11 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Winners of The Let's Move! Video Challenge
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10 Temmuz 2012 Salı
Chefs For Obama: Top Talent Will Cook At Tasty DC Fundraiser For President Obama
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First Lady Michelle Obama To Host Luncheon Celebrating 2012 National Design Awards
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9 Temmuz 2012 Pazartesi
Live-Tweeting an Abortion
To contact us Click HERE
This post was written on September 30th, 2010 for AbortionGang.org.
It’s time to welcome abortion into the public world.
What? Abortion is already in the public world, you say? Politicians have positions on it, activists blog about it and laws are made yearly to restrict it.
Well, now abortion is getting even more personal. A couple of women have decided that writing about their experience on websites like thanksabortion.com or imnotsorry.net just isn’t cutting it. They have decided, instead, to tweet their abortion experience.
Being able to tweet your abortion is fairly new. As more and more women opt to use mifepristone, the abortion pill, instead of a surgical abortion, there is more of an option to share what is happening. Of course, it isn’t just the abortion itself which these brave women are sharing, but also the process.
A new twitter account called AbortionReality has just shown up, to take us through the process of obtaining and having an abortion. Already she has tweeted about the difficulty of finding the funds to afford an abortion, as well as locating a clinic which provides abortions. Another user, antitheistangie, was the first to publicly tweet her abortion. Now AbortionReality follows her down this public path.
No doubt, there will be many different reactions to people reading her tweets. Antichoicers are already trying to convince her not to have an abortion. Ironically, they are telling her “don’t just listen to one side.” At the same time, they refuse to accept her reasoning (which she shouldn’t even have to give). Prochoicers, from what I have seen, have mostly been giving her support. Which is great because regardless of our political views or job or marital status, women who have abortions are women who need support from the prochoice community. 1 in 3 US women have an abortion sometime in their lifetimes, but it’s not a label worn on the sleeve most of the time. Pro-choice activists can fill that gap by supporting women who are open about their abortions.
But not every prochoicer feels the same way. Some pro-choice folks keep to the philosophy that abortion is a personal, private matter- and therefore it shouldn’t be shared on the internet publically. I absolutely believe that these people have a right to their opinions. I also think they can still support women who abort while wishing they kept it private.
I personally think that tweeting an abortion can be a great way to show people outside the prochoice movement how difficult it is to obtain an abortion. Recent surveys show that many people believe it’s too easy obtain an abortion right now. We need to show the reality and educate people. Between the Hyde Amendment, blocks on insurance paying for abortions, waiting periods, forced ultrasounds and sidewalk harassment, many women find it extremely difficult to obtain a legal abortion. That’s why some people are turning to DIY abortions- with cow medication or trying to fall down stairs. These types of things need to be prevented by stopping and removing the outrageous and unnecessary restrictions on abortion.
The first step to remove them is to open up the eyes of the public. AbortionReality is doing just that.
It’s time to welcome abortion into the public world.
What? Abortion is already in the public world, you say? Politicians have positions on it, activists blog about it and laws are made yearly to restrict it.
Well, now abortion is getting even more personal. A couple of women have decided that writing about their experience on websites like thanksabortion.com or imnotsorry.net just isn’t cutting it. They have decided, instead, to tweet their abortion experience.
Being able to tweet your abortion is fairly new. As more and more women opt to use mifepristone, the abortion pill, instead of a surgical abortion, there is more of an option to share what is happening. Of course, it isn’t just the abortion itself which these brave women are sharing, but also the process.
A new twitter account called AbortionReality has just shown up, to take us through the process of obtaining and having an abortion. Already she has tweeted about the difficulty of finding the funds to afford an abortion, as well as locating a clinic which provides abortions. Another user, antitheistangie, was the first to publicly tweet her abortion. Now AbortionReality follows her down this public path.
No doubt, there will be many different reactions to people reading her tweets. Antichoicers are already trying to convince her not to have an abortion. Ironically, they are telling her “don’t just listen to one side.” At the same time, they refuse to accept her reasoning (which she shouldn’t even have to give). Prochoicers, from what I have seen, have mostly been giving her support. Which is great because regardless of our political views or job or marital status, women who have abortions are women who need support from the prochoice community. 1 in 3 US women have an abortion sometime in their lifetimes, but it’s not a label worn on the sleeve most of the time. Pro-choice activists can fill that gap by supporting women who are open about their abortions.
But not every prochoicer feels the same way. Some pro-choice folks keep to the philosophy that abortion is a personal, private matter- and therefore it shouldn’t be shared on the internet publically. I absolutely believe that these people have a right to their opinions. I also think they can still support women who abort while wishing they kept it private.
I personally think that tweeting an abortion can be a great way to show people outside the prochoice movement how difficult it is to obtain an abortion. Recent surveys show that many people believe it’s too easy obtain an abortion right now. We need to show the reality and educate people. Between the Hyde Amendment, blocks on insurance paying for abortions, waiting periods, forced ultrasounds and sidewalk harassment, many women find it extremely difficult to obtain a legal abortion. That’s why some people are turning to DIY abortions- with cow medication or trying to fall down stairs. These types of things need to be prevented by stopping and removing the outrageous and unnecessary restrictions on abortion.
The first step to remove them is to open up the eyes of the public. AbortionReality is doing just that.
Anti-Choicers Live Outside of Reality
To contact us Click HERE
This post was originally written on October 20th, 2010 for AbortionGang.org.
Sometimes, when you have two different groups of people on different sides of an issue, you can explain their differences by saying that they come from different backgrounds or that they start off with a different set of assumptions. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the issue of abortion.
The differences among prochoicers and antichoicers is whether one supports and lives in reality or not.*
Of course, this has been obvious for a long time. One very common anti=choice lie which has no base in reality is claiming that abortion is murder. Abortion is clearly not murder but that wont stop anti-choicers from claiming it is- over and over and over. This is an obvious separation from reality. Even when given the facts, which clearly demonstrate that abortion is not murder, they will still disagree.
Another anti-choice claim that is false is that the majority of (if not all) women regret their abortions. Now, anti-choicers not only ignore the established fact that most women feel relief and not regret after an abortion, but they’ve even gone ahead and tried to make their own reality by publishing non-reviewed articles on their websites and blogs.
There are other anti-choice beliefs which obviously have no place in the real world- like the idea that all pro-choice women hate babies, or all pro-choice women abort.
But recently, anti-choicers* have gone even farther. There is a website that I’ve recently learned about called Ignore Roe. The concept is, as stated, that they believe everyone should just ignore Roe v Wade- as if it never happened. Via their homepage:
Just like that- taking reality and making it disappear. Or trying, at least. Thankfully, most anti-choicers (at least the ones I know) recognize that abortion is currently legal (even if they hate the fact). But the question is will this movement of ignoring established law spread?
Antichoice clinic harassers constantly ignore law, like the FACE Act. Will they be the first ones to ignore Roe? Or have they already? The murderers among the clinic harassers, such as Roeder, seemed to have decided to ignore Roe and take the law into their own hands.
How can anti-choicers be convinced to live in reality, and to accept reality? Factual evidence will not work unless the opposition is willing to accept real facts. Rational, logical discussion does not work unless both people or groups are willing to accept reality.
* Obviously this does not apply to every single individual antichoicer.
Sometimes, when you have two different groups of people on different sides of an issue, you can explain their differences by saying that they come from different backgrounds or that they start off with a different set of assumptions. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the issue of abortion.
The differences among prochoicers and antichoicers is whether one supports and lives in reality or not.*
Of course, this has been obvious for a long time. One very common anti=choice lie which has no base in reality is claiming that abortion is murder. Abortion is clearly not murder but that wont stop anti-choicers from claiming it is- over and over and over. This is an obvious separation from reality. Even when given the facts, which clearly demonstrate that abortion is not murder, they will still disagree.
Another anti-choice claim that is false is that the majority of (if not all) women regret their abortions. Now, anti-choicers not only ignore the established fact that most women feel relief and not regret after an abortion, but they’ve even gone ahead and tried to make their own reality by publishing non-reviewed articles on their websites and blogs.
There are other anti-choice beliefs which obviously have no place in the real world- like the idea that all pro-choice women hate babies, or all pro-choice women abort.
But recently, anti-choicers* have gone even farther. There is a website that I’ve recently learned about called Ignore Roe. The concept is, as stated, that they believe everyone should just ignore Roe v Wade- as if it never happened. Via their homepage:
We begin with the premise that abortion is not legal, and can never BE legal, because abortion is the taking of innocent life, i.e. murder. Murder can never be legalized.
Just like that- taking reality and making it disappear. Or trying, at least. Thankfully, most anti-choicers (at least the ones I know) recognize that abortion is currently legal (even if they hate the fact). But the question is will this movement of ignoring established law spread?
Antichoice clinic harassers constantly ignore law, like the FACE Act. Will they be the first ones to ignore Roe? Or have they already? The murderers among the clinic harassers, such as Roeder, seemed to have decided to ignore Roe and take the law into their own hands.
How can anti-choicers be convinced to live in reality, and to accept reality? Factual evidence will not work unless the opposition is willing to accept real facts. Rational, logical discussion does not work unless both people or groups are willing to accept reality.
* Obviously this does not apply to every single individual antichoicer.
Birth Control Matters
To contact us Click HERE
This post was originally written on November 9th, 2010 for AbortionGang.org.
The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was labeled a comedy event. But for some of the attendants, it was a chance to get out their message and find more support among the general public.
Planned Parenthood was one such group. Now, if you were anti-choice, you might think Planned Parenthood was out there promoting abortion. The truth is, Planned Parenthood was out there doing work which will ultimately prevent abortions. Planned Parenthood was trying to get more support for birth control. And not just any birth control, but free birth control!
Planned Parenthood currently has a campaign running called “Birth Control Matters.” This is a petition in favor of birth control being available for FREE under the new health care law. The health care bill has a prevention provision which requires new insurance plans to cover preventative health care for free. This is the perfect spot for birth control coverage- because birth control prevents unplanned and unwanted pregnancies.
Lots of people were wearing the Planned Parenthood “BC Matters” sticker at the rally, even though the crowd far exceeded expectations. You can see one such gentleman wearing the sticker here.
The Reproductive Rights movement isn’t just about abortion. While a legal right to obtain birth control is very important, Planned Parenthood reminds us that a legal right doesn’t help someone who can’t afford their prescription. Birth control can be expensive. Some people pay $900 or more without insurance. With insurance, people can still be paying $200 or more for pills. For a single mom who’s working two jobs just to pay the rent and feed her children, that might be too much money. For a teenager who’s parents wont let her have a job, that might be too much money. For a middle aged women who just lost her job, that might be too much money.
Planned Parenthood cares about women. If you do as well, I’d like to request that you take two seconds and sign the Birth Control Matters petition.
The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was labeled a comedy event. But for some of the attendants, it was a chance to get out their message and find more support among the general public.
Planned Parenthood was one such group. Now, if you were anti-choice, you might think Planned Parenthood was out there promoting abortion. The truth is, Planned Parenthood was out there doing work which will ultimately prevent abortions. Planned Parenthood was trying to get more support for birth control. And not just any birth control, but free birth control!
