Horrified.

Something terrible is happening in America right now. I don't mean to sound dramatic, but here it is: Republicans are trying to take away women's rights. I am not sure what else it boils down to or how it could boil down more simply than that. 

Today, the House Republicans held a hearing about women's access to birth control and family planning services under the Affordable Care Act, all of whom were opposing the White House's position. Here's the kicker - all of the people who testified today AGAINST the use of birth control and other women's health care access, ALL OF THEM WERE MEN.  Exibhit A:

In case you can't see the name cards in front of them, from left to right they are titled: Bishop, Reverend, Doctor, Rabbi, Doctor. But ALL OF THEM ARE MEN.

None of the people testifying to the "fact" that women shouldn't have affordable (or, in some cases, any) access to birth control, family planning, gynological services, and yes, my dear god in heaven, abortion - have vaginas. None of them will ever take the pill. None of them will ever become pregnant or need an abortion. None of them will ever give birth. None of them are women, and yet they are fighting tooth and nail to take the right of choice and affordable care from women. 

Nancy Pelosi, bless her heart, is not amused:

And for that matter, neither is Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student who wanted to testify as well, but she was turned away by the House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) (duh.) Evidently the men on the panel didn't want to hear about the problems that her friend faced with polycystic ovarian syndrome, which, ironically, is the condition I have that has required me to take a daily pill (yes, BIRTH CONTROL PILLS) since I had a huge cyst rupture on my left ovary four years ago. Lucikly for us, Sandra posted her testimony on YouTube:

I just don't know what to say, sometimes. I mean, why are we moving backwards? The way I see it, Republicans are trying to take away the rights of women that were fought for years ago, and won. They are trying to undo years of progress with the passage of a few bills that people don't get to vote on - the cowards route, of course. 

I just can't imagine what will happen to women all around the country - including myself - if measures passed nationally that took away our rights to birth control pills, abortion services, and simple family planning. I, for one, would be in a near daily state of agony. I probably wouldn't be able to work, that's how bad I remember the pain being from the cysts I had building up on my ovary years ago. The birth control pill that I take every morning gives me a quality of life that I wouldn't have otherwise, and I just can't believe that there are people, AMERICANS, who would take away the rights of so many because they are bigots. 

What is happening to us?