Israel's 'modesty buses'

Orthodox Jewish author Naomi Ragen is suing to end a system of segregated public buses that run through heavily religious neighborhoods in various Israeli cities.

On these segregated buses, women are forced to the back. And if they refuse, Ms. Ragen contends they are subject to "abuse, humiliation, threats, even physical intimidation."

I am not familiar with Naomi Ragen's work, but she seems like a pretty tough cookie:

"It was a completely empty bus, and all of a sudden, some men started getting on, ultra-orthodox men. They told me I was not allowed to sit there, I had to go to the back of the bus.

I said to him look, if you bring me a code of Jewish law and show me where it's written that I have to sit at the back of the bus I'll move.

And he tried to gain support from the rest of the passengers and I underwent a half-hour of pure hell..."

Naomi Ragen sees her suit to end the segregated bus line as a fight to reclaim her country and religion from the control of a powerful minority of extremists (sound familiar, anyone?)

"They throw paint and bleach at women who aren't dressed modestly and if we don't draw a line in the sand here with this seat on a bus, then I don't know what this country and this religion is going to look like in 20 years."

Sunday links.

Today's Argus Leader featured an article about the demand for round-the-clock daycare in Sioux Falls. As the city chooses to base its economy around call center, hospital, and meatpacking jobs (and for that matter, around women working two or three low-paying jobs to make ends meet), I am surprised this need hasn't been addressed previously.

Here's a local woman's story of surviving pancreatic cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of only 5%. She included both aggressive chemotherapy and non-medical care in her treatment regimen. You may recognize the woman from the commercials she has taped for Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which is where she received treatment.

You mean to tell me Sioux Falls has an awful, outdated law on the books that can cause good tenants to be evicted based on random anonymous complaints? NAW.

Sioux Falls residents should also be sure not to miss the profiles of school board candidates in today's paper. Though it is not entirely clear who the Leslee Unruh-endorsed candidate would be this time around, it seems likely that Greg Pasco may be the one.

And, from West River, a story about Custer County's attempt to establish better communication between the state and the Fundamentalist LDS compound established near Pringle. I was mostly interested in the comments at the end of the story. Considering the fact that we know the FLDS engages in various types of marriage that are illegal in this state (marriage between relatives, plural marriage, marriage of pre-teen girls to much older relatives), one would think the sheriff would be a little more concerned than he appears to be. If it were a compound of people engaging in constant underage same-sex marriage, I have a feeling law enforcement would react quite differently.

Tapestry Against Polygamy might be a good starting point for the sheriff's research.

Bush Appointee Who Supported Abstinence Programs Quits in Sex Scandal

There goes another one. According to a Washington Post story, Randall L. Tobias resigned Friday as deputy secretary of state as a result of the DC Madam Scandal. The Post notes:

On Friday, Randall L. Tobias resigned as deputy secretary of state one day after confirming to Brian Ross of ABC that he had patronized the Pamela Martin firm. Speaking yesterday on "Good Morning America," Ross said Tobias told him Tobias's number was on Palfrey's phone records because he had called "to have gals come over to the condo to give me a massage." There had been "no sex," Ross quoted Tobias as saying, and that recently he has used another service, "with Central American gals," for massages. Tobias, who is 65 and married, was director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. He previously held a top job in the Bush administration overseeing AIDS relief, in which he promoted abstinence and a policy requiring grant recipients to swear they oppose prostitution.

By the way...two days earlier President Bush was complimenting Tobias on his job well done. Maybe given the President's track record in that area (Brown, Rumsfield, Gonzales, etc.), the President may want to stop giving out those kind of pats on the back.

Tobias is another one of the Bush appointees who was promoting abstinence over accurate sex education, except this time it was in another country. He was married, but maybe he should have practiced what he tried to preach (I'm ignoring the they were just "massages" argument).

Breathe, a North Dakota blog I just discovered, commented on the failure of the US-African Abstinence programs last week.

Update: If you enjoy snark, Wonkette did a post today on Tobias.

April 29, 2007 in the News

Today, all out of the Fargo Forum and all deal with supporting a woman's reproductive rights:
Legislators think they know more than a woman’s doctor: Jane Ahlin's column today takes apart the North Dakota Legislature's actions on passing of HB 1466. Opening paragraph:

How odd it was to see Mexico City legalize abortion the day after the North Dakota House and Senate voted to ban it. Irony abounded as the largest city of Mexico, a country traditionally viewed as lagging far behind America, voted for women’s reproductive freedom, while North Dakota’s House, Senate and governor fell all over one another, rushing to take that freedom away.

