Abortion Fatigue

Created by: Jillian

Are people all across America sick and tired of the same old debate? Do people have what is being termed "abortion fatigue"? In addition to the historic nomination of Barack Obama, this country also surprised many when ballot initiatives throughout the United States that pertained to abortion were shot down.

This article, entitled "Why Won't South Dakota Ban Abortion?", takes a good look at South Dakota and how such a pro-life state voted against an abortion ban in both 2006 and 2008.

It's time we found some common ground...and I mean the kind of common ground that will actually produce positive results, not the kind that is used to slowly chip away at people's rights.

Pro-life...or Pro-punishment

Created by: Jillian

In an October 22nd post in Slate, Emily Bazelon shed light on a new law, planned to go into effect on November 1.

"Oklahoma's new statute dictates that either the doctor performing the abortion or a "certified technician working in conjunction" with that doctor do the ultrasound, "provide a simultaneous explanation of what the ultrasound is depicting," and also "display the ultrasound images so that the pregnant woman may view them." The law goes so far as to specify the doctor's script: The physician must describe the heartbeat and the presence of internal organs, fingers, and toes. The patient then has to certify in writing that the doctor or technician duly did all of this before the abortion. She can avert her eyes from the screen, the statute allows."

How in the world is that a "pro-life" position??

For some women (not all) that might be one of the most cruel experiences of their life. I just can't, for the life of me, understand a "movement" that preaches the sanctity of life one minute and then the next minute inflicts such pain on a living human being.

I hope that in the next four years, the anti-choice movement will decide to stop pushing laws that seek to punish women and start working on bills that seek to help them.

Bush's Legacy in the Courts

We're all painfully aware that George W. Bush's appointments to the Supreme Court have turned it far to the right, and that another Republican administration may do irreparable damage. Lest we forget, Bush has brought the federal appeals courts to the far right as well. The Supreme Court gets far more attention, but it is in the appeals courts that more decisions are made.

Republican-appointed judges, many of them conservative ideologues, now hold the majority in 10 of the 13 circuits. Democratic appointees hold a slim majority in only one. While Republicans decry what they call "legislating from the bench", it is Bush's appointees who have upheld South Dakota law that forces doctors to inform women that abortions “terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique living human being” — using exactly that language. For more detail, check out the front-page article in today's New York Times.

Democrats have a filibuster-proof Senate majority in sight this election. Less than a week to go... it's critical to keep the pressure on!

DNA Testing...are we going too far?

Created by: Jillian

I want to hear what you think?
Check out this article on new DNA screening of fetuses.

Does Poll Show Support for Restrictions or Confusion on the Issue?!

Created by: Jillian

The Knights of Columbus released a poll on people's opinions on abortion. What do you think?

Chipping away at global access

As we all know, one of the great misnomers is that being anti-choice is somehow akin to holding a "pro-life" position. Yet under the so-called "pro-life" mantle, the Bush administration has extended its global policy in a way that will result in tens of thousands of additional abortions every year, as well as more women dying in childbirth.

In the last couple of weeks, the administration decided to cut off birth control supplies to some of the poorest women in the world. The U.S. Agency for International Development banned the supply of contraceptives to Marie Stopes International, one of the largest providers of health care and family planning to poor countries in Africa and Asia. You can learn more about the Bush ban, as well as the global outrage it has rightly garnered, by clicking here.

As reported in Nicholas Kristof's op-ed piece in today's New York Times:

"The irony and hypocricy of it is that this is a bone to the self-described 'pro-life' movement, but it will result in deaths to women who just want to space their births," said Dana Hovig, the chief executive of Marie Stopes International. The organization estimates that the result will be at least 157,000 additional unwanted pregnancies per year, leading to 62,000 additional abortions and 660 women dying in childbirth.

The cut-off in supply is predicated on the false assertion that Marie Stopes International has supported the use of forced abortions to enforce China's one-child policy. While the horrible reality is that China has used forced abortions in some of the poorest areas, the suggestion that Marie Stopes International participated is decidedly untrue.

