By Ernie McCray
I was watching the women on The View the other day talk about a video of John Kasich saying, in reference to a campaign he had won in Ohio years ago, that he had been victorious because “many women left their kitchens” to go door to door for him.
A woman didn’t take well to his remark and let him know that she would, never-the-less, come out to support him but wouldn’t do so from her “kitchen.”
“I gotcha,” Kasich replied, a bit embarrassed by his “a woman’s place is in the home” kind of faux pas.
But Candace Cameron Bure, one of the hosts on The View, so eager, with a big sunny smile on her face, to show that she wasn’t offended by Kasich’s little slight, wondered out loud, in her enthusiasm: “What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with being in the kitchen?”
Then one of the other hosts who apparently, like Ms. Bure, has no deep appreciation for the issues taken on over time by the women’s movement, launched into a little monologue about how she loves to cook and wash and mop as I sat in my den cringing at what I was seeing and hearing.
Now I must say that I wouldn’t be making so much out of this if it hadn’t been for a little exchange earlier in the program about John Kasich having signed a bill, as governor of Ohio, that will defund Planned Parenthood in that state.
And before I could let the coldheartedness of that morbid bit of politics sink in,Ms. Bure, like the big sister, D.J. Tanner, she played on “Full House,” ever so practical, started in on how Kasich wouldn’t be taking away any money from women’s healthcare. The funds would, instead, go to local clinics that provide the same women’s healthcare as Planned Parenthood except that they don’t perform abortions.
So, in front of millions of viewers this young woman tries to melt Planned Parenthood down to no more than an abortion clinic when that is the very least of the services they provide. And from the look of pride she had on her face, expressing ideas that stem from her strong religious beliefs (something she talks about all the time on The View), I could tell that she didn’t really have a clue that no average “local clinic” could come close to doing what Planned Parenthood has done for women in this country and around the world. For nearly a century.
I don’t know how anyone could think of taking funds away from an organization that’s trusted by so many as a healthcare provider; that’s dedicated to listening to people’s concerns about their health and to delivering education to them, men and women and teens, based on respect for an individual’s right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning.
Why would anyone want to deprive people of affordable medical care or primary care which helps prevent unintended pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases? Don’t our teenagers, in particular, benefit from services such as these?
What’s to be gained by getting in the way of Planned Parenthood’s leadership role in Reproductive Health and Rights Movements on campuses and online, and in statehouses and courts, and in community settings, and in the media?
Why interfere with their visible and passionate advocacy for policies before Congress and the Supreme Court that enable folks to access comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care, education, and information – no matter where they are in the world, be they impoverished or struggling for their lives in the midst of wars or brutal political situations?
What “local clinic” has millions of activists, supporters and donors who constantly stay involved with campaigns that advance and protect women’s rights and health?
After taking “a little time to enjoy the view” I couldn’t help but think about how, as it is with all quests for equality, the women’s rights movement still has a long way to go.
So we have to stay the course to see that the likes of John Kasich and Candace Cameron Bure, with their uncontrollable disdain for a “woman’s right to choose,” don’t distract us from making sure that Planned Parenthood is kept alive and healthy.
When we protect such an iconic contributor to the women’s movement we simply stand a better chance of making the world safe for women. There could be no more worthy cause or mission than that.
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