January 22, 2013 
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By Erika L. Sánchez, NBC Latino
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[Photo by AnyaLogic]
read more related stories here:
Roe v. Wade: Latinos Debate Abortion 40 Years Later, Fox News Latino
October 25, 2012 0 Comments
By Juhem Navarro-Rivera, Public Religion Research Institute
Since the 1980s, conventional wisdom about Hispanic Americans suggests that although they tend to vote primarily for Democrats, they do so primarily for economic reasons because the Democratic Party is out of step with Hispanic Americans on social issues. Republican candidates could thus peel off Hispanic American voters by appealing to issues like abortion or same-sex marriage, or so the argument went. But how socially conservative are Hispanic Americans, how persuadable are Hispanic Americans on social issues, and how important are these issues to Hispanic American voters?
One way to test the extent of Hispanic American social conservatism is by measuring Hispanic Americans’ attitudes toward abortion and same-sex marriage. On these issues, Hispanic Americans are assumed to be more conservative than Americans in general. The 2012 African American & Hispanic American Reproductive Issues survey found that a slim majority of Hispanic Americans (51%) believe that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, compared to the 43% of Americans who reported that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases during the 2011 American Values Survey. On same-sex marriage, Hispanic Americans are divided, with 50% in favor of allowing gay and lesbian people to marry and 47% opposed.
However, on social issues Hispanic Americans show the same pattern of partisan polarization that is evident among the general public. When we explore the opinions of Hispanic American registered voters, the stark differences between Hispanic Democrats (and independents who lean Democratic) and Hispanic Republicans (and independents who lean Republican) suggest that social issues are not a wedge issue among Hispanic partisans. The Hispanic partisan sorting on social issues suggests that Hispanic voters are part of the mainstream of their respective parties and not susceptible to being cross-pressured on these issues.
Vast majorities of Hispanic Democrats and Hispanic Republicans support their party’s majority position. On the issue of abortion, almost three-quarters (72%) of registered Hispanic Democrats believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases while nearly two-thirds (66%) of registered Hispanic Republicans say it should be illegal. In this regard, registered Hispanic Democrats are slightly more liberal than Democrats overall: 64% of registered Democrats think abortion should be legal. The opposite is true for registered Hispanic Republicans, who are are more conservative than registered Republicans (just 54% of registered Republicans oppose abortion).
The same polarization appears on the issue of same-sex marriage. Around two-thirds of registered Hispanic Democrats (66%) and nearly 6-in-10 registered Democrats (58%) favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally. By contrast, over 7-in-10 (71%) registered Hispanic Republicans and over 6-in-10 (63%) of all registered Republicans oppose same-sex marriage.
As Election Day approaches, the interest on Hispanic voters will only increase. The Democrats recently tapped San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro as the keynote speaker for their convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Meanwhile, Hispanic Republicans have been getting attention thanks to Ted Cruz’s victory in the Texas GOP primary runoff, as well as the naming of New Mexico Governor Susana Martínez andFlorida Senator Marco Rubio as featured speakers at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.
Pundits will continue to stress the importance of courting the growing Hispanic vote, but the more important question is what issues they can be successfully courted. These findings suggest that social issues may excite partisans, but are ultimately unlikely to move most Hispanic Americans one way or the other. What’s more, the vast majority of Hispanic voters (78%) report that the economy is a critical issue in the country today, far more than mention abortion or same-sex marriage (25% each). The parties will have to do their wooing on economic issues, because when it comes to social issues it seems that the heavy lifting is already done: Hispanic Democrats are socially liberal and Hispanic Republicans are socially conservative.
This article was first published in publicreligion.org.
Juhem Navarro-Rivera is a Research Associate at the Public Religion Research Institute. His research examines how religion affects political behavior in the United States. He has taught courses on American Politics, Latino Politics, Latino Studies, and Research Methods. He also lectures about Latino Politics, and Religion & Politics in the United States, and Puerto Rican Politics. Mr. Navarro-Rivera earned a B.A. (Cum Laude) in political science from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras and an M.A. in political science at the University of Connecticut where he is currently completing his Ph.D.