The quote above may overstate the true numbers somewhat, since people in some of the larger African cities may have other access to contraception, but there is no doubt that the administration's actions will have devastating consequences in these nations. Marie Stopes International is the only provider of services in most rural areas, which leaves women in these areas with no viable alternatives.

McCain has supported Bush consistently on this issue, and there is no reason to believe he would reverse the administration's position in this case. This election not only has tremendous consequences to our own reproductive health, but it will directly affect the lives of millions of women globally.

No Sarah...that's not what you meant.

Created by: Jillian

Oh, Sarah--I'm from the liberal northeast...we get sarcasm.

STOP THE LIES...STOP THE IDIOCY.

I cannot wait until Thursday!

Don't pity her...question the decision.

Created by: Jillian

She's not qualified. Bottom line. She was picked because she is a woman and because the McCain campaign thought that was a smart political move.

Check out this article!

Is this really happening?

Created by: Jillian

Sarah Palin was interviewed by Katie Couric who asked Palin about a comment she had made to Charlie Gibson, "you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska".

Palin's Russia comment has been turned into the punch line of many a joke about Sarah Palin...most notorious, in Tina Fey's skit of Palin on Saturday Night Live.

In all honesty, I thought the Russia comment was sort of a slip-up, a random thought that just popped into her head and out of her mouth.

But after last night's interview with Katie Couric, I take all of that back! Sarah Palin actually defended the notion that Alaska's proximity to both Russia and Canada prepare her to deal with foreign policy.

I mean, ... how?

I can't even do it justice...here's what she actually said,

"As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right next to, they are right next to our state."

What does that even mean!?! What does she mean by "those"--what is she referring to and is it really safe or politically correct to talk about a foreign leader like that? It makes me nervous.

I refuse to sit back and allow Palin to get away with idiocy because she is a woman. Some people are attributing Palin's incoherent speech to her being nervous or new to the media spotlight but I don't buy it. The one thing this woman does have is stage presence.

The reason she sounds absurd is because she is and I don't want her anywhere near the White House or foreign diplomats for that matter!

Ballot Initiatives--could Connecticut become the next South Dakota?

Created by: Jillian

This fall, anti-choice groups in Connecticut are pushing for a Yes vote on the following question, "Shall there be a Constitutional Convention to amend or revise the Constitution of the State?".

Hmm...now why would they be doing that?

Proponents of a Constitutional Convention would like to amend our State's Constitution to include Initiative Referenda.

In South Dakota, initiative referenda has been used to try and ban abortion.

What happens is:
An initiative is proposed--a certain number of signatures are required to have the initiative included on the ballot--and if the signatures are collected...the initiative appears on the ballot in November.

Once again, the people of South Dakota will face an initiative this November.

Inititiative Referenda will only serve to heighten the divisiveness of the abortion debate in Connecticut.

This November, please vote NO to a Constitutional Convention. We don't need politics as usual--we need common sense approaches to reducing unintended pregnancy!

Bush is Still At It!

Created by: Jillian

Over the last eight years, President Bush can take credit for being successful at at least one thing in office... limiting a woman's access to reproductive health care services and information!

In his latest attempt to restrict reproductive freedom, President Bush exemplifies "abortion politics" as usual. Rather than having congress introduce a bill-- in which case, conversation and debate would ensue, President Bush has proposed a regulation to the Department of Health and Human Services that would require any health care facility to certify in writing that none of it's employees are required to assist in any medical services they find objectionable.

We have until this Thursday, September 25th to let the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services know that we don't approve this regulation!

This proposed regulation will impact Connecticut policies for years to come!!
Don't let Bush go out on a high note--Tell Secretary Leavitt NO!

Meeting pro-choice voters

Created by: Angie
On Friday night, Jillian and I tabled for NARAL Pro-Choice America at the Indigo Girls concert in Stamford. Our message was simple and clear. We asked people to sign a petition asking Congress to pass the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act (S.2347/H.R.4054), which would reverse the effects of a bill that inadvertently raised the price of birth control. We handed out stickers and buttons with pro-choice messages, and we had literature that illustrated why Obama is the pro-choice candidate this election.

