The other title for this entry was "It's okay, you won't miss your reproductive health choices til they're gone."
I tried to write about something other than Planned Parenthood this past week. It's not impossible, there are hundreds of issues on women and plenty to pick apart and analyze. Usually the harder part of deciding what to write about has more to do with whether I can offer any interesting commentary or added insight.
Everyday I read about men making claims and assumptions about what women want and want they can legally decide about their own bodies. I see lawmakers bending and stretching in any direction to blame abortion provider Planned Parenthood for anything from budget woes to the end of days.
On the congress floor several senators suggested that Planned Parenthood is in it for the money.
Back in February you may remember this statement by Michelle Bachmann, “They’re focused on becoming big business,” Bachmann said. “Sarah Stoesz, who heads the Planned Parenthood operation in my state of Minnesota, said she recently opened three express centers in wealthy Minnesota suburbs and shopping centers and malls and places where women are doing their grocery shopping, picking up Starbucks, living their daily lives and stopping off for an abortion.”
First of all, you don't "stop off" for an abortion. Second of all, Planned Parenthood express centers do not provide abortions; they offer reproductive health services, counseling and testing. Lastly, suggesting that PP is taking federal funding, using it to provide abortions and then somehow making money is an asinine theory. The Hyde amendment has become anachronistic because giving money to PP at all, even when an amendment exists banning those funds be used for abortion unless the sky is yellow that day isn't important because it is only "techincally true."
But apparently it doesn't matter if abortions are performed or not at PP, what really matters is that women's health, reproductive or otherwise is just not important and the GOP just doesn't care about women.
I hate the federal funding argument. It's ridiculous that we have no choice but to provide funding for weapons and military campaigns (plus all the things that we don't know about) but conservative and and republicans cry foul when their tax dollars go towards women's health services.
I have made my own opinions known, as far as I am concerned the Church is separate from the State (No ones God gives out tax dollars) and without legal and safe abortions their may as well be a legal clause for killing women if they dare decide what they want to do to their own bodies.
You don't get to have it both ways. Either abortions are free, legal and safe performed by legitimate doctors or women are not afforded their right to live.
If you are fervently against women and you want to eradicate abortions, you should be working on providing health care, education and social well being for all of these babies YOU are taking responsibility for.
John Stewart said it best on Feb.22:
"It's like the Republicans in Congress are saying, you can't prevent an unwanted child, you can't get care if you do get pregnant and we won't give you any help feeding the kid after it's born; but for those two-minutes when that babies skull is crowning, it's the most precious thing on earth."
That's great incentive to procreate, no birth control, no abortions and no services. It's so pro-life it could kill you.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
(Not) Another Pregnant 17 year old
I have mixed feelings about Gaby Rodriguez, the 17 year old senior from Washington state who revealed that her "supposed" pregnancy was in fact a school project. Gaby came up with the idea to fake her pregnancy in order to study stereotypes, rumors and statistics. Rodriguez is a straight A student and came up with the idea herself in order to experience first hand the type of reaction and critique teen mothers are faced with.
The population of Rodriguez's town is about 75 percent Hispanic. The student body at Toppenish High School is 85 percent Hispanic. Her experiment is significant in the realities of this situation.
Nationally, teen pregnancy rates have been steadily declining for years. However, Latinas have the highest teen pregnancy and birth rate among any major racial or ethnic minority.
About 51 percent of Latina teens will become pregnant by age 20, compared with about 30 percent of teens overall, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
In her schools assembly last week she had students read out comments that she had carefully recorded during her 6 months of faux pregnancy. One such comment included “Her attitude is changing, and it might be because of the baby or she was always this annoying and I never realized it.” Woah, these comments weren't necessarily said to her face but if you can remember high school, you find out about what people say about you in all sorts of ways.
Rodriguez herself stated, "A lot of rumors were just that I was irresponsible. No college...it was bound to happen. I knew she would get pregnant. Doesn't she know she just ruined her life," she said.