[Photo by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com]
August 29, 2012 0 Comments
By Thanh Tan, New American Media/The Texas Tribune
Since 2003, Texas has required women seeking abortions in their second trimester to go to ambulatory surgical centers, and none exist in the Valley.
Health providers in the Valley say that many such women find out too late that they are pregnant, discover fetal anomalies or are too poor to obtain an abortion in the first 16 weeks. They say the only other option for some is to cross into Mexico for an illegal procedure or to acquire abortion-inducing drugs from unregulated pharmacies.
Kristeena Banda, the director of Whole Woman’s Health in McAllen, one of two abortion clinics in the Valley, said her clinic recently tried to refer a woman in her second trimester to a surgical center in San Antonio, about 200 miles away. To get there, she would have to pass a checkpoint in Falfurrias, north of Hidalgo County, where authorities have detained 12,000 undocumented immigrants in the last year.
“She broke down and told us she didn’t have the papers to cross over,” said Banda, who did not know the woman’s fate or that of others who come in every month under similar circumstances because they often provide false information.
It is unclear how many undocumented immigrants are seeking second-trimester abortions, but noncitizens accounted for 27 percent of the 220,899 Medicaid-financed births in Texas in 2010, state health officials said. Rick Pauza, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman, said those seeking health services, including abortions, were allowed to apply for legal entry and could get a pass to go through the security checkpoints.
“CBP will review each request on a case-by-case basis and determine if it meets the criteria for a humanitarian parole or waiver of documents,” Pauza said in an e-mail.
But some people say there should be no exceptions for women seeking treatment for an elective procedure.
“As long as they’re not in labor, they should be taken into custody, and deportation procedures should begin,” said Shannon McGauley, an abortion opponent and the president of the Texas Minutemen, a nonprofit group that supports causes opposing illegal immigration. “They shouldn’t be given a pass because they’re pregnant. If you play, you’ve got to pay.”
Opponents of abortion rights say they sympathize with the women’s plight but that the women should seek a different solution.
“Abortion in any context is not okay,” said Catherine Hake, the executive director of the McAllen Pregnancy Center, which provides support services for pregnant women. “There’s so much aid and people willing to help. It’s a lot more difficult to offer aid to women who are illegal, but there are still options.”
Dr. Lester Minto, who owns Reproductive Services of Harlingen, the Valley’s other abortion clinic, said that before Texas began requiring women seeking abortions after 16 weeks to go to the surgical centers, he was able to perform the procedure on women who were 18 weeks into their pregnancy.
“Normally they’re crying and begging me to do it,” Dr. Minto said. “It’s sad when I know I can do it. I can do it properly.”
For his patients who are citizens, traveling such a long distance is an inconvenience, but they do not fear the checkpoints. For his patients who are undocumented, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 further complicated travel for those who needed specialized care outside the area, Dr. Minto said. Until then, “I could write a letter and they’d let them go through the checkpoints,” he said. “Since then, it’s changed.”
This article was first published in New American Media.
This story was made possible by a grant from Atlantic Philanthropies and was produced as part ofNew America Media’s Women Immigrants Fellowship Program. It was edited to conform with New America Media’s style guidelines.
This story also appeared in The New York Times.
View more photos.
Read Thanh Tan’s first NAM Women Immigrants Fellowship story, “Looking to Mexico for an Alternative to Abortion Clinics.”
New America Media is the country’s first and largest national collaboration and advocate of 2000 ethnic news organizations. Over 57 million ethnic adults connect to each other, to home countries and to America through 3000+ ethnic media, the fastest growing sector of American journalism. Founded by the nonprofit Pacific News Service in 1996, NAM is headquartered in California with offices in New York and Washington D.C., and partnerships with journalism schools to grow local associations of ethnic media.
