Officially Finished

With standardized college-acceptance testing! Hollaaaa. After hours and hours of testing-taking, and even more time spent staring skeptically at the cover of my SAT/ACT study books, I am finally done. Thank god.

Ironically, although part of my decision to become homeschooled was fueled by my fundamental disagreement with the "teaching to the test" mentality that seems to be overpowering public schools, being homeschooled means that most colleges want you to take as many standardized tests as possible. It proves, I guess, that you haven't just been sitting around the house drooling on yourself. So, two SATS, one ACT, and three SAT subject tests later, our long national nightmare is finally over.

I'm making significant inroads on my application to Amherst, too, which is good, because it's due in five days (no pressure). But let's talk about something more interesting. Or at least more enraging.

Disclaimer: I am by no means a political expert. This information is what I have understood from what I've read. I think that I'm understanding it correctly, but it's complicated, and I wouldn't be surprised if I got something completely wrong. If there's a glaring mistake in this information, please let me know.

STUUUUPAAAAAKKK. Representative Stupak and his stupid, stupid abortion amendment added to the healthcare reform bill in the 11th-and-a-half hour. The amendment, as far as a I can tell (healthcare: it's confusing! Who knew...) prevents abortion care from being covered in the public option. Which, although obviously idiotic, does, I think, follow in the footsteps on the generally-accepted Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal money from financing abortion care nationally. Anyway, this part is worth getting pissed off about even though it does appear to follow national standards because it means that the stripping of abortion care from the public option will be specifically disenfranchising poor women. The public option will only be available for about 10% of the population-- those who aren't poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, but aren't covered by their employers and can't afford to cover private insurance costs themselves. So that means that women who don't have enough money to afford private insurance will be forced to pay out of pocket for an expensive, legal medical procedure.

But it doesn't stop there! The Stupak amendment also prevents private insurance companies (and I'm sorry, but why aren't Republicans equally pissed off about this because of that part? There's the government! Meddling in private companies' affairs! They hate that! Why aren't they pissed off NOW?) from providing plans that cover abortion services if they accept insurees who are receiving government subsidies from healthcare. And, under the new plan, a whole hell of a lot more people would be receiving government subsidies. Which means that millions of middle-class women would need to pay out of pocket for abortion expenses.

Alternatively, they could purchase an extra abortion "rider"-- kind of like an extra added to an already-established plan. You know, for all those women who plan for their abortions.

Anyway, the whole thing is obviously completely idiotic. As has been proven countless times, banning abortion doesn't lower abortion rates; it just raises the rate of illegal, dangerous abortions. Hopefully, common sense will prevail in the Senate, and the amendment will be struck from the bill. Which seems unlikely in a Senate that has leaned more conservatively than the House so far, but you never know.

If the language isn't struck from the Senate when they vote on it, there's still a possibility that it could be taken out when the Senate and House versions of the bill are resolved, and then re-voted.

eggghhh.