It was a great experience, and a lot of fun, too. The crowd was overwhelmingly pro-choice, and very pro-Obama as well. No one declined to sign the petition. People thanked us for what we were doing. Women shared our outrage at the insult of Sarah Palin. There were even a few people who said would otherwise support McCain if not for his anti-choice position. It was empowering, and seeing the variety of our pro-choice supporters (straight and gay; men, women, even kids) served as a great reminder that this movement is broad and it is mainstream. It's important to all of us. People will go to the polls to vote pro-choice this November.

Alaska Anti-Palin Rally

Created by: Tracy (text is from an email)

[The] Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was to be held outside on the lawn in front of the Loussac Library in midtown Anchorage. Home made signs were encouraged, and the idea was to make a statement that Sarah Palin does not speak for all Alaska women, or men. I had no idea what to expect.

The rally was organized by a small group of women, talking over coffee. It made me wonder what other things have started with small groups of women talking over coffee. It's probably an impressive list. These women hatched the plan, printed up flyers, posted them around town, and sent notices to local media outlets. One of those media outlets was KBYR radio, home of Eddie Burke, a long-time uber-conservative Anchorage talk show host. Turns out that Eddie Burke not only announced the rally, but called the people who planned to attend the rally "a bunch of socialist baby-killing maggots," and read the home phone numbers of the organizers aloud over the air, urging listeners to call and tell them what they thought. The women, of course, received some nasty, harassing and threatening messages.

I felt a bit apprehensive. I'd been disappointed before by the turnout at other rallies. Basically, in Anchorage, if you can get 25 people to show up at an event, it's a success. So, I thought to myself, if we can actually get 100 people there that aren't sent by Eddie Burke, we'll be doing good. A real statement will have been made. I confess, I still had a mental image of 15 demonstrators surrounded by hundreds of menacing "socialist baby-killing maggot" haters.

It's a good thing I wasn't tailgating when I saw the crowd in front of the library or I would have ended up in somebody's trunk. When I got there, about 20 minutes early, the line of sign wavers stretched the full length of the library grounds, along the edge of the road, 6 or 7 people deep! I could hardly find a place to park. I nabbed one of the last spots in the library lot, and as I got out of the car and started walking, people seemed to join in from every direction, carrying signs.

Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn't honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn't happen here.

Then, the infamous Eddie Burke showed up. He tried to talk to the media, and was instantly surrounded by a group of 20 people who started shouting O-BA-MA so loud he couldn't be heard. Then passing cars started honking in a rhythmic pattern of 3, like the Obama chant, while the crowd cheered, hooted and waved their signs high.?

So, if you've been doing the math Yes. The Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was significantly bigger than Palin's rally that got all the national media coverage! So take heart, sit back, and enjoy the photo gallery. Feel free to spread the pictures around to anyone who needs to know that Sarah Palin most definitely does not speak for all Alaskans. The citizens of Alaska, who know her best, have things to say.

Thoughtful Republicans are questioning John McCain's choice of VP

September 16, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
Why Experience Matters By DAVID BROOKS

Philosophical debates arise at the oddest times, and in the heat of this election season, one is now rising in Republican ranks. The narrow question is this: Is Sarah Palin qualified to be vice president? Most conservatives say yes, on the grounds that something that feels so good could not possibly be wrong. But a few commentators, like George Will, Charles Krauthammer, David Frum and Ross Douthat demur, suggesting in different ways that she is unready. The issue starts with an evaluation of Palin, but does not end there.

This argument also is over what qualities the country needs in a leader and what are the ultimate sources of wisdom. There was a time when conservatives did not argue about this. Conservatism was once a frankly elitist movement. Conservatives stood against radical egalitarianism and the destruction of rigorous standards. They stood up for classical education, hard-earned knowledge, experience and prudence. Wisdom was acquired through immersion in the best that has been thought and said. But, especially in America, there has always been a separate, populist, strain.