Planned Parenthood currently has a campaign running called “Birth Control Matters.” This is a petition in favor of birth control being available for FREE under the new health care law. The health care bill has a prevention provision which requires new insurance plans to cover preventative health care for free. This is the perfect spot for birth control coverage- because birth control prevents unplanned and unwanted pregnancies.
Lots of people were wearing the Planned Parenthood “BC Matters” sticker at the rally, even though the crowd far exceeded expectations. You can see one such gentleman wearing the sticker here.
The Reproductive Rights movement isn’t just about abortion. While a legal right to obtain birth control is very important, Planned Parenthood reminds us that a legal right doesn’t help someone who can’t afford their prescription. Birth control can be expensive. Some people pay $900 or more without insurance. With insurance, people can still be paying $200 or more for pills. For a single mom who’s working two jobs just to pay the rent and feed her children, that might be too much money. For a teenager who’s parents wont let her have a job, that might be too much money. For a middle aged women who just lost her job, that might be too much money.
Planned Parenthood cares about women. If you do as well, I’d like to request that you take two seconds and sign the Birth Control Matters petition.
Who Deserves to Have a Baby?
To contact us Click HERE
This post was originally written on November 30th, 2010 for AbortionGang.org.
It’s always interesting to look into the mind of an anti and see what they believe. The latest thing I’ve noticed is that antis have a very, very strange view of who will make good parents. Many antichoice harassers will stand outside a clinic and tell any woman walking in (whether there for a pap or an abortion consult) that she would make a great mom. They tell her she deserves to be a mother and will instantly fall in love at birth.
Yet at the same time, a woman with a wanted pregnancy who has gone through fertility issues and miscarriages, who has researched the development of her fetus and given him a name, who has never stepped foot in or near a clinic- this woman they believe would make a horrible mother. So horrible in fact that they think her infant, once born, should be removed from her and placed up for adoption. Others have suggested that the mother has an emotional or mental illness that needs to be looked into.
For instance, Kristen on JillStanek’s post says
Aengus O’Shaughnessy replies,
Jennifer agrees:
What made antichoicers hate this Glenn-Beck-loving woman so much that they want to take her child away by force? The simply fact that her husband put up a hoax website inviting people to vote on whether they would abort the pregnancy or not. Both prochoice and antichoice [Warning, link is to Jill Stanek] websites have proven the vote is a hoax. The couple wants people to consider how important voting is.
While I can understand an antichoicer being upset about voting on abortion, I cannot wrap my mind around the idea that anti-choicers believe it is worse than actually going to get an abortion. The only answer which looks logical from my point of view is that antis do not really want women who abort to be moms- they’re just so desperate to avoid abortion that they’ll lie to women at the clinic. This idea,unfortunately, does not lack proof.
A number of women, including young women, have been forced and coerced into adoption by antichoice organizations. These organizations belittle and mentally abuse pregnant women into thinking they are worthless and unable to be mothers. They lie to women about being unable to care for an infant without a college education, a full time job, or a family to back her up (only, of course, after she’s passed the legal limit to abort).
The truth is anti-choicers don’t want pro-choice people or women who abort or even women who have considered abortion to be parents. They believe these people don’t deserve to be mothers or fathers and should have their children taken away, to be given to a “better” family.
Regardless of who the anti-choicers believe are acceptable parents, their wish that pro-choice people not be allowed to have children is cruel and wrong. Women deserve to be mothers when they want to be mothers, and not forced to give up a child just because they’re poor or uneducated or not Caucasian. Choosing to parent is just that- a parent’s choice. No one should have the right to deny a person their choice to parent.
It’s always interesting to look into the mind of an anti and see what they believe. The latest thing I’ve noticed is that antis have a very, very strange view of who will make good parents. Many antichoice harassers will stand outside a clinic and tell any woman walking in (whether there for a pap or an abortion consult) that she would make a great mom. They tell her she deserves to be a mother and will instantly fall in love at birth.
Yet at the same time, a woman with a wanted pregnancy who has gone through fertility issues and miscarriages, who has researched the development of her fetus and given him a name, who has never stepped foot in or near a clinic- this woman they believe would make a horrible mother. So horrible in fact that they think her infant, once born, should be removed from her and placed up for adoption. Others have suggested that the mother has an emotional or mental illness that needs to be looked into.
For instance, Kristen on JillStanek’s post says
“I think they should give the baby up for adoption – they are obviously not good parents.”
Aengus O’Shaughnessy replies,
“Kristen, you are absolutely correct–these people should give the poor child to someone who will raise it properly.”
Jennifer agrees:
“The bottom line is these people are already terrible, terrible parents and they don’t deserve this baby. Lord Jesus, have mercy on this innocent child and save him from his own parents. How sick and disgusting this is.”
What made antichoicers hate this Glenn-Beck-loving woman so much that they want to take her child away by force? The simply fact that her husband put up a hoax website inviting people to vote on whether they would abort the pregnancy or not. Both prochoice and antichoice [Warning, link is to Jill Stanek] websites have proven the vote is a hoax. The couple wants people to consider how important voting is.
While I can understand an antichoicer being upset about voting on abortion, I cannot wrap my mind around the idea that anti-choicers believe it is worse than actually going to get an abortion. The only answer which looks logical from my point of view is that antis do not really want women who abort to be moms- they’re just so desperate to avoid abortion that they’ll lie to women at the clinic. This idea,unfortunately, does not lack proof.
A number of women, including young women, have been forced and coerced into adoption by antichoice organizations. These organizations belittle and mentally abuse pregnant women into thinking they are worthless and unable to be mothers. They lie to women about being unable to care for an infant without a college education, a full time job, or a family to back her up (only, of course, after she’s passed the legal limit to abort).
The truth is anti-choicers don’t want pro-choice people or women who abort or even women who have considered abortion to be parents. They believe these people don’t deserve to be mothers or fathers and should have their children taken away, to be given to a “better” family.
Regardless of who the anti-choicers believe are acceptable parents, their wish that pro-choice people not be allowed to have children is cruel and wrong. Women deserve to be mothers when they want to be mothers, and not forced to give up a child just because they’re poor or uneducated or not Caucasian. Choosing to parent is just that- a parent’s choice. No one should have the right to deny a person their choice to parent.
Antis Will Not Take Responsibility.
To contact us Click HERE
This post was originally posted on AbortionGang.org.
Antichoicers are always talking about how women need to take responsibility. They say women should take responsibility for avoiding pregnancy either by not having sex or using contraceptives (though only a few mention the latter). They say women who are pregnant have to take responsibility by carrying to term (never mind that having an abortion is taking responsibility). They attack women who they deem have not taken responsibility (women who abort, women who get pregnant, women who get pregnant while taking birth control, etc).
But do antichoicers apply their strict brand of responsibility to themselves? Of course not.
Some anti-choicers and anti-choice groups have decided to attack Dr. Carhart as he works in a Maryland clinic. Their goal is to have Dr. Carhart kicked out of the building by the other businesses there because of the protesting. The anti-choicers figure if they hurt the other businesses enough by making a big deal with their fake abortion pictures, the businesses will think it is Dr. Carhart’s fault and ask him to leave.
But we all know, the actions and signs of the protestors are not Dr. Carhart’s fault. He did not force any of the protestors to stand outside his clinic. This is simply a case of the anti-choicers refusing to take responsibility. They even practically say so themselves!
Source
“Pointing the finger at Carhart.” The anti-choicers are acting like children, pointing their finger and saying “it’s his fault!” even when they are to blame. They refuse to acknowledge that THEY are the ones bringing unwanted attention to the building complex. They refuse to take responsibility for the fact that THEY are the ones waving giant fake abortion pictures all over, making people uncomfortable. If the women of Maryland did not want Dr. Carhart’s services, he would not be there. But they do need his services, and he is there- quietly and respectfully, inside the clinic.
Anti-choicers need to take responsibility for their actions, and own up to the fact that they are the ones causing all the chaos in Maryland. Anti-choicers are the ones who are harming women trying to obtain a legal medical procedure.
Antichoicers are always talking about how women need to take responsibility. They say women should take responsibility for avoiding pregnancy either by not having sex or using contraceptives (though only a few mention the latter). They say women who are pregnant have to take responsibility by carrying to term (never mind that having an abortion is taking responsibility). They attack women who they deem have not taken responsibility (women who abort, women who get pregnant, women who get pregnant while taking birth control, etc).
But do antichoicers apply their strict brand of responsibility to themselves? Of course not.
Some anti-choicers and anti-choice groups have decided to attack Dr. Carhart as he works in a Maryland clinic. Their goal is to have Dr. Carhart kicked out of the building by the other businesses there because of the protesting. The anti-choicers figure if they hurt the other businesses enough by making a big deal with their fake abortion pictures, the businesses will think it is Dr. Carhart’s fault and ask him to leave.
But we all know, the actions and signs of the protestors are not Dr. Carhart’s fault. He did not force any of the protestors to stand outside his clinic. This is simply a case of the anti-choicers refusing to take responsibility. They even practically say so themselves!
“Mahoney said he’s not bringing unwanted attention to Germantown and all of Maryland, instead pointing the finger at Carhart.”
Source
“Pointing the finger at Carhart.” The anti-choicers are acting like children, pointing their finger and saying “it’s his fault!” even when they are to blame. They refuse to acknowledge that THEY are the ones bringing unwanted attention to the building complex. They refuse to take responsibility for the fact that THEY are the ones waving giant fake abortion pictures all over, making people uncomfortable. If the women of Maryland did not want Dr. Carhart’s services, he would not be there. But they do need his services, and he is there- quietly and respectfully, inside the clinic.
Anti-choicers need to take responsibility for their actions, and own up to the fact that they are the ones causing all the chaos in Maryland. Anti-choicers are the ones who are harming women trying to obtain a legal medical procedure.
8 Temmuz 2012 Pazar
Cooking Class at Sur La Table, Practiced at DC Central Kitchen
To contact us Click HERE
With all the restaurants we go to, you might be surprised to learn that we eat at home a lot and love to cook. When it comes to cooking, it hasn't been all smooth sailing for me. I grew up as a picky eater who preferred dumping Ranch dressing on my food to trying new things. Until we moved to DC, my idea of cooking was pouring something frozen from Trader Joe's into a wok (confession: I still love TJ's frozen food!), heating it up, and putting it on a plate. I was completely petrified of fresh vegetables and anything that wasn't pre-cut. I didn't even know how to hold a knife, much less julienne something.
I watched my mother-in-law cook amazing meals and bake tons of desserts and just sort of froze at the thought of being compared to her. When your husband grows up with homemade everything, you want to homemake nothing. But, as my interest in food increased, I started to realize that a part of me secretly wanted to be a good home cook.
I adopted Julia Child's "don't be afraid" motto, put on an Iron Chef apron, and started to experiment. I started really slowly with recipes from Real Simple that I would not alter even when B commented that the dish was under-seasoned and needed salt. "It's not in the recipe!" I would say. I eventually became brave enough to start adding my own seasoning and going off the script if I didn't have all of the ingredients that Real Simple told me I needed. I finally began to shed my Real Simple crutch and tackled more challenging recipes. While there were a few miscues here and there (and maybe some tears), I began to grow more confident with each meal.
