Monday, January 09, 2006

Bills Bills Bills III

Silly Bills

HB 1087: Requires the opening date and closing date of squirrel hunting season to be the same in all counties.

It turns out that Indiana squirrels have been traveling from county to county in accordance with hunting season dates in an effort to avoid being shot for sport. This will level the playing field and take away the squirrel’s unfair advantage.

HB 1152: Prohibits a person from taking an exotic mammal or a mammal that is enclosed by a fence.

The Indiana Legislature…pre-empting the theft of penguins from our zoos.


Bill O’Reilly Bills

HB 1035: Requires a holder of a liquor dealer permit who is the proprietor of a drug store or another retail business to display liquor in a room or partitioned area that is separate from other retail items for sale.

It is not only sinful to drink alcohol. It is also sinful to look at a bottle of alcohol on your way to purchase hemorrhoid cream.

And in the War on Abortion:

HB 1080: Requires that specified written information about adoption alternatives and physical risks concerning the abortion procedure be given to a pregnant woman at least 18 hours before an abortion.

HB 1172: Provides that informed consent to an abortion includes the requirement that a physician inform a pregnant woman that: (1) a fetus may feel pain; (2) an anesthetic or other painkilling medication may be provided during an abortion to a fetus with a probable gestational age of at least 20 weeks; and (3) insurance may or may not cover the service.


SB 129: Endangering an unborn child. Provides that a person who knowingly or intentionally consumes a controlled substance while pregnant commits a Class D felony, and makes the offense a Class C felony if: (1) the controlled substance the person consumes is cocaine, methamphetamine, or a schedule I or II narcotic; or (2) the person has a prior unrelated conviction for consuming a controlled substance while pregnant.

So if you are a man or a non-pregnant woman and you are caught smoking a joint, it is a misdemeanor. If you are a pregnant woman, it is a felony. That’s fair.

And of course, the infamous:

HB 1096 (Woodruff): Provides that human life begins when a human ovum is fertilized by a human sperm. Makes performing any abortion that is not necessary to prevent a substantial permanent impairment of the life or physical health of the pregnant woman a Class C felony. Makes conforming amendments and a technical correction.

If abortion is illegal and pharmacists do not have to administer birth control, then women will simply have to stop having sex with men. Expect a quick repeal of this law once the legislators realize that this applies to their wives as well.

And in the War on Nontraditional Romantic Unions:

HB 1202: Preference for marriage; instruction by schools. Provides that: (1) marriage is preferred, encouraged, and supported over any other domestic relationship; and (2) public schools may not allow instruction that is contrary to certain policies established by law concerning marriage and abortion.

Also specifies that adultery is the preferred means by which a person maintains multiple sexual partners.

HB 1210: Defines "covenant marriage". Provides that a couple may designate a covenant marriage when applying for a marriage license or after marriage. Requires that a marriage license must indicate whether the marriage is a covenant marriage. Establishes the procedure for declaring a covenant marriage. Requires the state department of health to: (1) maintain records of covenant marriage declarations; and (2) develop an informational pamphlet regarding covenant marriage. Provides limited grounds for legal separation or dissolution of a covenant marriage.

If you are getting married and make a promise not to divorce frivolously, that is wonderful. But do we really need the State of Indiana to hold you to your promise? Wouldn’t it be easier just to not get divorced?


Good Bills

HB 1170: Minimally nutritious food and beverage tax. Imposes an 11.5% tax, in addition to other applicable taxes, on the retail sale of minimally nutritious foods or beverages.

While I think that 11.5% is incredibly steep, I do agree with the idea of “sin taxing” unhealthy foods. You can kill yourself just as fast with excessive sugar as you can with cigarettes or alcohol.

SB 283: Emergency telephone notification system. Authorizes a county or municipality to establish an emergency telephone notification system to warn service users of emergencies.

How else are you supposed to know if a tornado is coming at 3 in the morning while you are sleeping?

HB 1201: Disruption of funeral. Makes disorderly conduct a Class D felony if it occurs within 500 feet of a funeral, burial, memorial service, funeral procession, or viewing.

I had originally intended to label this one silly, but in light of this news, it might be a good idea after all.

16 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

HB 1096 (Woodruff): Provides that human life begins when a human ovum is fertilized by a human sperm. Makes performing any abortion that is not necessary to prevent a substantial permanent impairment of the life or physical health of the pregnant woman a Class C felony. Makes conforming amendments and a technical correction.

