I’m loving this new game of Bill/Counter-Bill that seems to be trending in legislatures nationwide, as Republicans introduce draconian Handmaids-Tale-esque laws and Democrats return fire with purposefully absurd bills. These bills are introduced, of course, to highlight the absurdity of the current legislative war that Republicans are waging against women.
We’ve seen a “no sperm is sacred” bill in Oklahoma ; a bill banning vasectomies in Georgia; and a rectal amendment bill in Virginia, among others.
Well, Ohio has thrown its whimsical hat into the ring with a bill that would regulate men’s access to erectile dysfunction drugs like Cialis and Viagra:
Before getting a prescription for Viagra or other erectile dysfunction drugs, men would have to see a sex therapist, receive a cardiac stress test and get a notarized affidavit signed by a sexual partner affirming impotency, if state Sen. Nina Turner has her way.
The Cleveland Democrat introduced Senate Bill 307 this week.
A critic of efforts to restrict abortion and contraception for women, Turner says she is concerned about men’s reproductive health… Turner said if state policymakers want to legislate women’s health choices through measures such as House Bill 125, known as the ‘Heartbeat bill,’ they should also be able to legislate men’s reproductive health.
Marvelous. More of these please.
[via Think Progress]
[cross-posted at ABLC]
SiubhanDuinne
Shorter:
If you cut off my reproductive rights, I’ll cut off yours.
Yutsano
This is beautiful. It will go nowhere and the straight white men will refuse to see the point. But I’m still loving this.
jl
I am not a lawyer, but not sure that the informed B 0 N 3 r p1llzzz bill is absurd. Sounds like future evidence in a court case re unequal treatment if the ‘informed consent’ abortion bill is passed.
B * N * R p1Lz have side effects. From Wikipedia:
… headache, flushing, dyspepsia, nasal congestion and impaired vision, including photophobia and blurred vision… seeing everything tinted blue (cyanopsia)… S blurriness and loss of peripheral vision. In July 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found that sildenafil could lead to vision impairment in rare cases… [studies link it to] nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.
… priapism, severe hypotension, myocardial infarction (heart attack), ventricular arrhythmias, stroke, increased intraocular pressure, and sudden hearing loss…
http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Viagra
I don’t think they mention much in the adverts except four hour hard ons.
So, if an abortion ‘informed consent’ bill passes then this bill should pass, or to court some one should go.
jl
I am not a lawyer, but not sure that the informed B 0 N 3 r p1llzzz bill is absurd. Sounds like future evidence in a court case re unequal treatment if the ‘informed consent’ abortion bill is passed.
B * N * R p1Lz have side effects. From Wikipedia:
… headache, flushing, dyspepsia, nasal congestion and impaired vision, including photophobia and blurred vision… seeing everything tinted blue (cyanopsia)… blurriness and loss of peripheral vision. In July 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found that sildenafil could lead to vision impairment in rare cases… [studies link it to] nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.
… priapism, severe hypotension, myocardial infarction (heart attack), ventricular arrhythmias, stroke, increased intraocular pressure, and sudden hearing loss…
(The Wikipedia entry title puts this comment into moderation, so google it yourself.)
I don’t think they mention much in the adverts except four hour hard ons.
So, if an abortion ‘informed consent’ bill passes then this bill should pass, or to court some one should go.
Edit: I didn’t know that V y a gry caused hearing loss. And here I thought it was just repeated fistfulls of Oxy to messed up Limbaugh’s hearing.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
See, we occasionally get things right in Ohio politicians. Okay, so “rarely” is more accurate. But the point is that they’re not all Fox News Personality types who believe they’ve been elected king so as to have a loyal court.
David Koch
She was on Ed Schultz show last week. She’s very funny.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45755822/ns/msnbc_tv-the_ed_show/#46661562
Mouse-Bear
It would be nice if there were more back-up from the men in the Democratic party; surely they can think up some of these on their own.
Daaling
Now THIS is a good example of how Democrats fight back. Throw their bullshit right back in their face. Just remember, you are only doing it right when you are on the offence. As soon as you are defending something or other you are letting the other side frame the debate and set the narrative. In other words you are LOSING!
jl
@David Koch: Thanks. Nina Turner was good. As soon as she finishes her work in Ohio, hope she goes to Congress. Would be good to see her interviewed more often, nationwide.
