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Women in local politics

Read this article about women in local politics in the Rochester area:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20111113/NEWS01/111130321/Monroe-County-election-women-politics-congress

Women & Society Conference

The 20th annual Women & Society Conference is this weekend ( Friday Oct 21 & Saturday the 22nd) at Marist College, Poughkeepsie NY.
Women and Society is an academic conference covering all aspects of women and gender currently under study. Among the topics to be discussed this year are Sex, Violence, Counseling and Advocacy; Body and Sexuality; Media Portrayals; Reproductive Rights and Activism; Lesbians and Gays: Nature Versus Nurture; Empowering Women Through the Arts; New Ways of Thinking about Gender; and Warning Signs of Domestic Violence.

The keynote address is free and open to the public and will be given Dr. Gail Dines, a professor of sociology and women's studies at Wheelock College in Boston, on Friday, October 21 at 7 p.m. in the Nelly Goletti Theatre, located on the third floor of the college's Student Center. Dines is an internationally acclaimed speaker and author, and a feminist activist who focuses on the hypersexualization of the culture and the ways that porn images filter down into mainstream pop culture.

Dr. Dines' work on media and pornography has appeared in academic journals, magazines such as Time and Newsweek, and newspapers across the country. She is a frequent guest on radio and television and is a recipient of the Myers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights. Dr. Dines is a founding member of Stop Porn Culture, an educational and activist group made up of academics, anti-violence experts, community organizers and anyone who is concerned about the increasing "pornification" of culture.

Dr. Dines' new book "Pornland" has just been published by Beacon Press and has received coverage by the Boston Globe The Guardian, the American Spectator, Ms. Magazine, The Huffington Post, AlterNet, the New York Post, the Sacramento Book Review, and Pulse Media. She has been featured on CNN and Canadian Public Radio.

This conference aims to mentor undergraduate scholars, to do so, we allow them to attend for free. All others must pay the registration fee. Conference registration begins on site at noon Friday in the Henry Hudson Room, 3rd floor of Fontaine Hall.

For registration and further information, contact conference coordinator Dr. JoAnne Myers, associate professor of political science and co-director of Women's Studies at Marist, at joanne.myers@marist.edu or (845) 575-3000, ext. 2234. A conference schedule is available online at

http://www.marist.edu/liberalarts/womensstudies/program.html

On the backs of women

Literally, on the backs of women, the Topeka, KS City Council voted to decriminalize domestic violence...did they vote to decriminalize a nonviolent, non public order threatening marijuana: no! This is literally a FU to women.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/12/us/topeka-moves-to-decriminalize-domestic-violence.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=topeka&st=cse

Petition to decriminalize marijuana not DV in Topeka:
http://www.change.org/petitions/topeka-city-council-member-decriminalize-marijuana-not-domestic-violence

Book group

Just finished our book group--Next books are Gail Dines' Pornland (she is also talking at Marist OCt 21st as part of the Women & Society Conference, you're invited to the talk)for November, December is Joan Wallach Scott's The Politics of the Veil, and Jan/Feb is Orhan Pamuk's Snow, March is Taking on the Big Boys by Ellen Bravo...and on the list is Wendy & the Lost Boys, Going Rouge. . .

Kristof is in Sieera Leone, and just busted a pastor who was allegedly sexually abusing (raping) young girls according to his tweet.

Irene

A colleague of mine forwarded this request, from one of her grad students who teaches in Roxbury (I have edited it a bit):

The bottom floor of my school was flooded and we lost a lot of sports and drama club equipment. However, the neighboring towns were devastated. Many people have lost homes, businesses were totaled and buildings continue to collapse. The electric company, as it continues to clean up, powers us down often.

If you would like to see what has happened to my area, go to http://www.watershedpost.com/, and you can see the photos. There are also links for the towns near me: Margaretville, Fleischmanns, Prattsville, Middleburgh to name a few.
Yesterday I rode my bike to Margaretville and Flesichmanns which are 11-15 miles away and the devastation is indescribable.
I have never seen anything like this. I am worried for the families and we are all just standing by to see whether or not our school year will begin on time.
My school has become a hub for the Red Cross and we are beginning to collect supplies for the towns where children have lost their homes, schools, transportation, and overall way of life.
I am proud of my community and what is happening here. The students have put in tremendous amounts of community service.
[Edited]On ourSuperintendent's Conference Day, students helped clean the building, playground, and athletic field.And will help sort donations that have come in so that they can get them to the families in need. While it is important that instruction take place (we all know the panic to have them ready for state tests and regents), I am pleased with my administrations' decision to allow our students (who are the more fortunate ones) to pitch in and give back.
We have been pretty fortunate in getting help. The National Guard is in Margareville and Fleischmanns as well as FEMA and other organizations who are helping these poor people. Margaretville is 11 miles away and where all of us went for groceries, prescriptions, etc. Sadly, today I found out that most of the stores on Main Street will be torn down because the flood damage was so severe.
My husband works for a non-profit organization that specializes in Main Street revitalization funding. His offices have now turned into Red Cross and DSS headquarters. He has come home every night emotionally and mentally drained from just seeing the devastated people coming into his office with the clothes on their backs and nothing else. They have no idea where to go, or what to do. To say this is awful is a sheer understatement.