[Photo by Reynaldo Leal / The Texas Tribune]
August 28, 2012 0 Comments
By Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto, Latino Decisions
Abortion is back in the political spotlight. Senate candidate Todd Akin made sure of that in his remarks regarding abortion, rape, and his beliefs on the science of procreation. His comments came just days before the Republican National Committee finalized its convention platform that calls for a blanket ban on abortions. Such a position and the GOP’s larger stance on women’s reproductive choices should help Democrats with women, especially moderates and Independents. But perhaps the GOP can make up for this loss with a pro-life leaning electorate, Latinos.
On the issue of abortion Latinos are significantly more pro-life that non-Latinos. The Univision-Latino Decisions poll from late last year indicates that 19 percent of Latinosoppose abortions in all circumstances, compared to 15 percent for the rest of the electorate. A larger gap exists among those who believe that abortion should be legal in all cases; close to thirty percent of the general electorate supports a woman’s right to choose in all cases but less than a quarter of Latinos do.
There is little difference among Latinos on their pro-life views regardless of partisanship. Among Latinos the belief that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances is 19 percent, 20 percent, and 21 percent respectively for Democrats, Independents and Republicans. These minimal partisan differences become stark within the general electorate with a quarter of Republicans supporting a blanket ban on abortion while less than ten percent of Independents and Democrats hold the same view.
The GOP’s platform on abortion however, does not fully line up with the party’s presidential candidate’s views. Mitt Romney believes that exceptions should be made in cases of rape, incest, or to save a mother’s life. This view is the most popular among Latinos. Put differently, a majority of Latinos are in line with the GOP’s view on abortion, whether it’s the more hardline blanket ban on abortion or the lighter Romney version.
The pro-life position among Latinos is not surprising given that over two-thirds of Latinos are Catholic, a religion whose doctrine does not admit abortion in any circumstance. The faith background of Latinos and their policy views on abortion, suggest a potential social and moral affinity with the GOP. Half of registered Latino voters attend church once a week, a rate almost twice as high for non-Latinos. In theory it is plausible that the Republican Party could connect with Latinos through their similar views on abortion and higher levels of religiosity.
But, the reality is that Latino views on abortion and religion will not translate into votes for the GOP. Social and moral issues may sway white voters but they do not have the same effect on Latinos. Politics for Latinos is about economic concerns such as jobs, taxes, and gas prices. Only fifteen percent of Latinos view politics as being about moral issues such as abortion or gay marriage. Politics and religion are two separate realms for Latino voters. More specifically, Latinos don’t like their religious leaders meddling in politics. According to the impreMedia-Latino Decisions Religiosity poll an overwhelming majority of Latinos disagree that it is a good thing for religious leaders to tell their members which candidate to vote for.
For Latinos the issue that matters most is the economy followed closely by immigration. And on both of these issues the vast majority of Latinos support a more progressive agenda. Moral issues such as abortion and gay marriage simply don’t appear on the Latino political radar. The GOP and Latinos may be simpatico on issues of abortion but this is of little help, social issues are not what sway Latinos in the voting booth.
This article was originally published at NBC LATINO and Latino Decisions.
Dr. Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto is an NBC Latino contributor, Senior Analyst for Latino Decisions and Fellow at the Center for Politics and Governance at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, at Austin.
[Photo by DonkeyHotey]
July 27, 2012 0 Comments
PRESS RELEASE
NEW YORK — Poll results released today about Latino/a and African-American attitudes on abortion and reproductive health echo similar results of a joint poll by the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) and the Reproductive Health Technologies Project(RHTP) announced in January. The new poll, conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute, found that the majority of Latino/as say that “not judging other people” (72 percent) and “showing compassion for women in difficult circumstances” (68 percent) are very important in shaping their views on the issue of abortion.
These findings are similar to those of the NLIRH/RHTP poll, which showed that a strong majority (73 percent) of Latino/a registered voters agree that we should not judge someone who feels they are not ready to be a parent.
