March 13, 2012 01:59 AM UTC

Dueling Pro and Anti-Contraception Rallies On Capitol Steps Today

• 18 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: As promised, here are two minutes and twenty seconds of Colorado Senate Republican red-meat response to today’s pro-contraception rally. Featuring three of your favorite GOP red-meat huckers, Sens. Ted Harvey, Kent Lambert, and Scott Renfroe in formation:

HARVEY: The history of mankind from the beginning of time is a history of governments that have tried to oppress their citizens based on religious grounds. And we have seen time and time and time again, when government has done that, when people have allowed their governments to do that, if we allow it one inch, it leads to genocide somewhere down the road. [Pols emphasis]

Whether you’re looking at Nebuchadnezzar in the Old Testament, or whether you’re looking at Hitler [Pols emphasis] in the last century, or whether you’re looking at the radical Taliban that’s going on in the Middle East right now…that is not a slippery slope, that is a cliff that we cannot go over.

LAMBERT: Well, it’s mind control, isn’t it? [Pols emphasis] And the direction this is going, it’s to criminalize religious free practices at the end of the day. As Cal Thomas said in The Washington Examiner, “if this administration can get away with this, there’ll be no stopping it. If the government can force an insurance company or an institution to pay for a birth control pill, or a ‘morning after pill,” or an abortion–I’m adding that, that was not his comments–“it can under the same authority conceivably force them to pay for a euthanasia pill [Pols emphasis] for those who have been deemed unfit to live.

RENFROE: I think this President knows exactly what he’s doing. He is very smart. And he knows what he’s doing, and he thinks he can accomplish it. And unless the people wake up and stand up we’re going to be in the shape where England was when their king decided he needed to rule the church. [Pols emphasis]

If there’s genocide, Hitler, euthanasia pills and Henry VIII at the same party, it’s a party.

Original post follows, though it seems kind of anticlimactic now.

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Photo courtesy Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains

We’ll have details posted soon from both sides of today’s rallies at the state capitol both for and against contraceptive coverage for women, and the recent remarks made about same by national pundits and local Republican politicians alike. First the press release from Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains on their event, full text after the jump:

Specifically, speakers addressed the looming threat of HB 1130, which would create fetal “personhood” by creating a new class of victim for a fetus.  Speakers, representing diverse backgrounds and organizations, also addressed a third personhood ballot initiative (currently known as proposed initiative 46), expected on the 2012 ballot.  Colorado voters overwhelming defeated two similar fetal “personhood” ballot initiatives in the 2008 and 2010 elections, yet it continues to return…

Jeremy Shaver, executive director of the Interfaith Alliance, offered the crowd a religious viewpoint on issues surrounding women’s health.

“Religious freedom is our first freedom and it shouldn’t be cheapened,” he said.  “Religious freedom must include the right of women to make their own individual decisions about birth control and their health care.  Many faith leaders respect women’s moral agency to make decisions about their reproductive health, without governmental interference or legal restrictions.  Woman of all faiths use birth control while remaining faithful to their moral compass.”

And we’re standing by for news and video from the “Religious Liberty” rally held afterward, organized by Sen. Tim Neville and featuring a number of speakers including Sens. Shawn Mitchell, Scott Renfroe, Ted Harvey, Kevin Lundberg, and special guest Tom Tancredo! We’ve already heard that the commentary from these folks was quite memorable.

If Nazi and euthanasia analogies are your thing, that is–stay tuned.

Strong Showing at Today’s Rally to Protect Women’s Health

DENVER – At least 200 supporters of women’s health turned out today at the state Capitol for a Rally to Protect Women’s Health.  Lawmakers, physicians and families described the attacks on women’s access to health care in Colorado.

Specifically, speakers addressed the looming threat of HB 1130, which would create fetal “personhood” by creating a new class of victim for a fetus.  

Speakers, representing diverse backgrounds and organizations, also addressed a third personhood ballot initiative (currently known as proposed initiative 46), expected on the 2012 ballot.  Colorado voters overwhelming defeated two similar fetal “personhood” ballot initiatives in the 2008 and 2010 elections, yet it continues to return.

Dr. Andrew Ross, a general OB-GYN in Denver, described how these measures harm the physician-patient relationships.

“As a health care provider, I see these and other attacks on women’s health as extreme government interference in a woman’s private decision that needs to be in consultation with her family and her physician…And as a husband and father, I see them as outrageous attempts to single out the women in our lives and limit their access to basic health care.”

Jeremy Shaver, executive director of the Interfaith Alliance, offered the crowd a religious viewpoint on issues surrounding women’s health.

“Religious freedom is our first freedom and it shouldn’t be cheapened,” he said.  “Religious freedom must include the right of women to make their own individual decisions about birth control and their health care.  Many faith leaders respect women’s moral agency to make decisions about their reproductive health, without governmental interference or legal restrictions.  Woman of all faiths use birth control while remaining faithful to their moral compass.”

Meagan Como, a student at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, talked about her experience being born with hemophilia.  She described why her doctors put her on birth control in an effort to increase her blood’s ability to clot as a teenager.  Meagan’s story highlighted the need for women to be able to access basic health care, no matter who they work for.

“Like 99 percent of American women, I also take birth control.  While Sen. Brophy would have you believe taking birth control is something I do ‘recreationally,’ I’d like to point out that 58 percent of women take birth control for something other than pregnancy prevention.”

Reps. Crisanta Duran (HD5) and Andy Kerr (HD26) strongly urged their colleagues to defeat HB 1130.

Overall, speakers rallied the energetic crowd which included women, men, children, and families.  Protect Families, Protect Choice and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains is grateful to all those who attended today’s rally and showed their support for women’s health.  Our voices were heard.  Together, we reminded our state’s lawmakers to keep politics out of women’s health.

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