A vagina is a pretty intimidating thing. In fact, the word itself is so offensive to the Republicans in the Michigan State House that they barred Rep. Lisa Brown from speaking after she uttered the anatomically correct term. Good grief. Could this move by the Republicans be any more blatantly sexist?
Rep. Lisa Brown, a Democrat, was making a speech against an abortion bill earlier this week. The proposed bill would ban all abortions after 20 weeks, and put other new regulations on abortion providers. Brown's argument was for therapeutic abortions—only for mothers whose lives are in danger, "without regard to length of pregnancy." Brown asked the old curmudgeons of the House why they were insisting that she adopt their religious beliefs while she was not asking them to do the same.
Then, Lisa brown said something that really angered them. She said: "And finally, Mr. Speaker, I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina, but 'no' means 'no.'" At least her comment got them to listen—even if it also got her kicked out. Rep. Mike Callton said: "What she said...was so offensive, I don't even want to say it in front of women. I would not say that in mixed company." This is laughable—he wouldn't say it in front of women? And what's so offensive about it? It's time someone told Callton that every woman has one (and it's pretty worrisome if he doesn't know that).
The men of the Michigan State house are cowards, and threatened by powerful women—what other explanation could there be for their fear of the "V" word? True, Brown said it to get their attention, but it was hardly inappropriate. After all, they were talking about abortion, which, however they might want to skirt around the issue (no pun intended)—abortion involves a woman's anatomy...just a little bit.
These men should all be forced to sit through repeated showings of the Vagina Monologues until the word no longer makes them uncomfortable. They are trying to silence women, so hopefully people like Lisa Brown will keep speaking up.
Photo courtesy of NPR.org
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Comments: 76
Whether or not you want to quibble over whether she should have been kicked out for what she did say is something else, but to misrepresent that the reason she got kicked out was merely for using the word, vagina, is certainly inaccurate and dishonest.
If I said here the word , F, that would be one thing, but if I told you to eff off that would be something else that would be a violation of TOS. Do you understand the difference?
Whether or not you want to quibble over whether she should have been kicked out for what she did say is something else, but to misrepresent that the reason she got kicked out was merely for using the word, vagina, is certainly inaccurate and dishonest.
From what I got when I read this story on the internet, Sarah is right. there was also another female not allowed to speak after saying somethins about vasectomies during the same debate.
I'm going to the beach. If the sunscreen doesn't work and I get fried, at least I can come back later and relate.
That is the only point I was ever arguing. If you read my first comment here, you would have known that. If you read the sentence in the comment before you chimed in here on this sub-thread, you would have known that: "It isn't the word itself that she used that was offensive. Don't you understand that?"
That's the only point I care about. As I also said, "Whether or not you want to quibble over whether she should have been kicked out for what she did say is something else..." I don't care to quibble over that because I don't give a damn how you interpret what she said. I only care that you understand the obvious: She did not get kicked out of the meeting for merely using the word which is the point of what she said in this post and its title should have told you that: Is Vagina Offensive? Rep. Lisa Brown Kicked Out of State House for Saying 'V-Word'
I did not say that she does not have the right to say what she said, but this is the politically correct world that we live in. A world where political correctness was not created by conservatives, but by liberals. Liberals wanting to control the language. I have a colorful word to describe this: "hypocritical"
It is interesting how people want to some how discredit the views of others by labeling them as "religious". When in fact their views they want to promote through law are a reflection of their own religion. Some how we are suppose to believe their view is neutral.
Muffin, really, muffin, is that what they call it nowadays. That's one mother - daughter sex awareness talk I would love to overhear.
{i.e.} "Now sweetheart that place between your legs where your pee comes out is called your "MUFFIN"
This brings into mind the reasonable Question, if the Michigan State House of Representatives are restricted from using the anatomical word "vagina" in a speech on the House floor, then pray tell, what name is it called by or referred to as being within the House Bill which they are attempting to debate for passage.
Are the same people who criticized Limbaugh for calling Sandra Fluke (who wants taxpayers to pay $3000 a year to support her promiscious sex life) a "slut" ok with this sexual innuendo spoken from a legislature on the Michigan house floor? Is it ok for a woman to talk about sex in public but not ok for a man to criticize a woman's promisciuous sex practices in public?
I do know this. I would be very ashamed if this woman was my representative and I would do everything I could to make sure she never got re-elected.