“Contrary to many troubling news narratives, we know that Latino/as have compassionate views on abortion, and findings in this poll underscore that,” said Jessica González-Rojas, executive director of NLIRH. “The bottom line is that most Latino/as believe a woman has the right to make personal, private decisions about abortion without politicians interfering and that we shouldn’t judge someone who feels they’re not ready to be a parent.”
“Both of these surveys confirm the nuance and diversity of views among Hispanic Americans — something over-heated political rhetoric and trite, old political labels fail to capture,” said Kirsten Moore, President of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project.
Key findings from the NLIRH/RHTP poll include:
The poll memo, as well as methodology, can be found at latinainstitute.org/Latinopoll
###
The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is the only national organization working on behalf of the reproductive health and justice of the 20 million Latinas, their families and communities in the United States through public education, community mobilization and policy advocacy.
[Image courtesy NLIRH]
July 27, 2012 0 Comments
Friday July 27, 2012Survey: Among black, Hispanic Americans, complexity reigns on abortion issue (CNN): A large majority of black and Hispanic Americans identify as both “pro-life” and “pro-choice” when it comes to abortion, according to a survey released Thursday. The poll finds that both minority groups are more likely than Americans in general to embrace or to reject both labels.
Head of Arpaio’s immigration unit admits errors (Tucson Citizen): One of the men in charge of the Maricopa County sheriff’s human-smuggling unit when the agency was most fervently pursuing undocumented immigrants supplied Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies with inaccurate or false interpretations of federal immigration law.
At Arizona sheriff’s trial, Latino driver tells of humiliation (Reuters/Chicago Tribune): A U.S. Latino citizen fought back tears at an Arizona sheriff’s racial profiling trial on Wednesday as he described being pulled over by a deputy and having his groin frisked during a traffic stop he said was motivated by his ethnicity.
Arizona deputy tells court he risked life for Hispanic immigrant (Reuters): A deputy from a controversial Arizona sheriff’s office fought off accusations of racial profiling by telling a court on Thursday that he had gone as far as risking his life to rescue a Hispanic illegal immigrant from kidnappers.
Scalia says he didn’t attack Obama on immigration (USA Today): Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia defended his inclusion of President Obama’s immigration policy in a recent opinion on a controversial Arizona law targeting illegal immigrants.
Florida at the forefront as states plan fresh assault on voting rights (The Guardian): Voting rights groups are struggling to hold back a tide of new laws that are likely to make it harder for millions of Americans to vote in the presidential election in November and could distort the outcome of the race for the White House.
Latino legislators set up PAC to get out Hispanic vote (Associated Press/Fort Worth Star-Telegram): State Reps. Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio and Ana Hernandez Luna of Houston unveiled the One Texas PAC, with Martinez Fischer pledging to match the first $50,000 in donations. The PAC will concentrate on supporting Hispanic candidates for the Texas Legislature, engaging Hispanic voters and mobilizing them in districts where they can make a difference in an election, Martinez Fischer told The Associated Press. The group’s strategy of directly engaging voters sets it apart from other advocacy groups, he said.
January 20, 2012 2 Comments
This puts a twist in the Republican belief that Latinos are conservatives at heart, but vote liberal because of tradition. The anti-abortion, or right to life, stance is a major pillar of the conservative ideological edifice. They claim that Latinos, because of their largely Catholic beliefs, are squarely on their side of this issue.
But a recent poll has tripped-up their rhetoric. The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) commissioned the poll done by Lake Research Partners and the results were published this week. Some of the key findings, according to the NLIRH summary:
The headlines say that Latinos are more compassionate about abortion in general than previously thought. I don’t think that’s the case. I think Latinos are no more compassionate than people previously thought — my take is that Latinos’ compassion is more inclusive than non-Latinos believe it to be. So much so that they’ll go against church precepts.
But this brings up a larger idea: Latinos are able to separate politics from faith. Latinos may still be anti-abortion, in general, but the NLIRH poll reveals that Latinos believe government shouldn’t impose morality at such a personal level.
Nearly seven in ten Latino voters agreed with the statement, “even though church leaders take a position against abortion, when it comes to the law, I believe it should remain legal.”
