Someone Doesn’t Like Us & We’re Cool With That
Alaska’s premier morality cop Jim Minnery of Alaska Family Action doesn’t like us very much. Nor does he like the Alaska Constitution, apparently. When he’s not busy obsessing about what women do with their constitutional rights and their personal medical decisions, he’s busy obsessing about who is fornicating with and marrying whom. The continual ruminations about what other people are doing with their private parts must be exhausting.
Republican Gov. Sean Parnell is lagging in the polls. You remember him, right? He’s the one who rejected additional funds for Denali Kid Care (SCHIP), to provide medical care to low-income pregnant women and children because… it might fund a medically necessary abortion. Better to play it safe by guaranteeing risk, illness, untreated disease, and suffering for hundreds of poor kids and pregnant women. That’s totally what Jesus would do. Right?
Parnell now has a viable challenger in the independent Bill Walker. Now, Walker’s a social conservative, mind you. He’s by no means a progressive dream candidate on social issues. But he’s come out and said two things:
1) He will not actively seek to extend restrictions on a woman’s right or access to safe legal abortions; and
2) He will not support an unconstitutional law.
He’s good with things as they are. I know, right? What a crazy liberal radical!
But so intent is Minnery to get someone in office who WILL actively seek to ban all abortions (which legally would have to involve amending the Constitution’s privacy clause) that he’s fear-mongering to get out the last minute vote.
Here’s what he has to say about us.
“Mudflats is one of the most reliably liberal and pro-abortion sites you can get in Alaska. For those of you considering a vote for Bill Walker and who also identify as believing in the sanctity of every human life, you’ll be challenged by this piece recently reported by Jeanne Devon, Founding Editor of the on-line publication. Remember, Walker obviously needs pro-abortion Alaskans to come to his aide in his bid for Governor. He certainly seems to have secured Ms Devon’s vote.
Does he have yours as well ?”
*wipes coffee spray off screen*
First of all, let’s dismantle a little hyperbole. “Pro-abortion.” Sorry to be a big wet blanket over Mr. Minnery’s fantasy battle between Good (him) and Eeevil (the majority of Alaskans), but nobody is pro-abortion. Nobody gets pregnant so they get to have an abortion. It’s not a hobby. Nobody carries signs saying, “Yay! Abortion Rocks!” “Honk if you love terminating pregnancies!”
If you really believe that there are “pro-abortion people” then it’s time to take a little self-imposed time out, and reflect on reality. I know, I know… Mr. Minnery would not approve, but do it anyway. Now say it after me… “Pro-Choice.” Pro-choice is you getting to decide vs. the government getting to decide. Excessive government overreach – that sounds almost… Republican.
Not a man to be satisfied with only one instance of over-inflated hyperbole, Mr. Minnery then jumps immediately to… (you know it’s going to be Hitler or slavery, but which??)
Slavery.
I always have a hard time not thinking of slavery when people say they are “personally pro-life” but that they “will not legislate their beliefs”. Can you imagine someone back in the 1800’s saying, as I’m sure they did, that they were personally against owning other human beings as slaves but that they didn’t think their personal views should infringe upon someone else’s right to have slaves as “private property”?
The simply unimaginable, unfathomable scenario that Mr. Minnery can only surmise may have happened, is that many of the founding fathers, while acknowledging that it was antithetical to the very notion of liberty for which they fought, were actually slaveholders. Someone didn’t pay attention in class… (peers over glasses at Mr. Minnery). Perhaps he was so busy smacking down George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, that he missed the irony of his simultaneous advocacy for stripping women of their self-determination, and asserting that the state owns their wombs.
Will Mr. Minnery’s dream world in which all abortion is illegal stop abortion? No. The only thing it will stop is safe abortion. The wealthy will jet off to wherever people are still allowed dominion over their own bodies and have safe access, but poor women will suffer, and risk the most. But Minnery and Parnell have already established that poor pregnant women and children come second.
I bet that’s what Jesus probably maybe would have said if there had been anything in the Bible about abortion.
And speaking of the Bible that Mr. Minnery is so fond of quoting – pretty sure there were rules in there about how to treat your slaves. #Awkward
If Mr. Minnery is serious about reducing the number of abortions, might we humbly suggest that he advocate for free long-term birth control? They did that in Colorado, and reduced teen pregnancy by 40%! It was all done with a private donation too, so maybe with all that money he’s getting from that little donate button at the bottom of his emails, Mr. Minnery could fund that program! Heck, I’d even lend my name to the effort, and fully support him.
Yeah, didn’t think so.
Another outstanding commentary, Jeanne. I’m in total agreement with you. And I love the sad trombone!