Despite my growing confidence, I still found myself hacking the crap out of vegetables because I didn't know the first thing about how to properly use a knife. I decided to go to the pros and signed us up for a knife skills intro class at Sur La Table in Pentagon Row. Our very friendly (and not at all scary) instructor M.J. taught us a ton of useful tips from proper knife holding, to how to attack tough items (pineapple, tomatoes, squash, etc.), to how to care for your knives.
Ready to put our new skillz to the test, we signed up (through One Brick) to volunteer at the D.C. Central Kitchen. The DCCK deserves its own post on the amazing things it is doing to feed D.C.'s hungry masses and give people job skills to enable them to work in the culinary field. It's a magical place and we were happy to get to spend a morning there.
They put us right to work peeling and chopping a giant vat of onions. B and I teamed up (he peeled while I chopped, then we switched) and flew through about 200 pounds of onions in a few hours. We were a lean, mean onion cutting machine! With each onion I grew a little bit more confident and a little faster. By the time we walked out the DCCK doors (with a pair of matching blisters), I was ready to jump back in my kitchen and cook up a storm.
I'm no Julia Child, but thanks to Sur La Table and DCCK, I'm a small step closer to being the confident cook I hope to be.
Second Thoughts from B
I hate to admit it but I was spoiled growing up... at least when it comes to food. Every meal was made from scratch, from the french toast in the morning to the lemon tart at night. I grew up thinking that everyone was as skilled in the kitchen as my mother. Fortunately, not everyone loves cooking as much as she does, so when it came to finding a sous chef, I was the only choice (let's just say my father has been blessed with skills that don't involve the kitchen). The result is that I enjoy cooking and am comfortable doing so. I wouldn't go so far to say that I have any talent for it, but I can follow a recipe.
When J and I first started dating, I always felt that I had cooking as a way to impress her. Now, however, I have to admit that her abilities have exceeded mine. It is humbling, but also wonderful to see her confidence grow. Cooking is a regular part of our lives and we've had great fun learning together (for more on cooking classes, see here and here). It has gotten to the point that I think it is fair to say that an enjoyable Sunday afternoon for us involves several hours in the kitchen together.
About once a month, this Sunday cooking session involves me making a huge vat of pasta sauce. Since I'm my mother's son, I'm proud to say that it is completely from scratch which means a lot of time chopping garlic, onions, carrots, celery, etc. Needless to say, taking the time to learn proper technique and getting the chance to practice has saved me a lot of time. That we were able to feed some people at the same time is a pretty awesome bonus.
Learning how to chop a vegetable might not be as glamorous as taking a pie making class, but there's nothing better for accelerating your abilities in the kitchen. Sur La Table is a great place to start but as anyone will tell you, practice makes perfect. It may feel weird at first and result in a blister or two, but trust me, it'll be worth it. So instead of buying 100 pounds of onions and making your home stink for a week, run down to DCCK and do some good for the community... just make sure to bring a Bandaid or two.
I watched my mother-in-law cook amazing meals and bake tons of desserts and just sort of froze at the thought of being compared to her. When your husband grows up with homemade everything, you want to homemake nothing. But, as my interest in food increased, I started to realize that a part of me secretly wanted to be a good home cook.
I adopted Julia Child's "don't be afraid" motto, put on an Iron Chef apron, and started to experiment. I started really slowly with recipes from Real Simple that I would not alter even when B commented that the dish was under-seasoned and needed salt. "It's not in the recipe!" I would say. I eventually became brave enough to start adding my own seasoning and going off the script if I didn't have all of the ingredients that Real Simple told me I needed. I finally began to shed my Real Simple crutch and tackled more challenging recipes. While there were a few miscues here and there (and maybe some tears), I began to grow more confident with each meal.
Despite my growing confidence, I still found myself hacking the crap out of vegetables because I didn't know the first thing about how to properly use a knife. I decided to go to the pros and signed us up for a knife skills intro class at Sur La Table in Pentagon Row. Our very friendly (and not at all scary) instructor M.J. taught us a ton of useful tips from proper knife holding, to how to attack tough items (pineapple, tomatoes, squash, etc.), to how to care for your knives.
Ready to put our new skillz to the test, we signed up (through One Brick) to volunteer at the D.C. Central Kitchen. The DCCK deserves its own post on the amazing things it is doing to feed D.C.'s hungry masses and give people job skills to enable them to work in the culinary field. It's a magical place and we were happy to get to spend a morning there.They put us right to work peeling and chopping a giant vat of onions. B and I teamed up (he peeled while I chopped, then we switched) and flew through about 200 pounds of onions in a few hours. We were a lean, mean onion cutting machine! With each onion I grew a little bit more confident and a little faster. By the time we walked out the DCCK doors (with a pair of matching blisters), I was ready to jump back in my kitchen and cook up a storm.
I'm no Julia Child, but thanks to Sur La Table and DCCK, I'm a small step closer to being the confident cook I hope to be.
Second Thoughts from B
I hate to admit it but I was spoiled growing up... at least when it comes to food. Every meal was made from scratch, from the french toast in the morning to the lemon tart at night. I grew up thinking that everyone was as skilled in the kitchen as my mother. Fortunately, not everyone loves cooking as much as she does, so when it came to finding a sous chef, I was the only choice (let's just say my father has been blessed with skills that don't involve the kitchen). The result is that I enjoy cooking and am comfortable doing so. I wouldn't go so far to say that I have any talent for it, but I can follow a recipe.
When J and I first started dating, I always felt that I had cooking as a way to impress her. Now, however, I have to admit that her abilities have exceeded mine. It is humbling, but also wonderful to see her confidence grow. Cooking is a regular part of our lives and we've had great fun learning together (for more on cooking classes, see here and here). It has gotten to the point that I think it is fair to say that an enjoyable Sunday afternoon for us involves several hours in the kitchen together.
About once a month, this Sunday cooking session involves me making a huge vat of pasta sauce. Since I'm my mother's son, I'm proud to say that it is completely from scratch which means a lot of time chopping garlic, onions, carrots, celery, etc. Needless to say, taking the time to learn proper technique and getting the chance to practice has saved me a lot of time. That we were able to feed some people at the same time is a pretty awesome bonus.
Learning how to chop a vegetable might not be as glamorous as taking a pie making class, but there's nothing better for accelerating your abilities in the kitchen. Sur La Table is a great place to start but as anyone will tell you, practice makes perfect. It may feel weird at first and result in a blister or two, but trust me, it'll be worth it. So instead of buying 100 pounds of onions and making your home stink for a week, run down to DCCK and do some good for the community... just make sure to bring a Bandaid or two.
Marine Barracks Parade
To contact us Click HERE
Check another one off of the DC Bucket List! Every Friday night during the summer months, the Marine Barracks Washington (also known as "8th and I" due to its location) hosts a public Evening Parade featuring the U.S. Marine Band, U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the Marine Corps Color Guard, the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, Ceremonial Marchers, and LCpl. Chesty XIII, the official mascot of Marine Barracks Washington (a bulldog).
The one hour and fifteen minute event is packed with great hats (above) and patriotic tunes (below).
We were in awe of the precision and discipline of the hundreds of marching Marines...
and spellbound by the skill of the Silent Drill Platoon.
If you want to get in on the patriotic action, you can go online and request a free ticket here. There are still slots left for July and August, but don't delay! We booked online in March for a reservation in May. If you can't plan that far ahead, you can show up at the General Admission line at the Main Gate and take your chances that they'll have room for you once the ticketed groups have been seated.
Don't miss your chance to view one of DC's best free hidden gems.
Second Thoughts from B
My mother loves pomp and circumstance more than anyone I know. Much more. She is the one person who looks forward to those interminable graduation ceremonies just because that means she'll get to hear an extra 45 minutes of the graduation march. Add highly decorated uniforms and intricately choreographed rifle tossing to the military band's soundtrack, and she's more giddy than a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert.
I can't say that J or I share my mother's immense enthusiasm, but we sure appreciate the pageantry, precision, and patriotism of the Marine Corps that is on display every Friday night. But putting all alliteration aside (see what I did there!), you can't call yourself a Washingtonian until you've spent a night at 8th and I. In many ways, our city is built on a long history of proud military tradition. To get a chance to celebrate it through live music on a warm summer night makes you pull those shoulders back, stand up straight, and be proud of your country. Or maybe that's just the influence of the latest Chevy commercial. Either way, the Evening Parade is just one more (free!) thing that makes DC a special place.
Check another one off of the DC Bucket List! Every Friday night during the summer months, the Marine Barracks Washington (also known as "8th and I" due to its location) hosts a public Evening Parade featuring the U.S. Marine Band, U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the Marine Corps Color Guard, the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, Ceremonial Marchers, and LCpl. Chesty XIII, the official mascot of Marine Barracks Washington (a bulldog).
The one hour and fifteen minute event is packed with great hats (above) and patriotic tunes (below).
We were in awe of the precision and discipline of the hundreds of marching Marines...and spellbound by the skill of the Silent Drill Platoon.
If you want to get in on the patriotic action, you can go online and request a free ticket here. There are still slots left for July and August, but don't delay! We booked online in March for a reservation in May. If you can't plan that far ahead, you can show up at the General Admission line at the Main Gate and take your chances that they'll have room for you once the ticketed groups have been seated.Don't miss your chance to view one of DC's best free hidden gems.Second Thoughts from B
My mother loves pomp and circumstance more than anyone I know. Much more. She is the one person who looks forward to those interminable graduation ceremonies just because that means she'll get to hear an extra 45 minutes of the graduation march. Add highly decorated uniforms and intricately choreographed rifle tossing to the military band's soundtrack, and she's more giddy than a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert.
I can't say that J or I share my mother's immense enthusiasm, but we sure appreciate the pageantry, precision, and patriotism of the Marine Corps that is on display every Friday night. But putting all alliteration aside (see what I did there!), you can't call yourself a Washingtonian until you've spent a night at 8th and I. In many ways, our city is built on a long history of proud military tradition. To get a chance to celebrate it through live music on a warm summer night makes you pull those shoulders back, stand up straight, and be proud of your country. Or maybe that's just the influence of the latest Chevy commercial. Either way, the Evening Parade is just one more (free!) thing that makes DC a special place.
Ming's
To contact us Click HERE
We're like a broken record telling you that you can't find great Chinese food on DC's Chinablock. This article in the Washington City Paper made me wonder if we were missing something. If big name chefs like Mike Isabella (Graffiato) and Scott Drewno (The Source) have found Chinese food they like in Chinatown, maybe we just need to look harder.
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I decided to give Ming's a try for takeout after one particularly long day at work. I was immediately impressed with the clean, and modern decor and the cheerful hostess. I placed my order and asked her to have it ready in an hour so that I could pick it up on the way back from acupuncture (side note: Dr. Wu on 6th street is the best).
An hour later, the hostess was waiting for me by the door with a smile and two giant bags of food. I ordered extra so we could have leftovers for lunches during the work week and a $50 order at Ming's got us enough food for about 7 large meals.
We tried the following dishes:
Second Thoughts from B
I don't know that I have any more insights or anecdotes about Chinese food left in me to tell. It seems like every other post is about traveling to China with my family, some old wives tale from my grandmother, or bemoaning the exodus of Chinese restaurants to Maryland. But I can tell you that I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality and quantity of our order. Quality and quantity. Hmmm, maybe I do have another story to tell.