"If abortion is illegal and pharmacists do not have to administer birth control, then women will simply have to stop having sex with men. Expect a quick repeal of this law once the legislators realize that this applies to their wives as well."

So, if not at conception (the uniting of egg and sperm), then when can one safely draw the line of personhood? If someone could point to criteria that objectively and conclusively determines when people begin to be people, I would hop on the pro-choice boat. But every argument made for various points after conception seem more and more arbitrary, until the logical progression finally allows for infanticide or euthanasia. Since it is the matter of when individuals are, in fact, individuals, then we must err to the side of extreme caution, must'nt we?

It is rather chilling to read some of your sentiments regarding this matter. Your tone seems smug and careless about a topic that deals with the most serious of situations.

I also doubt that women everywhere would ban together and deny sex against all men. Feminism is not the sole ideology of all women; but it is unique in the sense that it avidly supports the death of it's own cause...which is very strange.

7:16 AM  
Blogger Jezebella said...

I was trying to be funny. Of course women would not form a Coalition of the Unwilling, marching to the tune of "I have a headache." It's called hyperbole.

Am I smug? I prefer cynical. Tomato, tomaato.

How exactly does feminism support the death of feminism?

8:47 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I was trying to be funny. Of course women would not form a Coalition of the Unwilling, marching to the tune of "I have a headache." It's called hyperbole."

I understand hyperbole. In this case, given the context and the tyrannical nature of socialistic principles, I read more "truth" than "gest."

"Am I smug? I prefer cynical. Tomato, tomaato."

I find a lot of vulgar things funny...like your favorite party game. Dead-baby humor just isn't one of them. That is what I meant by "smug and careless."

How exactly does feminism support the death of feminism?

Even if you arbitrarily draw the line of personhood somewhere post-conception, I find it hard to believe that you will not at least agree that the "fetus" would eventually become a child, right? Well, the enthusiastic support of abortion by feminists, has lead to much more women who are more apt to agree with feministic ideals to the clinic for termination. If these future feminists were allowed to be born, feminism would have much greater support (sheer numbers) than it does.

If you argue that feminism merely champions choice and not "support" of abortions, then you may have to explain things such as this:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/jul/04072304.html

9:27 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

um, that should read "jest" not "gest"

sorry 'bout that.

9:29 AM  
Blogger Jezebella said...

The aim of the feminist movement is not to maximuze its participants but rather to enact changes that benefit its participants. (That is more the aim of certain religions and political parties, not social movements).

Your implication is absurd; if feminists made a choice to 'breed themselves' into a powerful majority, then you would have women fighting for their right not to have a bunch of kids by having a bunch of kids. It makes as much sense as fighting censorship by burning books.

Until someone can prove when a person becomes a person, the entire issue revolves around mere philosophy and no matter what my philosophy is, I do not believe it is right to impose it on others. If you ask a Catholic, life begins when the sperm is emitted, hence no birth control. If you ask someone else, they might tell you life begins at birth. I haven't seen proof either way.

6:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your implication is absurd; if feminists made a choice to 'breed themselves' into a powerful majority, then you would have women fighting for their right not to have a bunch of kids by having a bunch of kids. It makes as much sense as fighting censorship by burning books.

But without participants, doesn't the movement eventually die?

Until someone can prove when a person becomes a person, the entire issue revolves around mere philosophy and no matter what my philosophy is, I do not believe it is right to impose it on others. If you ask a Catholic, life begins when the sperm is emitted, hence no birth control. If you ask someone else, they might tell you life begins at birth. I haven't seen proof either way.

So, by your logic, it boils down to mere subjectivity?

I understand the importance of refusing to impose one's philisophical conclusions on another. It is noble and right, to permit another freedom in areas of indifference. I certainly wouldn't advocate heroin use to my neighbor; but if he choses to come home from work and shoot up everyday, who am I to stop him (or even more sickening, who am I to enable a third party to interfere with his decision?)?

But murder and personhood are not grey matters of indifference. If the law determined that we may abort children up to five-years old, would you accept that?

5:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think I finally realize what you are claiming. Feminism, by nature, is parasitic. Essentially, it's existence depends upon others to provide replacement.

I mean, if you look at the whole picture, feminism encourages women to abort their children and deny traditional or conventional gender roles. The former is pretty self-explanatory, while the latter eventaully leads to nearly the same result. I believe this may be the sort of frustration Ms. Dowd was lamenting in her latest book.

