When Tim Scott's Freedom Is Not Our Freedom

The U. S. House Representative for SC District 1, who is not and never has been my representative, although I live in that district, has a peculiar view of freedom.

For example, he believes that women should not have the freedom to access contraceptive care, but that employees should have the freedom to not provide this coverage when the law requires it.

He calls it "conscience."

I call it bullshit.

When a religious institution feels comfortable taking my tax dollars, which I do not have the freedom to withhold from said groups, regardless of my conscience, the very least obligation they should have is to follow the law.  If their conscience causes angst, they can refuse the federal dollars.  They can also stop pretending they should be tax-exempt.

Tim Scott passionately professes his belief in "life."  That, too, is bullshit.  Jesus, neither Scott's nor anyone else's, would never condone automatic weapons (or war, for that matter).  When innocents are getting gunned down in a classroom or a movie theater, Scott should have more important things on his "conscience" than whether or not a woman should be allowed free contraceptives.

This hypocrisy would puzzle me more if it didn't so much follow the money.  The National Rifle Association has incredible power in this country, and incredibly deep pockets.  So it is no surprise that when Scott "prays" on issues, gun control provokes as resounding a "no" from God as does contraception.

No disrespect to God, however.  Because when Tim Scott prays, he may think he is hearing God's voice, but in fact he is hearing answers that are easy on his ears.  The voice he actually hears, I believe, is that of Jim DeMint.

I have yet to hear of a vote cast by Tim Scott that he has not only agonized over, but then voted against what his hero in the Tea Party has dictated.

And so freedom, for Tim Scott, is the freedom to hear whatever voices he chooses to hear, and to vote "for life" when it is convenient, and anti-life when the NRA and Jim DeMint tell him to.

Shame on you, Tim Scott.

Not Angry Yet

Why should women be angry?

We should be angry because, after decades of fighting for equal rights, women are more than ever treated as decorative hood ornaments.  Our governor here in South Carolina is an example.

Nikki Haley is cute, flirty and manipulative, just the traits men like in a woman.  It makes them feel more manly when a woman pretends to be in charge while she is doing exactly what you want her to do.

She is the decorative hood ornament that keeps us in our place.  She is there to prevent women from having equal pay for equal work.  She makes sure women that are raped and abused don't make a fuss.  She won't help you pay for your daughter to have an HPV vaccine, because she can't order you to do it, which is what she would have preferred.  She is not going to make sure that you or your daughters get education and training unless you can pay for it your own damn self.

But we aren't most of us angry.  We are worn out, beaten down.  We haven't been taught to think for ourselves, so we continue to believe what we are told.

It's time to get angry.