I'd encourage you to read it all.

A muddled reversal on abortion: Yesterday, the Forum ran a LA Times editorial on the recent decision of the Supreme Court. Opening paragraph:

The U.S. Supreme Court executed an unconscionable U-turn on abortion, upholding a restrictive federal law that is virtually indistinguishable from a Nebraska statute it struck down only seven years ago.

Abstinence study was misrepresented: A letter to the editor which takes on an earlier letter by Pauline Economon, Executive Director of Fargo's FirstChoice Clinic, about the results of the recently released abstinence study. Opening paragraph:

After reading Pauline Economon’s conclusions (Forum, April 22) on the “Impacts of Four Title V, Section 510 Abstinence Education Programs,” I am wondering whether she read the study at all. The study does not suggest that abstinence programs are well conceived as Economon would have us believe. It actually tells us that these programs had absolutely no impact on teen sexual activity different from that of regular health programs offered at schools.

Update (per Love's comments):

More effort needed to close pay gap between men, women: Rapid City Journal editorial today about the study released on the pay equity gap in South Dakota. Opening paragraph:

Add this one to South Dakota’s list of “lasts:” South Dakota women who have a four-year college degree earn a median annual income of $34,038, which ranks 50th among the states. They earn 74 percent of what male college grads in the state earn, an average $46,056.

Sorry...missed that one!

April 26, 2007 in the News

All North Dakota today...of interest:
YWCA Honors Women in Fargo: Women were honored in Fargo by the YWCA at its Women of the Year Event. 45 women from Cass and Clay Counties were honored at the event.

Sex Charge Against High School Student Dismissed: According to the Fargo Forum story, the case involved a 14 year old female student and 18 year old male student with disabilities from West Fargo, ND.

ND Passes Background Check Bill: Passed in honor of a slain Valley City State female student. The individual being held for the crime is also accused of sexually assaulting female prisoners at his former place of employment at the Barnes County jail. The background check could be required of all state employees if needed.

Not Speaking for White Men: Letter to the Editor in today's Jamestown Sun in response to a letter by a Jamestown resident that I blogged about last week.

Masectomy Open House Held: Open House held in Minot, ND to showcase new products for women who have had masectomies.

Amnesty International Study: Grand Forks Herald runs information on the report regarding sexual assault against Native women, including impact for North Dakota.

Book Readers Dying Off?: A Kathleen Parker column that I actually find myself in agreement with. She discusses cutbacks at newspapers to their book reviewers and the loss of the "soul" of the newspaper.

Dude

Dude, because every time I saw him at the Capital during the legislative session all I could imagine him really saying, like something truly verbal, was "Dude." That was Steve Sibson.

If anyone out of state is reading, Steve "Sibby" Sibson ... . Well. Too long for this post.

Steve "blogs", sort of. Its more like pelleting women, anyone who's not white, anyone who's not his brand of evangelicalism.

And he needs some help.

Seriously, Steve, this post of yours about the Amnesty Intl. report re sexual assault and indigenous women is way the beyond the pale of even politics. Its particularly nauseating for women who've been sexually assaulted to see themselves ever more degraded in your rambling, WorldNetDaily addicted, vicious, vicious diatribes. Is it any wonder you later posted about being socially isolated. Dude. Consider this a social intervention.

If there's a God in heaven may She forgive you but the rest of us just need you to shut up.

Saudi newscaster arguing in favor of equal rights.

I have seen this on a couple of other blogs, but thought it was worth reposting here. An intelligent, eloquent woman arguing passionately for her right to be regarded as an equal.

Get Your Freedom On!

Three years ago today, a certain DakotaWomen contributor and I rode over 20 hours on a bus to Washington, D.C. to be part of the 2004 March for Women's Lives. Seeing a million people fill up the mall, demanding reproductive rights, and knowing that a presidential election was right around the corner, I actually left D.C. feeling pretty optimistic about the future of this country.

Obviously, things didn't go exactly as planned. But the organizations behind the March for Women's Lives are hoping to see that kind of energy again today for National Call-In Day to Support the Freedom of Choice Act. Passing this bill would be a huge victory for the women of this country.

