Goodbye, Montel Williams
Topic: News

NEW YORK CITY -- And then there were ten.

The Montel Williams Show ended on Friday after 17 years of syndication.  Mr. Williams covered just about every topic over that time frame.  This included war, economy, terrorism, women's reproductive rights, LGBT rights, domestic violence, sexual assault, immigration, child abuse, animal abuse, sports, and other topics covered over the ten talk shows still in syndication: Ellen, Dr. Phil, Keith Ablow, Steve Wilkos Show, Jerry Springer, Oprah, Martha, Rachael Ray, Maury and Tyra Banks Show.  His guests were legendary -- they included nativists like Lou Dobbs, burlesque dancers, political pundits like Paul Krugman, athletes, leaders of the 527 political groups (the interest groups) and political leaders themselves.

Mr. Williams is a former member of the military who began by talking to kids in schools and arenas across the nation.  Then his talk show was what shot him up to stardom.  Mr. Williams set the bar for giving us the scoop on current events, and it is now up to the ten remaining hosts to keep us informed of what is happening on such a critical election year.

Goodbye, Mr. Williams.

Blog for Equal Pay

I know I am a day late, but I am going to cross-post this Blog for Equal Pay from Aiken Area Progressive.

It is a sad state of affairs that women are still paid ONLY 19 cents for every quarter a man makes. That's 76 cents women make for every dollar a man make. And May 2007's Ledbetter v. Goodyear ruling truly showed how much contempt for female workers our government have by chipping away at the Equal Pay Act of 1963. This new ruling means that women can no longer wait 181 days to sue their employer for pay discrimination, even if she doesn't detect the disparity until the 181st day. This is a travesty to justice. If I was working, I would gladly give a woman 24 cents of every dollar I make just to send notice about the disparity.

Lilly Ledbetter is contacting the leaders of the 110th Congress to get them to do the right thing and pass a bill that would allow for women to file lawsuits at any time for pay discrimination. Join Ms. Ledbetter and support equal pay.

Blog to End Sexual Assault

I know that this was yesterday, but I have to add my two cents into this thing.

First and foremost, the types of sexual assaults.  Sexual assault can be physical, verbal, or even written.  Rape is the most common form of physical sexual assault.  An example of verbal sexual assault is catcalling.  And an example of written sexual assault are laws that ban abortions.

And women are the primary victims of all three types of sexual assault.  In fact, as many as one out of every four coeds (and other women in college) will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes.  Between 17-20% of women overall are sexually assaulted from birth to death.  They account for 92% of all victims of sexual assault.  And around 10% of all women who have been sexually assaulted were sexually assaulted by another woman.  That may not sound like a large percentage, but that is significant, considering how this particular aspect is mostly ignored.

Speaking of ignored, men are the most often ignored group of rape victims.  While men are the rape victims only 8% of the time, as many as one out of every six male college students will be sexually assaulted in his lifetime.  Unless you've been living under a rock, then you know that men are more likely to be raped by a woman.  But those reports hardly ever see the light of day, due to the huge stigma society puts on men who are sexually assaulted by a woman.  Let's not forget that men are also raped by other men -- and this is the majority of sexual assaults of men that make it into our newscasts, despite the fact that only a very small percentage of men are raped by other men.

Children are also sexually assaulted.  This is called statuatory rape or child molestation, depending on the age of the boy or girl.  A whopping 9 out of every 20 children under the age of 14 are victims of sexual assault.  Over 97% of all people suspected of sexual assault of a child are adults 21 and over.

Today is the day that would grow into Women's History Month

For those who may not know it, today is International Women's Day.  Before 1987, this day was the most observed day in the month of March.  And for women across every single one of the 195 or so countries, this day cannot be even more special.

Currently, women are being given second class citizenship across every country, and the United States is certainly no exception.  In the past seven years, US women have been given second-class status by the Bush Administration.  The Bush Admin has waged a war on women all over the world.  From denying women the right to abortion services in Charleston to denying women the right to basic birth control in Addis Ababa, the Bush policies have been atrocious and a gross violation of basic human rights.

And it isn't just George Bush that has expressed utter contempt for women all over the world.  Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega has an extreme anti-choice law that is estimated to have killed more than 12,000 pregnant women thus far in that country.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban -- one of the most misogynist groups around the world -- is making a comeback and I find that an astonishingly sad situation.  We had this group on the ropes back in 2001.  In Iran, crackdowns on what women wear have been happening annually since 1980.  In Saudi Arabia, women still (at last check) can't even drive.  An American woman was temporarily on death row in Oman.

In Canada, it is a criminal offense to work in the sex industry.  It has been this way for the past 16 years, thanks to Catherine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin.  That means that women who willfully work in the sex industry in Canada are committing a criminal offense.  A similar ban on the sex industry is being sought in Australia.  In the United Kingdom, they are attempting to ban nearly all abortions.  And some people in Brazil are pushing for constitutional amendments that would allow its government to treat women like property.