I get that Rodriguez wanted to gauge reactions to the fact that even though she was a straight A student and seemingly well liked, the news of her pregnancy brought about the same remarks and stereotypes as if she were a C student who engaged in any number of reckless behaviors. I mean, I think that is the point. On one hand you realize that stereotyping exists (not surprising) and on the other, that teens who become pregnant have a lot of shit talked about them. Do I think that teen mother's should be shunned or shipped off? Of course not. I think we should focus on methods to prevent pregnancy, but that isn't 100% realistic nor do those methods work 100% of the time.
None of the stories I found said anything about how her boyfriend (the father I assume?) was treated or if he found the same type of gossip and rumors being spread about him. I feel like that is way more telling in terms of stereotyping then people treating a pregnant teenager poorly.
Society never wants to see a teenager pregnant. Girls were sent away to "special" schools to give birth in secret not all that long ago. Pregnancy isn't contagious but viewing teen mothers to be is distasteful. I absolutely cannot watch any of the shows on television about pregnant teenagers. Sure, we shouldn't sweep the issue under the rug but why should we draw entertainment value out of it? Obviously you can't be on a teen mom show without becoming a teen mom. Over and over in these televised situations you view the disillusioned young women do the best she can with pregnancy, clinging on to young relationships with the fathers only to find that once junior comes along, daddy wants to be out with his friends playing basketball like a normal teenager and you are now spending your afternoons figuring out how to use a breast pump.
I give Gaby Rodriguez an A for creativity and execution and I honestly think it is an interesting hoax. However, I don't see why pretending to be a teen mom and hearing awful things about the way people feel about you proves anything about stereotypes and it's obvious that teenage moms remains a taboo issue. Whether you're confused or laud Rodriguez for her project, I guess we are having a conversation about teen motherhood, right? I just don't quite see what it is that we're saying about it
The population of Rodriguez's town is about 75 percent Hispanic. The student body at Toppenish High School is 85 percent Hispanic. Her experiment is significant in the realities of this situation.
Nationally, teen pregnancy rates have been steadily declining for years. However, Latinas have the highest teen pregnancy and birth rate among any major racial or ethnic minority.
About 51 percent of Latina teens will become pregnant by age 20, compared with about 30 percent of teens overall, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
In her schools assembly last week she had students read out comments that she had carefully recorded during her 6 months of faux pregnancy. One such comment included “Her attitude is changing, and it might be because of the baby or she was always this annoying and I never realized it.” Woah, these comments weren't necessarily said to her face but if you can remember high school, you find out about what people say about you in all sorts of ways.
Rodriguez herself stated, "A lot of rumors were just that I was irresponsible. No college...it was bound to happen. I knew she would get pregnant. Doesn't she know she just ruined her life," she said.
I get that Rodriguez wanted to gauge reactions to the fact that even though she was a straight A student and seemingly well liked, the news of her pregnancy brought about the same remarks and stereotypes as if she were a C student who engaged in any number of reckless behaviors. I mean, I think that is the point. On one hand you realize that stereotyping exists (not surprising) and on the other, that teens who become pregnant have a lot of shit talked about them. Do I think that teen mother's should be shunned or shipped off? Of course not. I think we should focus on methods to prevent pregnancy, but that isn't 100% realistic nor do those methods work 100% of the time.
None of the stories I found said anything about how her boyfriend (the father I assume?) was treated or if he found the same type of gossip and rumors being spread about him. I feel like that is way more telling in terms of stereotyping then people treating a pregnant teenager poorly.
Society never wants to see a teenager pregnant. Girls were sent away to "special" schools to give birth in secret not all that long ago. Pregnancy isn't contagious but viewing teen mothers to be is distasteful. I absolutely cannot watch any of the shows on television about pregnant teenagers. Sure, we shouldn't sweep the issue under the rug but why should we draw entertainment value out of it? Obviously you can't be on a teen mom show without becoming a teen mom. Over and over in these televised situations you view the disillusioned young women do the best she can with pregnancy, clinging on to young relationships with the fathers only to find that once junior comes along, daddy wants to be out with his friends playing basketball like a normal teenager and you are now spending your afternoons figuring out how to use a breast pump.