Join the march by calling your Senators and Representative(s) today and urging them to cosponsor FOCA.
Call your members of Congress at 202-224-3121!
FOCA House Bill Number: H.R. 1964
FOCA Senate Bill Number: S. 1173

April 24, 2007 in the News

Lots today; mix of North and South Dakota...
North Dakota Passes Abortion Trigger Ban: News articles from the Bismarck Tribune and Grand Forks Herald.

Abstinence Scam Can't Fool Teens: According to a Grand Forks Herald column, it's the same song, different chorus. States that the Administration is pushing another $191 million into the program. Favorite line:

As in many matters, mere efficacy has no standing in Bush World. Sanctified sex is good, or at least OK; secular sex is bad and approaching evil. Abstinence-only education serves the good, whether it “works” or not. Sex education that even imagines premarital sex offends righteousness. Sometimes, you have to wonder: Do we have a president or an undergraduate divinity student?

The Wage Gap: Sexism alleged in South Dakota pay gap, inequity in wages for women. See today's Sioux Falls Argus Leader story. Report was released by the American Association of University Women. Also ran in Aberdeen News. According to the SF story:

There are remnants in South Dakota of a long-standing corporate culture that does not value women as much as men, said Chet Jones, a former South Dakota state senator. "Believe me, if men were trailing women, there would be an uproar," he said.

Update on Court Case on Anti-Abortion Campaign Donation: Hearing was held on Monday on whether Roger Hunt is required to disclose who the $750,000 donor to the SD campaign was. Judge Caldwell stated she'll issue a written decision within two weeks.

HPV Vaccine Offered Free in Sioux Falls, SD: Planned Parenthood will offer the vaccines free to all girls and young women 11-18 years at their clinic. Click here for more information.

Take Back the Night Event in Aberdeen, SD: Event to raise community awareness of sexual assault to be held on Thursday in Aberdeen. Click here for more information.

Group Marks Sexual Assualt Awareness Week in Rapid City, SD: Open House held yesterday in Rapid City by Working Against Violence, Inc.

Girls' Restroom to be Updated at Juvenile Detention Center: Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center girl's bathroom will be modernized and made accessible for those with disabilities. Next year, renovations will occur to the boy's bathroom. The article also notes concerns about Pennington County's as well.

More on Abstinence Education: Comments posted by Sioux Falls residents regarding the report released on abstinence education and what, if any, changes should be made in South Dakota. Lots of comments of various ages, so go take a look.

South Dakota Law Brings Healing to Families of Stillborns: New law is retroactive, going back to 1950 and provides issuance of a birth certificate in case of a stillborn. Article states there were 38 stillborns last year in South Dakota.

"I'm no hero, the people who served with me who died are the real heroes," said Jessica Lynch.

I don't know, refusing to go along with the lies created by the military and media so that the truth can finally come out...sounds pretty heroic to me.

Amnesty: "Shocking rates of rape" among Native women.

Amnesty International released the findings of their study of rape and sexual assault in reservation communities, including the Standing Rock Reservation of North and South Dakota.

The findings indicate that survivors are victimized yet again by a lack of health care workers trained to deal with rape survivors, a confusing judicial system that often allows attackers to go free, and underfunded law enforcement offices.

But hey, at least we banned partial birth abortion, right?

Freedom of Choice Act

Via Feministing:

In response to the Supreme Court's narrow decision limiting abortion on Wednesday, Rep. Jim McDermott and Sen. Patty Murray are co-sponsoring bills to preserve abortion rights.

The Freedom of Choice Act was introduced in the House and Senate on Thursday. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., are promoting the legislation. The legislation would codify the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and bar states from limiting abortion rights. It was introduced in 2006 and 2004 but never made it out of either the Senate or House judiciary committees.

That could change in the House this time with a clear Democratic majority, but it's uncertain if there are enough votes on the Senate side.

Also has a link for contacting your representative to encourage sponsorship.

ND Passes Abortion Ban

In the next to last day of the session, the North House and Senate passed today HB 1466 which bans abortions except for rape and incest and some iffy language regarding saving the life of the mother. The law goes into affect upon the ND Attorney General's recommendation that the ND legislation would not be ruled as unconstitutional (i.e., any ruling against Roe v. Wade). It's incredibly disappointing but not completely unexpected given the current Republican majority on both sides and the recent Supreme Court decision which gave a new push for passage since it appears the Supreme Court is open to revisiting Roe v. Wade.