My grandmother loved Chinese food. More specifically, she loved gathering the family together, planning the entire menu (I don't think I looked at a Chinese food menu until I was in my 20s), and watching her grandkids delight in the flavors of the "old country."
But perhaps even more than that, she loved getting a good deal. Most grandmothers greet their grandkids with a warm hug and the standard hi and how are you... In my case, I often got that hug but it usually was accompanied by the current price per pound of produce from the grocery store. Nothing says, "good to see you" like the going rate of cantaloupe at Safeway...
Anyway, my Pau Pau (grandmother in Cantonese) would have loved Ming's. Quality and quantity equals value. Delicious, delicious, value.
I decided to give Ming's a try for takeout after one particularly long day at work. I was immediately impressed with the clean, and modern decor and the cheerful hostess. I placed my order and asked her to have it ready in an hour so that I could pick it up on the way back from acupuncture (side note: Dr. Wu on 6th street is the best).
An hour later, the hostess was waiting for me by the door with a smile and two giant bags of food. I ordered extra so we could have leftovers for lunches during the work week and a $50 order at Ming's got us enough food for about 7 large meals.
We tried the following dishes:
- Eggplant in Hot Garlic Sauce - really liked the sweet and spicy sauce on the eggplant. It was drowning in sauce but that's nothing a bowl of steamed rice can't cure.
- Ma Po Tofu - Perfectly cooked tofu but the sauce lacked the kick that we're used to. Next time I would ask them to turn up the heat.
- Chicken Pan-Fried Noodle - Wins the award for most confusing dish. Normally we order pan-fried noodles or "Hong Kong style" chow mein and get a dish of veggies, meat, and crispy noodles coated in a sauce. When you toss the noodles, the sauce softens them up. Ming's serves a box of fried noodles along with a huge portion of what appeared to be egg drop soup with mushrooms. Very tasty but just not what we expected.
- Crispy Spicy Pork Chop - Source Chef Scott Drewno recommended this dish in the City Paper article and for good reason. Just like the name says, they are both crispy and spicy. This is the kind of dish I could get addicted to. Watch out for the bones. You don't want to chip a tooth.
Second Thoughts from B
I don't know that I have any more insights or anecdotes about Chinese food left in me to tell. It seems like every other post is about traveling to China with my family, some old wives tale from my grandmother, or bemoaning the exodus of Chinese restaurants to Maryland. But I can tell you that I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality and quantity of our order. Quality and quantity. Hmmm, maybe I do have another story to tell.
My grandmother loved Chinese food. More specifically, she loved gathering the family together, planning the entire menu (I don't think I looked at a Chinese food menu until I was in my 20s), and watching her grandkids delight in the flavors of the "old country."
But perhaps even more than that, she loved getting a good deal. Most grandmothers greet their grandkids with a warm hug and the standard hi and how are you... In my case, I often got that hug but it usually was accompanied by the current price per pound of produce from the grocery store. Nothing says, "good to see you" like the going rate of cantaloupe at Safeway...
Anyway, my Pau Pau (grandmother in Cantonese) would have loved Ming's. Quality and quantity equals value. Delicious, delicious, value.
Cantina Marina
To contact us Click HERE
Cantina Marina has a lot going for it: waterside location, lively atmosphere, large bar area, TVs to watch your favorite sport, great people watching. Just don't go for the food.
Those of you who have lived in DC through your 20's are probably thinking, "What idiot goes to Cantina Marina to eat? These idiots."
After hitting the driving range at East Potomac Park, we were in search of dinner. Cantina Marina fit the bill since it was A) close, B) had available street parking, and C) would accept us in sweaty golf clothes.
We hovered around for about 10 minutes waiting for a table to open up. I'm not a fan of places that you have to pounce on tables. I'd prefer to put my name on a list and wait in an orderly line. We practically had to sit in these poor girls' laps while they paid their bill so we could score a seat.
We were starving and immediately ordered a couple of drinks and tacos. Fish tacos for B and shrimp tacos for me. To tell you how much B liked this meal, when he was uploading photos for this post he said "Hey, what was the name of that place with the terrible tacos?"
With a location so close to the fish market, why did the fish and shrimp taste pre-frozen? There was nothing redeeming about these tacos except the view we enjoyed while eating them. The chips and salsa that we paid $4 for featured straight-from-the-bag stale chips and salsa that could be mistaken for Ragu tomato sauce (maybe it was?).
Grab a drink and soak in the view at Cantina Marina, but if you get hungry, do yourself a favor and walk down the road to the fish market and eat dinner there.
Second Thoughts From B
Whether you're a biblical scholar or child of the 60's, you know that "to everything there is a season." There is "a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to reap, a time to kill, a time to heal, a time to laugh, a time to weep." And yes, there is a time to go to Cantina Marina... but for the married couple in their 30s looking for food and not digits (or whatever the kids exchange these days), that time has passed.
Expectations are a funny thing. We came in thinking the kitchen would take full advantage of the seafood bounty next door. Rather, its purpose was to help soak up the booze and keep the party going.
But don't get me wrong, I'm not surprised that Cantina Marina was packed and I wouldn't even be surprised if I found myself back there again. As a place to gather with a group of friends, watch the game, enjoy a beer or 8, and relax on a warm summer night, there are few more appealing locations. I can't vouch for the margaritas, but the place seems like it would make Jimmy Buffett proud.
In other words, romantic place to celebrate your anniversary while watching the sunset? No. Bar to celebrate your kickball team's championship? Yes. Place to take your parents when they come visit? Probably not. Late night destination when your frat brothers are crashing on your couch for the weekend? Definitely.
Those of you who have lived in DC through your 20's are probably thinking, "What idiot goes to Cantina Marina to eat? These idiots."
After hitting the driving range at East Potomac Park, we were in search of dinner. Cantina Marina fit the bill since it was A) close, B) had available street parking, and C) would accept us in sweaty golf clothes.
We hovered around for about 10 minutes waiting for a table to open up. I'm not a fan of places that you have to pounce on tables. I'd prefer to put my name on a list and wait in an orderly line. We practically had to sit in these poor girls' laps while they paid their bill so we could score a seat.
We were starving and immediately ordered a couple of drinks and tacos. Fish tacos for B and shrimp tacos for me. To tell you how much B liked this meal, when he was uploading photos for this post he said "Hey, what was the name of that place with the terrible tacos?"With a location so close to the fish market, why did the fish and shrimp taste pre-frozen? There was nothing redeeming about these tacos except the view we enjoyed while eating them. The chips and salsa that we paid $4 for featured straight-from-the-bag stale chips and salsa that could be mistaken for Ragu tomato sauce (maybe it was?).Grab a drink and soak in the view at Cantina Marina, but if you get hungry, do yourself a favor and walk down the road to the fish market and eat dinner there.
Second Thoughts From B
Whether you're a biblical scholar or child of the 60's, you know that "to everything there is a season." There is "a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to reap, a time to kill, a time to heal, a time to laugh, a time to weep." And yes, there is a time to go to Cantina Marina... but for the married couple in their 30s looking for food and not digits (or whatever the kids exchange these days), that time has passed.
Expectations are a funny thing. We came in thinking the kitchen would take full advantage of the seafood bounty next door. Rather, its purpose was to help soak up the booze and keep the party going.
But don't get me wrong, I'm not surprised that Cantina Marina was packed and I wouldn't even be surprised if I found myself back there again. As a place to gather with a group of friends, watch the game, enjoy a beer or 8, and relax on a warm summer night, there are few more appealing locations. I can't vouch for the margaritas, but the place seems like it would make Jimmy Buffett proud.
In other words, romantic place to celebrate your anniversary while watching the sunset? No. Bar to celebrate your kickball team's championship? Yes. Place to take your parents when they come visit? Probably not. Late night destination when your frat brothers are crashing on your couch for the weekend? Definitely.
Golf at East Potomac Park
To contact us Click HERE
In life, there are things that we make happen regardless of the obstacles and there are things that we will never do without a gun pointed at our head. Most things, however, lie somewhere in between those two extremes.
When J made her 30 Before 30 list (for more, see here and here), the intention was to push herself to do those things that she always wanted to do yet, for whatever reason, had not. Playing nine holes at East Potomac Park was a perfect example.
The appeal is clear and goes like this: location, location, location. The course is bordered by the Potomac to the west, the Jefferson Memorial to the north, and Hains Point to the east. Looking for a target for your tee shot? Try the Washington Monument. So why has it taken this long for us to play a round out there? I guess there was that pesky obstacle of teaching J how to play.
I was lucky enough to grow up with the game. My grandfather was one of the first members of the Los Angeles Chinese Golf Club and passed the sport down to my whole family. As J likes to point out, we've gone on family golf vacations together. That's how engrained it is in my childhood. (Yikes, how snobby does that sound? Let me be clear, when I say I grew up with the game, I don't mean on a country club. I'm talking Danny Noonan, not Judge Smails).
Regardless, marrying into my family without knowing a tee from a two-iron can be intimidating. All credit goes to J for even attempting to pick up a golf club. Thankfully, whether you are learning to play like J or dusting off considerable rust like me, East Potomac Park is worth a trip.
There are three courses. The Red Course is a 9-hole par 3 "pitch and putt" for beginners. The White Course is a 9-hole executive track (3 and 4 par holes). The Blue Course is the regulation 18-hole course. The facility has a double deck driving range (invest in the discount card), chipping area, and multiple putting greens. The pro shop is small but serviceable (they did a nice job regripping my clubs), and the online reservation system has been great.
As for the course, if the Red Course is any indication, East Potomac is quite the hidden gem. The crowds are low (we've seen plenty of twosomes), the pace is good, and the condition of the greens and tee boxes is surprisingly high. Keeping in mind that this course caters to people learning to play and that greens fees are only $10-13, it is quite a bargain.
After a handful of amateur lessons at the driving range (under the cover of darkness), J more than held her own on the Red Course and was able to check off the most intimidating item of her 30 Before 30 list. Not only have we been back (on her request), we even played nine with my parents.
J Says
Like swing dancing, golf scared the crap out of me. I'm not big on being "new" at things, particularly when being new could mean sending an errant ball careening into a crowd of people or (more likely) whiffing entirely while people are waiting for you to tee off. Like B said, I insisted we go to the driving range when it was late at night and nobody would notice me. When I finally got the nerve to try the Red Course, I found friends to book all the spots in our foursome so that we wouldn't get paired with any strangers. I was a total nervous wreck but ended up having a blast (and an allergy attack), and was excited to go back and try again. I even managed to overcome my fears and play a round with B's parents on Father's Day. After the initial anxiety attack subsided, I got into the groove and actually hit some decent shots.
The Red Course at East Potomac is just my speed. Not at all intimidating, and cheap enough that I feel like I can go out and try without breaking the bank. I also really love the setting near the monuments and the proximity to the ever-important post-golf brunch options (Eastern Market, for example). I'm still a bundle of nerves and still secretly hope that we won't get paired with strangers, but I am becoming more confident, nine holes at a time.
If you're new to golf, I recommend checking out their Get Golf Ready classes for just $99. If I wasn't such a giant chicken (and didn't have a private coach in B), I would sign up in a heartbeat. Another great and affordable DC hidden gem.