For those in this school, book knowledge is suspect but practical knowledge is respected. The city is corrupting and the universities are kindergartens for overeducated fools. The elitists favor sophistication, but the common-sense folk favor simplicity. The elitists favor deliberation, but the populists favor instinct. This populist tendency produced the term-limits movement based on the belief that time in government destroys character but contact with grass-roots America gives one grounding in real life. And now it has produced Sarah Palin. Palin is the ultimate small-town renegade rising from the frontier to do battle with the corrupt establishment. Her followers take pride in the way she has aroused fear, hatred and panic in the minds of the liberal elite.

The feminists declare that she’s not a real woman because she doesn’t hew to their rigid categories. People who’ve never been in a Wal-Mart think she is parochial because she has never summered in Tuscany. Look at the condescension and snobbery oozing from elite quarters, her backers say. Look at the endless string of vicious, one-sided attacks in the news media. This is what elites produce. This is why regular people need to take control. And there’s a serious argument here. In the current Weekly Standard, Steven Hayward argues that the nation’s founders wanted uncertified citizens to hold the highest offices in the land. They did not believe in a separate class of professional executives. They wanted rough and rooted people like Palin. I would have more sympathy for this view if I hadn’t just lived through the last eight years. For if the Bush administration was anything, it was the anti-establishment attitude put into executive practice. And the problem with this attitude is that, especially in his first term, it made Bush inept at governance.

It turns out that governance, the creation and execution of policy, is hard. It requires acquired skills. Most of all, it requires prudence. What is prudence? It is the ability to grasp the unique pattern of a specific situation. It is the ability to absorb the vast flow of information and still discern the essential current of events — the things that go together and the things that will never go together. It is the ability to engage in complex deliberations and feel which arguments have the most weight. How is prudence acquired? Through experience.

The prudent leader possesses a repertoire of events, through personal involvement or the study of history, and can apply those models to current circumstances to judge what is important and what is not, who can be persuaded and who can’t, what has worked and what hasn’t. Experienced leaders can certainly blunder if their minds have rigidified (see: Rumsfeld, Donald), but the records of leaders without long experience and prudence is not good. As George Will pointed out, the founders used the word “experience” 91 times in the Federalist Papers. Democracy is not average people selecting average leaders. It is average people with the wisdom to select the best prepared.

Sarah Palin has many virtues. If you wanted someone to destroy a corrupt establishment, she’d be your woman. But the constructive act of governance is another matter. She has not been engaged in national issues, does not have a repertoire of historic patterns and, like President Bush, she seems to compensate for her lack of experience with brashness and excessive decisiveness. The idea that “the people” will take on and destroy “the establishment” is a utopian fantasy that corrupted the left before it corrupted the right. Surely the response to the current crisis of authority is not to throw away standards of experience and prudence, but to select leaders who have those qualities but not the smug condescension that has so marked the reaction to the Palin nomination in the first place.

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company Privacy Policy

Is Sarah Palin Really Ready?

Created by: Tracy
Sarah Palin never had a passport until last year!

Bob Hebert of the NY Times makes an excellent case for why she is not ready to be in the number 2 slot. This is why John McCain is also not fit to serve as president- he put his own desires to win above what's in the best interest of the country with his selection of VP.

Eve Ensler--Sarah Palin & Feminism

Created by: Tracy
Eve Ensler has written, what I believe, is the definitive piece on Sarah Palin and Feminism. She eloquently puts into words all that I have been feeling about this VP choice. I don't want to "rage" against another woman, as Ms. Ensler writes. Yet Sarah Palin stands against everything I think makes America free; a woman's right to choose, separation of church and state, to name a few and she stands for things that I find abhorrent like guns, war. If I didn't know better I'd say she was just Bush with Lipstick. Please read Ms. Ensler and then pass it on.

Action-Women Say No Palin

We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. We believe that this terrible decision has surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farce-on the part of a pandering and rudderless Presidential candidate-that has a real possibility of becoming fact.

Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms. Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against her), gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears.

To say nothing of her complete lack of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on the planet. We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but solely as a rash, incompetent, and all together devastating choice for Vice President. Ms. Palin's political views are in every way a slap in the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers so fiercely fought for, and that we've so demonstrably benefited from. *First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us.

