i should totally do pr for the cdc, right?

[keryx]

The actual CDC pre-pregnant report.

I figure we ought to go to the source after we read the W Post article that everyone everywhere's posting. And you know what the source says? Well, it doesn't actually call women baby machines, at least. But it does have a distinct flavor of weirdness. I think the idea went something like this:

CDC: Hey everyone, people should get better healthcare, like all the time! Doctors should educate people! Poor people can be good healthcare consumers if we gave them any fucking options or care at all!

Gubmint: Wait, you're talking about poor women? Fuck them.

CDC: No, it's not just for actual born, thinking and feeling humans! It's for the babies! Think of all the preconceived babies!

Gubmit: Oh, PRECONCEIVED BABIES! That's a whole other story! Now all the womens need to get doctoring for the potential fetuses. We *heart* potential fetuses way more than poor women! And there aren't enough healthy American babies for Official Married Non-Lesbian Wealthy White People to adopt!

Hey, wait. I think I just took the CDC's [you know, the people who brought you the Obesity Crisis! Egads (oh, oops, our math was off just a little)] side in an imaginary argument. CALL THE PRESS!

Comments

[kitty-pitchfork.livejournal.com]

Oh, PRECONCEIVED BABIES! That's a whole other story! Now all the womens need to get doctoring for the potential fetuses. We *heart* potential fetuses way more than poor women!

preconceived babies! *dies* also, please do not speak to me of poor infants and children who have already been born and are in desperate need of healthcare, for they clearly do not matter, either. JUST THE FETUSES! IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FETUSES!

see, this is exactly what's hacking me off about this whole thing, though i haven't really articulated it that well. in fact, i still can't, because my brain is jammed. but you know. once again, actual, real, post-born women's basic human needs are being ignored while we focus on the dear, sweet (and in this case non-existent) fetus. women who are already so invisible.

this has never been about babies. it's all about controlling women, period.

ps
I LOVE HOW WE'RE ALL SHOUTING AT EACH OTHER RIGHT NOW!!!! HEAR US ROAR, FEDRUL GUBMIT!!!

[snidegrrl.livejournal.com]

That shit's scary, is what that is.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

HEAR US ROAR, FEDRUL GUBMIT!!!
One of us needs to email the CDC a list of links to all our scathing blog posts.

[vaspider]

One of the highest infant mortality rates in the 'developed' world.

We really just stop caring the minute they're born, don't we?

It's sick.

[divinerose.livejournal.com]

This is my favorite part, I think...

Recommendation 1. Individual Responsibility Across the Lifespan. Each woman, man, and couple should be encouraged to have a reproductive life plan.

The target population for preconception health promotion is women, from menarche to menopause, who are capable of having children, even if they do not intend to conceive.

Women are so silly...how are simple minded creatures like us ever to know if we wish to conceive or not? Even if we think that we won't NOW...we should go ahead and prepare anyway, for later in life when we see the light and want to get pregnant, we will be prepared! ... I wonder how many women helped put together that report.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

What I think they were probably trying to do was well-intentioned but also classist/racist. Like, they know that all middle class white women (like themselves?) have "reproductive plans", but it's all those other women they need to educate. So it didn't occur to them that this was bizarre and demeaning to women.

[kitty-pitchfork.livejournal.com]

developed my ass! unless they mean covered in strip malls...

[keryx.livejournal.com]

that's the official definition of "developed", isn't it?

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

I think this is probably a fair summation of what happened, yes.