This list is just some of the things in various countries that have hurt women.  And by getting rid of these laws, we will make women free.

Welcome to Women's History Month!
Women's History Month began on Saturday. Here is my main gripe: most people know that February is African-American history month, but forget that March is Women's History Month. And if people think about it, Women's History is an extension to African-American History, since we are also celebrating the accomplishments of our African-American sistas out there, such as Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun.

Another gripe I have is that we celebrate African-American and Women's History for only 59 (or in the case of this year, 60) days out of the entire year and then just forget about it on April 1. What we need to be doing is celebrating African-American and Women's history every single day. And we also need to celebrate the historic accomplishments of Hispanics, Asian-Americans, Arab-Americans, and LGBT Americans -- all of whom do not have a month dedicated to their history.

Most Offensive Remark of the Day: Amy Dickinson tells women to hit their men with a 2 ?? 4
Topic: Offensive Remarks

[Cross-posted from my Blogspot, Aiken Area Progressive]

CHICAGO -- I've said it many times before and I'll say it again: gender jokes are never funny. But, Amy Dickinson's remark telling women to hit their husbands/boyfriends with a 2 × 4 when he is insulting the woman crosses the line and advocates violence against men:

I'm going to assume that this is more than affectionate teasing from your partner. If you are the object of humiliating put-downs, perhaps you are trying too hard to make him be sensitive to you when what he really needs is to be smacked with a 2-by-4.

The fact that this misandrist remark is coming from a relationship advice expert is appalling and disgusting at its very core. If a male relationship expert had given a man who is being the butt of his wife's/girlfriend's sexist jokes similar advice to what Amy gave this woman, then he would be (rightfully) castrated by women and the media.

This is, without a shout of a doubt, advocating violence against men and people who have the Ask Amy column in their papers can read between the lines and see that. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to find that out. Amy Dickinson is advocating violence against men with what she said in this column.

If you want to send a message that domestic violence will not be tolerated, call your local paper and demand that they get rid of the Ask Amy column. Or, if you're really feeling fiesty, send Amy your angry mail in her inbox at askamy@tribune.com or write her a letter the old fashioned way (see below) and tell her that you are outraged over her remark advising women to committ violence against men.

Ask Amy
Chicago Tribune TT500
435 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611

Jealous woman slaughters would-be father and ex
Topic: Assholes in the news

[cross-posted from my Blogspot, Aiken Area Progressive]

NEW YORK CITY -- A 34 year-old woman is in jail for maliciously killing her ex-boyfriend after he came to get his belongings. Via the New York Daily News (NY Daily News' story is in black).
 

If a Bronx woman couldn't have her young lover, she made sure no one else could, cops say.

Doomed Harry Ward, 22, showed up at Jackeline Brown's Tremont apartment Tuesday to collect his things and say goodbye to his 34-year-old ex, witnesses said.

But when Ward's new girlfriend, who is pregnant with his child, entered the home, Brown snapped and stabbed Ward to death, police said.

"I heard his piercing scream," said a neighbor who refused to give her name. "It went through to my bones."

Ward stumbled out the door, leaving a trail of blood from his chest, witnesses said. Brown, a mother of two, grabbed a towel and tried to stop the bleeding.

The pregnant woman "was fainting away, saying, 'That's my baby's daddy. That's my baby's daddy,'" the neighbor said.

Even as Ward was dying in the hallway, the women argued, witnesses said.

"He was breathing heavy, but he couldn't talk," said Edgar Guerrero, 15, who saw the fight. "They were both screaming about how she was pregnant. I was scared. I thought she was going to kill everybody." Brown told cops that Ward had arrived already stabbed, but they didn't buy her story. She was charged with murder and weapons possession.

I'm glad that NYPD didn't buy Ms. Brown's story. Her intent was clear and it was clear that she killed Mr. Ward in cold blood.

And all of the people who posted on the NY Daily News's boards should be ashamed of themselves. The misandrist assholes on the board were all blaming the victim for what this murderous woman did. Mr. Ward did nothing wrong. He was just packing up his stuff, about to leave.

Also, I don't want to hear things like the man shouldn't have brought his pregnant girlfriend to his ex's house. That is just an excuse for Ms. Brown's actions. She is a killer and she should be seen as such, not as this woman scorned. Condoning what Ms. Brown did is misandry at its worst.

Sacramento Kings cheerleaders' photos appear on the web

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento Kings cheerleaders were just having fun when their partying showed up on the web.  Via Fox News.