The bill had several amendments over the last few weeks to get it passed and there wasn't a single woman, republican or democrat, selected to be on the conference committee. Two stories right now: Bismarck Tribune (released after Senate vote) and Fargo Forum (released after House vote). According to the Trib, North Dakota joins Mississippi in passing such a law. Now, goes to the Governor for signature.

Couple this with the defeat of SB 2181 (prenatal care for minors) and all I see is a bunch of men (ND Legislature overwhelmingly men), much like the Supreme Court, deciding what we women should do with our bodies and telling us that we are incapable of making these incredibly difficult and private decisions on our own.

Update:
Message from Planned Parenthood:

ND Abortion Ban PASSED! Call Governor Hoeven NOW!
The North Dakota legislature has passed HB 1466--the abortion ban. The bill will now be sent to Governor Hoeven for signature or veto. The next 72 hours are critical!
CALL THE GOVERNOR NOW! He is the only thing standing between the women of North Dakota and the most onerous abortion ban in the country.
Calls and faxes are preferred, as we fear emails will be ignored. But if email is all you can do, that's ok!
All we ask is that you do not delay! Please contact the Governor right now and forward this email to your friends in North Dakota. We need to get an immediate and powerful display of opposition to the Governor right now!
Take Action NOW to stop the abortion ban!
Sample Voicemail: Governor Hoeven, I am calling today to urge you to veto HB 1466. Protect the health and safety of women and don't criminalize the doctors who help women whose lives are in danger or who are the victim of sexual assault. Please do what's right and veto this bill.
Governor John Hoeven
Phone: (701) 328-2200
Department 101
600 E. Boulevard Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58505-0001
Fax: (701) 328-2205
governor@nd.gov

April 22, 2007 in the News

Dear Ava: Wonderful and touching letter in today's Fargo Forum by the editor regarding him being a dad and trying to protect his daughter from the world. Titled "Dear Ava: How can I protect you from the harsh world out there?" Whether you have a child or not, I think you'll be struck by this parent's take.

Sexual Orientation Press in ND: An update from my previous blog on gay couple who were going to attend their high school prom together in Fargo, ND. The couple went to prom last night and today were greeted in the Fargo Forum with several letters to the editor. Letter 1, Letter 2, Letter 3, Letter 4 and Letter 5. Mix of support and intolerance.

Abstinence Study Press in ND: I have seen very few stories on the abstinence study release in ND. Then, today, the Executive Director of Fargo's FirstChoice Clinic writes to dispute the study's result.

Some New Blogs to our Blog Roll

I've added some new blogs to our blog roll to the bottom right. I'm always watching for great bloggers from North and South Dakota so have also added those indications so you know that they're "local" as well and probably discussing our region's issues:
Justice for Women: Female blogger from our neighbor Minnesota who has very interesting takes on women issues and the church.
Left in East Dakota: I've been a long time lurker on Graeme's site. His take on international issues is always worth a read as he blogs from North Dakota.
Robbinsdale Radical: Another site that I've been a long time lurker on. I try to follow issues in ND, SD and Minnesota because of my job and the "Radical" always lets me know what's happening in western South Dakota.
Feminist Law Professors: Out of state blog but I find myself checking daily to see what they're discussing.

Hope the site administrator doesn't mind :)

April 20, 2007 in the News

A mix of stuff I found interesting; lots from South Dakota today...
Gay/Straight Press in ND: 50 Fargo South High School and 75 West Fargo students and teachers took part in a national Day of Silence "to focus attention on the intolerance that keeps gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender youth mum about their sexuality". Then, the Fargo Forum reports that a gay couple will march together at the Fargo South prom in what is apparently a first for prom. Good for all those involved. Then, a Minnesota group urges passage of legislation in that state to support same-sex partner benefits. Some info from the article:

The legislation, which has a good chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Legislature, includes provisions making same-sex partners eligible for state insurance benefits and requiring employers to include domestic partners as part of an expanded pool of people for whom employees are allowed to take sick leave.

SD Delegation Reacts to Supreme Court Ruling on Abortion: Rep. Herseth Sandlin reacts cautiously to ruling while Senator Thune calls the decision a "major triumph" according to a Rapid City Journal story.