6:30 AM  
Blogger Jezebella said...

You get up way too early. (:

1:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

J. Hull,

I find your ignorance of the entire feminist movement intriguing and nearly idiotic. Please tell me you're misinformed and not just stupid.

-Kate the non-blogger

10:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kate the non-blogger,

Perhaps I am misinformed...but I certainly wouldn't rule out stupid. After all, I barely graduated high school and have yet to receive a single college credit.

Would you care to introduce me to my errors and remedy my confusion?

11:49 AM  
Blogger Jason said...

Wow, you get some pretty funny "fans" posting comments on your blog.

I was just going to write that I agree with your sentiment on HB 1201: Disruption of funeral (Normally, I'm all "freedom of speech", but protesting at funerals is just sick).

But now I wonder if I should make some sort of grand statement about feminism or something. Maybe I'll earn my honorary ovaries! ;-)

Oh, and I'm betting that most legislators don't get "it" much anyway...

2:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fair enough. First of all, you seem to know very little about feminism in general. The movement has been around for ages and ages, but for our purpose with the discussion of modern feminism, we go back to the 1970's. A woman named Betty Friedan wrote a book called the Feminine Mystique that brought about much discussion about "traditional" gender roles.

Not everyone subscribes to traditional feminism... i.e. women should work and abandon motherhood and strive to be equals with men.

This concept has evolved and modern feminism has changed. What it has largely come down to is choice. The freedom to choose whether or not she wants to have a career, raise a family or both. So if you know a woman who makes the choice to raise a family and prefers this over getting a job, she could potentially still be a feminist. However, if she feels inclined towards traditional gender roles because they are what they are and not as a matter of choice, then she probably isn't.

Your view of abortion is very one sided. People like you simply cannot understand why any harming of a fetus should be legal. Here's the problem:

1. There is controversy as to when a fetus really becomes a person. Is it at birth? Is it with development of the brain? A fetus cannot sustain itself on its own, so is it a part of the mother's body until it leaves? There are all sorts of unanswered questions and the debate continues.

2. You aren't considering the woman involved. When abortion was illegal, a woman had few options. With rape or even just after making one mistake, dishonorable men were not held accountable but a woman was stuck. A less financially stable woman without a means of making a living was in serious trouble. Being a single mother then wasn't like it is now with more job availability and dna testing options (as if it's even easy now!!! It's not.) Additionally, there were unscrupulous doctors who would offer to do it secretly with very severe consequences and potential fatalities.

I do not believe that abortion should be considered a legitimate form of birth control. Outlawing it will not hurt men and can only hurt those women who truely need to resort to this horrible option. Why they don't just impose consequences on those who use it as birth control (i.e. have several of them) is beyond me.

So back to feminism... I don't see where you would get the idea that there are no participants. The feminist movement is still one of the largest movements with constant support in this country. There are female politicians now, and even potential for a female president eventually. It's not terribly loud at the moment but the existance of women at every level from CEO to Senator indicates that it's alive and well. I'm curious to see how you could have missed all this.

-Kate

5:08 PM  
Blogger Jezebella said...

Nicely put Kate. J., do you have a response?

12:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jezebella (and Kate),

I do. And quite frankly, I am underwhelmed by Kate's response. Ultimately, she argues that feminism is practically undefinable- a wax nose, if you will.

But in the name of fairness, I have re-committed myself to the task of seeking an understanding of feminism straight from the mare's mouth: Friedan, El-Saadawi, Sanger, Dowd and Steinem. (Three down; two to go.)

Give me a few days to finish this, and I will post a response.

Oh, and if you or Kate have any others that you deem of greater importance than those listed, let me know. Regarding abortion, this excerpt from a book by Dr. John Warwick Montgomery (my webpage link), is similar to my view- just to give some heads-up.

PS- Also, did you ever receive my last email?

Pax Christi,

Jason

7:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Link:


http://www.mtio.com/articles/bissar28.htm

7:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You don't make any sense. Your responses make you sound highly pseudo-intellectual.

"Ultimately, she argues that feminism is practically undefinable- a wax nose, if you will."

I'm having trouble figuring out what world you live in or where you get this out of everything I said. If you are incapable of finding a meaning for feminism out of all that, here's a textbook definition:

1. Belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.
2. The movement organized around this belief.

If that's not clear enough for you, then I feel very sorry for you.

-Kate

10:46 PM  

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