I give Gaby Rodriguez an A for creativity and execution and I honestly think it is an interesting hoax. However, I don't see why pretending to be a teen mom and hearing awful things about the way people feel about you proves anything about stereotypes and it's obvious that teenage moms remains a taboo issue. Whether you're confused or laud Rodriguez for her project, I guess we are having a conversation about teen motherhood, right? I just don't quite see what it is that we're saying about it
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Provocative 11 year old girl
The New York Times reported on a horrible story involving the rape of an 11 year old girl. While some may not see the underlying tone of victim blaming, the outrage of those who do continues on.
Here is one excerpt:
"Residents in the neighborhood where the abandoned trailer stands—known as the Quarters—said the victim had been visiting various friends there for months. They said she dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s. She would hang out with teenage boys at a playground, some said"
It gets worse. Not only do the quotes in the article insinuate that this child was in some way provoking being gang raped, some of the comments are down right disgusting:
The case has rocked this East Texas community to its core and left many residents in the working-class neighborhood where the attack took place with unanswered questions. Among them is, if the allegations are proved, how could their young men have been drawn into such an act?
Yes, how could these men be drawn into such an act?
The communities reaction to this violent crime was reported poorly if you give them the benefit of the doubt, but that is only a small part of the problem.
There seems to be no way in which the media can avoid perpetuating "victim blaming" in cases of sexual assault and rape. The larger question could even be so broad as to ask why are their "provocative" clothing that are made for 11 year old children? You see miniature versions of tiny t-shirts, mini skirts, frilly low cut dresses and even pre training bra bras. Obviously one thinks to question where this girls parents were but that also doesn't excuse the blaming game on the girl.
The New York Times printed a response to the outrage which you can find here.
Part of the article touches on how the piece was meant to be interpreted. The standards editor for The Times (who may or may not be my uncle), told the author of the piece that the story focused on the reaction of community residents and that there was no intent to blame the victim. He added, “I do think in retrospect we could have done more to provide more context to make that clear."
Obviously society still believes that a women raped must have done something in order to provoke the assault. That's one huge problem with the media; unless they make an extreme effort to provide balanced reporting on sexual abuse it will always come across as blaming the victim, and that is the most discouraging thought of all.
Here is one excerpt:
"Residents in the neighborhood where the abandoned trailer stands—known as the Quarters—said the victim had been visiting various friends there for months. They said she dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s. She would hang out with teenage boys at a playground, some said"
It gets worse. Not only do the quotes in the article insinuate that this child was in some way provoking being gang raped, some of the comments are down right disgusting:
The case has rocked this East Texas community to its core and left many residents in the working-class neighborhood where the attack took place with unanswered questions. Among them is, if the allegations are proved, how could their young men have been drawn into such an act?
Yes, how could these men be drawn into such an act?
The communities reaction to this violent crime was reported poorly if you give them the benefit of the doubt, but that is only a small part of the problem.
There seems to be no way in which the media can avoid perpetuating "victim blaming" in cases of sexual assault and rape. The larger question could even be so broad as to ask why are their "provocative" clothing that are made for 11 year old children? You see miniature versions of tiny t-shirts, mini skirts, frilly low cut dresses and even pre training bra bras. Obviously one thinks to question where this girls parents were but that also doesn't excuse the blaming game on the girl.
The New York Times printed a response to the outrage which you can find here.
Part of the article touches on how the piece was meant to be interpreted. The standards editor for The Times (who may or may not be my uncle), told the author of the piece that the story focused on the reaction of community residents and that there was no intent to blame the victim. He added, “I do think in retrospect we could have done more to provide more context to make that clear."
Obviously society still believes that a women raped must have done something in order to provoke the assault. That's one huge problem with the media; unless they make an extreme effort to provide balanced reporting on sexual abuse it will always come across as blaming the victim, and that is the most discouraging thought of all.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Hookers go to Planned Parenthood but where does Glenn Beck go?