The Maloofs are pretty miffed over this. But what is even more sad is that some asshat took pics of these females without their permission.  I believe that the Kings were on the road when the cheerleaders came out to party.  This story has all the similarities of a story of a Texas High School cheerleading squad who posted pics of themselves on MySpace that was supposed to be fun, but ended with them drawing multiple days of OSS because of the pics.  The posting of the Sacramento cheerleaders pics by another asshat is meant to shame these women for acting like whores and sluts, the very slut-shaming that we fight against every day.  And one thing that I don't understand is why we as a society tell cheerleaders and other women to stay sane and sober when we should be telling these asshats with the cameras to stay sane and sober and leave the cameras at home?  The Sacramento Kings cheerleaders are not to blame for these pics going on the web.  The asshat(s) who posted these pics on the web are directly to blame for this fiasco.

Pretty damn sad that people can't have any fun without being embarassed by the media or some other asshole.

Taliban-like bill introduced in South Carolina
Topic: Misogynist Assholes

[Cross-posted from my Blogpost, Aiken Area Progressive]

COLUMBIA -- Just when you thought big government conservatives would really want to repair their image, the misogynist state legislatures here in my home state want to ban all abortions by stating that life begins at the point fertilization. And one of the most vocal supporters of this Taliban-like measure is none other than Mr. Taliban of South Carolina himself, Johnny Gardner. From The State (the newspaper's report in black):

<quote>

The abortion debate is heating up again this year at the State House with a new bill that asserts life begins at the moment of fertilization.

But others who attended the subcommittee meeting, including members of the S.C. Coalition for Healthy Families, say the bill threatens women’s access to birth control.

In particular, it might affect access to the morning-after pill, an
emergency contraceptive that is a high dose of the drug found in many regular birth control pills. Taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, it greatly reduces the risk of pregnancy.

“Do these lawmakers want to tell the women in their districts that
they’re denying them access to birth control?” said Brandi Parrish, coordinator and legislative liaison for the coalition.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Greg Delleney, R-Chester, said the subcommittee will get clarification from McMaster on whether and how the bill would affect birth control access before scheduling additional public hearings.

The bill is viewed by some as the latest attempt to chisel away at
abortion rights in the Palmetto State.

Last year, a bill was introduced that would have required a woman
seeking an abortion to view an ultrasound image of the fetus.

Thursday marked the fourth time the Right to Life bill has come before the House subcommittee. Last year, it made it out of the House but died in the Senate.

Some women, like Kathy Finger, of Columbia, say only pregnant women and those close to them have the right to decide whether an abortion is the right option.

In 2004, Finger, who was pregnant, learned she had cancer and needed chemotherapy to survive — a move that would hurt her fetus.

She opted to take a limited amount of chemotherapy drugs until after
the baby was born.

Today, Finger and her daughter are doing well.

“Myself, my husband, my family, we were the only ones who could decide what was best to do in our situation,” she said. “For anyone to presume to make the decision for us, that would be audaciously presumptuous.”

</quote>

I absolutely agree with Mrs. Kathy Finger.  The very people who are pushing for this so-called "Right to Life Act" are all men, all of whom can never get pregnant: Gov. Mark Sanford, AG Henry McMaster, Gardner, and state Rep. Greg Delleney. This is yet another attempt by the anti-choice lunatic fringe to rape women on the spot. The SC Coalition for Healthy Families is correct: this bill would outlaw birth control. And did anyone notice that this is a trigger law -- meaning that it would take effect should the Supreme Court strip what little rights women have left right out of our Constitution?

This bill is a blatant attempt by our state government to control women's bodies. And it must be stopped at all costs. The people of South Carolina have an obligation to defeat any and all measures by our state government to control women's bodies. And there is one co-incidence I found with the bill: it was introduced on Valentine's Day. We tell women that love don't have to hurt, but the state government sure don't want women to be free. I have posted about attempts by Colorado, Georgia, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Mississippi wanting to force its sharia laws on women. Other bloggers -- such as Cara from the Curvature -- have talked extensively about attempts in Missouri, North Dakota and Indiana by rogue state legislatures to put their sharia laws on women. All of these laws would allow the government to rape women. Forced pregnancy is rape. And these laws make the antis very similar to the Taliban.

We must change the faces of the people who make laws if we are going to assure that women are going to be free.

Get to know the real John McCain

WASHINGTON -- In case if you have missed anything, Sen. John McCain is still being painted as an independent by the media.  Fact is, he is no centrist, moderate or maverick.  He is a far-right ideologue.

Since becoming a Senator in 1987, Sen. McCain has voted for women's freedom zero percent of the time (out of 113 votes scored by every major women's group), making him staunchly anti-woman.  He is also anti-choice, voting only 3.4% of the time with NARAL.  Out of 117 votes, he has voted with NARAL only four times -- all four of those votes were on stem cell research.  In fact, since 1999, he has had a perfect (or imperfect) zero percent rating from every major women's group, including NARAL.

Here is the info on Sen. McCain here.

And Feministing's Ann "Fashionista" Friedman has a lot more on Sen. McCain's ultra-conservative record.

And then there is this: Planned Parenthood is airing ads on all DC radio stations telling people to quit listening to the not-so-straight talk coming from Sen. McCain and listen to his own words behind closed doors.