rebecca Kiessling is the president and founder of “Save the 1,” an anti-abortion group which focuses on protecting the lives of fetuses conceived through rape. She claims that she is a child produced from a rape.

“In a civilized society … we do not punish innocent people for someone else’s crime. That’s exactly what Congressman King said in his statement — the child does not deserve to die for the sins of the father.” Really?

What I’m not hearing from either of these extremists is “what about the mother?” “What about her rights?” “What about her future, being forced to carry a child, with all the complications and pain involved, which reminds her every day of one of the most devastating events in her life?”

Women are taking control of our country. The primary reason is based on the fact that men have considered them second and even third-class citizens for more than 200 years.

Republicans are willing to allow the deaths of more than 33,000 men, women, and children each year from the use of a gun to protect the misinterpreted second amendment, but deny the rights of women who are protected by the first amendment.

Republicans are willing to send young men and women to die in a war, but believe that the life of a fetus is of more value than the well-being of a woman.

The people of Iowa’s fourth district must not reelect King in 2020. He is a disgrace to his state, his country, and his party. He is committed to his own beliefs, not to the rights of America’s women.

Tell everyone, “the truth lives here.”

Op-ed by James Turnage

SOURCE

Image courtesy of DonkeyHotey

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