When J made her 30 Before 30 list (for more, see here and here), the intention was to push herself to do those things that she always wanted to do yet, for whatever reason, had not. Playing nine holes at East Potomac Park was a perfect example.
The appeal is clear and goes like this: location, location, location. The course is bordered by the Potomac to the west, the Jefferson Memorial to the north, and Hains Point to the east. Looking for a target for your tee shot? Try the Washington Monument. So why has it taken this long for us to play a round out there? I guess there was that pesky obstacle of teaching J how to play.
I was lucky enough to grow up with the game. My grandfather was one of the first members of the Los Angeles Chinese Golf Club and passed the sport down to my whole family. As J likes to point out, we've gone on family golf vacations together. That's how engrained it is in my childhood. (Yikes, how snobby does that sound? Let me be clear, when I say I grew up with the game, I don't mean on a country club. I'm talking Danny Noonan, not Judge Smails).
Regardless, marrying into my family without knowing a tee from a two-iron can be intimidating. All credit goes to J for even attempting to pick up a golf club. Thankfully, whether you are learning to play like J or dusting off considerable rust like me, East Potomac Park is worth a trip.
There are three courses. The Red Course is a 9-hole par 3 "pitch and putt" for beginners. The White Course is a 9-hole executive track (3 and 4 par holes). The Blue Course is the regulation 18-hole course. The facility has a double deck driving range (invest in the discount card), chipping area, and multiple putting greens. The pro shop is small but serviceable (they did a nice job regripping my clubs), and the online reservation system has been great.
As for the course, if the Red Course is any indication, East Potomac is quite the hidden gem. The crowds are low (we've seen plenty of twosomes), the pace is good, and the condition of the greens and tee boxes is surprisingly high. Keeping in mind that this course caters to people learning to play and that greens fees are only $10-13, it is quite a bargain.
After a handful of amateur lessons at the driving range (under the cover of darkness), J more than held her own on the Red Course and was able to check off the most intimidating item of her 30 Before 30 list. Not only have we been back (on her request), we even played nine with my parents.J Says
Like swing dancing, golf scared the crap out of me. I'm not big on being "new" at things, particularly when being new could mean sending an errant ball careening into a crowd of people or (more likely) whiffing entirely while people are waiting for you to tee off. Like B said, I insisted we go to the driving range when it was late at night and nobody would notice me. When I finally got the nerve to try the Red Course, I found friends to book all the spots in our foursome so that we wouldn't get paired with any strangers. I was a total nervous wreck but ended up having a blast (and an allergy attack), and was excited to go back and try again. I even managed to overcome my fears and play a round with B's parents on Father's Day. After the initial anxiety attack subsided, I got into the groove and actually hit some decent shots.
The Red Course at East Potomac is just my speed. Not at all intimidating, and cheap enough that I feel like I can go out and try without breaking the bank. I also really love the setting near the monuments and the proximity to the ever-important post-golf brunch options (Eastern Market, for example). I'm still a bundle of nerves and still secretly hope that we won't get paired with strangers, but I am becoming more confident, nine holes at a time.
If you're new to golf, I recommend checking out their Get Golf Ready classes for just $99. If I wasn't such a giant chicken (and didn't have a private coach in B), I would sign up in a heartbeat. Another great and affordable DC hidden gem.
7 Temmuz 2012 Cumartesi
Sec-Selective Abortions and Feminism
To contact us Click HERE
This post was originally written for The Abortion Gang.
Anti-choicers are always trying to trick pro-choicers into saying something that makes them look bad. One such example is when anti-choicers bring up sex-selective abortions. “If you support girls/women, how can you support sex-selective abortions!?!” they ask (Don’t get me started on the fact that you cannot abort a woman. Physically impossible). They don’t ask these questions because they’re interested in reducing sex-selective abortions; they’re just interested in making pro-choicers seem coldhearted.
But what if they did want to reduce sex-selective abortions? How would they go about doing that? Pro-choice, of course, already has the answer: Feminism.
Sex-selective abortions happen because the pregnant woman’s culture favors one sex over the other- usually, male over female*. For instance, in China, families will abort a female fetus or abandon a female infant because they want a male infant. Males stay with the family, and carry on the family name while females are married off to another family and basically lose their birth family. For this reason, males are valued higher than females. And for this reason, sex- selective abortions occur.
This is where feminism comes in. Feminism says that both sexes are equal in value and worth. Men and women, with their differences and similarities, are not better than one another but standing on an equal plane. If feminist ideas were to become culturally normal, sex-selective abortions would not occur. Families would value and appreciate a fetus they wanted regardless of its sex. Not only would this apply to fetuses, but to children as well; families would be just as glad to have a daughter as they would be to have a son.
On top of that, feminism would give the opinions of women equal weight to men. Who knows- maybe women in China and other countries don’t want to have sex selective abortions, but their culture pressures them into that decision? Supporting feminism would support women who choose to not have a sex-selective abortion.
So next time an anti-choicer asks you what you think of sex-selective abortions, ask them right back: “What are you doing to prevent sex-selection?” Then ask them to support feminism, so that males and females will be valued equally.
* I understand there are other situations involved such as intersex –this post is a simple overview. I welcome others to write about the issues of feminism, sex-selection and intersex.
Anti-choicers are always trying to trick pro-choicers into saying something that makes them look bad. One such example is when anti-choicers bring up sex-selective abortions. “If you support girls/women, how can you support sex-selective abortions!?!” they ask (Don’t get me started on the fact that you cannot abort a woman. Physically impossible). They don’t ask these questions because they’re interested in reducing sex-selective abortions; they’re just interested in making pro-choicers seem coldhearted.
But what if they did want to reduce sex-selective abortions? How would they go about doing that? Pro-choice, of course, already has the answer: Feminism.
Sex-selective abortions happen because the pregnant woman’s culture favors one sex over the other- usually, male over female*. For instance, in China, families will abort a female fetus or abandon a female infant because they want a male infant. Males stay with the family, and carry on the family name while females are married off to another family and basically lose their birth family. For this reason, males are valued higher than females. And for this reason, sex- selective abortions occur.
This is where feminism comes in. Feminism says that both sexes are equal in value and worth. Men and women, with their differences and similarities, are not better than one another but standing on an equal plane. If feminist ideas were to become culturally normal, sex-selective abortions would not occur. Families would value and appreciate a fetus they wanted regardless of its sex. Not only would this apply to fetuses, but to children as well; families would be just as glad to have a daughter as they would be to have a son.
On top of that, feminism would give the opinions of women equal weight to men. Who knows- maybe women in China and other countries don’t want to have sex selective abortions, but their culture pressures them into that decision? Supporting feminism would support women who choose to not have a sex-selective abortion.
So next time an anti-choicer asks you what you think of sex-selective abortions, ask them right back: “What are you doing to prevent sex-selection?” Then ask them to support feminism, so that males and females will be valued equally.
* I understand there are other situations involved such as intersex –this post is a simple overview. I welcome others to write about the issues of feminism, sex-selection and intersex.
Blog for Choice: What is choice?
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Today is Blog for Choice day. While there is a question that has been put out by prochoicers for us to answer, the antis have come up with what they consider a clever "come back" in which they ask "What is choice?"
Well, why not answer that straight off the bat?
When I say I support choice, that means I support each individual woman's ability to make a decision (after being informed of risks/benefits) about how she is going to responsibly care for her pregnancy.
When she first becomes pregnant, that usually means she is choosing between having an abortion and giving birth. If she chooses to have an abortion, then she gets to make a decision whether she wants to have a medical or a surgical abortion. She gets to choose the safest clinic setting for her (I would like to see there be no Hyde amendment forcing women into clinics like Gosnell's) and has someone she trusts to provide whatever she needs (driving, food, hugs, whatever).
If she chooses to carry to term, then she gets to make a decision about whether she wants to use a midwife or an OB/GYN. She chooses between a homebirth, hospital birth and birthing center. She chooses whether to have an all natural birth, whether to use an epidural, whether to be induced.
Towards the end of the pregnancy, if she has chosen to carry to term, she must make a decision about whether she wants to keep the infant after birth or give it up for adoption. If she chooses adoption, she gets to decide if she wants an open or closed adoption. She gets to choose which adoptive family her child will become a part of. If she chooses to raise the infant herself, she gets to choose her parenting style: will she breastfeed, co-sleep or babywear?
Of course, there are also choices to be made before a woman becomes pregnant. She has to choose what type of contraceptive (and I include abstinence among them) she wants to use, for instance.
As you can see, choice is about so many different things. But in the end, it really all comes down to supporting one thing: Trusting women to make the best decisions for themselves and their families when they're fully informed of all the risks and benefits associated with the possible options. This is Choice.
Today is Blog for Choice day. While there is a question that has been put out by prochoicers for us to answer, the antis have come up with what they consider a clever "come back" in which they ask "What is choice?"
Well, why not answer that straight off the bat?
Definitions of choice on the Web:
* the act of choosing or selecting; "your choice of colors was unfortunate"; "you can take your pick"
When I say I support choice, that means I support each individual woman's ability to make a decision (after being informed of risks/benefits) about how she is going to responsibly care for her pregnancy.
When she first becomes pregnant, that usually means she is choosing between having an abortion and giving birth. If she chooses to have an abortion, then she gets to make a decision whether she wants to have a medical or a surgical abortion. She gets to choose the safest clinic setting for her (I would like to see there be no Hyde amendment forcing women into clinics like Gosnell's) and has someone she trusts to provide whatever she needs (driving, food, hugs, whatever).
If she chooses to carry to term, then she gets to make a decision about whether she wants to use a midwife or an OB/GYN. She chooses between a homebirth, hospital birth and birthing center. She chooses whether to have an all natural birth, whether to use an epidural, whether to be induced.
Towards the end of the pregnancy, if she has chosen to carry to term, she must make a decision about whether she wants to keep the infant after birth or give it up for adoption. If she chooses adoption, she gets to decide if she wants an open or closed adoption. She gets to choose which adoptive family her child will become a part of. If she chooses to raise the infant herself, she gets to choose her parenting style: will she breastfeed, co-sleep or babywear?
Of course, there are also choices to be made before a woman becomes pregnant. She has to choose what type of contraceptive (and I include abstinence among them) she wants to use, for instance.
As you can see, choice is about so many different things. But in the end, it really all comes down to supporting one thing: Trusting women to make the best decisions for themselves and their families when they're fully informed of all the risks and benefits associated with the possible options. This is Choice.
Sex Trafficking and Clinic Responsibility: What Would You Do?
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Originally posted at the AbortionGang site.
If you were an employee at a reproductive health care clinic and someone came in and asked you about obtaining abortions for women being sex trafficked, what would you do?
Here’s what I would do: Lie. Lie, lie, and then lie some more.
Why?
There’s one thing for certain: If you tell the person “No, we will not give these women healthcare” then you will never be able to find them. You will never be able to help them get out of being trafficked, help them get their lives back.
And if you tell this person “That’s against the law! I’m calling the cops!”- then you might just lose your life.
