Expose and counterprotest the lies about birth control pills this Saturday!

[Cross-posted at Aiken Area Progressive]

The National Organization for Women's Kim Gandy has this urgent announcement for everybody:

Anti-contraception action is on the rise. On June 7, anti-woman forces will stage a national protest against birth control and NOW will be there to counter their campaign of misinformation and lies. Here is what the American Life League and the the "Pill Kills" campaign is saying:

"Because the pill weakens the immune system, it can cause bacterial infections and can make a woman more susceptible to the AIDS virus."

"...the most popular form of birth control, the pill, can kill innocent preborn children. If there is a chance that human beings are going to be murdered, I am going to do everything in my power to help prevent that from happening."

"[T]he condom's biggest flaw is that those using it to prevent the conception of another human being are offending God." It continues, "furthermore, each and every act of marital intercourse must be both unitive and open to procreation. Any action, including condom use, which has as its purpose to render procreation impossible is intrinsically evil."

Visit The Pill Kills website to learn more about the lies.

The NOW National Action Center is calling on you to mobilize a local protest to tell the truth and protect birth control.

WHEN: Saturday, June 7

WHERE: Local clinics that will be under siege by the terrorists in the American Life League: 1289 Broad Street in Augusta, Georgia; 2712 Middleburg Drive in Columbia; and 44 B Lee Boulevard in Savannah.

For more on which clinics are under siege by the terrorists outside of the CSRA, look at the map here.

MMA program shouldn't have aired on CBS or any other broadcast nework

[Edited and Cross-posted from Aiken Area Progressive]

NEW YORK CITY -- "EliteXC Saturday Night Fights" as you all may well know aired on CBS on Saturday night and I have to say that it was very inappropriate to air an event that violent on broadcast TV before 22:00.

And it seems like some people agree with me on this one.  Brian Burwell has an editorial up blasting the program's airing on broadcast TV.  Here is some of what he wrote:

The MMA apologists call that its appeal. I call that its fatal flaw. Mixed Martial Arts wants the world to sanction its underworld barbarism as legitimate. But no matter which form of this "sport" you look at, it ought to be hard to stomach for anyone with even the faintest grain of civility.

This crazed, unrestrained violence allows men with thinly padded leather on their fists to pummel each other nonstop, even when your opponent is on the ground. It allows you to knee your opponent in the groin, then while he's prone on the ground, pound him in the head, choke him, or squeeze his torso with your legs locked around him, attempting to rupture kidneys and squeeze the air out of lungs.

I've complained about this before, and predictably the MMA loyalists say I'm a hopelessly behind-the-times boxing apologist who couldn't stand the idea that the sweet science had been replaced by a better action sport.

Not exactly. Boxing's decline has nothing to do with a lack of raw action. It has more to do with a void in the great talent that once dominated the sport. All I want is for someone to realize what a distasteful freak show mixed martial arts is in this bastardized form. What I want is for sane folks to slow down this gradual slide into a post-Apocalypic haze in which the worst elements of human nature are sanctioned and celebrated. What I want is for us to stop glorifying the most deviant aspects of our own personalities, the ones in which pit bulls, roosters and human beings can be gored, gouged and brutalized for sport, and where intelligence is a fault and the dumbing down of our society is considered a point of pride.

But sadly, instead of halting the slide, CBS is driving the bus directly into the cultural abyss by putting this on national television for the first time, instead of allowing it to wallow in a corner on cable TV with all the other cartoonish "reality" fare.

Ultimate fighting and all the other ultimate fighting leagues want the world to embrace their bloody human cockfighting as a replacement for boxing as a real combat sport, and now they have CBS as a co-conspirator in this fraud. They reason that the world has proclaimed them as legitimate, simply because their barbarism is now on network television.

Television doesn't automatically legitimize you. It's the electronic version of the ladder. The higher you climb, the more of your rear end we can see.

Mr. Burwell described society's problem exactly down to the nitty-gritty: blatant violence on TV. Which is why I have a problem with CBS airing this. Which is why I have an even bigger beef with people who complain about the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show -- a very harmless fashion show -- yet they don't have a problem with stuff like this. How many people have died during the six VS Fashion Shows? Zero. How many men have been stilettoed in the nuts by the VS supermodels in the six airings of the fashion show? Zero. How many people have died from MMA in the last 12 years? Two. Go figure.

Viacom could have done better by airing this on MTV, BET, Spike or CMT. But by choosing CBS to air this, they have lost all credibility.

Unlike the Janet Jackson Super Bowl from four and a third years ago, this is definitely deserving of an FCC fine.

Sex and the City in New York City today, everywhere else tommorrow
Topic: Movies

NEW YORK CITY -- Either you love it or you hate it.

And no, it is not a chick flick, because it is rated R (all chick flicks are rated either PG or PG-13).

Sex and the City is based off the HBO series of the same name, which ended at about this time in 2004 after six successful seasons.  It revolves around four single Manhattan-area women: Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and my favorite Samantha (Kim Catrall).

Most of the things in the movie is what you seen on the television show.  Among the new things that happen is that the characters get married (I won't tell you when that happens in the movie, you'll have to see that for yourself).

I don't know why my gender is so turned off by this movie.  I think it is a must-see for everyone here in America.

FINAL RATING: Five stars out of five stars.

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.