I also appreciate the thoughts of Beaglemom:
“Anyone who claims to be ‘pro-life’ but also opposes universal health care, provision of adequate housing, education and job training IS NOT PRO-LIFE. That person is pro-fetus and anti-life.”
Damn straight.
Jim Minnery must be the nut case brother of tom minnery, the nut case “FAMILINAZI” from. Colorado Springs. Always amazing how the republican party of supposedly personal freedom only lets that freedom apply to folks that believe the same way they do. Maybe we should all join them and make them conform to our beliefs. Bet THAT would make them rethink the strategy.
They are cousins…
Minnery (sounds like a program for under-privileged minnows,which oughta freak him out) thinks he knows who god’s favorite chosen ones are,but god just isn’t that into weenie bags like the sinister minister. Rough landing ahead,Sport. Be sure you’re covered before that last flight.
Taaa daaa .. Very well said indeed!
Minnery will never support something that reduces the number of abortions. His salary is dependent on fighting abortions so if he was actualy effective, he might have to find a different job.
Kinda funny how wingnut welfare works that way, isn’t it. Can’t lose that sinecure!
More dishonesty from the religious. Are they ever truthful?
Looking at..the picture..used by what’s is name above..always makes me wonder..what he was ..looking at..with such hungry joy and slavering glee. it must be an ever changing photo montage of assorted, active..private parts.. If so..one hopes he does this..standing in a medical, toxic waste plastic barrel..of snowmelt….
I was going to say he gives me the creeps but juneaudream, you are so much more eloquent!
The guy is totally creepy! I wouldn’t let my kid near him. And I certainly would never wish to be anywhere alone with him!
Minnery – another little thug of the patriarchy.
When I think of the religious women who so sanctimoniously work to restrict access to safe reproductive care and privacy, I think of China’s one-child policy, where each group of households was assigned a woman in the neighborhood whose job it was to go around and keep track of every other woman’s period. Any woman in a family that already had one child was either forced to have an abortion or fined if a period was missed and a pregnancy was suspected.
Those are your peers, you long-nosed “pro-life” old bats. The Uterus Police.
Crimeny. I didn’t realize the Chinese had neighborhood women to monitor female citizens’ menstrual cycles. The “Uterus Police” indeed. Damnation. That’s just another society’s means of control to “compare and contrast” America’s radical rightwingers with radical Islamic Talibans… Not much different from controlling women of the Chinese persuasion.
Anyone who claims to be “pro-life” but also opposes universal health care, provision of adequate housing, education and job training IS NOT PRO-LIFE. That person is pro-fetus and anti-life.
Like you, Jeanne, I don’t think that anyone is pro-abortion and I’ve always resented the implication that being “pro-choice” means thinking that abortion is a lark. It has to be a very serious decision for a woman to make.
Last week a middle-aged couple were standing outside our local Planned Parenthood office holding rosaries and ostensibly saying the prayers that go along with moving the beads along. I don’t think there was much Christianity present in what they were doing. Christ taught that we should not judge one another lest we be judged. Women go to Planned Parenthood for many reasons and these people, out there along the street trying to look pious and virtuous, know that too.
I’m not a Biblical scholar (and I don’t play one on TV /snark) but I do recall Jesus took those who advertised their religiosity to task – more than once. I’ve got a list of those verses somewhere. Here’s some: Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”
Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
then there’s this “Pro-choice does not equal pro-abortion any more than pro-second amendment means pro-murder.”
I had an abortion. It was unpleasant. I was sad. I got over it. I am so glad I did. That was almost 40 years ago now.
I can’t believe we are still fighting this battle.
Also, Jim Minnery can Kiss My A**
That’s the way I want hear Alaska girls talk. If I wasn’t affeared of bears,I be there today begging you to marry my miserable self. 🙂
I went election canvasing with an eager, 18 year old, first time voter. I told her that we would be asked about Mark’s abortion stand. She didn’t believe that in 2014 that topic was still under argument. Sure enough, the first person who let us talk with her wanted to know about Mark’s abortion stance. My fellow canvasser was quite surprised and after, told me that she hadn’t believed me when I warned her, but does now.
Excellently written! Really, Mr. Minnery must equate abortion with slavery! Right? But he is the type of conservative Tea Bagger who proves that so many of them are ignorant, badly educated and very un-Christian. And kudos for being HIS anti-Christ.
I’m sorry that jerk Minnery’s a ginger, Jeanne. I’m NOT sorry that I’m a woman in a state that’s pro-CHOICE. I’ve never been married; never been pregnant. Had I ever gotten pregnant, I don’t know whether or not I’d have carried to term. My circumstances would have dictated that. Not that that’s anyone’s business, least of all some alleged man of god, whom I personally find very un-Christian.