I shouldn't even be saying anything about Glenn Beck because acknowledging him in any form is encouragement in and of it self.
I absolutely must comment about his recent comment regarding Planned Parenthood. Last Monday, Lawrence O'Donnell read excerpts from an e-mail on his MSNBC show from a women who relied on the services performed by Planned Parenthood. O'Donnell caught flack for his contrived watery eyes and statement that he "has friends that rely on Planned Parenthood."
While replaying the clip on his own show Beck cuts it after that line and responded,
"Stop just a second," Beck chimed in. "Hookers? Who? Who depends on Planned Parenthood?" He then imitated the woman, who said she had an abortion.
"I've got 400 abortions that I have to have!" said Beck. "I have to have these children aborted!"
Woah, this guy has lost his mind. Hookers? Only Hookers use Planned Parenthood? What the fuck kind of thing is that to say? Beck is already being kicked off Fox news for his insane rants and ridiculous conspiracy theories but here he goes beyond ridiculous, he is nearing obscene.
Who goes to Planned Parenthood? Who?
Who let this man be in front of an audience?
At the very least even Fox news doesn't want this lunatic on it's network anymore.
I absolutely must comment about his recent comment regarding Planned Parenthood. Last Monday, Lawrence O'Donnell read excerpts from an e-mail on his MSNBC show from a women who relied on the services performed by Planned Parenthood. O'Donnell caught flack for his contrived watery eyes and statement that he "has friends that rely on Planned Parenthood."
While replaying the clip on his own show Beck cuts it after that line and responded,
"Stop just a second," Beck chimed in. "Hookers? Who? Who depends on Planned Parenthood?" He then imitated the woman, who said she had an abortion.
"I've got 400 abortions that I have to have!" said Beck. "I have to have these children aborted!"
Woah, this guy has lost his mind. Hookers? Only Hookers use Planned Parenthood? What the fuck kind of thing is that to say? Beck is already being kicked off Fox news for his insane rants and ridiculous conspiracy theories but here he goes beyond ridiculous, he is nearing obscene.
Who goes to Planned Parenthood? Who?
Who let this man be in front of an audience?
At the very least even Fox news doesn't want this lunatic on it's network anymore.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Stop the Government; We have Abortions
First off a plug from the Restricted number that has been calling me for two weeks.
I just gave $53.80 to Emily's List (the 3.80 is in honor of the 38 anniversary of Roe v. Wade that just occurred) which is a non-profit org. that works to elect women who support progressive change. Just them out here
Part of keeping the Government rolling this past week has been a promise to once again revisit the funding of Planned Parenthood.
Last week, Senator Jon Kyl, gave a speech against federal support for Planned Parenthood last week that was noted for his complete bullshit statement that 90% of Planned Parenthood services are abortions. What's worse was his staff’s explanation that the remarks were “not intended to be a factual statement." So, he was lying. He was just doing it to further his cause and well, lie.
Planned Parenthood provides contraceptives, testing and various other services besides abortion. The problem with the way that conservatives view Planned Parenthood is that they view birth control (and the morning after pill) as being the same thing as abortion.
It isn't.
Birth control prevents any fertilization from taking place and Plan B gives you a window of time (72 hours) where you can prevent fertilization if it hasn't already taken place. There is a pill that induces an abortion,RU-486 is entirely different from Emergency Contraception. This pill is available who choose not to have the more traditional vacuum aspiration procedure and wish to have their abortion at home or other non-clinical settings.
Conservatives advocate the ban of legal abortions but they also don't want anyone to prevent pregnancy (thus reducing the need for the procedure) either. They won't offer you assistance to take care of the child but they will demonize you if you become pregnant for any reason and choose not to carry the fetus. You can't win with people who think this way. The GOP isn't interested in offering any solutions, they just want to take away as many of our rights as possible.
I just gave $53.80 to Emily's List (the 3.80 is in honor of the 38 anniversary of Roe v. Wade that just occurred) which is a non-profit org. that works to elect women who support progressive change. Just them out here
Part of keeping the Government rolling this past week has been a promise to once again revisit the funding of Planned Parenthood.
