On Texas, and battles lost.

Tonight, I weep for the women of my state. HB 2, a bill that will severely limit affordable access to places that handle our health issues, has passed, and will, in all likelihood, be quickly signed into law by Rick Perry, one of the worst governors the state has ever seen.

For those of you who are interested in the actual language of the bill, you can check out page 5 of this. And if you want to know who voted which way, and other information, check here.

 This is a terrible, terrible bill, one that will shut down the majority of affordable women's health clinics in the state, ones that not only provide abortions, but also provide pap smears, breast cancer checks, birth control, STI testing, and a whole host of other things that are necessary for the health and well-being of anyone with a female reproductive system.

It's also worth noting that the bill states that all clinics providing abortions have to be ambulatory surgical centers, and Rick Perry's sister just so happens to be the head of a company that owns several of that type of clinic, putting her in a perfect place to swoop in and take over in the abortion business, becoming the leading provider, and pricing anyone in a lower income bracket out of being able to easily obtain one when they need it.

I would suggest that, if you are as outraged and saddened by this travesty; and you live in Texas, you register to vote, remember this bill, and those who authored it and voted it in; when the time comes, vote accordingly. It could make all the difference in the world to your fellow Texans.

A discussion about the #occupy protests

I had an interesting discussion with some people last night regarding what could ultimately come of the #occupy protests.

One of the questions asked was, what will happen if the protesters finally start to snap due to mistreatment by police? I don't think they'll become violent. But it's pretty damn scary to think what could happen if they did. I mean, we have military folk out there on the protesters' side, both vets and active. Not every protester is a member of the military, but there are quite a few, from what I've heard. This isn't just "a bunch of hippies."

We're talking about people trained for war, most of whom have actually seen action. And they're getting beaten and pepper sprayed, and man, I don't know about you, but I would be getting pretty pissed. It's remarkable they've stuck to the non-violent protest path for the most part as they have. (Yes, I know there have been a few incidents, but those are pretty few and far between at the moment.)

So, y'know what? If I were those cops, I'd be showing a bit more respect, and a lot less willingness to spray people with painful, burning chemicals and beating on them with sticks, and throwing them around, when all they're doing is sitting or standing there, and chanting. Because just sitting or standing there and chanting is a damn site better than the alternative.

I think I may be getting a rage migraine...

Grr... fuck the republicans. Just FUCK THEM. When the people who put this bill forth die, their god will hopefully tip them straight into their so-called hell for gleefully endangering women's lives.