First U.S. Woman in space dies at 61
Friday, July 27, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Jeannette Pickering Rankin
Everyone is familiar with Hillary Rodham Clinton, but she's not the first female to become a political powerhouse.
Ms. Rankin successfully led women in Montana to the voting booth four years before women gained the right to vote nationally. From there, she was the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Photo is courtesy of United States Congress, Public Domain
Ms. Rankin successfully led women in Montana to the voting booth four years before women gained the right to vote nationally. From there, she was the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Photo is courtesy of United States Congress, Public Domain
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
What Do Women Think About Birth Control?
There's a lot of heat surrounding contraceptives these days. And I don't mean that in a fun, sexual way.
A woman's right to use birth control is being contested everywhere from FOX to The Baltimore Sun. The big debate isn't as much about the women's reproductive rights themselves, as it is about why women aren't being consulted. Most news outlets, it seems, prefer to interview men.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2006-2008, 99% of women who have had sex have used some form of birth control. Where are these women now when lawmakers are having a conversation about restricting our reproductive freedom?
Interestingly, CNN states "thousands" of women have been writing letters, leaving phone messages and sending emails to share their opinions. CNN is actually wondering why men aren't doing the same.
Which is it? Are we hearing from men and women equally? If not, which side is actually being under-represented? It seems it depends on where you get your news.
I understand those who have religious beliefs that prohibit birth control, but I also can read a statistic like the one from CDC and know that, religious belief or not, couples are making choices to prevent pregnancies. And, as many women will point out, not every woman taking a birth control pill does it for pregnancy prevention. Some women take them for PMS symptoms that are unbearable, some women take them to regulate their cycle so they can GET pregnant, some women take them to help prevent other health problems.
Don't let the few decide what's right for you or your family. The government shouldn't be making this decision for us. Thousands of women raising their voices aren't enough when there are over 150 million women in the country. If this conversation is as male dominated as some news outlets lead a reader to believe, then we as women need to stand up. Our opinions are just as important as the ones expressed by men being interviewed by mainstream media. Make yours heard.
A woman's right to use birth control is being contested everywhere from FOX to The Baltimore Sun. The big debate isn't as much about the women's reproductive rights themselves, as it is about why women aren't being consulted. Most news outlets, it seems, prefer to interview men.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2006-2008, 99% of women who have had sex have used some form of birth control. Where are these women now when lawmakers are having a conversation about restricting our reproductive freedom?
Interestingly, CNN states "thousands" of women have been writing letters, leaving phone messages and sending emails to share their opinions. CNN is actually wondering why men aren't doing the same.
Which is it? Are we hearing from men and women equally? If not, which side is actually being under-represented? It seems it depends on where you get your news.
I understand those who have religious beliefs that prohibit birth control, but I also can read a statistic like the one from CDC and know that, religious belief or not, couples are making choices to prevent pregnancies. And, as many women will point out, not every woman taking a birth control pill does it for pregnancy prevention. Some women take them for PMS symptoms that are unbearable, some women take them to regulate their cycle so they can GET pregnant, some women take them to help prevent other health problems.
Don't let the few decide what's right for you or your family. The government shouldn't be making this decision for us. Thousands of women raising their voices aren't enough when there are over 150 million women in the country. If this conversation is as male dominated as some news outlets lead a reader to believe, then we as women need to stand up. Our opinions are just as important as the ones expressed by men being interviewed by mainstream media. Make yours heard.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Juliette Gordon Low
I mailed a thank-you card to a friend today and used a postage stamp celebrating scouting. It made me think about my days as a Brownie selling Girl Scout cookies. I was only involved for a year or two, but I remember how excited I was whenever I earned a new badge for Mom to sew on my uniform.
Ms. Low founded the girl scouts in 1912 after a visit to England. She met with Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of England. Sir Robert put most of his energy into the boys as, with most people in those days, he believed the girls wouldn't do anything more than become housewives. They didn't need to learn leadership skills, math or science. Low came back to the U.S. with every intention of showing the world that women could do more.
Ms. Low founded the girl scouts in 1912 after a visit to England. She met with Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of England. Sir Robert put most of his energy into the boys as, with most people in those days, he believed the girls wouldn't do anything more than become housewives. They didn't need to learn leadership skills, math or science. Low came back to the U.S. with every intention of showing the world that women could do more.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Fighting for the Right to Vote
Over the years, I've found two women's lifestyle publications that I read cover to cover. One was called Ms.Adventure, which has sadly ceased publication. I wrote for them for about a year before they decided they were unable to continue publishing the newspaper because they weren't able to secure enough advertising dollars to cover the costs. As a free publication, advertising was everything and for one reason or another, it just wasn't there. I was disappointed because, by then, I was devouring everything I could find about women and their contributions to history.
The publication I'm reading now is called Skirt! and they are founded on the principle that, in part, "The ones who came before us made it possible for our daughters to dream bigger...." The letter from the publisher this month is about November 15, 1917 called the "Night of Terror." Take a read as Nikki Hardin encourages you to do your part and vote. Suffragists worked hard and survived amazing horrors because they believed women have something valuable to add to our country. Let your voice be heard.
The publication I'm reading now is called Skirt! and they are founded on the principle that, in part, "The ones who came before us made it possible for our daughters to dream bigger...." The letter from the publisher this month is about November 15, 1917 called the "Night of Terror." Take a read as Nikki Hardin encourages you to do your part and vote. Suffragists worked hard and survived amazing horrors because they believed women have something valuable to add to our country. Let your voice be heard.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)