Everyone knows that in a bank robbery, you’re supposed to do whatever the bank robber tells you. The bank robber doesn’t care about the law or your life, (s)he just wants the money and to escape. Doing anything to prevent that puts you in danger.
The same thing applies with someone who trafficks people. This person abuses women for their bodies- (s)he’s not interested in your morals or the law.
The BEST way to ensure those trafficked girls are found? Lie. Tell the person that you can provide the girls with healthcare services, that you wont tell anyone, that its all perfectly legal. And then after the meeting, go tell your superiors and the law enforcement. When the person comes again with the women (s)he is trafficking, law enforcement can be there to arrest the person. The girls can be provided with healthcare (which they will need), counseling, a place to stay, etc. Dare I sound too forward- they can be rescued.
Of course, if the person coming in to ask about healthcare for sex trafficked women is really just a fake undercover anti-choicer, this type of situation may lead the employee and the clinic to look bad.
But personally, I’d rather look bad and rescue women from sex trafficking than look good and never have the chance to save them. Being a reproductive justice activist isn’t about looking good, it’s about helping other people.
What would you do in this type of situation?
If you were an employee at a reproductive health care clinic and someone came in and asked you about obtaining abortions for women being sex trafficked, what would you do?
Here’s what I would do: Lie. Lie, lie, and then lie some more.
Why?
There’s one thing for certain: If you tell the person “No, we will not give these women healthcare” then you will never be able to find them. You will never be able to help them get out of being trafficked, help them get their lives back.
And if you tell this person “That’s against the law! I’m calling the cops!”- then you might just lose your life.
Everyone knows that in a bank robbery, you’re supposed to do whatever the bank robber tells you. The bank robber doesn’t care about the law or your life, (s)he just wants the money and to escape. Doing anything to prevent that puts you in danger.
The same thing applies with someone who trafficks people. This person abuses women for their bodies- (s)he’s not interested in your morals or the law.
The BEST way to ensure those trafficked girls are found? Lie. Tell the person that you can provide the girls with healthcare services, that you wont tell anyone, that its all perfectly legal. And then after the meeting, go tell your superiors and the law enforcement. When the person comes again with the women (s)he is trafficking, law enforcement can be there to arrest the person. The girls can be provided with healthcare (which they will need), counseling, a place to stay, etc. Dare I sound too forward- they can be rescued.
Of course, if the person coming in to ask about healthcare for sex trafficked women is really just a fake undercover anti-choicer, this type of situation may lead the employee and the clinic to look bad.
But personally, I’d rather look bad and rescue women from sex trafficking than look good and never have the chance to save them. Being a reproductive justice activist isn’t about looking good, it’s about helping other people.
What would you do in this type of situation?
Ralph Lang, Attempted Anti-Choice Terrorist
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Cross posted from AbortionGang.
Thank God, or Lady Luck, or whomever you like: yesterday reports went out of a man arrested BEFORE he murdered a law-abiding doctor, instead of after.
The quick details: Ralph Lang, 63, drove up to Madison with a gun with the clear intention of murdering at least one abortion-providing doctor, and possibly other nurses and employees. His handgun discharged while he was at a motel, and the police were called. Upon hearing his plans, he was taken into custody.
I’m so thankful that Lang’s gun went off in his motel room. I’m also thankful he wasn’t “100 percent in sync with God” when he was in Madison last week and didn’t kill anyone. I’m thankful that he didn’t get to go to the clinic, “line [the employees] up all in a row, get a machine gun, and mow them all down” as he said he wished he could.
The other information you should know: Ralph Lang is not a “lone wolf” or a “fringe member” of the antichoice “pro-life” community. He is a sidewalk counselor (read: harasser) and was arrested previously in 2007 outside of a Planned Parenthood. He was part of a Catholic prayer vigil (read: more sidewalk harassment) in 2006, at which time he said, “it’s nice to be a part of a movement like this.” I’m sure as we learn more details we will see more connections between Ralph Lang and well known anti-choice groups.
Of course, Lang’s language is gleamed from common anti-choice propaganda. He planned “to lay out abortionists because they are killing babies”- words used by many so-called peaceful anti-choicers. These ‘peaceful’ antis claim they don’t actually want anyone hurt, yet continue to repeat these phrases until they’ve convinced someone- like Ralph Lang, or Scott Roeder- to do the dirty work for them. When they call doctors murderers over and over and over again, they set the kindling and strike the match for others to take those words and follow through with them.
It’s long past time for antichoicers to stop their violent rhetoric. It was long past time two years ago, when Dr. George Tiller was murdered in his church. It was long past time in 1998 when Dr. Slepian and a security guard were killed, in 1994 when two clinic receptionists, Dr Britton and an escort were killed, in 1993 when Dr. Gunn was murdered. It’s been nearly 20 years of murders- when will anti-choicers actually take a prolife stance and stop the violence?
Thank God, or Lady Luck, or whomever you like: yesterday reports went out of a man arrested BEFORE he murdered a law-abiding doctor, instead of after.
The quick details: Ralph Lang, 63, drove up to Madison with a gun with the clear intention of murdering at least one abortion-providing doctor, and possibly other nurses and employees. His handgun discharged while he was at a motel, and the police were called. Upon hearing his plans, he was taken into custody.
I’m so thankful that Lang’s gun went off in his motel room. I’m also thankful he wasn’t “100 percent in sync with God” when he was in Madison last week and didn’t kill anyone. I’m thankful that he didn’t get to go to the clinic, “line [the employees] up all in a row, get a machine gun, and mow them all down” as he said he wished he could.
The other information you should know: Ralph Lang is not a “lone wolf” or a “fringe member” of the antichoice “pro-life” community. He is a sidewalk counselor (read: harasser) and was arrested previously in 2007 outside of a Planned Parenthood. He was part of a Catholic prayer vigil (read: more sidewalk harassment) in 2006, at which time he said, “it’s nice to be a part of a movement like this.” I’m sure as we learn more details we will see more connections between Ralph Lang and well known anti-choice groups.
Of course, Lang’s language is gleamed from common anti-choice propaganda. He planned “to lay out abortionists because they are killing babies”- words used by many so-called peaceful anti-choicers. These ‘peaceful’ antis claim they don’t actually want anyone hurt, yet continue to repeat these phrases until they’ve convinced someone- like Ralph Lang, or Scott Roeder- to do the dirty work for them. When they call doctors murderers over and over and over again, they set the kindling and strike the match for others to take those words and follow through with them.
It’s long past time for antichoicers to stop their violent rhetoric. It was long past time two years ago, when Dr. George Tiller was murdered in his church. It was long past time in 1998 when Dr. Slepian and a security guard were killed, in 1994 when two clinic receptionists, Dr Britton and an escort were killed, in 1993 when Dr. Gunn was murdered. It’s been nearly 20 years of murders- when will anti-choicers actually take a prolife stance and stop the violence?
Choosing Birth after Rape
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Crossposted from the AbortionGang.
I would like to give an often ignored perspective of rape, pregnancy and abortion (this is your trigger warning, though I don’t plan to be graphic).
I often see tweets, blog posts and comments from women and men (and people who identify as neither of the above) sharing their horror at the thought of carrying a pregnancy conceived in rape to term. They proudly and strongly say they support abortion, because it’s horrific, gruesome, disgusting, and cruel to force a woman to carry to term after she was raped (or, “give birth to her rapist’s child”). Now maybe I’m not paying attention, but it seems that all of the feminist discussion around rape and pregnancy decisions is focused around how awful it is for women to give birth after rape. Yet one study in 1996 (old, but the only reliable one I could find) said 32.2% of raped women chose to birth and keep the child (50% had abortions, 5.9% participated in adoption and 11.8% had miscarriages). 32% is a substantial portion of women that it seems many feminist forget about.
I 100% agree that it’s wrong to force a woman to carry to term when she wants to abort.
But I have to wonder: how does this type of language (horrific, disgusting, cruel) affect women who choose to carry to term after rape?
I wonder how a single mother of a beautiful two year old who happened to be conceived from rape feels when she reads that it’s “barbaric” to “force a woman to give birth to the child of her rapist.” Does she feel like she was supported in her choice? Doubtful.
We always need to be considerate of who we talk about and who we talk to. While it may seem clear that the barbaric part is the force of rape, denying the woman her access to decide to have sex, if we only talk about how wrong it is to force birth instead of how wrong it is to force abortion, or force any unwanted choice, then others may start reading it as the birth of a child as disgusting. And I certainly hope no one actually thinks choosing to give birth is disgusting.
I know a lot of this language choice is based upon our hatred of rape, and it would make sense to have a second discussion about rape here, but I’m not going to do that. All I ask is that we default to the individual woman’s opinion before we share our own feelings when dealing with issues of pregnancy, abortion and rape, because everyone should feel supported in their decisions.
I would like to give an often ignored perspective of rape, pregnancy and abortion (this is your trigger warning, though I don’t plan to be graphic).
I often see tweets, blog posts and comments from women and men (and people who identify as neither of the above) sharing their horror at the thought of carrying a pregnancy conceived in rape to term. They proudly and strongly say they support abortion, because it’s horrific, gruesome, disgusting, and cruel to force a woman to carry to term after she was raped (or, “give birth to her rapist’s child”). Now maybe I’m not paying attention, but it seems that all of the feminist discussion around rape and pregnancy decisions is focused around how awful it is for women to give birth after rape. Yet one study in 1996 (old, but the only reliable one I could find) said 32.2% of raped women chose to birth and keep the child (50% had abortions, 5.9% participated in adoption and 11.8% had miscarriages). 32% is a substantial portion of women that it seems many feminist forget about.
I 100% agree that it’s wrong to force a woman to carry to term when she wants to abort.
But I have to wonder: how does this type of language (horrific, disgusting, cruel) affect women who choose to carry to term after rape?
I wonder how a single mother of a beautiful two year old who happened to be conceived from rape feels when she reads that it’s “barbaric” to “force a woman to give birth to the child of her rapist.” Does she feel like she was supported in her choice? Doubtful.
We always need to be considerate of who we talk about and who we talk to. While it may seem clear that the barbaric part is the force of rape, denying the woman her access to decide to have sex, if we only talk about how wrong it is to force birth instead of how wrong it is to force abortion, or force any unwanted choice, then others may start reading it as the birth of a child as disgusting. And I certainly hope no one actually thinks choosing to give birth is disgusting.
I know a lot of this language choice is based upon our hatred of rape, and it would make sense to have a second discussion about rape here, but I’m not going to do that. All I ask is that we default to the individual woman’s opinion before we share our own feelings when dealing with issues of pregnancy, abortion and rape, because everyone should feel supported in their decisions.
27 Haziran 2012 Çarşamba
Trying Not to Erase Grief: Miscarriage and Abortion
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Crossposted from AbortionGang.
Over here at the AbortionGang we recently came across a tumblr post about the “baby vs. fetus” debate that ends with the following:
I think this is extremely important and something all feminists and pro-choicers should consider.
As the anti-choicers continue to propose and pass antichoice legislation, post racist, anti-choice billboards and try to send women to jail for having abortions, I believe the political pro-choice stance and the personal abortion stories are becoming more and more distant. Listening and considering the real lives of women who have abortions and women who deal with fetal loss will help us stay grounded against the insanity of the anti-choice position.