This is important as politicians attempt to define their space within the Latino political landscape. But truth be told, given the result of this poll, it all seems superficial – Latinos are not as politically unsophisticated as some observers may think, and definitions matter less than votes.
[Photo By bradleygee]
September 22, 2011 0 Comments
By Marc Rodriguez
Depending on whom you ask, you’re very likely to hear several different appraisals regarding the overall condition of the state of Texas. “Economically, we’re outperforming the rest of the country” is something you’d probably hear.
Conversely, one could express concern about the state’s significant budgetary shortfall: $27 billion. The sheer amount of all the sociopolitical rhetoric being bandied back and forth has the inherent tendency to complicate things for many of us – particularly post-2011 State Legislative Session (January-May 2011).
And adding to the already existing legislative session excitement was the governor’s decision to get state legislators to reconvene for a special session (June 2011) as a result of business unfinished. Wanting to minimize the information clutter and hear from individuals closer to and engaged in the legislative “fray,” I decided to meet with a few people who could deconstruct the general and special legislative sessions and, with any luck, provide some clarity.
State Rep. Jose Menendez (D)-District 124 and State Rep. Aaron Pena (R)-District 40 were gracious enough to speak to me and provide their general take and opinions concerning the condition of the state per the two legislative sessions.
Question 1: What are your general thoughts about how the general and special sessions played out? What do you believe was the biggest obstacle that faced the House?
Personally, I feel these sessions were the most difficult that I can remember. Overall, the sessions will probably turn out to have the most severe impact on education, health care and services to the most vulnerable populations of our state: the elderly, the young and the disabled. Obviously, the budget deficit was the largest challenge, and one that was not even marginally resolved.
The second largest obstacle has to be what long-term impacts these budgetary and legislative mandates will have on public education, health care and services to the growing senior populations, and how we are going to address them in an even more difficult budget cycle in two years.
Question 2: The 2010 Census figures were obviously significant in terms of state growth. What are your thoughts about the state’s Latino population growth? And what is your posit for the constituency’s future?
The state demographer has been predicting the rise in the Latino population almost exactly in line with what occurred since at least 2005, so these numbers should have come as no surprise to anyone. In fact, I am certain that these populations’ shifts were well anticipated, and that careful thought was given to how the leadership would respond in terms of “managing” these very significant increases in the state’s ethnic makeup.
One answer obviously is seen in the totally majority controlled makeup of the redistricting maps. Others are seen in the attempts to pass legislation like the Sanctuary City bills, which were designed as another control measure over the fast-growing Hispanic numbers.
The future of the Latino constituency is answered simply: voter registration and motivation. Latinos simply MUST register to vote, educate themselves on the issues and show up at the polls. The demographics predict – and most probably, very accurately – that Latinos will, in fact, be the majority by 2015 or so. But we already have the population to significantly influence almost any election. We must get the Latino voters to the polls every election.
Question 3: What sort of legislative plans does the House have to begin addressing the problematic conditions with the state?
Speaker Straus has already requested that House members submit recommendations for interim charges, which will be considered by the various committees during the interim before the next session. The speaker is responsible for developing a series of charges or analytical tasks for the committees that includes matters left unresolved from the previous session and which undoubtedly reappear in the next session.
Additionally, obvious issues such as health care, education, transportation and major budgetary issues will be included, as well as a wide range of subjects that reflect members’ interests and focus. These will serve as a sort of “sneak preview” of the 83rd session in 2013.
I have recommended four that I believe are very important, including a program to integrate low-income housing tax credits with Medicaid assisted living funds to provide more affordable housing for our growing senior population that allows them to stay in their communities, enjoy as much independent living as possible and reduce unnecessary costs on nursing homes for the state.
As vice chairman of the State Affairs committee, I have urged adding an analysis of the impact that a major rule change by the Environmental Protection Agency will have on the state’s ability to produce clean, reliable and affordable electric power throughout Texas. I believe that the committee needs to make this issue a priority so that we can respond effectively next session and ensure that Texas, not the federal government, controls our energy production and distribution.
