Good morning ... or not ...

So that petition I linked to a few days back? And the link to Resolve?

Well, the petition came from someone on facebook. There's an infertility 'community' there as well. So I left a comment with the link to Resolve's page to contact legislation about the bill as well.

I figure - a petition is great. But why stop there? Why not also email your legislator directly?

Well ... apparently because it hurts the chances of someone making a difference.

Huh?

I was welcomed to facebook this morning with a message from one of the women who started the petition. She was very upset that I linked to Resolve. Although she didn't bother to follow the link or to read my comment because she referred to it as "Resolve's petition". Which it wasn't. A petition, that is.

And then went all dramatic on me about spending her life savings on treatments (because, ya know, I don't know what that's like) and working hard, door to door and online, to get this bill passed. And to please not make it any harder for others to have children and to make a difference.

What ... the ... fuck ...

Really?

My feeling is that someone checked their sanity at the door.

One thing that irritates me about it is that it makes it sound like a giant pissing contest.

No, don't go to an organization that is 30 years and thousands strong! You can only play with the 8 that started this petition and the 140-odd members on this one network!

And the thing that really pisses me off - flat out pisses me the fuck off - is the assumption that I know nothing about what this bill means. That I couldn't possibly know what it's like to go broke going through treatments or to have the constant fear that my husband and I will never have a child of our own.

My reply was an apology for hurting her feelings, but an acknowledgement that I don't see how. If knowledge is power, then why is it wrong for them to also know they can contact their legislators directly? If it's so important, why rely solely on a petition that only 26 people had signed as of a few days ago?

I'm not sure what her answer will be. And I'm not sure that I care so much. And maybe that's harsh. Maybe I should be more understanding and more forgiving.

But no.

I deal with that ignorance and assumption from the fertiles. I refuse to deal with it from someone who's supposed to be a sister in this fight.

Fuck that.