Hyper-fundie pastor and radio host Kevin Swanson claimed on his radio show recently that “certain doctors and certain scientists” have researched the wombs of women on birth control pills and found “there are these little tiny fetuses, these little babies, that are embedded into the womb."

"I’m beginning to get some evidence from certain doctors and certain scientists that have done research on women’s wombs after they’ve gone through the surgery, and they’ve compared the wombs of women who were on the birth control pill to those who were not on the birth control pill," Swanson explains.

"And they have found that with women who are on the birth control pill, there are these little tiny fetuses, these little babies, that are embedded into the womb. They’re just like dead babies. They’re on the inside of the womb. And these wombs of women who have been on the birth control pill effectively have become graveyards for lots and lots of little babies."

There's really little left to say in response to such stupidity, however, it's worth noting -- but not surprising -- that Swanson was homeschooled as a child...by himself. The website for his radio program goes on to note that after Swanson graduated himself from his very own homeschool, he went on to serve as "the student body president of a large west coast university." The large university is not named. And FSM help us, he writes books for homeschoolers.

Also make no mistake, ladies, people like Swanson aren't out to just try to end abortion...they're coming for your pills, too. That's the only message that comes out clearly through all that bs about embedded fetuses.

They really make freedom of speech look great!

Thousands of people gathered on the state Capitol lawn in Lansing Monday evening, to protest the treatment of two female lawmakers who were barred from speaking on the House floor last Thursday following an emotional debate over abortion.

They heard a recitation by the two lawmakers and others of The Vagina Monologues.

The performance, kicked off by the work’s author Eve Ensler who flew in from California for the occasion, was the culmination of five days of reaction to the decision by House Republican leaders to issue one-day revocations of the right of state Reps. Lisa Brown, D-West Bloomfield, and Barb Byrum, D-Onondaga , to speak on the House floor.

They said the discipline was in response to "incivility" displayed by the two representatives a day earlier during a debate over legislation to impose new restrictions on abortion clinics. Brown said she was punished for using the word vagina.

Welcoming the crowd, Brown said the legislation would “effectively overturn Roe v. Wade,” the 1972 U.S. Supreme Court decision which ended most state-level restrictions on abortion, and “turn back the clock to the 60s, when women were denied health care.”

Concluding her remarks during the House debate, Brown had said, “I’m flattered that you are all so interested in my vagina, but ‘no’ means ‘no.’”

Monday evening she said, “We shouldn’t be legislating vaginas, if you can’t say vagina.”

Via:

The play is a series of graphic tales - some funny, some violent - about vaginas. The author, Eve Ensler, said the protest setting at the capitol was a first for her show in its 16th year.

"This is a turning point moment," Ensler said. "This is a moment where we can turn this whole war on women in a whole other direction. And it's really important that we have her back and that we support her. And we let the world know this isn't going to be tolerated."

That's why thousands of Brown's supporters, young and old, attended the event. They wanted to make sure the next generation has a voice.

"She's going to change the world, and we gotta start somewhere," said Molly Kozlowski referring to her 2-year-old, who wore a "Viva Vagina" shirt and rainbow tutu. "She's going to be a strong, independent woman, and we're going to start here."

Women weren't the only ones speaking out about vaginas. There were plenty of men in the crowd supporting Representative Brown as well.

"We need to be honest talking about women's health issues, that it's not a dirty word," David Widmayer said. "This is not someone making a scene, this is how you have to talk about it if you're honestly going to talk about women's health in the legislature."

Ensler called on all women to participate in “One billion Rising,” on Feb. 14, 2013. On that day, she urged women to leave their jobs and their schools and go to the streets to dance.

“I want you to take over this place,” Ensler said. “I want you to dance for vaginas and life.”

Darcy Burner, the Harvard-educated, Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative from Washington's 1st District was one of the keynote speakers at this year's Netroots Nation. Carla Axtman of Blue Oregon was an attendee this year in Providence, R.I., and caught Burner's speech on the topic of the "War on Women:"

Via:

As an attendee of last week's Netroots Nation in Providence, Rhode Island, I was privileged to attend a speech by Democratic congressional candidate Darcy Burner. During the speech, Burner asked if there were women in the room who would be willing to stand up and talk about making the choice to have an abortion. All over the room, women stood. Myself included. Burner then asked those who were willing to support these women who would speak up about their choice to stand. As far as I could see, the entire rest of the room came to their feet.

