Your Body. Your Voice. Your Choice.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the upcoming presidential election.  This is supposed to be the year of the woman.  Our issues.  Our voices.  And while in the past, many politicians have pandered to us as a collective group, this year really is about us.

And it doesn’t matter your position.

It doesn’t matter if you are socially liberal or conservative. 

It doesn’t matter if you are religious, atheist or agnostic.

If you are a woman, this year you have to consider your choices.  And you have to remember that you have a voice.  And even more importantly, you must embrace the rights that you have to choose.  Rights that you didn’t have as a woman not so long ago.

I think my stance on a woman’s body is perfectly clear.  I’m beyond certain that Rush Limbaugh would call me a slut for choosing to utilize birth control.  And while that enrages me, it also empowers me.  I am also certain that there are members of the right wing who believe the ignorant things that Todd Akin spewed about rape and the female body.  And to be honest, those of the ones that scare me the most. 

I won’t say that I think that Paul Ryan believes what Todd Akin believes.  I will however say that his track record supports the idea that he might.  And might isn’t something I’m willing to ignore.

The thing is – your body is yours to do with as you choose.  As a woman (or a man), it is completely within your right to be as sexually active as you want.  It is also within your right to choose to abstain.  However, in today’s society, abstinence is really just an impossible hope carried over from Sunday School. 

It is not reality.

And electing someone who would take away your right to protect yourself and choose when or if you should have children is ridiculous.  It’s something that seems pulled directly from the pages of a dystopian novel that takes place in some far off, ridiculously distant future.

Only you know what?

It’s not that far off.

These are actual issues that we are discussing right now.

So, please…use your voice.  Use your right to choose – to stand up and speak.

NO!  I will not stand for that!  I will not sit by and allow other people to make choices that have everything to do with me and my body.  Nothing is more personal than that.

Think about the women before you who fought for the rights that we have been given.  Remember that we haven’t always had the choice to do as we please and voice our opinions and beliefs.  Voting is a privilege.  And as a woman, you deserve to be heard.

So, I encourage you to read about the men who would be elected to govern your country.  Learn about who they are and what they have and would stand for.  Make and educated choice, but please, please, please CHOOSE!

If you’re not registered to vote, REGISTER.

http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_voter_registration.html?source=rtv.com-homegraphic

And if you’re already registered, VOTE!