She does not demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over women voters. We want to disagree, publicly.* *Therefore, we invite you to reply with a short, succinct message about why you, as a woman living in this country, do not support this candidate as second-in-command for our nation.*

Please include your name (last initial is fine), age, and place of residence. We will post your responses on a blog called "Women Against Sarah Palin," which we intend to publicize as widely as possible. Please send us your reply at your earliest convenience-the greater the volume of responses we receive, the stronger our message will be.

Thank you for your time and action. Sincerely,

Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston New York, NY

womensaynopalin@gmail.com

Palin's Earmarks

Created by: Jillian
So she's against earmarks, eh?! Check out this clip from CNN on Sarah's Palin's record.

Oh...and apparently, that Bridge to nowhere...yea, it was actually going to the airport.

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

"In a world where there is so much to be done, I feel strongly impressed that there must be something for me to do."-Dorothea Dix

Here is a chance to be involved! The Young Women's Leadership Program (YWLP), a project of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, is looking for women ages 18-35 to fill out our new legislative poll. We will be using this poll to help us determine our 2009 legislative priorities. This is a great chance to give input on the issues affecting not only your life but the lives of other women in this age group. The survey also provides you with the opportunity to sign up as a member of the YWLP- the more members we have the more powerful our voice at the Capitol! Please take a minute of your time to fill out our survey. Thank you! If you have any questions about the YWLP, please email Michelle Noehren at Michelle.Noehren@cga.ct.gov.

Click Here for the Survey!

Lipstick, pigs, and politics?!

Created by: Jillian

Have you heard the latest?

The McCain camp is outraged that Obama would say,
"John McCain says he's about change too, and so I guess his whole angle is, 'Watch out George Bush -- except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics -- we're really going to shake things up in Washington, that's not change. That's just calling something the same thing something different. You know you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. You know you can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change, it's still going to stink after eight years. We've had enough of the same old thing."

Even though last October McCain drew comparisons between Hillary Clinton's current health care plan and the one she championed in 1993 by saying,
"I think they put some lipstick on the pig, but it's still a pig."

Obviously the McCain camp is trying to insinuate that Obama was taking a cheap shot at Palin because she referred to lipstick first! Ha!

"Barack Obama's comments today are offensive and disgraceful. He owes Gov. Palin an apology," said Maria Comella, a McCain-Palin spokeswoman.

You know what I say...who cares? And to be quite honest, I found Sarah Palin's comments offensive...
"what is the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick."

But you don't see me complaining, do you?

The myth of "abstinence-only"

Created by: Angie
We all know by now that McCain is decidedly anti-choice, and that Sarah Palin has said that she would not support abortion even in cases of rape or incest. But also deserving focus is their support of abstinence-only education in schools. McCain has said that he believes the elimination of abstinence-only programs would be wrong, though he has also proven himself completely ignorant of contraception and HIV prevention. We simply cannot afford to allow these irresponsible policies to continue.

The abstinence-only experiment of the Bush administration has been a failure. The United States leads developing nations in both teenage birthrate and teenage pregnancy, though we don't hold the title for the most sexually active teens. An excellent piece by Charles Blow in Saturday's New York Times highlighted the gaping divide between the Republican platform, and the desires of parents and educators:

According to a 2004 survey sponsored by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, 65 percent of parents of high school students said that federal money “should be used to fund more comprehensive sex education programs that include information on how to obtain and use condoms and other contraceptives.”

The Obama-Biden ticket is committed to supporting comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education. The McCain-Palin ticket is shamefully trying to discredit this position. Palin's own family is proof that their head-in-the-sand position does not work. The Republicans' practice of puritanical moralizing does nothing to prepare young people to make important decisions about their personal lives.

McCain in May 2008 vs. McCain Now

Created by: Jillian
A colleague of mine gave me the most interesting article from Glamour Magazine. On May 17, 2008 Glamour Magazine sat down with John McCain to discuss the upcoming election and his positions on issues that impact women in the United States today.

What a difference 3 months can make...