Last week, Senator Jon Kyl, gave a speech against federal support for Planned Parenthood last week that was noted for his complete bullshit statement that 90% of Planned Parenthood services are abortions. What's worse was his staff’s explanation that the remarks were “not intended to be a factual statement." So, he was lying. He was just doing it to further his cause and well, lie.
Planned Parenthood provides contraceptives, testing and various other services besides abortion. The problem with the way that conservatives view Planned Parenthood is that they view birth control (and the morning after pill) as being the same thing as abortion.
It isn't.
Birth control prevents any fertilization from taking place and Plan B gives you a window of time (72 hours) where you can prevent fertilization if it hasn't already taken place. There is a pill that induces an abortion,RU-486 is entirely different from Emergency Contraception. This pill is available who choose not to have the more traditional vacuum aspiration procedure and wish to have their abortion at home or other non-clinical settings.
Conservatives advocate the ban of legal abortions but they also don't want anyone to prevent pregnancy (thus reducing the need for the procedure) either. They won't offer you assistance to take care of the child but they will demonize you if you become pregnant for any reason and choose not to carry the fetus. You can't win with people who think this way. The GOP isn't interested in offering any solutions, they just want to take away as many of our rights as possible.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Amanda Palmer and The Dirty View
Amanda Palmer is fund raising for Planned Parenthood.
Obviously she isn't doing this in a lame way (as if she does anything in a lame way), she has created an entertaining and super rad podcast entitled The Dirty View
Palmer, Kim Airs and Kirsten Vangness hosts a sex ed-ish, fun time sort of presentation chat with an audience in LA. The benefit is held to help raise awareness and funds for the I Stand With Planned Parenthood campaign. You can download the podcast through the above link and donate whatever you can.
To check out AFP's blog in its entirety visit this site
Keep fighting the good fight,
Punk fucking Rock
Obviously she isn't doing this in a lame way (as if she does anything in a lame way), she has created an entertaining and super rad podcast entitled The Dirty View
Palmer, Kim Airs and Kirsten Vangness hosts a sex ed-ish, fun time sort of presentation chat with an audience in LA. The benefit is held to help raise awareness and funds for the I Stand With Planned Parenthood campaign. You can download the podcast through the above link and donate whatever you can.
To check out AFP's blog in its entirety visit this site
Keep fighting the good fight,
Punk fucking Rock
Friday, April 8, 2011
Forgive us...
It is impossible for anyone invested in the right to choose to be in a confident state of mind right now. Over and over we hear stories of how evil Planned Parenthood is and how horrible women feel after they have had abortions; time and again women who choose to denounce abortion paint the portrait of a culture of ignorance and regret.
There are women who choose to have abortions who come to regret their decisions. Why is that a valid reason to prevent other women from making the decision to have abortion? I have said it before, you got to make a choice and if that choice was wrong for you then that is your mistake. People make choices everyday that they later regret, should we prevent individuals from living their own lives for fear that they will regret it? I am horrified by every testimonial out there where women stand up and tell other women that they know what's best for them better than they know themselves.
Take the Silent No More Awareness Campaign here
There mission statement reads, "Silent No More Awareness is a Campaign whereby Christians make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women and men. The campaign seeks to expose and heal the secrecy and silence surrounding the emotional and physical pain of abortion."
SNM openly promotes that you are in need forgiveness if you have had an abortion, and they are the ones to give it to you. Is abortion something that you need to recover from? Of course it is. Recovering from something and needing forgiveness for something are two different things though. No one says that abortion is a great thing. No one says abortion is an easy and pleasurable experience, it isn't. However, the stigma surrounded by abortion is not one that comes from a lack of forgiveness it is one that comes from a lack of equality and respect for women. If women didn't feel like they had to be ashamed of having an abortion than they wouldn't be silent or feel guilty about choosing to have one.
Let me say this, I am in no way saying that every women in every circumstance chooses freely and on her own to terminate a pregnancy. Outside influence obviously come into play and it is sickening to me to think that women undergo the procedure for the purpose of satisfying someone else.