For me, it felt like the safe and warm embrace of a loving community--willing to support me and speak out against those who would try and shame me.

For conservatives, it was just another chance to engage in being jackasses.

Axtman then cites a blog post written by a chiropractor, Melissa Clouthier :

Burner said,”If you are a woman in this room, and statistically this is true of about 1/3 of the women in this room, if you’re a woman in this room who has had an abortion and is willing to come out about it, please stand up.”

She continued, “Now, if you are willing to stand with every woman who is willing to come out about having had an abortion, please stand up.”

Nearly everyone stood.

Burner said,”This is how we change the stories in people’s past. We need to make it okay for women to come out about the choices they make.”

The left will say that they’re not pro-abortion, they’re pro-choice or they’re pro-women. It was clear, though, that abortion itself was elevated as something good and something to be celebrated.

The speaker and the audience was honoring women who had an abortion as though the action was an objectively good thing.

While it's not surprising that Ms. Clothier doesn't get it, as the entire exercise was about women standing up and refusing to be shamed by the anti-choice crowd, and everyone applauding to show solidarity and support of the rejection of shame that's created by the aspersions of others.

This statement threw me for a loop, though:

.Darcy Burner’s presentation gives insight to how the left sees women and their place in the world. It is abortion focused and rooted in the past.

(Emphasis mine.)

It's the anti-choice crowd voting to force women to take Big Government with them to visit their doctors, invading their privacy, and forcing them to jump through hoops for healthcare. But we're "abortion focused and rooted in the past"? Axtman offers her version of Clothier's remarks, "Shorter Melissa: Sit down you shameful, murdering sluts. How dare you celebrate taking responsibility for your life & choices in a way in which I disagree."

The anti-choice crowd has long held some invisible flag they call the "moral highground" and waved it around to pronounce judgement on others for actions they disagree with. Women are taking a stand and saying "enough," brave women like Darcy Burner and Carla Axtman. The anti-choice "moral highground" is not rooted in medical science, or even logic, it's a false flag that is being torn down and people will applaud this moment finally arriving.

Abortion is a legal medical procedure. It's not a satanic ritual. Get over it.

All times are Eastern Standard Time.

Take a Walk, Scott: Post-Mortem of the Wisconsin Recalls
Panel; Fri, 06/08/2012 - 10:30am, Ballroom A

Citizens United, Super PACs and the Fight for Our Democracy
Panel; Fri, 06/08/2012 - 03:00pm, Ballroom A

That Will Never Work: What Progressives Can Learn from OWS
Panel; Fri, 06/08/2012 - 04:30pm, Ballroom A

Chairman’s Pub Quiz VI: Revenge of the Chairman
Special Event; Fri, 06/08/2012 - 06:00pm, Ballroom A

Continue reading »

Highlights from the Seattle Rally Against the War on Women. April 28th, 2012. Speakers include Marilyn Stockland, Mayor of Tacoma, Verlene Jones, Dorli Rainey and many others.

Animation: Reince Priebus & the War Against Women from scottbateman on Vimeo.

Good morning! Here's your morning open thread for Tuesday, April 10, 2012.

Coming up on April 28, a nation-wide march against the War on Women.

Occupy Wall Street is urging a May 1st General Strike in response to the police brutality during the arrests of 73 people in New York over the weekend.

Nick Sorrentino says that this video explains why you have crushing student debt.

Occupy Wall Street protesters and their legal advisers were surprised yesterday to learn that the size of their bail was being affected by whether defendants were willing to have their irises scanned and logged into a database.

Rogers’ “Cybersecurity” Bill Is Broad Enough to Use Against WikiLeaks and The Pirate Bay.

Oh my. A second former Goldman Sachs employee has come forward to blast the firm and the "commercial animals/jerks" working there, and says that others have left because they couldn't “sell the crap they were being asked to create."

A new memo lists 31 advertisers who requested ‘not to be scheduled in any Rush Limbaugh program."

Also, a song in honor of the Occupy Wall Street protesters.