Blog Archive
Understanding Reproductive Justice and Reproductive Rights: Can The Two Co-Exist?
Legal Challenges Throughout the 1800’s American women had been undergoing illegal abortions, most of which were hugely unsafe, and even fatal. This practice was largely unregulated. In the early 1900’s, Margaret Sanger was an early proponent of a woman’s right to contraception and sex education – this was many years before birth control became available to American women. It wasn’t until 1963 when the birth control pill was introduced to allow for women to plan their families. However, tremendous hurdles existed inhibiting abortion access. Many states banned the pill altogether, while some states only made the pill available to some women, and practiced various forms of religious oppression. By 1967, abortion was considered a felony in 49 States and in the District of Columbia. Law of The Land In 1973, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of birth control and abortion access to single and married women in
Who Are Epstein’s Friends in High Places?
In doing research on the Epstein/Acosta sordid affair, I keep finding my attention pulled away from the Trump administration and toward Dick Cheney. That may seem like an illogical jump to you, but let me explain. When this farce in Florida took place in 2007, who, within the government had enough interest in Epstein to pressure Acosta to make this sweetheart deal? Did Trump Influence Acosta on Epstein? Not so Fast… It wasn’t Trump. He wasn’t holding any office at that time. He was doing The Apprentice. He could and probably would have spent a lot of money to keep Epstein quiet, but he had no power within the Justice Department. It might have been Barr but he wasn’t in government at that time, either. He had relationships with some of Epstein’s legal team, and within the Justice Department, but was that enough? I suggest that anyone concentrating on Trump
Memories of Busing
Growing up White in Atlanta In 1953, I started kindergarten in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1954, we moved to a nice little neighborhood in Northwest Atlanta. We lived within 1 mile of the neighborhood school and all the kids on our street walked to school together, big kids watching the little ones. We never thought about whether or not we were safe. We were just kids and this was what we did. We didn’t even realize we were all White kids, this was just our world. In 1958, our world changed. I was 10 when the house 2 doors down was sold to a White owned real estate company and rented to a Black family. That company was all set with cash to buy up all the houses in the neighborhood that they knew would immediately come on the market at below market prices. We moved back to rural Georgia within
Ivanka at the G 20
I generally refrain from making wardrobe comments about professional women. Appearance is not related to competence and usually commenting on appearance is a way of trivializing women. I feel, however, that Ivanka is an exception to that personal rule because she is not professional and is trivial. I also generally refrain from making negative comments about the children of elected officials. Ivanka is exempt from that too, because she has assumed a role in our government and is happy to enjoy the benefits that come with that. Having discarded those two personal guidelines, here goes. Open Letter to Ivanka Ivanka, sweetie, try some dark colors if you want to be taken seriously. Older people with experience can wear bright colors but they rarely wear ruffles. Try some shoes that are a little more sensible. Spike heels are bad for your back, and they are more appropriate on a runway. Tie
Democratic Candidates Must Step Up
The stories and testimony we are hearing about conditions for children caught in our immigration system – ages 5 months to 17 years – should be making all sane human beings sick to our stomachs. Strangely, there are many in our country who argue that this is not our fault, that it is the fault of their parents, that we owe no duty of care to these brown children.
Trump’s Blame Game Has no Basis in Fact
Our President falls back on his regular habit of laying blame at the feet of Obama, the Democrats, Mexico – anywhere other than where it belongs – squarely at the feet in his own handmade expensive shoes. And while Homeland Security attorneys argue with judges that soap, showers, toothbrushes and blankets are not a requirement for safe and sanitary conditions, Customs and Border Control personnel refuse donations of needed items saying, “We have all those things. We don’t accept donations.” That may be the closest thing to truth we have heard about this sad state of affairs. They have the money. It was appropriated by the Congress Trump is trying to blame. In fact, in many facilities we, the taxpayers, are spending $775 per day per child for their care. That price should include soap, toothbrushes and blankets, plus a couple of good meals a day.
To add insult to injury, most of these children should never have been taken from the family members who are here in this country. This was all unnecessary.
This has become a Gordian knot, mostly I believe, because Trump sees it as a winning campaign strategy, and he doesn’t want it solved. What a pitiful excuse for this kind of wholesale cruelty.
How Do We Cut Through This Knotty Problem?
Here is what I want to see.
I want all 25 Democratic candidates for President to convene a joint press conference outside the worst of the facilities where toddlers are being held in their own filth with no blankets, no beds, no soap, no showers. I want all the candidates, with no exceptions, to demand the doors be opened. I want them to demand a tour.
I would like the candidates to show up with people from the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and UNICEF. I want the candidates to personally render aid to the children — on camera. At the very least, I want it on camera when officials refuse entry to a federal facility by senators, congress people, governors and the national press. I want to see the guards showing their guns to block them.
I want this planned carefully. I want it publicized before, during and after. I want Fox News shamed into being there, then I want Fox News shamed into showing it. I want the candidates to agree to stand together, unified, and be prepared to stay for hours. I want them to only grant interviews in teams and I want them to keep on topic. I want no self promoting words from anyone. I want them to allow their actions to speak.
I want the DNC to set up everything necessary for a rally — refreshments, stands, shelter — and make sure this event is open to the public and well publicized beforehand. I want to see everyone unified in naming this part of the USA’s new Concentration Camp system. No equivocating. I don’t want any more lip service to outrage — I want us to SEE the outrage in such a way that anyone who is turning a blind eye to the outrage can no longer deny its existence.
The logistics for this would be hard, but you cannot convince me it cannot be done, if there really is a will to save these children, there is a way.
Would that be blatantly using children for political props? Maybe, but it would definitely be an attempt to rescue children who are already being used as political props.
I want someone to do something for those babies. Now.