Oklahoma Idiocy, Part 2

Filed in National by on February 26, 2013

In Jason330’s post entitled Oklahoma Breaks New Ground In The Being Idiotic Department he shows us the idiocy Oklahoma lawmakers are proposing:

Because you shouldn’t be able to fail a student just for being 100% dead wrong, a proposed Oklahoma law  will prevent science teachers from flunking students who argue dinosaurs and humans coexisted. Which, except for in science fiction and my fantasies, they did not.

Scary stuff.  But Oklahoma isn’t done being stupid. Looks like they have a plan to ensure they produce more children to lie to…

OKLAHOMA CITY – Employers in Oklahoma could opt not to include contraceptives and abortions in employee insurance plans under a measure that secured passage by a Senate committee Thursday.

The measure, Senate Bill 452 by Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, passed the Senate Business and Commerce Committee by a vote of 9-0 with no debate and now heads to the full Senate.

“Notwithstanding any other provision of state or federal law, no employer shall be required to provide or pay for any benefit or service related to abortion or contraception through the provision of health insurance to his or her employees,” the bill says.

What could possibly be the reason behind this?  Glad you asked.

Jolley said the measure is the result of a request from a constituent, Dr. Dominic Pedulla, an Oklahoma City cardiologist who describes himself as a natural family planning medical consultant and women’s health researcher.

Pedulla says he is morally against contraception and abortion. He said he had to give up his small group health plan because the only plans available in the state required coverage for contraception and sterilization. He and his family were on the plan and had to find more expensive insurance elsewhere.

“Every small group plan forces you to choose those options,” Pedulla said.

Women are worse off with contraception because it suppresses and disables who they are, Pedulla said.

“Part of their identity is the potential to be a mother,” Pedulla said. “They are being asked to suppress and radically contradict part of their own identity, and if that wasn’t bad enough, they are being asked to poison their bodies.”

Studies show that women using contraceptives consider pregnancy more unwanted than wanted, he said. [Emphasis mine]

Bet this “doctor” is all for teaching children that humans rode dinosaurs in science class, or as Jason dubbed it, “There really is no such thing as knowledge act”

I’m not even sure where to begin with Pedulla’s comments.  I’d probably suggest that if this guy is your cardiologist… you should probably look elsewhere.

Let’s break it down…

“Women are worse off with contraception because it suppresses and disables who they are,” Pedulla said.  “Part of their identity is the potential to be a mother. They are being asked to suppress and radically contradict part of their own identity

Okay. Deep breath.  Disables who they are = Breeding machines?  Emphasis on the word machine, because the reasoning behind this law doesn’t consider women as autonomous.  Oops! Perhaps machine isn’t the correct term.  Perhaps “property” would be more applicable.  Notice how Pedulla states that women “are being asked to suppress and radically contradict part of their own identity.” In Conservative Land it’s never the woman asking (unless she’s a bad girl).  It’s always someone else forcing or directing a women onto a path of sin.

Nice to see the Republicans have learned nothing from the 2012 election and that they’ve decided to continue their War on Women.  Lots of transvaginal ultrasound bills popping up out there.  Jobs bills?  Not so much.

I’m reaching the conclusion that the Republican’s Job Plan is to make sure women constantly get pregnant and then are forced out of the workforce, thereby making room for men.  (I started out writing that sentence as snark, but now I think I’m onto something.)

I also love how the “doctor” cites studies that show “women using contraceptives consider pregnancy more unwanted than wanted.”  Can’t get anything past these Oklahoma geniuses.

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Comments (15)

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  1. puck says:

    We long ago passed the point where anybody who doesn’t want to be in a red state should have left. Anybody still there is there because they like it that way. Remember, red states are welfare states.

  2. anonymous says:

    Republicans would probe up a woman’s vagina if that would get another republican ‘issue’ voter.

  3. geezer says:

    “We long ago passed the point where anybody who doesn’t want to be in a red state should have left. Anybody still there is there because they like it that way.”

    Is that tongue in cheek? Because I know people who live in Texas not by choice but because that’s where their company moved them.

  4. puck says:

    People in high enough positions that their company will relocate them can buy their own abortions.

    Never, never relocate for a job, unless it is at least 50% more than you make now. Or unless you hate where you are living anyway.

  5. geezer says:

    “Never, never relocate for a job, unless it is at least 50% more than you make now.”

    I hope your tongue is still in your cheek. I can promise you my liberal friends in Texas would not find you funny.

  6. puck says:

    Your migrant Texas friends apparently have good job security. That makes them a definite minority, and getting more so every day. For most of us, employers are not trustworthy enough to move our families for. The old social contract is broken.

  7. geezer says:

    Really? You’re really going to try to defend that career advice?

    OK, if you want to pretend you were serious, allow me to point out that in the current employment crisis it would be truly reckless to quit a job rather than move to a less-desirable location. If it’s a bad time for job security, by definition it would be folly to quit a job.

  8. puck says:

    With two working spouses, moving for a job means that someone has to quit their job AND give up their professional network. So the job you move for had better be one hell of a job.

  9. pandora says:

    But if it’s the woman who would have to give up her job and professional network to move then that would counteract the “disabling” caused by birth control? No?

    Okay, not too subtle way of trying to get this thread back on track. 🙂

  10. puck says:

    To summarize, vote with your feet. I’m out of energy to defend red staters from their own elected representatives.

  11. jmarie says:

    So women are more akin to broodmares than actual human beings, capable of making their own reproductive decisions. Good to know. I have lost all sympathy for women who vote republican at this point.

  12. Kevin says:

    Unless you’re a religious institution I don’t care what your beliefs are you shouldn’t be able to force them on to your employees. Basically this law allows people to force their employees to live under their own beliefs which if you ask me is un-american.

    Sadly this probably won’t be the last time a bill like this is passed.

  13. pandora says:

    Hmmm… and yet you’re arguing on the other Oklahoma thread that you’re okay with allowing religious beliefs into science class.

    Let me try rewriting your sentence above…

    Unless you’re a religious institution I don’t care what your beliefs are you shouldn’t be able to force them on to your employees teachers and fellow students. Basically this law allows people to force their employees teachers and fellow students to live under their own beliefs which if you ask me is un-american.

    See how that works?

  14. Kevin says:

    You realize these are 2 very different circumstances right?

    Exhibit 1: Kids and teachers wouldn’t be punished for arguing against what their text book says and sticking by their own religious beliefs.

    Exhibit 2: Women will be made to live under their employers belief that contraception is not what God wants for them.

    If you can’t see the difference there then I honestly feel bad for you.

  15. anonymous says:

    Kavin says, quote: “Unless you’re a religious institution I don’t care what your beliefs are you shouldn’t be able to force them on to your employees.”

    OK Kevin, that doesn’t clear anything up. I can see a scene like this.

    Nuclear Scientist: “I can’t cool it down. The reactor is overheating!” Sound the alarm!”

    Right Wing Crazy: “Oh ppleesse. It’s god’s environment. You’re an arrogant man. It’s god’s will.”

    Science, physics, chemistry, math, numbers don’t lie, people lie. That’s why you get thieving banksters, doctored studies, poisonous industries, cherry picked statistics, climate deniers, contaminated resources, corrupt politicians….

    Banish liars instead, whether they pretend to be religious or not.