My Decision 2012: Women

Women

Lilly Ledbetter with President Obama

While I am not a woman, there are definitely some in my life that I care about, and pretty much everyone can relate to that. This is why I find it highly disturbing how the Republican Party has taken so many steps against women. Conversely, one of the first things that President Obama did in office was sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which allows women to recoup their losses when they find out that they have been paid less than their male counterparts doing the same job.

Many women, particularly those who can not afford health insurance, turn to Planned Parenthood for assistance. The GOP has positioned itself firmly against Planned Parenthood and taken steps to end federal funding of this organization (as well as many GOP-led states taking similar steps). Their main reason for doing this is because PP performs abortions. What these social conservatives have lost sight of, however, is that PP does a lot more, especially in the realm of preventative medicine. Breast cancer screenings, STD tests, and so forth, which ultimately can reduce the amount of care someone needs for a worse condition. The truly conservative stance would be to endorse PP (particularly given that federal funds do not go towards abortions anyway in any case). Mitt Romney is on record as saying “Planned Parenthood, gonna get rid of that.” Where will these women turn when they have nowhere else to go for these procedures? Apparently, Romney and the GOP do not care, whereas Barack Obama stands by Planned Parenthood and the women who depend on it.

We live in a country where we are supposed to be for equal treatment. While Mitt Romney has shown time and time again that he does not believe in this notion (honestly, who says "binders full of women" and thinks that's a good thing?), President Obama has been upholding it since day and, and he will continue to do so.