In response to the questions, "Was Senator Clinton treated fairly on the campaign trail as a woman?", McCain said, "You know, I don't know because I'm not objective enough to make the judgment. I simply don't know. But I know the one thing that I try to avoid in my campaigns is feeling sorry for myself. It's easy to do, pick up the paper this morning, read a story that's negative, oh, my God, they're picking on me. You just can't do that. But I admire Senator Clinton's tenacity, her knowledge of the issues."

In response to the question, "Is the environment an issue that the two of you (his daughter) talk about?", McCain said, "Yeah. And we talk a lot about climate change. And I've been involved in it for a long period of time. I've proposed legislation with Senator Joe Lieberman. I've been heavily engaged. I've traveled this globe from the Antarctic to the Arctic, to native Alaskan villages that are falling into the ocean, to Greenland, to the Brazilian rain forest, to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia...I'm convinced from everything I've seen that climate change is real, maybe even worse than some of us had anticipated years ago when we got into it."

In response to the question, "Last year you said that the Republican platform on abortion should change so that it did include an exception for cases of rape and incest and to save the life of the mother. Is that still something you believe?", McCain said, "Yes. My position has always been: exceptions of rape, incest and the life of the mother." As a follow up, Glamour asked, "Would you encourage that platform be changed this summer at the convention?", McCain said, "Yes...and by the way, I think that's the view of most people, that rape, incest, the life of the mother are issues that have to be considered."
...most people except his running mate, I suppose.


Obama was also interviewed for that same Glamour Magazine article in July of 2008. Everything he mentioned in the article in support of women was reiterated at the Democratic National Convention and made it into the platform. Besides being 100% pro-choice, it is important to note that Obama is a huge supporter of Equal Pay for Equal Work.

In response to the question, "If you were going to give a speech laying out some of the challenges facing women and what your presidency would do to address them, what would you focus on?", Obama said, "Well, I think I would actually start, when it comes to women, with economics...Equal pay for equal work, making sure that women with similar qualifications are getting treated similarly in the workplace. Making sure that...when it comes to child-rearing or caring for an aging parent, there are supports in place so that that does not become a crushing burden and a huge disadvantage. I think those are issues that are absolutely critical." He went on to say, "There's also a cultural shift that still has to take place...I want us to have a country where my daughters have the exact same life chances as somebody else's sons do...We still have to make certain that responsibilities for child care are equally divided. That requires government action to make it easier for families, but it also requires, I think, attitudinal changes, and hopefully that's something that I can project as President."

Having attended the Democratic National Convention, let me just say, Equal Pay for Equal Work was discussed everywhere...including in Obama's acceptance speech!
Now that is "change" we can believe in!

Rape victims charged for their forensic exams in Wasilla

Created by: Jillian
Apparently, during Palin's time as Mayor of Wasilla rape victims were charged for their own sexual assault forensic exam kits. I suppose that shouldn't be shocking seeing as Palin believes that abortion should be illegal even in the case of incest or rape...but it still is.

Can we really afford to elect a VP who supports creationism?

Created by: Jillian
In 1987, the Supreme Court ruled to ban creationism in public schools, but some twenty years later the guidelines that govern science education in more than a third of American public schools gave exceedingly short shrift to evolution, according to reviews by education experts.

Check out this interesting article.

Maverick

A maverick is a person who shows independence of thought or action; a non-conformist or rebel.

Connecticut's own Chris Shays thinks Sarah Palin is "awesome"...his words, I swear!

Created by: Jillian
Check out Chris Shays on MSNBC.

"It's a woman who should be selected, not a particular type of woman."
Really Congressman...is that how elections should work?

Lets take a moment to have fun with Shays statement...
"It's a man who should be selected, not a particular type of man."

Hmmm...I don't know anyone who would agree with that statement--it would be deemed sexist, wouldn't it? So why is it so acceptable to declare that being a woman is what should get us elected and not our experiences, credentials, platform, etc.

Thanks for lumping all of us women together there, Congressman!

You be the judge...

Letter from a concerned citizen in Alaska

Daily Show Clip-- Choice?!

