The Religious Right
seems to be well on the way to taking total control over my body. Today the U.S. Senate passed their most recent late term abortion ban on a horrifying 64-34 vote. Mr. Bush will, of course, sign it. And, of course, it will be challenged. Nothing new here folks. Move along.

Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman who was disconnected from her feeding and hydration tubes last week, became another victim of the right when the Florida legislature today passed a bill allowing Governor Jeb Bush to order the feeding tube reinserted. Here we have the precedent of the Governor overturning the family's wishes. The immediate family that is. Her husband expressing her wishes requested that the tube be removed. Her parents insisted it be reinserted. Family values.

Both cases express the core notion that my body is under assault from the religious right -- they assert and insist that the state enforce the notion that they may decide what I may do with my body. I can think of nothing more intimately invasive than that. It is much worse that being involuntarily detained or even being tortured. I could spin out possible ramifications for a while, but there is no point here. It does seem that we are only a hair's breath away from outlawing birth control, or anything else that doesn't express the wishes of the radical religious on the right.

I am very frightened.