Really apprehensive

[KatherineI]

It's not even the smuggling in of BC. It's about the fact that certain states are slowly taking away the rights of women, reproductive rights, putting our health in jeopardy, and turning us in to second-class citizens with draconian ideas founded in extremist religious views when our country is supposed to keep religion and governmental policy separate. Besides, I'm getting an IUD, so I'll be good for 5 years.

It's that if the people in AZ are allowing things like that to pass, and they aren't marching/demonstrating/protesting, then I don't want to be around them because I'm not the type to take this kind of crap lying down. I'm not my husbands property or servant, I am not a second-class citizen whose only purpose is to be a breeding machine. I am a first class citizen with the same exact rights as the men of this country and I expect laws to reflect that.

It just worries me that if I feel so strongly and I don't even live there, but the residents aren't trying to do anything about it, how am I going to get along with them? I just feel like I'm going to be a mermaid taken to the dessert in a bathtub full of water and told to live out her days in that. It just won't work

 

[caliopi]

I totally understand. 20 years ago I went into pre term labour with my youngest child and was rushed into hospital. It looked like I would need a csection and asked they tie my tubes while in theatre. My doctor asked me where my husband was because HE needed to sign the consent. I was furious, I said my body my choice but his hands were tied. As it turned out I did not need a C section and I had a bad bleed 10 days after and could not conceive after that but I did ask my doctor would I also need to consent if my husband wanted a vasectomy and the answer was no. Talk about double standards!

Katherine is this law in AZ something that has been pushed by a particular religion and if so, which one?

I might add that here in Melbourne we have tended to swing a bit too much in the other direction with it now being legal to have a termination upto 28 weeks. That is way too far into a pregnancy for me.

 

[lexx510]

Have you discussed your concerns about moving with your husband?
Is this job really worth it?

 

[KatherineI]

Have you discussed your concerns about moving with your husband?
Is this job really worth it?

I have. There's really nothing we can do about it.

And considering that he's going to be getting out of the Navy with little-to-no notice (technically) and we live in Military Housing and have a VERY limited window for moving out after he's discharged, we don't exactly have much of a choice. We need a job lined up for as soon as he gets out. It's not like the typical discharges where he could have up to 3 months Terminal Leave where he's still paid but doesn't have to go in every day, so that he could go on interviews and such. So in that case, yeah, the job is really worth it because it means continuing to fee my family and putting a roof over our heads.

He keeps telling me that we don't have to stay there permanently. And he is looking for other jobs, but most places don't want to even interview him since he doesn't have a confirmed release date yet. They are passing over him in favor of guys with just as much experience and qualifications, but with firm dates that they can give for start dates. Intel is willing to change the date if we need to. On top of that, no one offers the kind of benefits that Intel has.

It's still frustrating, but as of this past Monday it won't really affect me too much for at least 5 years.

 

[GiosMom]

I have really good friends in Phoenix...and plenty of people I know who live in other parts of the state. My former boss who is completely a Woman's Right Activist lives there...she's also a die hard democrat. There are some groups who rant louder than others but don't be afraid. It's not bad at all. AZ is a beautiful place. And your are far from a second class citizen. Hang in there! Moving is always nerve wracking.

 

[luvmytooo]

Hang in there. Look at the other side of the coin , it's a beautiful place and lots to do with the family . Once there and settled , I think you will be happy and love it there.
Just try to relax a little. Whats done is done , you explained why it's very important for your family to move there , be optimistic .
Good luck with everything

 

[KatherineI]

I have really good friends in Phoenix...and plenty of people I know who live in other parts of the state. My former boss who is completely a Woman's Right Activist lives there...she's also a die hard democrat. There are some groups who rant louder than others but don't be afraid. It's not bad at all. AZ is a beautiful place. And your are far from a second class citizen. Hang in there! Moving is always nerve wracking.

Hang in there. Look at the other side of the coin , it's a beautiful place and lots to do with the family . Once there and settled , I think you will be happy and love it there.
Just try to relax a little. Whats done is done , you explained why it's very important for your family to move there , be optimistic .
Good luck with everything

Good to know GiosMom. You'll have to get me in touch with them as soon as it's 100% that we're going there I'm not a Democrat, I consider myself more Libertarian. I hear AZ is beautiful, but I've never been. I've heard good and some significantly bad things about it :20:

I'm doing my darnedest to be optimistic, but it's not easy. At least it looks like finding a place to live won't be a huge struggle!