ShadeTail
Meh. This kind of thing is mildly amusing, but it’s pretty ineffective in the longer term. People don’t pay attention to legislative action unless it’s something that seriously impacts them directly. 99% of Ohio will probably never hear of this, and the few who do will forget about it in five minutes.
Now, something really attention-getting, like highlighting and criticizing the slandering of Sandra Fluke, *that* is the way to really fight back, because Americans take that kind of thing personally and identify with it. Fortunately, the GOP seem determined to keep giving us gifts like that.
Chris T.
@jl:
It can, but that’s relatively rare. As opposed to opiates, where it’s relatively common. Combinations of drugs (drug interactions) can have reinforcing effects too, although in this case it’s still probably just the Oxy.
slag
@ShadeTail: I’m not so sure. Satire can be a powerful weapon. I’d love to see this kind of thing on Colbert.
Ron
@Yutsano: This is one straight white man that thinks these are hilarious.
PurpleGirl
As jl noted, there are many possible serious side effects to the ED drugs, so this bill certainly supports men’s health.
And V i * g r * was used to murder a businessman in an episode of Law & Order. (Julia Roberts played the woman who seduced the guy and gave him the little blue pill at the behest of another businessman.)
JoyceH
Let’s not forget that some of these paternalistic ‘informed consent’ laws require that, though the woman isn’t absolutely FORCED to look at the ultrasound image, the image be included in her permanent medical record. So to even things out, the same ought to hold true for this ‘notarized affidavit signed by a sexual partner affirming impotency’.
It could create some interesting mischief, too, because I can almost guarantee that some of these guys getting prescriptions have no intention of wasting the resultant erections on ‘the old ball and chain’, but have something younger and hotter in mind. Who would they get the affidavit from? They won’t want their wives to even know about it, because it’s not for them.
jl
@PurpleGirl:
What I typed was snark. But, I dunno, maybe good practice when the US gets a good healthcare system.
Whatever, I like the boner bill. I think every state legislature that introduces a bogus bill that includes bogus provisions for informed consent to abortion, should get a 80nrr Pi11zz (I just love those PrOn spellings) bill that is seriously pushed, not just as a stunt. See what happens. Any way it goes, I would bet ginormous ocean of hypocrisy of the GOP would rush out like tsunami.
@JoyceH:
Good point. Probably that needs to be included too, since the informed consent abortion bills are about intimidation, not information. Photographic evidence of dude frantically trying to umlimp is definitely needed. In the age of the electronic medical record, it should be a video clip. Absolutely essential for documentation of medical need.
JGabriel
@ShadeTail:
Keeping the base engaged/amused is important too.
Buzzkill.
.
Marcellus Shale, Public Dick
i know a couple of “ballandchain” aged women who absolutely “hate” vi agro sex. in both cases the women are sufficently bold to say so in a small group, but probably wouldn’t testify in a state committee meeting as such.
however, there must be more, and someone willing to testify. if there was any thrill in the fluke testimony, based on how the right was hearing it, undoubtedly more matronly women testifying to the outrageous results of giving a 50 year old man a 20 year old bone would curdle their prostates. women they prefer not to imagine naked discussing what men like themselves try to do with it, and how they unlearn the graces that , by the anecdotes i have heard, come only with the diminished capability of aging.
i think the men will want to make it stop when women their age discuss the hardships of getting more bone than their distinguished and less limber lady bits can manage.
Roger Moore
@SiubhanDuinne:
Can we get Lorena Bobbit to testify about cutting things off? I’d expect it to have a stronger effect on men than most other testimony.
hitchhiker
Let’s require them to bring their partner in so that the partner can watch a video detailing what to do in case of emergency.
Ahem. Full disclosure. Married to a disabled guy, here. c-6 SCI eleven years ago. The blue pills work for him, thank FSM, but insurance does NOT pay for them.
Spinal cord injury is a medical condition, last time I looked. Aetna’s excuse is that having sex is not medically necessary. Bastards.
Roger Moore
@jl:
They do mention a bunch of stuff in their ads. I know for sure that they mention sudden loss of vision or hearing and severe hypotension (though only in combination with nitrates) in addition to the priapism.
different-church-lady
@Daaling: You just gave yourself away as a Canadian.
Yutsano
@different-church-lady: Yup, Canuckistani. Much to the chagrin of Redkitteh and Comrade Mary.
Odie Hugh Manatee
Here are some concerns with the peenie pill that legislation could ‘address’:
– Men having problems with seeing certain colors, requiring additional eye and DMV exams/tests to keep themselves and the public safe.