Keep my neighbors in your thoughts, if you will, and thank you for being patient with my brief circumstance.

There is a tremendous need for school items: crayons, markers, notebooks, paper, pens, pencils, etc... Believe it or not, there is huge need for things like soap, deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, and feminine supplies as well. There are many children who lost all of their back-to-school things; both supplies and clothes.

You can send them to:


Roxbury Central School – Hurricane Victims
53729 State Hwy. 30
Roxbury, NY 12474

Just put a note in that the supplies are for hurricane victims.

Thank you SO much for asking about this.

-Tammy

Women's Equality Day

Today (August 26) is Womens Equality Day...91 years ago women got the right to vote. And, for the most part, vote we do...Yet for some reason, we are not equal--Women still earn substantially less then men (even in the same jobs)and that translates into less social security/pensions/retirement incomes.
Women do not even make up 20% of the House (16.7%) or Senate (17%)--we are ranked 70th (see http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm); in state legislatures women make up 23.6%.
Women's voices are still not equally represented in op/eds in Newspapers and Magazines, on television, in films....
Yes, we have made some strides--but NOT ENOUGH.

NOH8

If you go to http://www.montgomery-duban.com/noh8/ and like them, they will donate $10K to the NOH8 campaign.. Do it! Pass the word!

all a twitter

So, I am now tweeting...follow me at www.twitter.com/@feminista54

Its been a great way to stay up with the political games being played over the debt ceiling...
The blank check that Boehner was talking about, another misnomer by the GOP--its just paying for what we have already spent...
btw, Reagan raised the ceiling 200%...

Gillibrand's Campaign: Off the Sidelines

Senator Gillibrand is using her bully pulpit to get women into elective politics. She is calling her effort: Off the Sidelines.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/nyregion/gillibrand-wants-women-involved-in-politics.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gillibrand&st=cse

Marriage Equality

Marriage equality PASSED in NYS!!!!

Hot dogs and Political Scandals

From the NYT this Sunday on "When it comes to scandal, girls won't be boys"
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/weekinreview/12women.html?ref=weekinreview

Here is a meme (the second part) we have to change by growing feminist men:
"powerful men attract women, powerful women repel men"

Attacks on Women's healthcare

Paul Farmer has essays in his reader (Partner to the Poor*), on health and human rights, the structural violence of poverty, and global inequality; but here in the US we think that we have adequate health care. Unfortunately we do not--even though we spend more per capita on health care than any other country (#1), we still ranked 37th overall. In 2006, the United States but ranked 39th for infant mortality, 43rd for adult female mortality, 42nd for adult male mortality, and 36th for life expectancy*. (Why do we spend so much to get so little?)
Yet, even with the health care reform, we are still behind in health care provision. And, the GOP seems to be paying more attention to attacking women's health care than they are fixing the deficit. A sample of the articles/editorials starting with the editorial from today's New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/03/opinion/03fri1.html?_r=1&hp

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20110603/VIEWPOINTS03/106030305/Funding-cuts-would-hurt-women-s-health?odyssey=nav%7Chead

http://www.adn.com/2011/04/13/1808850/gop-move-is-an-attack-on-womens.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/opinion/10tue2.html

http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/03/womens_progress_around_the_world_vetoed_by_congress.html

http://www.alternet.org/health/150118/why_the_right-wing's_insane_attacks_on_women's_health_may_be_backfiring

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/273-40/5884-new-attacks-on-womens-rights

* WHO Statistical Information System (WHOSIS). Geneva: World Health Organization, September 2009.

Dirty Tricks

The answer to the question from last night's great book group meeting (We read Schiff's Cleopatra) about dirty political tricks today,it was Karl Rove's mentor Lee Atwater.

Yes, our conversations at the book group bring whatever we are reading to date, to apply to what we are experiencing political, socially and culturally.

Our next book is Janny Scott's A Singular Woman about Obama's mother. Our meeting is the first Thursday of July ,7 p.m.
The book for September is Partner to the Poor: A Paul Farmer Reader.

Attacks on Women's Autonomy

All of these are recent legislative attacks on women's autonomy and our decision making:


Congress' attacks of women's right to autonomy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/opinion/10tue2.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Texas legislature passes law requiring sonogram before abortion:
www.lakewyliepilot.com/2011/05/06/1115554/texas-lawmakers-pass-sonogram.html

Michigan law would require viewing of fetal photo before abortion:
http://www.deseretnews.com/mobile/article/700130278/Proposed-Michigan-law-would-require-viewing-fetal-photo-before-an-abortion.html

Ohio law would limit abortions after 20 weeks:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/06/us-abortion-ohio-idUSTRE7356M220110406

Congress & Women

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/opinion/10tue2.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Balancing the Budget? NOT

Limiting healthcare for women: YES

See Gail Collins 4/14/11:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/opinion/14collins.html?_r=1&ref=gailcollins

Women's Health

This article is very clear about the ideology of what was on the table during the recent "budget" debates: WOMEN'S HEALTH, not abortion, not the deficit, but WOMEN'S HEALTH.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/04/11-4

Sad News

Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run as vice presidential candidate on a major (Democrat) ticket died today.