Reproductive choice, anyone?!

A Government that doesn't make choices for you??

Created by: Tracy

Last Thursday John McCain said "We believe in Government that doesn’t make choices for you??" What??? Who is he kidding??

It seems to me that McCain and the Republicans believe in "Government that doesn't make choices for you " until you happen to be a women and you are facing an unwanted pregnancy. Boy, then they pretty quickly suspend that belief!! The McCain/Palin slate has no problem having government tell you what you can do with your own body.

They also claim to believe in "Government that doesn't make choices for you", unless you are school system that teaches fact-based, age-appropriate sex education. Then they want to force you to institute an abstinence-only curriculum.

Vote Obama, Vote for a real Government that truly is Pro-Choice!!

Rosa DeLauro--Inspirational

Thank you Congresswoman DeLauro!

Lady McCain, Creationism, and Abstinence-only Education

Created by: Leslie

In an interview with Katie Couric, Cindy McCain dances around many issues like abortion rights, the Palin Pick for VP, as well as creationism. As she defends her opinion that creationism should be taught in schools, she says, "I think the more children have a frame of reference and an opportunity to read and to know, they make better decisions and judgments when they're adults. So I think...I don't have any problem with education of any kind."

If you watch the clip, you will see Lady McCain speak as if she and her husband share a brain on the issues. So what I want to know is this: If she doesn't have a problem with "education of any kind," then why does her Bush-loving husband and his hyper-religious-extremist VP pick continually force abstinence-only education on the public school students of the United States of America? She said it herself, "The more children have...any opportunity to read and to know, they make better decisions...when they're adults." Creationism aside, Lady McCain, I couldn't agree with you more!

Obama, Reproductive Choice and Women's Social Issues--Let's Get Organized!

Created by: Jillian
I had the good fortune of attending the Democratic National Convention last week. I attended the Women's Caucus on both Tuesday and Thursday, saw Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Michelle Obama speak, and attended Obama's speech. It was a thrilling week full of hope and motivation but it was also chock-full of policy recommendations about important social issues.

There were more women delegates at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) than men this year for the first time in history! 50.1% of the delegates were women. It was also the most diverse group of delegates to attend a convention in Party history.

This year women and women's issues were included in the party platform more than ever before--which is an extremely good thing for women and the country!

Among the issues discussed, reproductive health care was addressed often at many of the speeches and events I attended. Barack Obama even mentioned abortion in his acceptance speech,

"We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country." -Obama

The women in Congress and the women in the Democratic Party have done an extremely effective job at making women's issues social issues and bringing them to the forefront of the Democratic Platform.

In addition to reproductive healthcare, the women's caucus and Barack Obama addressed a variety of social issues by outlining specific goals and strategies to address those goals
....you know, kind of like a Community Organizer would do!

But in all honesty, each and every social issue has a plan--a plan that will take time and energy and hard work
...but then again, that's exactly what Obama is asking us for.

Please take a look at the social/women's issues that Obama is planning on addressing WITH the help of the women in Congress. Seeing those women in action was an emotional experience that I will not soon forget.
Here's to organizing for what we believe in!
...let's organize the hell out of them!

• Universal Health Care System
• Prevent HIV/AIDS
• Research into Women's Health
• Fight Cancer
• Reduce Health Risks Due to Mercury Pollution
• Support Stem Cell Research
• Support a Woman's Right to Choose
• Prevent Unwanted Pregnancy
• Supporting Communities of Color
• Oppose Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Roe v. Wade
• Protecting Against Violent Activists
• Reduce Domestic Violence
• Fight Gender Violence Abroad
• Expand the Family and Medical Leave Act
• Encourage States to Adopt Paid Leave
• Protect Against Caregiver Discrimination
• Expand Flexible Work Arrangements
• Expand High-Quality Afterschool Opportunities
• Fight for Pay Equity
• Expand Paid Sick Days
• Invest in Women-Owned Small Businesses
• Expand Women's Share of Federal Contracts
• Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families
• Expand Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit
• Protect Social Security
• Eliminate Income Taxes and Seniors Making Less than $50,000
• Create Automatic Workplace Pensions
• Expand Retirement Savings Incentives for Working Families
• Improve Child Support Collection
• Bring War in Iraq to a Responsible End
• Care for Women Veterans
• Fight Poverty
• Increase Minimum Wage
• Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit
• Help Low-Income Workers Enter the Job Market
• Protect Title IX
• Expand Early Childhood Education
• Promote Women in Math and Science
• Improve our Schools
• Make College More Affordable

