Right in the Kisser!

by Errington C. Thompson, MD

It has been a rough few weeks if you are following current events. I thought that women (and minorities) had become part of our society, no longer required to walk two or three paces behind all-powerful white men. Racist comments and “Keeping ’em barefoot and pregnant” weren’t even funny jokes any more.

Yet, if you listen to what’s going on it is like we are back in the 1950s. I keep looking for Danny Thomas, who knew everything; and Ralph Kramden, who threatened to give his wife Alice one “in the kisser” on The Honeymooners. I keep asking myself, “Where are we going as a nation?”

Legally required rape…

In Virginia, the state legislature last month considered a bill that
would require women to have an ultrasound prior to having an abortion.
The bill specifically stated that women must have a transvaginal
ultrasound and required the doctor to describe what they are seeing on
the ultrasound monitor. After two weeks of debate, protest, and national
media attention, the bill passed the Virginia House with the
transvaginal ultrasound requirement removed, and with a provision
allowing women to opt out only if they have been a victim of rape or
incest—and reported that crime to police.

In the words of some activists, forced penetration of the vagina
against a woman’s will, even by a doctor using the ultrasound wand,
itself fits the legal definition of rape. We wouldn’t want thousands of
women trying to get around this reactionary law by lying about being
raped, would we?

Texas has already passed a similar law. Many other
Republican-controlled state legislatures have similar laws in the works.
Whether you agree with abortion or not, reasonable people should
understand that this procedure, and the entire legislation, is utterly
degrading to women.

Next we have…

Chief Judge Richard Cebull, a federal judge appointed by George W.
Bush. He sent an ugly, hateful, racially vomitous email from his federal
account that somehow ended up in the press. The jist of the “joke” was
something about our president’s mother having sex with some animal,
resulting in Barack Obama. Really?

Now, there’s nothing wrong with the First Amendment. If you and your
buddies are out hunting in the duck blinds, you can tell whatever lewd,
crude, and racially insensitive jokes you want to. Though I have to say,
if a person has made it through college, finished law school, passed
the bar (which requires that you show “good character”), and been
accepted as a judge in the United States Federal court system, one would
think your mind is elevated above such things.

But if you’re a public official, good judgment or common sense alone
should tell you that you shouldn’t send such a joke using your federal
email.

Moreover, if you are a minority—say, a young black male with a white
girlfriend—standing before this “fair-minded” man who’s supposed to use
his “judgment” to “judge” your case, just what do you think is your
chance of getting a fair trial?

Judge Cebull has not tendered his resignation; instead he has written a
cringing, formal letter to President Obama, begging for forgiveness. To
my mind, this man represents the absolute worst of the American
character, rather than its best.

We call those who make legal decisions “judges” and we expect them to
be fair, open-minded, and honorable: we are even expected, or required,
to call them “Your honor.” It seems to me our justice system would be
better served if Mr. Cebull would step down and allow President Obama to
appoint someone a little bit more open-minded, a little bit more fair, a
little bit more judicious—in other words, if someone with a little more
honor were wearing the robes of the honorable court.

How dare she speak out…

Sandra Fluke is third-year law student at the very Catholic Georgetown
University. After the Republicans in the U.S. House, led by Rep. Darrell
Issa, refused to allow her to testify about women’s health
issues—saying she was unqualified, while a rabbi, a Catholic Bishop, an
Orthodox archbishop, and two other ministers (but no doctors) were
welcomed—Ms. Fluke spoke at a Democratic forum held by Nancy Pelosi
where she discussed the need for contraception to be covered under the
school’s insurance policy, which she is required to pay into. She wasn’t
asking for someone else to pay for these medications: she simply wanted
the comprehensive health insurance policy that she is already paying
for to cover birth control pills.

Ms. Fluke told a story of another student—a lesbian who needed to take
birth control pills not for “recreational sex” or to avoid pregnancy,
but medically necessary to control ovarian cysts. She couldn’t afford
her mandated health insurance policy as well as the cost of birth
control pills. The out-of-pocket expenses were too much, so she stopped
her birth control pills. As a result, she developed a huge ovarian cyst
that eventually required surgery in which her entire ovary needed to be
removed.

I will not even get into the compassion that we, as Christians, and as
Americans, should have for our brothers and sisters and fellow citizens,
but for a university to treat its students this way should be criminal.

First come lies, then comes libel…

The icing on the cake for Ms. Fluke was having Rush Limbaugh spend
three entire days of his show—nine hours altogether—calling her a slut
and a prostitute, making false assertions about her, and demonstrating
staggering ignorance about how birth control pills work. He even
demanded that in exchange for the public paying for her to have
recreational sex, that all her sexual encounters be videotaped and made
available to the public! For her thoughtful and courageous stance, Rush
Limbaugh said sarcastically, “I bet your parents are proud.”

Limbaugh, an admitted long-time drug abuser who forced his Hispanic
maid to pick up illegal prescriptions of oxycontin for his use, used all
his power and 600 national radio outlets to slander a private citizen
who offered honest testimony before a Congressional panel about the
health-insurance needs of real people with real medical issues—unlike
his drug addiction.

Ms. Fluke is paying for health insurance. She just wants the health
insurance that she is already paying for to cover all of her healthcare.
What a concept!

On Friday, March 2, President Barack Obama called Ms. Fluke and
personally offered her encouragement and thanks for being a good citizen
willing to speak out. On March 3, Rush Limbaugh released a non-apology
apology. By Monday, March 5 nine major national advertisers had stopped
sponsoring his radio program; at press time, more than 50 had dumped his
show and 48 others requested that they not be scheduled in programs
with “content… deemed to be offensive” – including Limbaugh and other
right-winger broadcasters. No doubt this saga will continue.

Waking up and fighting back…

Only now, finally, does it seem that we are living in the 2010s, and
women seem to be awaking from their slumber of the past decade. They
have organized a PAC (political action committee) to raise money to
oppose any congressman who voted for the ultrasound law. There are
several national petitions pressuring more sponsors to stop advertising
on Rush Limbaugh’s show. Maybe he has really gone too far this time:
maybe stations will start to drop Rush altogether, as another petition
is demanding that U.S. Armed Forces Radio do.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not looking forward to turning the
clock backwards. It has been clearly shown that diversity improves
company performance and enriches campus life. Instead of beating up
women, we need to be figuring out ways to get more women in the
boardrooms and into CEO chairs. We need more senators, congressmen, and
federal judges of the female persuasion—as well as mayors, council
members, state legislators, and governors. The fact is, women make
terrific leaders. In my opinion, it is critical to our growth and
survival as a nation to use all the best talent we have—female, African
American, Hispanic, gay, whoever it happens to be.

And, one of these days, I would like to see Alice give Ralph one right in the kisser.