Legally, fetuses are not infants, are not considered persons, and thus, having an abortion is not murder. But we must remember, the personal is different from the legal. Pregnancy is different for every single woman- and one woman may experience multiple pregnancies in very different ways. A woman may consider her fetus to be ababy, or already a person, because she plans to carry to term. Another woman may consider her fetus to be a baby even though she is planning to have an abortion. Those feelings and beliefs are normal, valid, and should be perfectly acceptable.
Using the term “baby” doesn’t hurt the pro-choice position at all. If a woman believes that abortion is the best option for her baby, then we should support her in her choice.** It does us no good to get into a battle over the word (the same applies if she wants to carry her fetus to term).
On the other end of the spectrum are women who have lost pregnancies, both wanted and unwanted, planned and unplanned, through miscarriage. Just as with abortion, some women may feel relieved and think of the fetus as just a fetus. Other women may feel they lost a member of their family. None of these feelings hurt the pro-choice position, and all should be taken into consideration when we’re writing, blogging, speaking and protesting.
I always try to make an effort to let the woman in question decide what type of language will be used, and allow her feelings to control the situation instead of mine. For her, my opinion on the baby vs. fetus debate isn’t relevant. Making sure she feels loved and supported is most important.
**This does not only apply to women terminating wanted pregnancies due to fetal abnormalities.
Over here at the AbortionGang we recently came across a tumblr post about the “baby vs. fetus” debate that ends with the following:
So while we are wont to scream so loudly that a fetus is not a baby and therefore it is not murder for the person carrying them to decide for themselves if they wish to continue to do so or not – and I agree with this – could we take a moment to realize that saying they are not babies also erases the experience of people who miscarry and are grieving over their loss(es)?
I think this is extremely important and something all feminists and pro-choicers should consider.
As the anti-choicers continue to propose and pass antichoice legislation, post racist, anti-choice billboards and try to send women to jail for having abortions, I believe the political pro-choice stance and the personal abortion stories are becoming more and more distant. Listening and considering the real lives of women who have abortions and women who deal with fetal loss will help us stay grounded against the insanity of the anti-choice position.
Legally, fetuses are not infants, are not considered persons, and thus, having an abortion is not murder. But we must remember, the personal is different from the legal. Pregnancy is different for every single woman- and one woman may experience multiple pregnancies in very different ways. A woman may consider her fetus to be ababy, or already a person, because she plans to carry to term. Another woman may consider her fetus to be a baby even though she is planning to have an abortion. Those feelings and beliefs are normal, valid, and should be perfectly acceptable.
Using the term “baby” doesn’t hurt the pro-choice position at all. If a woman believes that abortion is the best option for her baby, then we should support her in her choice.** It does us no good to get into a battle over the word (the same applies if she wants to carry her fetus to term).
On the other end of the spectrum are women who have lost pregnancies, both wanted and unwanted, planned and unplanned, through miscarriage. Just as with abortion, some women may feel relieved and think of the fetus as just a fetus. Other women may feel they lost a member of their family. None of these feelings hurt the pro-choice position, and all should be taken into consideration when we’re writing, blogging, speaking and protesting.
I always try to make an effort to let the woman in question decide what type of language will be used, and allow her feelings to control the situation instead of mine. For her, my opinion on the baby vs. fetus debate isn’t relevant. Making sure she feels loved and supported is most important.
**This does not only apply to women terminating wanted pregnancies due to fetal abnormalities.
Abortion, Disability, and Coercion
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Crossposted from AbortionGang.
I recently read an article on the DailyMail website which has me infuriated.
Six years ago, a woman in the UK learned she was pregnant and the fetus had Down syndrome. While the woman and her husband were confused and nervous about coping with a child with special needs (on top of caring for their other six children), they never considered having an abortion. They wanted to continue the pregnancy and give birth.
And yet the woman had an abortion.
According to the article (and we have to take the Daily Mail with a grain of salt), she and her husband were bullied by their doctors and nurses. When they went in to discuss how “to be prepared for the fact we might have a disabled child,” the nurse only counseled her on a termination. The nurse continuously pushed abortion even after the couple told her they wanted to continue the pregnancy. Eventually, with a nurse and a consultant bombarding her to terminate, the woman was in a state of shock, and began the abortion.
This is infuriating. This is disgusting. This is anti-choice.
There are actually two problems going on here. First, there is discrimination against people with special needs. As a pro-choice advocate, I support a woman’s right to choose. Without taking away that support, I also question why so many people are afraid to have a child with special needs. In recent studies, researchers have found that 79% of the responding parents “felt their outlook on life was more positive” because of having a child with Down syndrome. In fact, “only 4% said they felt sad about their life.” While more challenging at times, life with a child with special needs is not the horror story many people imagine.
The difference between the viewpoints of families with children who have Down syndrome, and the women who are considering termination because of Down syndrome is huge. It leads me to question if the pregnant women are fully informed about their decisions, or if they’re just basing their ideas on popular cultural views (I am not trying to imply that women are choosing termination lightly or ignorantly–just that people in positions of power are not giving them the full picture, and they have no way of knowing this).
The way to fix this is clear: stop discriminating against people with special needs. Instead, value those with special needs within our society. Do not just try to make them fit in, but let them excel, stand out and be leaders. In this way, we
can make having a special needs child less terrifying than it seems to be today.
If the above seems like a daunting task, we can always start smaller. Host educational seminars for OB/GYNs about how to support a family that’s going to have a special needs child. Form resource networks between doctors and Down syndrome support groups, so an pregnant woman has someone she can talk to about what to expect. These are simple steps to ensuring that women are fully informed, so they can decide the absolute best choice for their family.
The second issue at hand is the violation of this woman’s right to choose. Forcing or coercing a woman into abortion Is. Not. Pro. Choice. This is an anti-choice behavior. Any pro-choice person who sees someone trying to coerce a woman into a specific decision should immediately speak up against this action. Every pro-choice person should be just as quick to stand up for a woman’s right to continue to term as (s)he is for a woman’s right to terminate.
Anti-choicers are quick to pick up an article like this and claim it proves abortion is absolute evil. Yet it is clear that our world is not that black and white. What the article proves is wrong is coercive practices. For some women, abortion is the wrong choice, while for other women birth is the wrong choice. Neither event- abortion nor birth- is bad in and of itself. But both can be bad when forced upon the woman. This is why antipchoicers are wrong when they call us “pro-abortion” and mean that we only want women to abort. I most certainly do not want every woman to abort. I want every woman to make whichever choice is best for themselves and their families, and to have the support and access to complete that choice.
I recently read an article on the DailyMail website which has me infuriated.
Six years ago, a woman in the UK learned she was pregnant and the fetus had Down syndrome. While the woman and her husband were confused and nervous about coping with a child with special needs (on top of caring for their other six children), they never considered having an abortion. They wanted to continue the pregnancy and give birth.
And yet the woman had an abortion.
According to the article (and we have to take the Daily Mail with a grain of salt), she and her husband were bullied by their doctors and nurses. When they went in to discuss how “to be prepared for the fact we might have a disabled child,” the nurse only counseled her on a termination. The nurse continuously pushed abortion even after the couple told her they wanted to continue the pregnancy. Eventually, with a nurse and a consultant bombarding her to terminate, the woman was in a state of shock, and began the abortion.
This is infuriating. This is disgusting. This is anti-choice.
There are actually two problems going on here. First, there is discrimination against people with special needs. As a pro-choice advocate, I support a woman’s right to choose. Without taking away that support, I also question why so many people are afraid to have a child with special needs. In recent studies, researchers have found that 79% of the responding parents “felt their outlook on life was more positive” because of having a child with Down syndrome. In fact, “only 4% said they felt sad about their life.” While more challenging at times, life with a child with special needs is not the horror story many people imagine.
The difference between the viewpoints of families with children who have Down syndrome, and the women who are considering termination because of Down syndrome is huge. It leads me to question if the pregnant women are fully informed about their decisions, or if they’re just basing their ideas on popular cultural views (I am not trying to imply that women are choosing termination lightly or ignorantly–just that people in positions of power are not giving them the full picture, and they have no way of knowing this).
The way to fix this is clear: stop discriminating against people with special needs. Instead, value those with special needs within our society. Do not just try to make them fit in, but let them excel, stand out and be leaders. In this way, we
can make having a special needs child less terrifying than it seems to be today.
If the above seems like a daunting task, we can always start smaller. Host educational seminars for OB/GYNs about how to support a family that’s going to have a special needs child. Form resource networks between doctors and Down syndrome support groups, so an pregnant woman has someone she can talk to about what to expect. These are simple steps to ensuring that women are fully informed, so they can decide the absolute best choice for their family.
The second issue at hand is the violation of this woman’s right to choose. Forcing or coercing a woman into abortion Is. Not. Pro. Choice. This is an anti-choice behavior. Any pro-choice person who sees someone trying to coerce a woman into a specific decision should immediately speak up against this action. Every pro-choice person should be just as quick to stand up for a woman’s right to continue to term as (s)he is for a woman’s right to terminate.
Anti-choicers are quick to pick up an article like this and claim it proves abortion is absolute evil. Yet it is clear that our world is not that black and white. What the article proves is wrong is coercive practices. For some women, abortion is the wrong choice, while for other women birth is the wrong choice. Neither event- abortion nor birth- is bad in and of itself. But both can be bad when forced upon the woman. This is why antipchoicers are wrong when they call us “pro-abortion” and mean that we only want women to abort. I most certainly do not want every woman to abort. I want every woman to make whichever choice is best for themselves and their families, and to have the support and access to complete that choice.
What does HHS really think of young people?
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Crossposted from AbortionGang.
Yesterday, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced that they are blocking Plan B from being sold on pharmacy shelves to whoever needs it. This goes against FDA recommendations to remove all restrictions to accessing Plan B, including lifting age restrictions and requiring Plan B to be sold on pharmacy shelves instead of behind-the-counter.
Plan B One-Step is a brand of morning after pill, which works the same way as birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. It’s more effective the earlier it’s taken, but can be taken up to 72 hours after sex. Plan B cannot terminate a pregnancy- -it is not an abortion pill. Plan B is currently available over the counter to people 17 years old and older. Anyone under 17 must go to the doctor and get a prescription before they can get Plan B.
Plan B is extremely safe, and as the FDA’s approval has shown, there is no reason for it to be locked away. A report released this month makes this clear, stating that “no deaths or serious complications have been causally links to emergency contraceptive. According to the U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, there are no situations in which the risks of using [emergency contraceptive pills] outweigh the benefits.” Compare that to the 450 deaths from liver failure in 2004 due to an overdose of acetaminophen,the drug found in Tylenol. And yet walk into any pharmacy and you’ll find Tylenol available over the counter.
Although it’s clear that Plan B is safe for women and girls of all ages, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled the FDA’s medically-based, scientifically accurate decision. In her very brief memorandum, Secretary Sebelius claims to worry about the 10% of girls who begin ovulating by 11.1 years old. Yet she doesn’t seem to suggest a problem of health, but instead “significant cognitive and behavioral differences between older adolescent girls and the youngest girls of reproductive age.” It seems that she is suggesting that young teens would not understand how to use Plan B, or that they would not act in a mature enough manner for Plan B.