(1) But her words were very stupid and distasteful. Her offensive statement insenuated that others wanted to figuratively have sex with her. It had nothing to do with killing babies.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, excuse me, I listened to the speech on CBS and again on NBC and at no time was there any reference to killing babies nor did the Representative infer that she wanted to have a sexual encounter with anyone, neither did she use any other word(s) which could be considered as offensive, nor were there any stupid or distasteful remarks in her speech, neither was the name Sandra Fluke referred to within the speech.
(2) who wants taxpayers to pay $3000 a year to support her promiscious sex life a "slut" ok
There was no reference to taxpayers, nor reference to money in any amount, nor was there any mention of a sex life slut (whatever the hell that is)
(3) same people who criticized Limbaugh
At no time in her speech did she mention the name Rush Limbaugh nor did she criticize him in spoken words or any other manner
(4)Is it ok for a woman to talk about sex in public but not ok for a man to criticize a woman's promisciuous sex practices in public?
There was no mention of a woman talking about sex in public, neither was there any reference to any woman's promiscuity in public or private
If you are going to debate an issue as reported in Gather News article, at least stick to what is reported in the story. It is impossible to debate that which is not apart of the story and only in your mentally warped state of mind. Honest to God, I can not figure out how you came up with all those totally inaccurate and false references, statements and charges, from a story which aired on all major news networks.
How about the word "Penis?" Would that get me kicked out of the Michigan legislature? Guess what. Every woman who contemplates having an abortion does so because there was a male who was not enough of a gentleman to use a condom. Yeah, the word Penis does apply to the topic too.
Ridiculous behavior by the right wingers of Michigan. Silence the woman, that will get the job done.
Rep. Lisa Brown's speech on her vagina on the Michigan house floor has changed the minds of all pro-life Republicans everywhere. Her persuasive speech was done in such a caring and loving manner that the Republicans could not resist her rehtoric. Now that they understand "No means No" they are convinced the terminating of human life in the womb is perfectly moral for any and all reasons. After this brilliant speech bringing both sides of the aisle together, both Democrats and Republicans alike are asking Rep. Brown to run for President.
Was this suppose to be the response that Rep. Brown was hoping to get from her offensive speech?
Don't like theft, don't steal.
Don't like murder, don't murder.
Hmmm...for some reason these statements don't protect the rights of the victims of those who seem to have no problem with rape, theft and murder.
"Don't like abortion, don't get one." - Does nothing to protect the innocent victims of those who "like" abortions.
"Mind your own business and I will mind mine."
Many people had this pholosphy about Nazi Germany during World War II. Only 6 Million Jews were killed. Oh well, at least people were minding their own business.
Also will use the correct term of "pre-birth infanticide" instead of the lame term of "abortion".
Feeling better already.
Pull your cranium out of your anus. Note the use of the correct terms.
if these people are so intimidated by the word "vagina" then the last thing they should do is form laws regarding it.
idiots.. they're all idiots...
The term you are looking for is "Bare Foot and Pregnant"
If the government was trying to outlaw labia piercing or clitoral mutalation then there could be a case for using the word "vagina".
There's a sentence I never thought I would write!
In some cases I support very, very, very later term abortions, 133rd or more.
Many want to uphold the "reproducitve rights" of women but completely disregard the right to life of the unborn.
The same people who claim Republicans want to force themselves into the woman's body don't seem to have any problem with China enforcing a one child policy. You would think that they would be speaking out on the issue and call for sanctions against China for their human rights violation. It seems they are only concerned about forcing everyone into the body of the US woman.
You've done it once again.
How the in hell does the child birth restrictions in the country of China have anything to do with the subject of this article. It's amazing how you just throw out anything that comes into your jumbled up thought pattern with no regard to it's relativity to the present debate. It would seem that you just arbitrarily interject issues into the debate which have absolutely no lodgical bases for debate nor are in anyway connected to the reported story.
It must be pure hell for your freinds, family and relatives to have a sane and/or worthwhile conversation with you on any given subject or issue.
I stand corrected.
"In a new letter to the editor of the Napa Valley Register, Norman Fleishman wrote that, unless the U.S. enacts the Obama administration’s health care plan and China’s One Child Policy, “the world is doomed to strangle among the coils of pitiless exponential growth.”
http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=374