Sisseton to Conduct Community Assessments: Anyone reading our blog from Sisseton, SD may want to participate and give input in what needs to be done in your community. According to the Watertown Public Opinion story:

A group from Pierre will give Sisseton residents a chance to express their opinions about where they think the community is currently at and where it should be going.Questions that will be asked are: What is right with Sisseton? What is wrong with Sisseton? What should Sisseton look like in the future? All these questions will be asked at the individual meetings the assessment team will have with local residents.

1 of 10 Children in Poverty in Brookings, SD: According to the Brookings Register:

According to recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than one out of every 10 children in Brookings County were living in poverty in 2004. To be more precise, 12 percent of the county’s under-18 residents were living in low-income households.Brookings County is doing slightly better than surrounding counties. The percent of children living in poverty came in at 12.5 percent for Deuel County, 13.1 for Hamlin, 13 for Kingsbury, 12.9 for Lake County, 12.8 percent for Moody. The South Dakota county with the best figures is Lincoln, at 6.3 percent, and the worst is Ziebach County, coming in at 47.7 percent. The figures, presented in a recent issue of the South Dakota Business Review, may be startling in a community that’s viewed as comfortable by many, especially with some of the higher-end salaries coming from executives at South Dakota State University and the city’s other thriving businesses.

Income Qualifications for WIC Change: Pierre Capital Journal notes that:

Women now can make a little bit more money and still qualify for nutritional support through a federal program. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children has raised income qualifications according to higher poverty guidelines.

Women, who make 185 percent of the poverty level, qualify for the program financially. However, they also have to show they have a nutrient deficiency, such as low iron or a baby with a low-birth weight.

Supreme Court Ruling: And...finally...column by Ellen Goodman on "abortion setback" published in today's Mitchell Daily Republic on the Supreme Court ruling. Favorite line:

May I also remind you of the day President Bush signed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban into law. The photo op had him surrounded by an all-male chorus line of legislators. These men were proudly governing something they never had: a womb.

This column balances the staff editorial today in the Mitchell Daily Republic titled "Our View: Court ruling a victory for life". A snip of their take:

The decision also demonstrates the importance of naming judges to the U.S. Supreme Court who look at the world in a more humane, conservative way. President Bush has made many mistakes during his presidency, but his nomination of Judges John Roberts and Joseph Alito to the court was not one of them. The new makeup provides some balance in thinking that has been missing for far too long.

That's it...

Update on ND Abortion Ban Legislation

Friday Update: HB 1466 came out of conference committee (again) today. The committee was made up of the same members as before. The new amended version which will go to floor for acceptance of the amendments will now NOT include prenatal care for minors language as had been put in the previous amended version. Everything else remains the same.

So, bill will include ban on abortions except when pregnancy occurred as the result of a crime and an iffy part about when saving the life of the mother. Will go into effect upon any overturning of Roe v. Wade. Bill was laid over a legislative day today and with the clock ticking on the end of session, should make the floor on Monday as to whether the amendments will be accepted. Then, floor vote.

Here's some press from today on the previous amended version of 1466 which included prenatal care for minors and was defeated:
Grand Forks Herald (good wrap up of what happened yesterday)

Minot Daily News:

Thursday, the House decided not to concur with the conference committee report on the abortion bill. The report would have made abortion illegal when and if the Attorney General and Legislature or Legislative Council decided the law would be upheld as constitutional and would have added a provision for private prenatal care for teen mothers. The bill will likely go back into conference committee where more options will be discussed.

Will keep you posted...

Friday Miscellenia

Something happy edition.

There were some unpleasant (to say the least) things this week. SCROTUS proved that elections matter and eroded womens rights. One thing that came to mind is how much we need the WEA. The justification Kennedy used in his swing vote was that women were not equal. He quoted unfounded rhetoric of the far right that women were not capable and just couldn't be trusted to make their own decisions. Under WEA that concept is unconstitutional to claim that someone is less or unequal because of their gender. Trust me I could come up with volumes of examples of where having a penis does not make you smarter or more capable of making decisions.

More information about the VA tech shooter is coming out. One thing that is clear is that mental health played a large role if not the role in this disaster. It may feel good to talk about drastic gun control but what has been a factor in every one of these shootings is mental illness. Many of these shooters were on anti-depressants. If we want to prevent such a disaster from happening in South Dakota there is a solution. We need to make it mandatory for every insurance company that sells health insurance to employees in our state must cover mental health treatment. Many of the largest providers of health insurance through employer plans in the state do not provide any coverage for mental health treatment. We should also look at uninsured options for this sector of healthcare. The idea of someone with a substantial mental condition going off their medication because they lost their insurance is an accident waiting to happen. It is clearly in the public interest to make sure that anyone who needs mental health care, medications or monitoring gets it.

