Not Tonight - or Any Night - She's Got a Headache

In his tireless mission to make America hate again, the Donald has decided to reinstate the "gag rule" domestically. For those who may not be familiar with it, the gag rule is an oldie but goody from the Republican Party's Top 10 policies for denying women their right to choose which forms of reproductive health they can access and use.  The way it works is that if a health care provider offers a woman an abortion (and soon, wait for it, modern day contraception) or refers her to someplace where she can access it, then that health care provider will lose federal government funding, effectively shutting them down.

The upshot is that women who are economically better off will have no problem accessing whichever care options they prefer; it will be the poorer women who will have their choice denied and their health worsened as a result. That's why Republican administrations usually begin with reinstating the gag rule overseas, because (white) Americans don't give a toss about women of color, especially poor ones who are sight unseen. It's a slam dunk - white Americans get a three-fer. They get to express their heartfelt racism, xenophobia and misogyny all at the same time. Best of all, it enables them to feel better about themselves for being unrepentant white supremacists.

Oh, and lest we forget, in their twisted vision of what's right, the gag rule helps keep as many women as possible in their "place" - barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen - again sight unseen.

I'm sure there will be law suits filed, and I've heard the pundits opine that this move is just more red meat for the Trump base so that they can bellow and roar about sticking it to those effete coastal snobs. I just hope that once they're all done a' hootin' and a' hollerin' they might take a minute to notice that it won't be so easy to take their own mothers, daughters and sisters to get the health care they need, because - SURPRISE! The same clinics that safeguard women's rights to choose are often times the very same ones that provide preventative primary health care services, especially to lower income women. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Hope they can find a doctor to patch THAT up.