Dear Bitches,
(a short note to the amazing women of Bitch PhD)
At risk of painting my state in a bad light, here are two horribly disappointing developments in the news today:
First, the state senate passed a resolution to amend the state constitution to define marriage, blah blah blah ... of course, if you're a hardcore true-blue (-red?) conservative, you're not content with just cutting off legal marriage, you have to make sure that "...unmarried couples cannot receive the same benefits as married couples. And if a gay couple marries in another state, their union is not recognized by the state of Indiana." You know - really really make sure everyone knows how seriously Indiana takes its status as a "cultural wasteland", to quote a friend. <Sigh.> Here's a question - can 'unmarried couples' receive greater benefits than straight - oops, I mean, married - couples?
Second, the state senate (busy bees, these m0therf^ckers) passed a bill expressly recognizing pharmacists' right to refuse to dispense any prescription medication that "could possibly induce abortion or assist suicide, including birth control pills." According to the article, quoting Planned Parenthood spokesperson Steve Carr, 98% of American women use birth control at some point in their lives. Hmm.
Combine the blind, empty rage induced by these two articles with a completely unnecessary and overdone caffeine high (sorry, K, for the confused voice message..), and you have one day spent doing little actual work and lots of pacing, cursing, writing, and phoning (ie, Brandt Hershman, author of the bill - no email but there are phone numbers, (317) 232-9400, (800) 382-9467).
Just fyi.
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4 comments:
You know, years ago, I actually knew Brandt Hershman. And the funny thing is, he's the nicest guy ever. Except when he proposes shit like this. It doesn't compute.
You're got to be joking about Hershman being a nice guy. I have heard him speak many times; he's nasty and a liar.
Also, check this out.
On election day in 2000, the Logansport Pharos-Tribune ran a shocking story in which Tracy Johnson Hershman alleged her ex-husband, Brandt, a few years earlier drove her to an abortion clinic in Merrillville where he paid for her to have an abortion and then filed for divorce one week later. As the newspaper wrote in November, 2000:
The open seat for one Logansport area legislative race is encountering an open season on a controversial issue as the campaign enters its final day.
The former wife of Republican State Senate candidate Brandt Hershman said Monday that his pro-life positions and endorsement by Indian Right to Life do not conform with his personal beliefs. Tracy Johnson Hershman said when she became pregnant in early 1997, Hershman asked to have an abortion. On May 30, 1997, she claims he drove her to the Planned Parenthood clinic in Merrillville where he paid for her to abort their child. Hershman asked her for a divorce a week later, she said.
“This is about somebody who really isn’t who he says he is,” Johnson Hershman, a former Valparaiso Vidette Messenger reporter who now resides in Michigan City.
Tracy Johnson Hershman, who says she is a Republican, said he forced her to have an abortion. Brandt Hershman said, “I did not force anyone to do anything, ever, period. Tracy Johnson Hershman’s response is that he may not have forcibly made her have an abortion, but he made it clear he wanted her to abort the child.Tracy Johnson Hershman, who is also Catholic, said her former husband did not want her to go to church.
“If he just got religion, he just got religion,” she says.
“I am the one with the Catholic guilt over (the abortion),” she said. “I’m the one who sat there and cried over the entire thing.”
The couple had been married since 1989.
Tracy Johnson Hershman said she is not out to assassinate the character of her former husband, but the truth has to be known, but she learned of some of the claims her former husband was making after his campaign supporters called on a former business associate.
The background story is that Hershman was already having an affair and didn't want to have to pay child support.
Wow, I hadn't heard any of that. When I knew him I was working on helping get a bill passed, and I interacted with him a handfull of times in his office. Nice, supportive of what we were doing, really encouraging - but I guess I can't act too shocked that there was something nasty under the surface.
Hi,
I'm supposed to interview you for the great interview experiment. Apologies for the delay but I've only just heard from the person who is to interview me. :) If you're still interested, could you please email me at lightening at lighteningonline dot com and I'll reply with some questions for your interview.
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