A day after state House Rep. Lisa Brown used the word "vagina" while arguing against new abortion legislation, she was prohibited from speaking on the floor about an education bill.
While Brown (D-West Bloomfield), a Jewish mother of three, said she was not given a reason why Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas (R-Midland) barred her from speaking on the education matter Thursday, she assumed it had to do with her earlier remarks that claimed House Bill 5711 forces contradictory religious beliefs upon her and others.
"Regardless of their reasoning, this is a violation of my First Amendment rights and directly impedes my ability to serve the people who elected me into office," Brown said in a release.
What got Brown in hot water? Here's what she said:
"Wherever there is a question of the life of the mother or that of the unborn child, Jewish law rules in favor of preserving the life of the mother," Brown said Wednesday. "I have not asked you to adopt and adhere to my religious beliefs. Why are you asking me to adopt yours?"
"Finally, Mr. Speaker, I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina, but 'no' means 'no.'"
Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas (R-Midland) determined Brown's comments violated the decorum of the House, said Ari Adler, spokesman for the Republican majority, The Detroit News reported.
What do you think?
Was Brown's use of the word "vagina" offensive? Did it warrant her being prohibited to speak Thursday? Vote in our poll below and leave your comments, too.
I don't think I would ever have an abortion but I've never been in the situation where I would have to make that decision. I think we need to leave these choices up to the mother, the faher if he is in the picture and the doctors. I do not agree with the current legislation being put through the MI House. I am pro Choice. From what I know the legislation is limiting choice for women and it has nothing to do with the government paying anything. Am I wrong?
Seriously, people -- this is not OK. Where is the small government the Republicans seem to want? Where is the freedom they claim we should all have? The personal choice? Instead you want religious lobbying groups to TELL OUR DOCTORS what they should do? Does no one see that this is not a good path to follow?
We will hear more from these strong women long after the Republican men who tried to shame, mock and silence them are reduced to political footnotes.
They may have thought that voting "Yes" made no difference in the bill's passage -- 64-45 or 70-39 -- but that doing so might prevent inflaming emotions back in their districts for the upcoming election. Uunfortunately, their shortsightedness gives the increasingly arrogant Republicans the ability to claim "bipartisan" support for a deeply offensive, poorly-written bill that is a blatant attempt to outlaw what remains a legal medical procedure with nitpicking, regulations and inserting bureaucracy between doctors and patients. And it won't win any of them a single additional vote in their districts -- Republicans will never accept them no matter how they voted this one time, and Democrats will now be leery of helping them.
If you happen to live in Northville and have some free time this evening, the Northville Democratic Club is meeting at 7:00 p.m. at the Cady Inn at Mill Race Village (off Griswold). We'd love to meet you!
An entirely new bureaucracy for the preservation and treatment of fetal remains -- new forms to be completed and tracked, new regulations for burial or cremation, even the involvement of funeral homes (perhaps they expect a brisk sale in shoebox-sized coffins and thimble-sized urns); Mandatory minimums for malpractice insurance imposed on doctors -- which is particularly interesting given how Sen. Roger Kahn (an incompetent cardiologist before he became a blowhard right-wing hack) wants to make malpractice all-but-impossible to prove or litigate in Michigan. Mandatory involvment of law enforcement in the interrogation of pregnant women that they're not being coerced, and in the investigation of any stillborn babies or miscarriages that occur in the fifth month of pregnancy or later. Don't our police officers have enough on their plates as is? New and onerous regulations on clinics designed solely to force many of them to close. But as we know from GOP rhetoric, new regulations ALWAYS mean more bureaucrats to inspect facilites, write reports, enforce the new law...and kill jobs. Odd. This law, like so many others imposed on the State since January 2011, is hypocritical and intentionally punitive. Only by taking back the Michigan House can this blood-red wave be stopped.
Democrats do not hold a single statewide office, control neither the House nor the Senate, and even when they manage to challenge some of the more onerous legislation, there are four hyper-partisan Republican Supreme Court justices to quell even that hope for redress. Fortunately, three Supreme Court seats are up for election this November. You want to punish partisan hacks what "are not doing what we elected them to do?" Start with the Michigan Supreme Court by sayiing NO to the incumbents and YES to the "Three Supremes" -- Johnson, Kelley and McCormack.
Please provide a citation for the case law or statute you relied on when you formed this conclusion.
This was an excuse to shut down people who have a contrary opinion and was particularly patronizing to women.
She is being blamed merely for taking a stand on a very important woman's issue. Mentioning the word "vagina" should not be construed as offensive by any means in today's society. Women have come a long way . . . Those who deem her comment(s) as offensive and/or objectionable, ought to reconsider the issue, as she is only taking a "bold" stand in favor of women's rights. I defend her action(s) 100% and agree with her philosophy. Times have changed, and those who deem her comment(s) as objectional, must understand that we are living in America. Freedoms exist, and I applaud her for taking such a bold stand.
As far as "a woman voluntarily giving up her own life in order to save the life of her own child", every mother I know would do so............without hesitation. We must travel in very different circles.