Mitt Romney is wrong for women from all age groups. Let me count the ways. But don’t take my word for it. Listen to his words, acts and ever evolving positions.
First, Mitt Romney blamed gun violence on single parents. Many women are single head of households for a variety of reasons. Romney during the debate said that gun violence is a result of single parents. When asked for his opinion on assault rifles and banning them, Romney proceeded to answer that kids should not be having babies before they’re married—as if that has something to do with assault rifles and killings in movie theaters and schools.
Many women are single head of households by choice, by divorce, by death of a spouse or partner, due to domestic violence by the child’s father and a myriad of other reasons—none having anything to do with contributing to gun violence on our streets. For single parents, women need pay equity to better support their children.
When Romney was asked by President Obama about whether he supported equal pay for women, Romney said he’ll get back on that one. During the debate, he didn’t respond to the question directly. He made mention that he made concessions for women when Governor of Massachusetts to see that women were home in time to cook dinner. Women want equal pay as men. They are not as concerned as getting home to cook dinner. Either you’re for equal pay for women or you’re against it. It’s not a maybe type of issue. So we can take Romney’s reluctance to give an answer as a no.
A Romney administration would help women by defunding Planned Parenthood which provides contraceptives to millions and then blame it on women for having babies while single—causing gun violence. Not only is Romney out of touch with most women living in the 21st century, he is hypocritical.
We know by now that Romney will take great pride in repealing Obamacare, eliminating insurance for women and women’s health. He’s already gone on record as saying that people can get health care at the hospital emergency room. He incorrectly stated that lack of insurance does not cause anyone to die. As anyone without insurance knows, you are not likely to go to the doctor for preventive care without insurance. If you don’t have insurance, it’s likely because you cannot afford it. And diseases like breast and cervical cancer rely on early treatment and diagnosis for a better success rate.
The overriding concern for women is jobs. Many of these other issues seem secondary to the jobs issue. But we cannot cut off our nose to spite our face. That’s what voting for Romney, the jobs creator, would do. We would be getting someone who professes to be able to create jobs even now as Bain Capital is sending jobs overseas in October, 2012.
Romney talks a good game and unfortunately many women believe it. The folks at Sensata, a manufacturing plant owned by Bain Capital in Illinois, know better as they fight to keep their jobs from floating to China. Their pleas to Romney to prevent their plant from closing and moving to China have fell on deaf ears. Romney has not responded. Wake up women—if he doesn’t respond to jobs going overseas before the election, he won’t care after the election.
Women’s rights have advanced through the Supreme Court. And if Romney is elected, that’s a scary thought of what will happen to women’s rights. Mitt Romney will be able to change the face of women’s rights for many generations. He has said he will appoint justices that are counter to issues that are of important to women. Mr. Romney, like many of his Republican counterparts, do not believe in abortion rights. While that may his personal belief, it should not be imposed on millions of women and their families who deserve the right to choose. Romney’s position on equal pay is to allow women leave time to get home early to start dinner.
All women that I know regardless of party affiliation want a quality education, good health care and a job with equal pay as men to advance in society. That’s what will advance this country forward too and level the playing field. President Obama has made all three of these possible for all women by increasing Pell grants to make college more affordable; passing the affordable Health Care Act to provide health care for those uninsured; provide for mammograms, cervical and breast cancer screening and prevention of insurance denial due to pre-existing conditions; and passing the Lilly Ledbetter act as his first piece of legislation to assist women in filing claims of unequal pay in the work force.
If re-elected, President Obama will continue to obtain greater gains for women. Mitt Romney will leave women barefoot and pregnant without a care in the world, except to get home early from work to cook dinner. Oh and let’s not forget worrying about our survival.