Happy International Women's Day

If you have the chance, join in the Walk Across the Hudson in celebration of International Womens Day on the Walkway Over the Hudson...


The Eleanor Roosevelt Center will celebrate International Women's Day with a walk across the Walkway over the Hudson bridge. Registration will go from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on the Poughkeepsie side of the bridge. The keynote speaker will be the inspiring, Kadiatou Di-dibe Sarassoro, who will discuss how she fled the Ivory Coast and settled in Dutchess County.She will provide information about the plight of women in other countries, serving to create awareness about women's equality elsewhere in the world, which is one of the goals on International Women's Day. The celebration is dedicated to making women of the past proud, women of the future inspired, and make women of the future envision. Women have made great strides to equality in the last century and this event will commemorate the impact that women have had. In addition to a key note speaker, local women's organizations will have information booths set up and the first 500 attendees will receive a free gift.
Start Date: Mar 08, 2011
End Date: Mar 08, 2011
Time: Starts at 02:30pm

Women in America

The White House Report on Women in America
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/Women_in_America.pdf

GOP's True Colors

The GOP is anti-women and anti-baby based on their proposed budget cuts.

Republicans are taking aim at women's health--not only their reproductive health, but also cancer screenings. And, not only here in the US but globally.

The GOP's hypocrisy is showing. For all the pro-life sentiments, it seems that they are only pro-life when the fetus is in utero, and not even fully then (monies are being drastically cut for WIC pre-natal and early childhood nutrition programs). The US is also number one in infant mortality among industralized nations accoring to the IMF.


Here are two pieces from today's NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/26/opinion/26sat1.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/26/opinion/26blow.html?src=me&ref=general

When is Rape Not Rape?

When House Republicans try to re-define it so that only preganancies from forcible rapes are elibigle for federally funded abortion procedures.
HR 3 (!) aka No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act wasintroduced on Januray 20th and has 173 supporters--here is a list of those who are co-sponsoring it:

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. AKIN, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. AUSTRIA, Mrs. BACHMANN, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. BARLETTA, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. BENISHEK, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BONNER, Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. BROOKS, Mr. BROUN of Georgia, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. CANSECO, Mr. CARTER, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. CHAFFETZ, Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado, Mr. COLE, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. CRAVAACK, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. CRITZ, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky, Mr. DESJARLAIS, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. DONNELLY of Indiana, Mr. DUFFY, Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina, Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. FLEMING, Mr. FORBES, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Ms. FOXX, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. GARRETT, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. GIBBS, Mr. GINGREY of Georgia, Mr. GOWDY, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. GRAVES of Missouri, Mr. GRIMM, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mr. HALL, Mr. HARPER, Mr. HARRIS, Mrs. HARTZLER, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. HERGER, Mr. HUELSKAMP, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. HURT, Ms. JENKINS, Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois, Mr. JONES, Mr. JORDAN, Mr. KELLY, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois, Mr. KLINE, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. LANDRY, Mr. LANKFORD, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. LATTA, Mr. LEE of New York, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. LONG, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. MARINO, Mr. MCCARTHY of California, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. MULVANEY, Mr. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. NEUGEBAUER, Mrs. NOEM, Mr. NUNNELEE, Mr. OLSON, Mr. PAUL, Mr. PENCE, Mr. PETERSON, Mr. PITTS, Mr. POMPEO, Mr. POSEY, Mr. PRICE of Georgia, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. RIBBLE, Mr. RIGELL, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky, Mr. ROKITA, Mr. ROSKAM, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. ROSS of Arkansas, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, Mr. SCALISE, Mr. SCHILLING, Mrs. SCHMIDT, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. SHULER, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. STUTZMAN, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. TERRY, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. TURNER, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. WOLF, Mr. WOODALL, Mr. YOUNG of Florida, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. CANTOR, Mr. BOREN, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. CALVERT, Mrs. ELLMERS, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. TIBERI, and Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas

Oh, and BTW, there are 9 democrats among the sponsors. I think we should ask the www.dccc.org (the group that recruits democratic congressional candidates) what's democratic about this stance....and the DNC (www.democrat.org).

For the text of the bill see http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3/text

For analysis of this bill: see
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/01/republican-plan-redefine-rape-abortion

The Nun, The Catholic Hospital & the Bishop

In the case of the Catholic Hospital, the Nun & the Bishop, Jesus would side with the nun, and so does the hospital. The church in its dogmatic way focuses on doctrinaire rules, sanctity and punishment, forgetting the teachings of Jesus for compassion, mercy and forgiveness.

Nicholas Kristof's column today was excellent:
www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/opinion/27kristof.html?_r=1&hp