Do right-wing parties really want to hurt women?  Do they see wife-beating and murder as an important part of their cultural heritage?  I wonder.  Here’s a test: does that sound silly or extreme?  I’m sure someone will use ‘shrill’ any second now.  We’re always so emotional!  But conservatives have defended rapists and abusers over and over.  It’s not like we don’t have proof.

Quick side trip: did you know that Monday was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women?   Kind of took me by surprise, too.  Embarrassing to admit.

In Spain, the Vox political party did well in the last election.  Some describe Vox as ‘far-right’; others suggesting that Vox support was ‘surging.’  Which is gross. But they effectively run Madrid now.

Anyway, Vox managed to block Madrid from passing a non-binding bill supporting the International Day.  And they took it further:

Then on Monday at City Hall, Javier Ortega Smith, the secretary-general of Vox, took the opportunity to reaffirm his party’s demand that Spain repeal a 15-year-old law aimed at stopping violence against women.

…

In lieu of pointing a spotlight at violence against women, Mr. Ortega Smith used his speech to talk about men who have been killed by women, as well as women who have suffered “violence from their lesbian partners.”

New York Times, 2019-11-25, On Day to End Violence Against Women, Spain’s Far-Right Champions Men.

What a bleating icehole.  Sure, I stand in special awe at Mr. Smith’s insistence that this imaginary lesbian violence didn’t affect women.  Wowsa! But I’m not surprised that it sounds like he’s OK with hurting women. It’s all about the men.

Back to the U.S. and our Republican party of sexual assault, rapists, more assault, more rape, more wife-beaters, a little more rape, wife-beating in general, and child molesters.

Sorry, it got away from me.

Anyway, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) came up for reauthorization last year. It expired on Dec. 21, 2018 because Republicans had shut the government down.  The VAWA was briefly extended in January, then expired again in February for good. The VAWA reauthorization finally came up for a vote in April 2019. There was a lot of heat and noise. The House eventually passed the VAWA with one Democrat against, joined by 157 Republicans. In other words, only 33 Republicans voted for the VAWA.

Why?  Why would anyone vote to allow people to hurt women? That’s easy! It was because the NRA told them not to even think about—

Oops.  Nope.  Republicans actually opposed the VAWA because it included laws that would take guns away, unconstitutionally restricting a man’s God-given American right to shoot that goddamn bitch—

Sorry, sorry.  It was because of… um… ‘freedom?”  It’s unfair to men.  That’s the ticket! Men were suffering just as much, they suggested, feeling unsafe anywhere they went.

I’m sure every woman can sympathize.

And there was always the gun thing. Why would any good-thinking American take away any man’s guns just because he was violent?  Or because men kill their girlfriends and wives more than any other group? Taking away their guns, though, leaves those poor men feeling helpless and vulnerable.

Again, I’m sure every woman can sympathize.

Besides, Republicans had to vote it down. Had to. Why? Because Democrats were shrill little women.  It was all a plot by House Speaker Pelosi. 

Here’s Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY):

“Ending violence against women should not be partisan, but unfortunately House Democrats have politicized it,” Stefanik said as House Republicans cheered. “Scoring political points” should not be prioritized over saving the lives of women and children, she said.

Huffington Post, April 4, 2019, “House Votes to Renew Violence Against Women Act, Despite GOP Opposition.”

Yup, swear to god, that’s what she said.  Gotta vote with the people hurting women because protecting half the population is really just “scoring political points.”

And the Republican party won. Sure, the House passed the reauthorization, but Republicans bottled it up in the Senate.  Because they could. Want to guess whether a majority of Republicans would vote for any VAWA bill? Yeah, no, that’s not happening.

Honestly, it sounds to me like the Republicans are super- kk with all those beaten and dead women.  I’m sure they all had it coming to them.  Besides, they’re just girls. But Republicans are sad. Every time someone hurts another woman, they give us their thoughts and prayers.

Republicans voted against the VAWA because Republicans vote against women most of the goddamn time.  It’s not a fucking secret! Along with supporting domestic abuse, they vote against mammograms, women’s healthcare, female veterans, birth control, abortion (too many links), equal rights, equal pay, Planned Parenthood (again, too many links), and almost anything besides barefoot and pregnant. And Republicans have the gall to insist they’re not anti-women, and they’re offended that someone might suggest their amoral votes reflect their lack of character.

So no, once Republicans keep advocating ‘pregnancy as retribution.’ I’m not surprised they’re just as good with “bruised and broken,” too.