Wilmington council puts satirical spin on reproductive legislation

Wilmington City Council sent a message to lawmakers everywhere Thursday night: It's time to hold men accountable for the well-being of their sperm. The council passed a resolution that asks state legislatures and U.S. Congress to enact laws that forbid men from destroying their semen. For Loretta Walsh, the councilwoman who introduced the resolution, it's a way -- an admittedly 'tongue-in-cheek' way -- to call attention to 'the absurdity of men making health decisions for women.' Two weeks ago, at the last City Council meeting, Walsh railed against Virginia lawmakers pushing to require women to undergo ultrasounds before having an abortion. So upset over the issue, Walsh said, she stayed up until 3 a.m. drafting her resolution. Michael A. Brown Sr., the lone Republican council member, wondered before the meeting if Walsh was 'going overboard' or showing 'bias' against Republican legislators. 'It was cute to some folks when she lashed out two weeks ago, but a lot of people I spoke to and [who] spoke to me said that wasn't funny,' Brown said. Walsh dressed entirely in red Thursday to show her anger and wore her mother's pearls to honor the woman who taught her to stand up for herself, she said. 'I am standing up for women in this city, I am standing up for women in this state and I am standing up for the women in this country,' Walsh said. The resolution, designed to address 'equality' issues, said that lawmakers have not introduced similar legislation regarding men in the United States. If some lawmakers believe the female egg is 'bestowed with all the rights of personhood,' government should think the same of sperm, the resolution notes. '[E]ach 'egg person' and each 'sperm person' should be deemed equal in the eyes of the government and be subject to the same laws and regulations as any other dependent minor and be protected against abuse, neglect or abandonment by the parent or guardian,' according to the resolution. 'What's good for the gander is good for the goose,' Walsh said. The resolution passed the same day the U.S. Senate struck down a GOP amendment that would have allowed religious-affiliated employers and their health insurance companies to reject coverage for contraceptives. It also came just two days after the Virginia Senate adopted a bill that requires women to have an ultrasound before an abortion. Council members approved the measure 8-4, with one present vote. The resolution is not meant to be construed as 'pro-abortion,' Walsh said, adding it's meant more 'about a woman's right to make medical decisions for her body.' While several council members stepped forward as co-sponsors -- including Stephen L. Martelli, Eric D. Robinson and Charles Potter Jr. -- Councilman Paul F. Ignudo Jr. said he didn't think it was appropriate for the council to send a 'sarcastic, snarky and tongue-in-cheek' resolution to lawmakers. 'I don't know if that's the message that we want to send,' said Ignudo, who voted against the resolution with three other council members.

[Ballybunion]

This wouldn't be the first time Ms. Walsh has acted strangely, this was just a waste of time and apparently a way for Ms. Walsh to get a bit more attention for herself. Maybe she should focus on WILMINGTON, DE rather than stupid stunts like this.

[frontporchreacti onary]

@Ballybunion, "Maybe she should focus on WILMINGTON, DE rather than stupid stunts like this. " Ms. Walsh is only claiming the old adage that 'what's good for the goose is good for the gander'. It seems only fair play that if male legislators want to pass laws controlling a woman's uterus than men must be given the same restraints on how they use their sperm. It's the same playing by the same rules that we all agreed to as school kids at recess playing kick-ball on the schoolyard blacktop. The same applies to mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients and legislators alike.