I know a women who ended up in an abortion clinic because she got back together with her ex while she and her current boyfriend were having trouble. The women and her boyfriend made up and she discovered that she was pregnant from her encounter with the ex. The current boyfriend leaves town for a week and on the way out encourages her to "take care of it." Now this women, who is less than three months pregnant, is upset for several reasons. One being that she doesn't think her boyfriend would approve of an abortion, another being that she can't afford another child and yet another being that she feels like she will lose the boyfriend (and father to her other children) if she doesn't abort the fetus.
No one wins in this situation. She goes through with the abortion.
Now, in that same waiting room there is a young women who is two months pregnant. She is 18 years old and lives at home with her parents. She goes to school part-time and works part-time to help pay for her education. The pregnancy has made her violently ill and she is on several anti-depressants and anxiety medication as well as tranquilizers, pain medication and a dependency on recreational drugs to deal with bi-polar disorder. No one encourages or coerces her to abort the fetus and no one encourages her not to.
Is there a winner in this situation? She goes through with the abortion.
If abortion isn't legal and safe for anyone seeking it, women will continue to have abortions regardless. Ask Mike Pence if he can say that abortion should be illegal and anyone seeking one should risk there lives if they would choose to not bear the fetus to term. Ask Mike Pence if your moral objections to war in Afghanistan and Iran should prevent your tax dollars from going to anything related to "national defense".
You don't get to have it both ways. You cannot support choice some of the time and in some circumstances. You cannot take away the choice for some women because other women regret the choice that they made.
Our bodies, our decision, our consequences.
There are women who choose to have abortions who come to regret their decisions. Why is that a valid reason to prevent other women from making the decision to have abortion? I have said it before, you got to make a choice and if that choice was wrong for you then that is your mistake. People make choices everyday that they later regret, should we prevent individuals from living their own lives for fear that they will regret it? I am horrified by every testimonial out there where women stand up and tell other women that they know what's best for them better than they know themselves.
Take the Silent No More Awareness Campaign here
There mission statement reads, "Silent No More Awareness is a Campaign whereby Christians make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women and men. The campaign seeks to expose and heal the secrecy and silence surrounding the emotional and physical pain of abortion."
SNM openly promotes that you are in need forgiveness if you have had an abortion, and they are the ones to give it to you. Is abortion something that you need to recover from? Of course it is. Recovering from something and needing forgiveness for something are two different things though. No one says that abortion is a great thing. No one says abortion is an easy and pleasurable experience, it isn't. However, the stigma surrounded by abortion is not one that comes from a lack of forgiveness it is one that comes from a lack of equality and respect for women. If women didn't feel like they had to be ashamed of having an abortion than they wouldn't be silent or feel guilty about choosing to have one.
Let me say this, I am in no way saying that every women in every circumstance chooses freely and on her own to terminate a pregnancy. Outside influence obviously come into play and it is sickening to me to think that women undergo the procedure for the purpose of satisfying someone else.
I know a women who ended up in an abortion clinic because she got back together with her ex while she and her current boyfriend were having trouble. The women and her boyfriend made up and she discovered that she was pregnant from her encounter with the ex. The current boyfriend leaves town for a week and on the way out encourages her to "take care of it." Now this women, who is less than three months pregnant, is upset for several reasons. One being that she doesn't think her boyfriend would approve of an abortion, another being that she can't afford another child and yet another being that she feels like she will lose the boyfriend (and father to her other children) if she doesn't abort the fetus.
No one wins in this situation. She goes through with the abortion.
Now, in that same waiting room there is a young women who is two months pregnant. She is 18 years old and lives at home with her parents. She goes to school part-time and works part-time to help pay for her education. The pregnancy has made her violently ill and she is on several anti-depressants and anxiety medication as well as tranquilizers, pain medication and a dependency on recreational drugs to deal with bi-polar disorder. No one encourages or coerces her to abort the fetus and no one encourages her not to.