****I have copies of Barack Obama's materials from the DNC as well as Women's Caucus materials. If you would like any information or if you are hosting a house party or event and would like a representative from NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut to attend, please let us know by emailing info@pro-choicect.org

Daily Show Clip...very funny!

Check out this clip from the Daily Show

Lies and Rhetoric

Created by: Jillian
I know that this post is coming from a "liberal northeasterner", or at least I think that's how they referred to us last night, so please forgive me ahead of time.

They used such interesting language last night to tear down Obama and attempt to "empower women". First there was Giuliani--Shame on him for using feminist principals to take a cheap shot at the democratic party.

"How dare they question whether Sarah Palin has enough time to spend with her children and be vice president? How dare they do that? When do they ever ask a man that question?" -Giuliani

Who is this "they" Giuliana is referring to. If you watched his speech last night you would think that he was referring to the Obama campaign...but Obama has publicly stated that families are off limits. Why Giuliani thinks that he is an appropriate spokesperson to address sexism is beyond me.

Next up was Sarah Palin. Once again, she had a lot to say but didn't say much of anything. We did learn that her husband is world champion snow machine racer--
...my husband won a Guitar Hero competition...maybe I should run for VP?

Palin then went on to spend her speech bashing Obama by making fun of his work as a Community Organizer in Chicago...that was pleasant. She also used biblical imagery to describe him by calling his supporters "devoted followers" and joking that he would be too busy "turning back the waters and healing the planet" to accomplish anything of sustenance.

All of this said in the same breath that she stated, "we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart". Hmmm...I'm not a religious person, but I didn't think you were supposed to use the bible to make fun of people. Then again, I'm just a "liberal northeasterner", so correct me if I'm wrong.

Overall, another hypocritical night in the life of the conservative right.

Teen Pregnancy & the Presidential Campaign

created by: Jillian
So, the big question is...drum roll please...
Should Sarah Palin's daughter's pregnancy be off limits in this campaign?
Hmmm....

I like Obama's response--he called this a private matter and said that it should be off limits. Private huh, what a concept?! A woman's reproductive health treated as a private matter between her family, her doctor, and whomever she feels comfortable telling. I like the sounds of that!

Unfortunately, Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter being pregnant is an issue in this campaign because the conservative right pushes an abstinence-only agenda. An agenda that paints teen pregnancy as something "immoral" and a consequence of America's broken families.

I'm not judging Sarah Palin's daughter. Young women make choices and sometimes they make mistakes and sometimes they end up pregnant. The pro-choice community agrees with that--that's our point! People make mistakes. That is the very reason why we are asking for prevention measures, like sex education so that we can provide young women and young men with the information they need to make informed decisions.

If the McCain campaign wants Sarah Palin's daughter's pregnancy out of this campaign then I want them to stop pushing their anti-choice agenda on all of us. Treat others as you would want them to treat you, please.

Feminism & Voting

created by: Jillian
As a feminist, and a young woman, as a wife and a pro-choice voter, as a person who cares about a lot of things and thinks about each and every one of those things...I'm insulted.

I'm insulted that the McCain campaign would insinuate that women will vote for a woman based solely on her sex and for that matter that much of the discussion surrounding gender during this campaign has been reduced to women voting for women because they are women.

That isn't feminism and that isn't smart. Feminism is about having choices and making informed decisions. Wouldn't choosing a candidate based solely on their gender be in fact anti-feminist? I do believe so.

I'm going to vote for Obama because he actually discusses the issues I care about, not for a candidate who assumes that because I am a woman I must be an idiot.

Blog Logistics

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