Question 4: What are your general thoughts about the state’s $27 billion shortfall? And how do you believe it had an affect on the general and special sessions?
The shortfall was primarily the result of the structural deficit that was created with the passage of property tax reform and the business tax change over to the margins tax in special session in 2006 under control of the Republican leadership. The other cause was the use of over $13 billion in stimulus funds in 2009 to prop up and expand school spending even as it was recognized that money was a onetime occurrence. This left a major gap in funding even before revenue projections were made.
Obviously, starting a session $27 billion in the hole with no effort to generate new revenue set the pattern for the entire session. When the only options were cut, cut and cut, and the vast majority of the membership believed this was, in fact, the “will of the voters,” then the affect on the sessions could only be acrimonious and combative.
As happened in 2003 with that budget deficit, many programs that were cut this time will have a tremendous impact on moderate- and low-income families. In 2013, I intend to focus on finding ways to restore those cuts, and hopefully, the outcry of the tens of thousands of citizens who are going to be affected in the coming months will help lend some force to those efforts.
Question 1: What are your general thoughts about how the general and special sessions played out? What do you believe was the biggest obstacle that faced the House?
Living in (South) Texas, we’ve become accustomed to hurricanes. That’s the metaphor I use for these past sessions, particularly with regard to the budget shortfall. We wanted to survive and endure. We were faced with cost provisions that absolutely required a balanced budget.
We had two choices: to raise taxes or cut where we could. And my colleagues and I were committed to not raise taxes. We really felt that in order to survive and endure, we may have to make difficult decisions now to work toward a better future.
Did we leave the sessions completely satisfied? Not necessarily. It was a landmark that saw dramatic changes across the board. It was stressful, but I enjoyed the experience and the interaction that took place.
Question 2: The 2010 Census figures were obviously significant in terms of state growth. What are your thoughts about the state’s Latino population growth? And what is your posit for the constituency’s future?
I think [the Census] represents a foretelling of the future of our country, even more particularly for our state of Texas. The dynamic certainly presents us with challenge – having to adopt a “politics of the present with a politics of the future” model. These demographic shifts will once again force us to adapt. But these are demographic shifts that the entire country will be encountering.
These international dynamics will necessitate a greater investment in education in order to be competitive globally. A transnational marketplace has arrived, and we need a highly educated community in order to become more productive.
I strongly feel it’s up to Texas and California to lead in this regard and provide the model(s) for the rest of the country inasmuch as our two states share the significant growth trends in terms of the Latino population.
Question 3: What sort of legislative plans does the House have to begin addressing the problematic conditions with the state?
We need to address the structural shortfall within the tax system, not necessarily by raising taxes. That could potentially mean by increasing the overall tax base within the state. We need to continue to recruit and attracting model companies to Texas and do a better job of getting residents back to work. We need to continue training our state’s workforce, and that has a direct correlation to higher standards within our school systems.
We also need more discipline within the state – that’s what will bring businesses to our state. We need to keep investments within our state, maintain our nimbleness and maintain the traditions that have made our state great. We need to relearn to live together. Latinos have a rightful place in the mainstream community. We need to flourish and not be diminished … Republicans need to be sensitive to the realities of Texas.
Question 4: What are your general thoughts about the state’s $27 billion shortfall? And how do you believe it had an affect on the general and special sessions?
It was a difficult challenge, but it was a challenge we met. Taxes were not raised, and we passed a balanced budget. That is not to say that it was that simple. We are going to have an opportunity to come back next session and tackle many of the underlining issues that confront Texas.
Marc Rodriguez is vice president/co-founder of the Latino Briefing Room, a Latino news-focused Web network providing content on commerce, government, religion and breaking news. The site is geared toward Latinos in the United States who want to stay on top of pertinent issues. For more information, visit www.latinobriefingroom.com.