Is there a winner in this situation? She goes through with the abortion.
If abortion isn't legal and safe for anyone seeking it, women will continue to have abortions regardless. Ask Mike Pence if he can say that abortion should be illegal and anyone seeking one should risk there lives if they would choose to not bear the fetus to term. Ask Mike Pence if your moral objections to war in Afghanistan and Iran should prevent your tax dollars from going to anything related to "national defense".
You don't get to have it both ways. You cannot support choice some of the time and in some circumstances. You cannot take away the choice for some women because other women regret the choice that they made.
Our bodies, our decision, our consequences.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
South Dakota
South Dakota has done it again.
One of the most anti-choice, women hating states, South Dakota passed legislation mandating harassment by anti-choice counselors on women seeking an abortion. South Dakota implemented a three-day waiting period along with a visit to the crisis pregnancy center. I have written about crisis pregnancy centers before (Ms. Magazine: The Clinic Across the Street 10/31/10)and no, nothing has changed. These deceiving centers bent on indoctrination are geared toward changing the mind of any women considering abortion and don't emphasize that they themselves don't provide them.
Before legislation was signed, Planned Parenthood announced that they would be suing. "Calling this law protective is supremely cynical," says Sarah Stoesz, who heads the local chapter of Planned Parenthood. "It's nothing but coercive."
“The 72-hour waiting period coupled with having to go to a crisis pregnancy center whose very mission is to dissuade women from going through with an abortion has grave constitutional concerns for us,” says a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota.
Besides the waiting period, the law mandates counseling from crisis pregnancy centers, mandating that women be told that an abortion “will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique living human being.” It is a well known certainty that employees at the CPC have a record of providing misinformation about the physical and psychological risks associated with the procedure and use tactics like displaying graphic photos or quoting scripture in order to influence a woman’s decision.
South Dakota doesn't have a single doctor willing to provide abortions in the whole state. Doctors are flown in from Minnesota. I can't believe the spectacle of it all. A women seeking an abortion in South Dakota faces the hardest fight out of any other woman in any other state in the US.
Legislation in Texas would have required women to undergo a sonogram before an abortion; it has been amended to require that they be offered the chance to do so, though they can refuse. More than 20 states are considering restrictions on insurance coverage for abortion.
Lawsuits will fly over many of the bills that ultimately become law, and that's part of the strategy. Reproductive-rights groups will go after the most egregious laws that ultimately some of the less clearly unconstitutional ones will go unchallenged.
Residents of South Dakota have rejected banning most abortions in the state twice in recent years. Unfortunately that doesn't mean that those often the least affected by a woman's right to choose will stop trying to prevent them from doing so.
One of the most anti-choice, women hating states, South Dakota passed legislation mandating harassment by anti-choice counselors on women seeking an abortion. South Dakota implemented a three-day waiting period along with a visit to the crisis pregnancy center. I have written about crisis pregnancy centers before (Ms. Magazine: The Clinic Across the Street 10/31/10)and no, nothing has changed. These deceiving centers bent on indoctrination are geared toward changing the mind of any women considering abortion and don't emphasize that they themselves don't provide them.
Before legislation was signed, Planned Parenthood announced that they would be suing. "Calling this law protective is supremely cynical," says Sarah Stoesz, who heads the local chapter of Planned Parenthood. "It's nothing but coercive."
“The 72-hour waiting period coupled with having to go to a crisis pregnancy center whose very mission is to dissuade women from going through with an abortion has grave constitutional concerns for us,” says a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota.
Besides the waiting period, the law mandates counseling from crisis pregnancy centers, mandating that women be told that an abortion “will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique living human being.” It is a well known certainty that employees at the CPC have a record of providing misinformation about the physical and psychological risks associated with the procedure and use tactics like displaying graphic photos or quoting scripture in order to influence a woman’s decision.
South Dakota doesn't have a single doctor willing to provide abortions in the whole state. Doctors are flown in from Minnesota. I can't believe the spectacle of it all. A women seeking an abortion in South Dakota faces the hardest fight out of any other woman in any other state in the US.
