The Debate Process

I created this meme to sum up the difference between the Republican and Democratic debate process:

For Those With Vaginas

As the economy stagnates, the GOP continues its assault on women's heath. The GOP-controlled House refuses to even bring the jobs bill up for debate because it is too busy proposing legislation that will make it legal for hospitals to refuse to perform abortions.

Of course, this goes hand in hand with ridiculously ineffective abstinence-only sex education and attempts to restrict access to birth control. It is my personal opinion that sometimes abortions are necessary and that women, along with their families and their doctors, should have the freedom to choose for themselves. Abortion is a personal, moral decision, not a legal one. If you don't believe in abortion, DON'T HAVE ONE! Rather than spending so much time and energy on sneaky ways to make abortions unavailable, perhaps we should focus that energy on educating people who are (or will be) sexually active to make informed decisions about their personal health and safety. While it's true that the only way to be 100% safe from unplanned pregnancy and STI's is to not engage in sexual activity, that is just not a realistic solution for a large majority of people. If so many Catholic priests can't keep it in their pants, what hope is there for your average horny teenager?

I'm including a couple of videos that address this issue and have inspired me to get involved in some political activism to advocate for women's sexual health. The first video is from the Rachel Maddow Show and features several congresswomen and men speaking out against the GOP's attack on women. The second video is from Second City and is a satirical response to GOP plans to cut funding for Planned Parenthood. "Vagina havers: Does your sexual partner support vaginas? If not, tell him how he can go get f@*ked. Alone."

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Concession / Victory Speeches

I just watched John McCain's concession speech, and I have to say I like him better now than at any other time during the campaign. His speech was gracious and I appreciated the way he pledged his support for our new president and urged his supporters to do the same. Our country is in the midst of a difficult time right now and we do need to find ways to work together to solve some big problems. Kudos to McCain.

Though I was exhausted and ready to crawl into bed, I had to stay up to watch Obama's victory speech. For the first time in many years, I am proud of my country's choice of a leader. Barack may not be perfect, but I believe he is the best choice for our country at this moment in history. Obama's speech left me feeling inspired. Yes, we have lots of problems to solve. This is our time to make a difference. "Yes we can."

Analogy of the day

"And a woman voting for McCain and Palin is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders."

Ashley Judd

Why you should never talk politics at a party...

Okay, so I am making a serious effort to stay informed on issues to be better prepared for the presidental elections this year. In addition to standard news sources, I have been reading blogs.

The problem I am having is that people are downright rude and political discussions turn into profanity-laden screaming matches. Now, I enjoy profanity as much as the next bad-ass rollergirl, but not when it is used to cover up the fact that a person has nothing intelligent to contribute to a discussion.

Obviously, tempers are bound to flare when people are discussing deeply held personal beliefs. And, truthfully, I enjoy reading the dissenting opinions--when those opinions are stated clearly and backed up with sound facts. I have learned much in my life from people with whom I have disagreed. Even if my opinion isn't guaranteed to fundamentally change after one of these discussions, listening to a well-reasoned argument always gets me thinking and examining my own beliefs. And that's a good thing.

Unfortunately, it seems to me that everyone is so entrenched in their own fundamental "rightness" that they can't even hear anyone but themselves. For example, an author I admire posted a video clip about Palin's campaign to eliminate wild wolves and bears from Alaska. There were a few intelligent comments on the blog, but most were abusive, misspelled, ALL CAPS, and/or just plain ignorant. And this was on both sides of the issue.

Argh!

Just say no to Palin!

As much as I would LOVE to see the United States progress to a point where a woman running the White House could be a reality, I am personally and politically insulted about the Republican party’s assumption that women will support a candidate who has nothing to offer except that she has a vagina.

Palin is against all the things that I personally believe make this country a place I want to live. She does not believe that women should have control over their own bodies or that we should educate our daughters so that they can make informed choices about their health and sexuality. She thinks global warning is a myth and believes that everyone should own a gun. As an English teacher with a love of controversial books, I find her views on book banning appalling.

As far as the “experience” McCain so glowingly talks about—organizing the soccer carpool and being the mayor of some Podunk town with a smaller population than my high school does NOT make her qualified to lead the nation.

I keep waiting for the McCain camp to call a press conference and say, "Just kidding, folks. Our real choice for VP is..."

Proud to be a woman today

Smart, dynamic women; fantastic speeches.

Some of my favorite quotes from Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton:

I loved what Michelle said about "the belief that the world as it is just won't do-- that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be."

And that "America should be a place where you can make it if you try."

Michelle Obama delivered a positive, uplifting message which was just what I needed after a hard day. I would've actually settled for a foot massage, but, hey, a political speech is the next best thing, right?

During Hillary's speech, I was reminded why I like her so much. That woman is so smart and a such powerful presence on stage. Definitely a bit stiffer than Michelle, but formidable (and I do mean that in a bad-ass, derby love way). Can't really see Michelle playing roller derby, but I bet Hillary could knock some bitches down.

The "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits" line cracked me up, but my husband didn't get the joke.

When Hillary said, "My mother was born before women had the right to vote; My daughter was able to vote for her mother--for President," I almost burst into tears. While I'm still blaming the patriarchy for the fact that the US is STILL not ready for a female president, I have to admit that we've made some amazing progress.

And now, thanks to Hillary daring to go where no woman has gone before, there are "18 million cracks in the glass ceiling."