Now for something happy.

I am a hero. My daughter's class was required to write an essay on who their hero was. To my surprise the paper that came home was written about me. Not Barbie, not Hillary Duff, not some big pumped up macho guy, not even dad. Me. I guess there are some perks to not being a wilting flower waiting for the world to save you.

The Sioux Falls Roller Dollz get it on again this Saturday the 21st at 7pm. The last one was sold out so get there really early. A portion of this weekends event go to The Rape and Domestic Abuse Center. They donated over $1000 to the Banquet last month. When I first heard about this I had some reservations that this would be mud wrestling on wheels. It wasn't. The campy costumes do have a bit of a sexist slant to them but they honestly cover more than most sports gear. The leaning of the last match was more sport than skin and was really fun to watch.

This is the coolest thing I have seen in weeks. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, along with abolishing pretty much everything like music and women's faces they abolished beauty salons. Of course men could still get a haircut. Deb Rodriguez was desperate to get out of an abusive marriage to a local preacher in Michigan. Rodriguez left her husband and joined the disaster aid group she had worked with on other disasters in Kabul. When people there found out she was a beautician she was swamped. What she found was that there was one tiny beauty shop in the entire country that was working with whatever crude items them could find. This evolved into Deb first hauling suitcases of product and gear back to Kabul and eventually into opening the first beauty school in the country. One might consider a beauty shop to be a bit patriarchial and a fluff endeavor. In a country where women have been denied every civil right and no education this was massive. What made the idea even more powerful was that the entire operation runs without a single male intervention. No men oversee it, no men control the money. Since the social customs still common in the country forbid men from entering a beauty salon they have no clue how much money is passing hands or anything else that is going on within the walls. This was cited as the real reason the Taliban banned beauty salons.
This business is one way women with little opportunity could control their lives and make money and men could not touch it. Freaking brilliant.
The school was made possible through corporate donations within the beauty industry and other large donations. Rodriguez has written a book and a movie documentary has been made about the school.
More about the book.
The movie.
Information about the school, salon, the foundation running it and how to donate.

Friday pictures from the Kabul Beauty School

Miscarriage of Justice

Lynn Paltrow is an attorney, founder of Natl. Advocates for Pregnant Women and one of those testifying at the hearings for the SD Task Farce on Abortion whose testimony was censored from the public report that now serves as the national basis for overturning Roe. Thanks again, guys. Bite me.

Miscarriage of Justice

The federal "partial-birth" abortion ban has grave implications for all pregnant women, not only those seeking to end pregnancies.


By Lynn M. Paltrow
Web Exclusive: 04.19.07 '


Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the first federal law that bans an abortion procedure for all women and all doctors in all states. By holding that Congress's interest in "preserving and promoting fetal life" trumps both scientific evidence and the health of pregnant women, the newly reconfigured Supreme Court overturned the opinions of three lower federal courts and its own precedent. While Justice Kennedy, who wrote the majority opinion, claims that the "act expresses respect for the dignity of human life," the decision expressly devalues the women who give that life.

More.

The dissent of a woman

Justice Bader Ginsburg's remarks from the bench yesterday.

Four members of this Court, Justices Stevens, Souter, Breyer and I, strongly dissent from today’s decision.

Fifteen years ago, in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, the Court declared that “[l]iberty finds no refuge in a jurisprudence of doubt.” There was, the Court said, an “imperative” need to dispel doubt as to “the meaning and reach” of the Court’s 7-to-2 judgment, rendered nearly two decades earlier, in Roe v. Wade. One of the clarifications Casey provided concerned the State’s unconditional obligation to safeguard a woman’s health. At all stages of pregnancy, the Court reconfirmed, state regulation of abortion procedures must protect “the health of the woman.”

In reaffirming Roe, the Casey Court described the centrality of “the decision whether to bear . . . a child” to a woman’s “dignity and autonomy,” her “destiny,” her “conception of . . . her place in society.” Challenges to undue restrictions on abortion procedures, the Court comprehended in Casey, do not seek to vindicate some vague or generalized notion of privacy. Rather, they home in on a woman’s autonomy to decide for herself her life’s course, and thus to enjoy equal citizenship stature. [added emphasis] [... .]