[Photo By The Trucking Tourist]
September 1, 2011 0 Comments
By Christina Rodriguez
As a Latina who was born and raised a practicing Catholic, I consider abortion to be a pretty terrible idea, but I understand extreme situations. A diabetic cousin of mine had an abortion because her health was at risk. Even after she had another child when her health was better, she had many health problems, even slipping into a short coma for a day or so. In her case, her child could be stillborn, or have definite signs of genetic defects if the pregnancy had proceeded.
I was thinking about how abortions are painful enough for everyone involved when Texas’ recent abortion legislation was struck down in part by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks. The most troublesome part of the law required doctors to describe sonograms to their patients and requiring the patients to hear the descriptions, but luckily this is exactly what Judge Sparks denied.
As I said, I understand extreme cases. I imagine that a pregnancy as a result of sexual assault would be one of the toughest situations for a woman to find herself in. Any others are assumed to be frivolous abortions, which I do not agree with. But by the same token, I don’t feel like I have any right to tell someone in another city (or state, you know this law is already being considered in other states as well) that she can’t have an abortion.
As far as the required an intrusive sonogram and detailed description, forcing a doctor to detail a woman’s fetus to her, so that the woman will consider the consequences of the abortion less frivolously and actually make an informed decision. But what about the doctor? A pro-choice doctor is then required to convince a woman to change her mind? This is why this provision of the law was denied — a doctor’s free speech is at risk here.
What this law assumes is that women are currently making bad decisions for themselves and their fetus. Women will have to hear about the fact that the baby has developed to various stages and will hopefully be overcome by guilt enough to change their minds. Not to mention that the already distressed woman, who has made the huge step to go to a doctor and discuss an abortion, will be required to listen to the description of a fetus that they don’t want or can’t handle for their own very personal reasons.
What kind of law dictates that?
I can only guess that a woman faced with this choice is already paralyzed with indecision, attempting to balance the fetus’ life and her own. Again — who am I to make this choice for her? That is something only she can do, and then she will live with the consequences. Although my Catholic background urges me to pray for women in these circumstances, instead of judging them and dictating their actions, my common sense tells me to make a woman’s tough decision easier by not stopping her at every turn and asking her to think twice — again.
Christina Rodriguez is an aspiring writer and editor living in Houston, Texas. She vents and ponders in her blog, It’s not a show and can be found on Twitter @csaenzrodriguez.
[Photo By Katie Tegtmeyer]
August 9, 2011 0 Comments
Michele Bachmann’s head literally explodes when asked about undocumented gay fetuses’ right to carry concealed weapons. She hates:
Given these views, at a recent press conference she was asked how she felt about undocumented gay fetuses’ right to carry a concealed weapon. After sputtering for a while, her eyes rolled back into her head like a slot machine and she staggered around the stage muttering “Does not compute” until her head exploded on the group gathered before her.
Here is exclusive footage from the aforementioned news conference. We have yet to clarify why she was disguised as an Asian man, why a young Kurt Russell was in attendance, and who cleaned up the bits and pieces of gray matter.
In any event, El Guapo suspects Bachmann II , the cyborg-Bachmann that will be constructed from the left-over bits and pieces, will be superior to the original. Bachmann 2012.
Your handsome and humble servant —
El Guapo writes the blog The Daily Refried, and is, without question, the foremost authority on all things sinvergüenza. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter @TheDailyRefried.
[Video By StupidCrappyVideos; Photo By MicheleBachmann.com]
July 14, 2011 0 Comments
Mexican-born Texas pastor Armando Vera formed what he calls the Hispanic Tea Party back in June because he says the conservative movement focuses too much on politics and not enough on what he feels are more important issues, ValleyCentral.com reported:
“The first goal of our group is to return to basics,” Vera said. “And in this nation and God is the base. Another topic we want to focus on is family values…”
“Every Republican has principles, but when it comes to politics, in more than one occasion these principles and values seem to be lost,” Vera said. “For example, a congressman in New York voted for gay marriage, and that is wrong in my eyes…”
The Pharr pastor hopes the organization will bring to the public forum a Christian view he deems is largely missing from the political posturing of both major political parties.