Legislation in Texas would have required women to undergo a sonogram before an abortion; it has been amended to require that they be offered the chance to do so, though they can refuse. More than 20 states are considering restrictions on insurance coverage for abortion.
Lawsuits will fly over many of the bills that ultimately become law, and that's part of the strategy. Reproductive-rights groups will go after the most egregious laws that ultimately some of the less clearly unconstitutional ones will go unchallenged.
Residents of South Dakota have rejected banning most abortions in the state twice in recent years. Unfortunately that doesn't mean that those often the least affected by a woman's right to choose will stop trying to prevent them from doing so.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
In Abstentia...
During my blogging sabbatical I have missed reporting on several stories. Here are a couple of them. The second part of this post focuses on Middle Eastern women and various links to related content and resources.
Here in America, Geraldine Ferraro passed away on March 26th 2011. As the first female vice presidential candidate in a major political party, Ferraro made history for being the only Italian-American vice presidential nominee also. Stating in her acceptance speech, "the daughter of an immigrant from Italy has been chosen to run for vice president in the new land my father came to love." Ferraro and Walter Mondale lost in a landslide to Reagen and Bush Sr. Controversy during election included Ferraro and her husbands finances, her inexperience on foreign policy and of course the Catholic Church disagreeing that you could remain faithful to the church's teaching and still disagree with it (ahem, abortion).
Naral. Pro-choice lobby day is April 7th. If you can get down to Washington DC to support your right to choose check out this site for all the answers to your questions and any other info you might need.
One story coming out of Libya involves Iman al-Obeidi, a Libyan women who stormed into a Tripoli hotel Saturday to tell foreign reporters that government troops raped her, setting off a brawl when hotel staff and government minders tried to detain her. Detain her they did though al-Obeidi managed to tell journalists that she was detained by a number of troops at a Tripoli checkpoint on Wednesday before she was dragged out of the hotel. She said they were drinking whiskey and handcuffed her. She said 15 men later raped her. Government officials have painted al-Obeidi as promiscuous and though they state that she is safe and has been offered a lawyer her family does not believe it. More on this story here .
A former Libyan/American co-worker of mine is featured on Women's e-news reports from the ground
This is an interesting blog about women in Yemen and the revolution going on there.
It seems that women in Egypt have an uphill battle to become participants in the "New Egypt" they were so vital in bringing forth progress?
Rock on Women.
Here in America, Geraldine Ferraro passed away on March 26th 2011. As the first female vice presidential candidate in a major political party, Ferraro made history for being the only Italian-American vice presidential nominee also. Stating in her acceptance speech, "the daughter of an immigrant from Italy has been chosen to run for vice president in the new land my father came to love." Ferraro and Walter Mondale lost in a landslide to Reagen and Bush Sr. Controversy during election included Ferraro and her husbands finances, her inexperience on foreign policy and of course the Catholic Church disagreeing that you could remain faithful to the church's teaching and still disagree with it (ahem, abortion).
Naral. Pro-choice lobby day is April 7th. If you can get down to Washington DC to support your right to choose check out this site for all the answers to your questions and any other info you might need.
One story coming out of Libya involves Iman al-Obeidi, a Libyan women who stormed into a Tripoli hotel Saturday to tell foreign reporters that government troops raped her, setting off a brawl when hotel staff and government minders tried to detain her. Detain her they did though al-Obeidi managed to tell journalists that she was detained by a number of troops at a Tripoli checkpoint on Wednesday before she was dragged out of the hotel. She said they were drinking whiskey and handcuffed her. She said 15 men later raped her. Government officials have painted al-Obeidi as promiscuous and though they state that she is safe and has been offered a lawyer her family does not believe it. More on this story here .
A former Libyan/American co-worker of mine is featured on Women's e-news reports from the ground
This is an interesting blog about women in Yemen and the revolution going on there.
It seems that women in Egypt have an uphill battle to become participants in the "New Egypt" they were so vital in bringing forth progress?
Rock on Women.
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