In an alarming decision, the Court today reverses the judgments other federal courts have uniformly made. Today’s decision refuses to take Casey and Stenberg seriously. The Court’s opinion tolerates, indeed applauds, federal intervention to ban nationwide a procedure found necessary and proper in certain cases by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. For the first time since Roe, the Court blesses a prohibition with no exception protecting a woman’s health.

The Court asserts that its ruling furthers the Government’s interest in “promoting fetal life.” But the Act scarcely furthers that interest, for it targets only a method of abortion. The woman may abort the fetus, so long as her doctor uses another method, one her doctor judges less safe for her. The Court further pretends that its decision protects women. Women might come to regret their physician-counseled choice of an intact D&E and suffer from “[s]evere depression and loss of esteem,” the Court worries. Notably, the solution the Court approves is not to require doctors to inform women adequately of the different procedures they might choose, and the risks each entails. Instead, the Court shields women by denying them any choice in the matter. This way of protecting women recalls ancient notions about women’s place in society and under the Constitution — ideas that have long since been discredited. [... ]

In candor, the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, and the Court’s defense of it, cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this Court — and with increasing comprehension of its centrality to women’s lives. A decision of the character the Court makes today should not have staying power.

shop til you drop, will ya, Leslee?

"I'm ecstatic," said Leslee Unruh, an anti-abortion activist in South Dakota. "It's like someone gave me $1 million and told me, 'Leslee, go shopping.' That's how I feel."She spent the day conferring with attorneys on how to leverage the ruling to maximum effect in the states: "We're brainstorming and we're having fun."

Leslee and her fundie pals have been shopping for some time now, on the government's dime to boot. The best buy she's come across so far are the South Dakota legislators (and Wade Horn and Robert Rector, of course, who've supplied most of her "shopping" funds with dollars better spent on people's real needs than bogus abstinence ed programs).

Unruh's displays of contempt for women's health and personal agrandizement have hit new heights. Think the SD legislature will get anything done besides further restrict women's rights next session? Think again. The gaming has only begun as Unruh and her fundie pals take the SD Task Farce on Abortion "shopping", like Rice buying shoes during Katrina. Its all a disgrace and sham on the judicial process we rely on to create fair laws and society. For shame.

"We hold we're totally grossed out."

Hola fellow second-class citizens. Swell day today, huh? You just lost your right to a safer medical proceedure because it's yucky. This is why I continue to believe in The System.

Read more about it: Father Knows Best: Dr. Kennedy's Magic Prescription for Indecisive Women

Update on ND Abortion Bill

Sigh...

Things are going to get real interesting up here in North Dakota. HB 1466 (abortion trigger ban bill) has come out of conference committee. (A conference committee containing no democratic OR republican women.) The Committee ignored the changes the Senate had made to the bill and put the abortion ban back in with the trigger option upon possible overturning of Roe v. Wade. They also added in rape and incest as exemptions for abortion (original House bill only had to safe the life of the mother). What got this real interesting is that they also added in confidential prenatal care for minors which had been defeated earlier in the session in SB 2181. This is the new amended version.

Here's today's Minot Daily News story on the amended HB 1466. Here's my blog previously on SB 2181.

Next step, it goes back to the House floor to approve the amendments and, possibly, vote. If amendments aren't approved it goes back to conference committee with new members. If House passes it, it goes back to Senate who could reject leading to another conference committee (again of different members). The ND Legislative Session is supposed to end next Thursday (April 27) so they are quickly running out of time to mess with many more conference committees given the massive number of other bills they need to get through.

I really don't know what's going to happen. It's a complete toss up. If it makes it to House floor vote, adding in rape and incest with "to save the life of the mother" exemption without the messy court battle the trigger allows would help some of the so-called moderates to now vote for it who had voted against it because of lack of those exemptions. However, a number of right wing conservatives may very well vote against it now because of the minor's prenatal care language which a number of them voted down out of their concern for so-called parental rights of the pregnant minor.

Given the Supreme Court news today, who knows what effect that may also have in encouraging or discouraging action.

Virginia Tech shooting another in long line of misogynist motivated killings.

