Thursday, March 8, 2012

International Women's Day: Headlines Dispute Women's Progress




"You've come a long way, baby."   

A cigarette campaign which became the mantra for the 1970's Movement is starting to sound like a distant dream.    


Today's headlines on International Women's Day should be jubilant.  Instead, we see:



Kansas Abortion Bill Could Raise Taxes On Women Seeking Procedure

The sweeping anti-abortion bill working its way through the Kansas Legislature would levy a sales tax on women seeking abortions, including rape victims.



Women in Texas Losing Options for Health Care in Abortion Fight
Shutdown likely of the Medicaid Women’s Health Program, which serves 130,000 women with grants to many clinics, including those run by Planned Parenthood. Gov. Rick Perry and Republican lawmakers have said they would forgo the $35 million in federal money that finances the women’s health program in order to keep Planned Parenthood from getting any of it.



Utah Passes Anti–Sex Ed Bill

The state’s legislature passed a bill that would ban public schools from teaching contraception as a way of preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

The president’s decision to speak at Barnard has triggered an onslaught of vitriol and name calling against its students that rivals Rush Limbaugh’s 'slut' insult of Sandra Fluke—and often comes from women.

Ariana Klay’s assignment to Marine Barracks Washington should have been the cherry on top of an already illustrious military and academic career. A National Merit scholar and superstar athlete, Klay was recruited by the Naval Academy, becoming the first member of her family to attend college...Seven months later, she says, a senior Marine officer and his friend came into her home, a block from the base, and gang-raped her.



last but not least,   GOP vs. UTERI  

Have we "...come a long way..." or is it two steps forward one step back?  

Let your elected officials know they are not speaking for you when they are not.



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9 comments:

lisleman said...

you know the first one from the 70's was just marketing trying to get you to smoke.  I worked too well which is another health issue.
The ringwing nuts out did themselves with the slut calling and going after Planned Parenthood.  The Planned Parenthood head on the Daily show last night showed that they are very well liked by most.  I have a religious issue  on abortion but I think it should be a religious issue and not a government one.  I just listened to a discussion on the PBS news hour and they said it right - women are not one issue voters.

DJan Stewart said...

I missed the Daily Show last night but will watch it online. International Women's Day is celebrated globally to show how far we have come. Reading these, however, I also feel a little depressed about how far we still have to go.

CaliforniaGirl500 said...

Yeah.  I know.  It burst my bubble too.

CaliforniaGirl500 said...

Yes.  As a Boomer, I was forming my thoughts and opinions when the Feminists were burning bras, fighting for the ERA and demanding better pay and job opps.  Roe v Wade was so huge for women.  I have so many friends who were getting illegal abortions.  It only took once you know.  And most of us were really ignorant about birth control.  To think this could all be reversed and we might return to the dark ages where ignorance was anything but bliss is infuriating.

CaliforniaGirl500 said...

I will google that Daily Show.  They switched times on me for the repeat show and I rarely see it now unless I stay up til 11pm which is rare.  At least you feel one's religious beliefs should be kept separate.  And isn't that what the Founding Fathers decreed after all?

lisleman said...

 If I remember my history, many came here for religious freedom.  A society needs to draw the line somewhere.  The Jewish religion has circumcision as a rite of faith but some might consider it cruel mutilation of children.  Most would consider it crazy to outlaw circumcision.  At times I wonder if Americans will ever agree on anything.

CaliforniaGirl500 said...

Every time I feel a sense of despair about the state of the nation, I remember I'm free to express myself and a better chance of being heard..  The internet, social media and the like have created so many new possibilities.  I embrace that.

JC said...

It makes me annoyed as hell that all this is going on. I thought we'd gotten this all taken care of and still they won't stop trying to take our rights away.

Jayne said...

It's madness.  The Republicans aren't even pretending to be sane anymore.    I feel like I went to sleep and woke up in 1972 -- without the perky boobs.   

Christina

Christina
by Cole Scott