– Make sure that the men really need ‘The Pill’; prostrate exams, psychological testing, signed affidavits by a partner about inability to perform…
– Make sure that the men understand the consequences; make them watch movies of the surgical procedures necessary if that raging stiffy lasts more than four hours, problems with low blood pressure when on HBP meds and other bad drug interactions. For example, you wouldn’t want them to take two meds that could induce them to head to the nearest casino with a raging stiffy so they can recklessly toss their money away.
This could get really fun…
Odie Hugh Manatee
Aww darn, teh capricious BJ Mod Gawd done ‘et me post!
Hep me!
Tanks!! :)
Yutsano
@Odie Hugh Manatee: You didn’t give sufficient sacrifice to His Tunchness. Therefore you are being punished.
different-church-lady
@Yutsano: I’m surprised — usually Canadians are better at humor.
DougJarvus Green-Ellis
The first time I read this, I thought it was State Rep. Tina Turner.
Daaling
@different-church-lady: lol…I don’t know where you dummies get this idea that I am trying to hide some.
Actually I am programmer in Kazakhstan. My sister, she #4 prostitute in whole country.
Daaling
@different-church-lady: lol…I don’t know where you dummies get this idea that I am trying to hide something.
Actually I am programmer in Kazakhstan. My sister, she #4 prostitute in whole country.
Daaling
@different-church-lady: lol…I don’t know where you dummies get this idea that I am trying to hide something.
Actually I am programmer in Kazakhstan. My sister, she #4 prostitute in whole country.
Nancy Irving
The notarized statement from a “partner” should be restricted to the guy’s wife ONLY. After all, we don’t want to encourage SIN, do we?
Also too, since Viagra has been known to cause blindness, any man requesting it should be required first to take another drug that will cause him to go blind for twenty-four hours, which experience will allow him to make “informed consent” to the Viagra treatment.
Strike that, just give him something to make him permanently blind. Why fool around?
Pat In Massachusetts
That is how you shut them the hell up! Bravo! Excellent! Next!
Ben Cisco
@DougJarvus Green-Ellis: That would have made it even more awesome.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
And, just for the Inhofe’s of the world: If God had wanted you to have sex, he would have given you an erection.
Embirr
A few additional items in the interest of being fair and balanced (we legislate, you obey):
1. Trans-urethral probe (no he doesn’t have to look…)
2. 24 hour waiting period after #1
3. Spousal + Children consent given the grave side effects. Turnabout for parental reporting requirements for teens.
4. Only available a full service sexual health providers (i.e. contraception, abortion). Too far away? Hmm – solve that problem.
5. Institutions known for hiding a culture of systemic rape barred from providing either in insurance or through community services or hospitals. As we know – it is all about the kids.
(not sure if this is double post – my earlier attempt didn’t show up).
JoyousMN
I followed the Think Progress link. The last sentence of the post reads:
Can we PLEASE stop this? Most women take birth control pills for BIRTH CONTROL. Some take it for other reasons. But this framing has got to stop.
Nemesis
These back at ya Dem bills are silly. These is no reson to do this. It sets us up for a both sides do it argument.
If the gop is as bad as we say, and they are, our best chance at defeating their horrific legislation is sunshine. Lots of it.
Rick Massimo
@Nancy Irving: Let the guy go home with a picture of an erection for three days – just so he knows what it is he’s signing up for.
Embirr
@nemesis – as I see it the both sides do it meme is exactly the reason to do this. If we are saddled with a lazy press (yes) that reports this way lets at least use it to our advantage by calling into high relief the absurdities and hypocrisy. Make the republicans squirm about the comparison to Trans-urethral probes – and every man in earshot will wince – and the point is made better than any impassioned plea to reason. I’d love to see the response to “Congressman, Democrats have responded to your legislation by calling for invasive procedures on men seeking Viagra. Can you explain how your proposal is different?”. Meme wars indeed.
RedKitten
Before getting a prescription for Viagra or other erectile dysfunction drugs, men would have to see a sex therapist, receive a cardiac stress test and get a notarized affidavit signed by a sexual partner affirming impotency, if state Sen. Nina Turner has her way.
The irony is that part of this would actually make sense. In some cases, impotence is caused by psychological factors, not physical ones. And cardiac issues could certainly be a cause of impotence as well.
It’s kind of sad when the mock bill actually makes more sense than the genuine one.
RedKitten
Nuts. Moderation hell, due to the V word.