Have we been lost in the shuffle?

**cross posted at ChoiceUSA

There has been so much talk circulating pro-choice candidates on the Republican side, and all of it is negative. If a candidate has a pro-choice history, he’s* flaky and not a “true” Republican, but if he’s anti-choice, it seems like he has to be unabashedly religious about his stance.

On the flip side though, there isn’t much talk going on among the Dems. They are pretty consistently pro-choice. Sure, Hillary and Obama have had it out about their “real” stance on choice, but there doesn’t seem to be the same tenacity and ruthlessness about the dreaded A-word as we have seen in the past.

This raises several questions:

1. Is choice no longer a political hot button issue?
2. Is saying you’re pro-choice enough to get the Democratic endorsement?
3. If so, has it been accepted as the norm? (Ha! I wish)
4. Or, has it been overshadowed by other issues?
5. If this is the case, what do we do?

I think we can all agree that the state of choice in this nation is precarious to say the least. But if the Dems aren’t talking about it and the Republicans address only with vehement rejection, then who is working on these issues?!

I think the obvious answer is: us.
There are so many organizations working to protect our rights, and we have to keep fighting the good fight, because if don’t, who will?

*Note: I realize I am using “he” as a general statement, but, come on, any women running in the Grand Ol’ Party? Nope.

Stories of Human Trafficking

When you get a chance please go on the Amnesty website to read on the campaign to end human trafficking and also participate in their calls for action.

Also, the Guardian has a slide show of real stories of women trafficked into the UK.

Sex-segregated transportation to decrease harrassment

Many cities across the world have resorted to creating "Women only" transportation "to protect" women from being harassed, at least when they are commuting.
While I can see why this is beneficial for women in the short term, I am worried about the inherent meaning behind this measurement-- we need to segregate women in order to protect them, because they are weak and they can be harassed if someone choses too.
I would like to see actions that convey the message " No, you cannot harass any human being, regardless of their sex, age, and race (to name a few.)"




The Nation article.

Domestic Violence Public Service Announcement

One my friends came across this video on YouTube. It is a domestic violence public service announcement on national television in Canada. It is very graphic and disturbing but the point comes across very strongly! Guaranteed to make you feel uncomfortable!

Liberia

I read this interview with one of the top government people in Liberia (where they have their first woman president) and one of the quesitons to this offical was like this: "What advice would you give young girls thinking about going into politics?" The female official's response was "Go into politics like a man."

Now, on some level I think I can understand what this woman is saying. I mean, men have dominated politics for so long that whatever they do has obviously worked for them so women should try to imitate men and they might be just as successful.

But the interpretation that I just gave is what I think is exactly wrong with our fellow so-called feminists. Sometimes its our gender that bring us down or promote the stereotypes of weak, emotional women.

What she should have said was something like, be ready to fight, be ready to get hurt and be ready to hurt, keep personal things out of the discussion, don´t let any emotion get the best of you, fight for what you believe it. Women should not have to feign "manhood" to be successful in politics and please, for once, lets not hear another of our own gender suggest that.

Rapist Receives Military Burial

Consider the gravestone of Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, a Vietnam War Veteran and the recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. It Reads: "When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men, and a discharge for loving one."

Also consider this L.A. Times article that discusses a rapist who was buried with full military honors. Veterans convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death or life in prison do not receive this same honor but a serial rapist ....well, thats okay.
What kind of message does it send when a convicted rapist is honored by our country? Sometimes it seems like people just want to pick and chose the morals they defend and glorify without also considering the inherent contractions in doing so.

4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days

In continuation to the Roe v. Wade discussion, I would definitely recommend that you watch "4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days." The film is about a young woman that is trying to get an abortion in communist Romania. As in all communist countries, abortion was illegal and it was a highly punishable crime to have one or help in one.

Wow.

This is wrong in at least three ways. Ugh.

*My love and thanks to Feministing.com for the link

My idea of a perfect man

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0108/Kucinich_drops_out.html#comments

Good luck Dennis! I love you more than you know.

Happy Belated Bday Roe v. Wade!

I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself to come up with an amazing blog post to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and it has stumped me for a week. How do you capture something like this in words? When I think of Roe v. Wade, it inspires a myriad of emotions and reactions ranging from pride and comfort to extreme disappointment and fear. I love, love Roe v. Wade. I love it like a family member, and maybe that’s because it has directly affected so many of my own family members. To me, it is not a cold, black and white, objective document, it is the faces of my mother, grandmother, high school and college friends, coworkers, neighbors, and even strangers sitting next to me on the bus. How do you being to describe that personal impact? Compound that with the thought that there are millions of other women and men out there who have been directly affected by this court case, and I am astounded.
It floors me to think of what Roe v. Wade has done for countless women and men in this country. The recognition of our autonomy and integrity is something to be both celebrated and criticized. It is a legal acknowledgment that women are also human beings. This should have happened way before 1973, but given the omnipresence of misogyny in this country, Roe is to be celebrated as an achievement.
I get scared, however, when I think of how many people, familiar and not, who will be affected by changes to Roe. We will face a Goliath in the coming years regardless of the decision in November. It has been chipped away since the day it was enacted and the attacks won’t stop anytime soon. I want to scream: it’s none of your goddamn business what I do with my body, or what my mom did with hers, or what my grandmother did with hers! You weren’t there, you have no right. The tears flow freely now thinking about it; about the injustice of the accusations and the blatant hatred directed at me by strangers. I am appalled by the hatred people are capable of harboring towards young men and women they have never met.
Abortion has been one of the most divisive issues of the past century. The rift had existed B.R. (before Roe), but in 1973, the battle had a name. I wish there was a consensus that the fighting is detrimental, and that the arguing and the yelling is going nowhere. I am inspired by groups like Choice USA that are working to mitigate the harmful effects of abstinence-only education by providing choices to young people so that an abortion is the last option (but is still a choice). I am encouraged by groups that are demanding comprehensive sex-education. And I am disheartened by those that still don’t get it.
So on this, Roe’s 35th Birthday, I am going to make a birthday wish: I want to see less abortions. Yes, I said it. Shocker! Both sides might have the same goals! But it needs to be done right. Give young people the information and the education we deserve. It is our right. Until then, Happy Birthday Roe, may you see another 35 years.