 

[evesta]

I'm from a very conservative state too but that just means that a little over half of the people that vote are conservative. There are plenty of liberal types like myself around here and even most of the conservatives are moderates and good people too. I know it looks scarey from the outside but really things are pretty much the same in most states. I will admit Arizona does pass some nutty laws but most politics tend to swing from right and back to left eventually and then back again. You'll be okay and meet some great people with similar world views I'm sure

 

[PortaPerch]

Intel should have liberal leadership. Regardless, I would be very cautious about revealing political or human rights views at company functions. It could be career limiting. ASU is right there in Tempe. I'm sure there are a lot of kindred souls there.

PortaPerch

 

[KatherineI]

I may be the first male to post on this. I have the utmost sympathy for you, Katherine. Pres. Clinton said it succinctly: Abortions should be safe, legal, and rare.

There is a high percentage Mormon population in AZ; hence females as property. It wasn't until 1987 that a woman in Utah could get a driver license without her husband's consent. Colorado City, the until recently polygamist enclave, was allowed to thrive in Arizona. All the wives were on welfare.

Intel should have liberal leadership. Regardless, I would be very cautious about revealing political or human rights views at company functions. It could be career limiting. ASU is right there in Tempe. I'm sure there are a lot of kindred souls there.

Remember, in Nov. there will be a choice of a Wall Street lackey, or a Mormon Wall Street lackey.

PortaPerch

Screw that, I'm writing in for Ron Paul!!

And yeah, I guess we'll just have to see how it goes. It looks pretty inevitable at this point (which is both good and bad) that now I'm starting to look at area's to move to and such.

 

[PortaPerch]

Uh, oh. I walked away for a bit, decided I should delete my last line, then come back to find you have quoted and bolded it.

 

[Jenlynn]

I unfortunately think this law came into affect after it was proposed that religious institutions who dont believe in contraception would have to provide for it in their health care. Its not illegal to take birth control, it just may not be covered under insurance. A bill was passed earlier this month that requires all health plans who offer perscriptions to also offer birth control. This law allows an employer the right to refuse it for non medical reasons. Unless you are working for a.catholic church or university or some other religious organization, I doubt you will be affected. Im prolife and pro birth control but im also against any religous organization forced to go against their beliefs BC the government said so. I feel that is opening up a can of worms that will lead to all kinds of problems for the church later. As a woman who takes birth control for PCOS treatment, I actually see a positive in this. If I were employed by a catholic institution, Id be covered for medical reasons and they wouldn't be going against their beliefs BC it would be medically necessary for me to take it.

 

[Jenlynn]

Here's a quote from one of the bill sponsors:

"My bill does one thing and one thing alone. It allows an employer with religious objections to opt out of that mandate. It does not allow the employer to know anything about their employee's use of any type of medications. This has been a lie repeated over and over again by the Democrats." -Debbie Lesko

The "mandate" is the law passed earlier that requires all employers be forced to provide birth control even if it goes against their religious beliefs. If their rights for religious freedom weren't taken away before, this bill wouldn't even be on the table.

This is the perfect reason why health care has no business being controlled by the government.

I'm going to sign out now before I make any more enemies! I typed a lot more but I erased most of it because these types of topics make my blood boil!

 

[Jenlynn]

Here's another direct quote from an ABC news article:
Page 2: Arizona Bill Gives Religious Employers Exceptions for Contraceptive Coverage - ABC News

"Johnson points out that the bill won't allow just any employer to require a prescription for contraceptives, but only those that have religious beliefs against paying for them. And he said the incentive for an employer to fake religious beliefs to get out of contraceptive coverage for economic reasons seems "extremely unlikely."
"The fact is employers were covering it anyway," he said. "I don't think employers are going to take unnecessary grief [to remove coverage] unless they have these beliefs."
Johnson said the number of private employers who are seeking this exemption "is actually a pretty small universe."
"But it's very important to them," he said. "That's not to say we are not concerned about women's health or all people. This is about religious liberties and protecting those rights."

OK, im really done now

 

[Violet]

I understand your hesitation and would also be concerned. I am pro-choice and absolutely pro-birth control and some of the going-ons I have heard about in AZ make me incredibly mad but mostly sad... On one hand civilization has come so far, but on the other, we still seem to be in the dark ages when it comes to sexuality and acceptance of humans as normal, functioning organisms.

We will miss you in the northwest! But it sounds like AZ needs more people like you

 

[KatherineI]

Uh, oh. I walked away for a bit, decided I should delete my last line, then come back to find you have quoted and bolded it.

What can I say? I saw an opportunity and ran with it! Vote Ron Paul!!

Anyway, it is what it is. Unless something drastic happens, we'll be leaving for AZ the week of July 9th. I'm starting to be more concerned with finding a place to live and how we're going to go about doing that, than I am on the screwy laws they're coming up with. I'm more and more worried about what to do with the Fids and Dog while we're rental house hunting, as temps will be 100+ and most hotels don't want you leaving pets in the room unattended.