This attitude is extremely condescending. No one fears that teenagers, even young teenagers, will not know how to use or will misuse Tylenol or Benadryl or Aleve, and thus should not have access to them. Even more damning is that condoms ARE available on the shelves. If we can trust people of any age to buy condoms, why can’t we trust them to buy Plan B? I am willing to bet that anyone 12, 13, or 14 years old who is going into a drugstore to buy Plan B is buying it because they need it. Young teens can’t drive and often don’t have large disposable incomes, so many would be purchasing Plan B with the help of their parents, older sibling, or friend. And if you don’t live in a city with easy public transportation, it takes a lot of effort for someone under the legal driving age to get to a drugstore without their parent’s knowledge; this is not something you’d do on a dare.
Young teenagers know about sex. They see it in our media, they hear about it in school (despite abstinence-only efforts) and they learn about it from their parents or friends. Plan B is a time sensitive medicine that is used after something has gone wrong. Whether that something is rape, a broken condom, or drunken, unprotected sex is important, but not so important as to block access to Plan B. If we’re worried about the “cognitive and behavioral differences” of young teens, we need to work on putting comprehensive sex education into schools, not taking away access to a safe medication.
It’s hard to understand how the Secretary thought there was good reason to contradict the FDA, especially when many clinicians, members of Congress, reproductive rights advocates and healthcare professionals saw no evidence to prevent Plan B from being over-the-counter. In fact, the effort to make emergency contraception available to all people of reproductive age started six years ago. In 2005, Susan Wood resigned from the FDA because of delays in approving Plan B over the counter. Today, she’s quoted in the Washington Post, saying:
Yesterday, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced that they are blocking Plan B from being sold on pharmacy shelves to whoever needs it. This goes against FDA recommendations to remove all restrictions to accessing Plan B, including lifting age restrictions and requiring Plan B to be sold on pharmacy shelves instead of behind-the-counter.
Plan B One-Step is a brand of morning after pill, which works the same way as birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. It’s more effective the earlier it’s taken, but can be taken up to 72 hours after sex. Plan B cannot terminate a pregnancy- -it is not an abortion pill. Plan B is currently available over the counter to people 17 years old and older. Anyone under 17 must go to the doctor and get a prescription before they can get Plan B.
Plan B is extremely safe, and as the FDA’s approval has shown, there is no reason for it to be locked away. A report released this month makes this clear, stating that “no deaths or serious complications have been causally links to emergency contraceptive. According to the U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, there are no situations in which the risks of using [emergency contraceptive pills] outweigh the benefits.” Compare that to the 450 deaths from liver failure in 2004 due to an overdose of acetaminophen,the drug found in Tylenol. And yet walk into any pharmacy and you’ll find Tylenol available over the counter.
Although it’s clear that Plan B is safe for women and girls of all ages, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled the FDA’s medically-based, scientifically accurate decision. In her very brief memorandum, Secretary Sebelius claims to worry about the 10% of girls who begin ovulating by 11.1 years old. Yet she doesn’t seem to suggest a problem of health, but instead “significant cognitive and behavioral differences between older adolescent girls and the youngest girls of reproductive age.” It seems that she is suggesting that young teens would not understand how to use Plan B, or that they would not act in a mature enough manner for Plan B.
This attitude is extremely condescending. No one fears that teenagers, even young teenagers, will not know how to use or will misuse Tylenol or Benadryl or Aleve, and thus should not have access to them. Even more damning is that condoms ARE available on the shelves. If we can trust people of any age to buy condoms, why can’t we trust them to buy Plan B? I am willing to bet that anyone 12, 13, or 14 years old who is going into a drugstore to buy Plan B is buying it because they need it. Young teens can’t drive and often don’t have large disposable incomes, so many would be purchasing Plan B with the help of their parents, older sibling, or friend. And if you don’t live in a city with easy public transportation, it takes a lot of effort for someone under the legal driving age to get to a drugstore without their parent’s knowledge; this is not something you’d do on a dare.
Young teenagers know about sex. They see it in our media, they hear about it in school (despite abstinence-only efforts) and they learn about it from their parents or friends. Plan B is a time sensitive medicine that is used after something has gone wrong. Whether that something is rape, a broken condom, or drunken, unprotected sex is important, but not so important as to block access to Plan B. If we’re worried about the “cognitive and behavioral differences” of young teens, we need to work on putting comprehensive sex education into schools, not taking away access to a safe medication.
It’s hard to understand how the Secretary thought there was good reason to contradict the FDA, especially when many clinicians, members of Congress, reproductive rights advocates and healthcare professionals saw no evidence to prevent Plan B from being over-the-counter. In fact, the effort to make emergency contraception available to all people of reproductive age started six years ago. In 2005, Susan Wood resigned from the FDA because of delays in approving Plan B over the counter. Today, she’s quoted in the Washington Post, saying:
“There is no rationale that can justify HHS reaching in and overturning the FDA on the decision about this safe and effective contraception. I never thought I’d see this happen again.”
Christians Can Support 10 for Tebow Too
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Crossposted from AbortionGang.
Hi. I’m a writer here at AbortionGang. I’m also a Christian. Nice to meet you!
It seems that a lot of press around our recent #10forTebow campaign is suggesting that we hate God, or Christians, or Jesus, or faith. This is simply not true.
If you take a second look at Sophia’s original post, you’ll see she never says a single bad thing about Christianity. She may laugh at Tebow’s excessive focus on his faith, but that is entirely about Tebow’s actions, not the religion he follows.
Some people may believe that being antichoice and Christian go hand in hand- to attack one is to attack the other. This also is untrue. Taking a stand against being antichoice is not taking a stand against Christianity.
Christianity has been separated into many different organized religions, and some Christians choose to create their own faith, outside of organized religion. I am not here to say which group or type is a/the True Christian, but I do want to point out that this diversity means there is a diversity of beliefs among Christians related to abortion.
One of the first abortion funds ever established was created by ministers, who were counseling women with problem pregnancies, and seeing the horrible effects of back-alley abortions. These ministers worked together to direct women to medically-safe abortion locations, and eventually they raised the money to fund an abortion clinic in their area. In this way, Christians were some of the first supporters of abortion funding, and keeping women safe.
Christians today continue to support a woman’s right to choose. There are many Christian organizations and denominations that have spoken up for women and their families: Catholics for Choice, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, The United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and more.
Christians have a long history of supporting choice, and we will continue to support choice in the future. Being prochoice does not mean one hates God, or is against faith. Donating to an abortion fund as part of the #10forTebow campaign is one more way that Christians can do good in their community and help their fellow human, as God has asked us to. This campaign is for everyone who disagrees with Tebow’s antichoice position, not just atheists or agnostics who disagree with him.
Hi. I’m a writer here at AbortionGang. I’m also a Christian. Nice to meet you!
It seems that a lot of press around our recent #10forTebow campaign is suggesting that we hate God, or Christians, or Jesus, or faith. This is simply not true.
If you take a second look at Sophia’s original post, you’ll see she never says a single bad thing about Christianity. She may laugh at Tebow’s excessive focus on his faith, but that is entirely about Tebow’s actions, not the religion he follows.
Some people may believe that being antichoice and Christian go hand in hand- to attack one is to attack the other. This also is untrue. Taking a stand against being antichoice is not taking a stand against Christianity.
Christianity has been separated into many different organized religions, and some Christians choose to create their own faith, outside of organized religion. I am not here to say which group or type is a/the True Christian, but I do want to point out that this diversity means there is a diversity of beliefs among Christians related to abortion.
One of the first abortion funds ever established was created by ministers, who were counseling women with problem pregnancies, and seeing the horrible effects of back-alley abortions. These ministers worked together to direct women to medically-safe abortion locations, and eventually they raised the money to fund an abortion clinic in their area. In this way, Christians were some of the first supporters of abortion funding, and keeping women safe.
Christians today continue to support a woman’s right to choose. There are many Christian organizations and denominations that have spoken up for women and their families: Catholics for Choice, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, The United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and more.
Christians have a long history of supporting choice, and we will continue to support choice in the future. Being prochoice does not mean one hates God, or is against faith. Donating to an abortion fund as part of the #10forTebow campaign is one more way that Christians can do good in their community and help their fellow human, as God has asked us to. This campaign is for everyone who disagrees with Tebow’s antichoice position, not just atheists or agnostics who disagree with him.
White House Tours and Fetuses
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Originally posted on AbortionGang blog.
The White House wants you to register your fetus as a person when you take a tour.
Or do they?
Anti-choicers have been lighting Twitter up with tweets and links to post talking about how the White House wants you to register your “unborn child” if you’re going on a tour. The antichoicers have been talking about this as mixed messaging, acknowledgement of a fetus as a person, and other silly hoopla.However, what they’re not tweeting is the full story.
Luckily, Politifact was nice enough to post about this topic. Here’s the part the anti-choicers probably won’t tell you:
In other words, if you are going on a tour of the White House on June 1st, they want to you include every person who will be on the tour on June 1st, including your newborn infant… even if today is May 1st and you’re still pregnant with this to-be newborn infant.
So the White House doesn’t need you to register your fetus if you’re going on a tour while still pregnant. However, if you are going to give birth in between the time you register for a tour and the time you take a tour, it would be very helpful if you would include your to-be child in your list of people.There is no disconnect at the White House between recognizing fetuses for security and for rights. Because this isn’t about fetuses; it’s about infants. This recognition of an infant before it is born is the same thing most women do when they have a baby shower before they give birth. It’s part of living in a world with a linear timeline. Anti-choicers should stop acting like this is some sort of meaningful sign in the abortion debate, and start seeing it for what it is: a matter of convenience for families visiting the White House.
The White House wants you to register your fetus as a person when you take a tour.
Or do they?
Anti-choicers have been lighting Twitter up with tweets and links to post talking about how the White House wants you to register your “unborn child” if you’re going on a tour. The antichoicers have been talking about this as mixed messaging, acknowledgement of a fetus as a person, and other silly hoopla.However, what they’re not tweeting is the full story.
Luckily, Politifact was nice enough to post about this topic. Here’s the part the anti-choicers probably won’t tell you:
“Schafer’s email was an explanation of how to fill out information for pregnant women who will bring their new baby on future White House tours. ” said Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan.
In other words, if you are going on a tour of the White House on June 1st, they want to you include every person who will be on the tour on June 1st, including your newborn infant… even if today is May 1st and you’re still pregnant with this to-be newborn infant.
“I know people are construing it as an unborn child, but the visit isn’t occurring (now). If a pregnant woman shows up at the White House, we don’t count two people. It’s sort of a way of expediting (the process) so no one gets hung up at the gate,” he said.
So the White House doesn’t need you to register your fetus if you’re going on a tour while still pregnant. However, if you are going to give birth in between the time you register for a tour and the time you take a tour, it would be very helpful if you would include your to-be child in your list of people.There is no disconnect at the White House between recognizing fetuses for security and for rights. Because this isn’t about fetuses; it’s about infants. This recognition of an infant before it is born is the same thing most women do when they have a baby shower before they give birth. It’s part of living in a world with a linear timeline. Anti-choicers should stop acting like this is some sort of meaningful sign in the abortion debate, and start seeing it for what it is: a matter of convenience for families visiting the White House.
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