He also said that he’s got about 25 people involved in the group, which you can learn more about here. I commend anyone who wants to be civically or politically involved, but I have reservations about someone who wants to emulate an organization that blatantly said, “The problem is these Hispanic legislators.” I hope that Vera’s movement can act as a counterbalance to this stuff, who knows. Check out the video interview with Vera here.
What do you think? Is the Hispanic Tea Party a good response to racism from within the current Tea Party ranks?
Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD
[Photo By futureatlas.com]
July 7, 2011 2 Comments
Dear Martha,
I find myself in a difficult situation because I have little time to make the decision whether or not to abort my pregnancy. I’m 18 years old and am about to start my career. My boyfriend does not want me to have the baby because we’re both very young and about to start our careers. We’re both students and do not work, and soon he’s moving away soon to another city.
I know that this is my responsibility, but I feel very alone and I have so many doubts about this decision. What do you think? I’m desperate.
— 18 & Desperate
***
Dear 18 & Desperate,
The decision whether or not to have a child is among the most serious and involves great responsibility. Independent of what your boyfriend thinks, you need to think: If you were single would you have the baby? Which decision can you live with more peacefully? With a child? Or an abortion?
These are things that only a woman can make. Because whatever you decide will impact the future of your life. What strikes me is that you have yet to act, yet are asking me. It seems as though that, inside of yourself, you have already come to some sort of a decision. Take care of yourself and reach out for the support of an adult in whom you can trust.
Martha Sáenz is a life coach and hyponotherapist who lives in Los Angeles. If you have a question for Martha email her at marthalifecoach@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter at @marthalifecoach
[Photo By chrismar]
June 9, 2011 1 Comment
You might have heard of this group, Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, which is pushing the anti-abortion message to Latinos with billboards in Los Angeles. What are these people selling and why are they targeting Latinos? This is an interesting one, long but not boring, please read on.
What you may not have heard about this group is that, it’s funded by fuzzy hard core conservative monies, but you don’t know exactly how much or who’s funding it, and that this same group was involved in the Proposition 8 campaign in California, which excluded gays and lesbians from marriage. Here’s the skinny:
The ads set to be plastered in LA this week read “El lugar mas peligroso para un Latino es el vientre de su madre/The most dangerous place for a Latino is in the womb.”
According to the Center for Disease Control, 22 percent of abortions in performed in America are done on Latinos, making them 2.7 times more likely to abort than non-Hispanic whites.
The ad campaign is meant to kick off a pro-life event called “Unidos por la Vida” (United for Life) Sunday at the LA Sports Arena. The gathering will be sponsored by the pro-life Latino group Manto de Guadalupe.
Incidentally, everyone who is anyone who wants a conservative Latino vote is going to be at this event. Including wannabe Republican presidential nominee and current Texas governor and anti-Latino crusader, Rick Perry. So what’s up with this pro-life, anti-gay ultra-conservative Latino group?
They formed in 2010 ostensibly to push Republican Carly Fiorina for the Senate in California; the group is, as Politico reported, “a wing of the conservative not-for-profit American Principles Project.” And where do they get all this money and to what end? According to The Weekly Standard:
On Monday, February 16th at the National Press Club in D.C., the 10-month-old American Principles Project launched the “Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles.” The American Principles Project, a group founded by Princeton’s Robert George to build a grassroots movement around conservative ideas, sponsored a panel today CPAC about the rise of Latino conservatism. According to the panelists, the Latino Partnership plans to take a politically active role in the 2010 elections and beyond in moving Latino voters to the right.
So what you get is one of the most conservative lobbying groups, Conservative Political Action Conference, funding a project that funds another project for Latinos, that then zeroes-in on anti-gay and anti-abortion causes. I think the idea here is to get us to feel like it’s a “values” thing, but when you follow the money (as much as you can given the fuzzy nature of finance laws now) you’ll see that it’s not really about values, but getting votes — your vote — but that part is not on the billboard.
What do you think of that?
Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD
