I am not happy about this

I realize that a lot of this blog has been me writing strange letters to inanimate objects, and I promise that won't become my schtick, but last night after hearing about the passing of the Stupak Amendment I got an email from Barak Obama, telling me to be proud of the House for passing the Health Care Reform bill and asking for my donation.

I raved a little bit, went to bed and then lay awake and fumed. Finally, I got out of bed, hit "reply," and wrote this:

Dear whoever reads this/President Obama,


How dare you send me a triumphant email about the health insurance reform bill mere hours after the House passed an amendment to restrict insurance from covering abortions?


I am tired of revolutions selling out womens' rights; tired of being told that my rights are not as important as the common good, as whatever lofty goal needs achieving.


And as for my $5 donation: I'll be saving that so if I happen to have a life threatening pregnancy I will be able to afford the abortion that my insurance won't cover.

Today, I am still upset. I mean, I work in policy and I know that people in government have to make terrible trade-offs every day. And I do think that passing health care reform is really important, but it is just such a familiar feeling. Women (and the GLBT community) being told, once again, to wait our turn. That the time just isn't right for us. I don't have a solution, and I can't even say for sure that the Stupak Amendment will matter (D has been telling me it will die in committee and I hope he is right), but it just exhausts and disheartens me that once again I am being told that my rights and health are not as important as the greater "common good."

Oh- my silly little e-mail got returned. Apparently you just can't "reply" to the President's e-mail...