The sick and sad news is coming out that the shootings at Virginia Tech were motivated by an angry male student who want hunting down his girlfriend. TV news is providing more information on this today. The first two victims were the girlfriend's roommate and the floor RA.

What is so disturbing is that this is another in a very long line of recent and not so recent similar incidents of male violence against women they know.

When this first hit the news yesterday the first thing that came to mind was the 1989 Polytechnique shootings. Fourteen women were killed by Marc Lepine who claimed the female engineering students were feminists and that he was fighting feminists before killing them.

On April 4th a pregnant woman was shot to death by her ex-boyfriend in the lobby of the CNN building in Atlanta after he dragged her there by her hair. Building security shot the man.

On April 2nd Rebecca Griego, a researcher at the University of Washington was shot dead by her ex-boyfriend, Jonathan Rowan in her office. Griego has previously been assaulted and threatened by her ex and had pursued a restraining order.

In October 2006, Charles Carl Roberts entered an Amish school house. He made all the male students leave. He later killed five of his ten female hostages before killing himself.

In 2006 the Platte County school shooting took place. Duane Roger Morrison carried a bomb and firearms into a high school. Morrison selected and took six female students hostage. The students were sexually assaulted and shot one hostage in the head before killing himself.

In 2004 a man shot the friend of a his ex-girlfriend and then entered an elementary school armed looking for his ex-girlfriend who witnesses said was fleeing the pursuit of the gunman. Police later shot the gunman in a car outside the school.

In 1998 four female students and a female teacher were killed in a school shooting said to be motivated by the break up by a girlfriend of one of the two male gunmen.

In 1999 Mark Barton killed his wife and kids with a hammer and two days later went on a shooting spree at his workplace. Barton is also a suspect in the murder of his first wife and her mother.

SD's Informed Consent Law Doesn't Go Far Enough (say what?)

Baltimore Chronicle
April 16, 2007

COMMENTARY:
South Dakota's 'Informed Consent' Abortion Law Doesn't Go Far Enough
Shouldn't informed consent be required of everyone who will be making decisions in matters of life or death?
by Alice Cherbonnier

Managing Editor

[... .] By leaving out these other important factors a woman needs to consider in deciding to have an abortion, South Dakota's legislators have tipped their hand, revealing that this law is based on a particular religious viewpoint. Read more.

April 16, 2007 in the News

YWCA Shelter Opening in Minot, ND: The YWCA hopes to open a long-term shelter for women and children sometime next month. According to the story:

The shelter, which will be called the Florence Anderson Center of Hope, will serve women and children who do not meet the criteria to be sheltered in a shelter for victims of domestic violence. Those people might be women who have been evicted from apartments due to lack of money, medical problems or people who are homeless for other reasons. The shelter will not accept women and children who use drugs or alcohol. Those people will have to go to a rehabilitation facility first, said Kunkel.

According to a brochure, the center will provide safe, secure housing with a security system as well as help for the women. They will receive help in developing life skills, food, job search assistance and health services provided through collaboration with other local agencies, help in budgeting and money management, and crisis intervention. A case manager will meet with each woman to help her develop an individual plan to successfully live on her own. While at the facility, the women will share a kitchen, laundry facility, and a free phone.

Play to End Violence Against Women: "Voices of Men," which is a one-man play working to end men's violence against women, will be performed during a May 1 conference in Mahnomen, MN. For more information, see the Fargo Forum.

Hard for White Men to Compete: According to a letter to the editor in the Jamestown Sun from a Jamestown, ND resident:

I am writing about the news release in the Sun Country on April 7, from the Farm Service Agency’s Stutsman County office on loan funds being available for the socially disadvantaged producers.

This group subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice includes women, African Americans, American Indians, Hispanics, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The white male is the only exception. No matter how poor their credit rating it seems to them they didn’t get the loan because they were subjected to racial, ethnic or gender prejudice because of their identity.

The letter goes on:

It’s unimaginable the excuses they could use to make these loans applicable. It’s hard to see how a white male farmer could compete against a policy like this. By including women in this group they try to split the white race. A woman could use this system to use her share of the farm and with this unfair competition could eventually get her husband’s share also.

The white male has done most of the fighting to make this country free. They wrote most of the laws for this democratic form of government and invented most of the equipment to take the hard work out of farming and make life so much easier. You must have noticed that the white male is the only human that is open to any demeaning jokes or comment. If you use these comments on women or ethnic groups you can lose your job or position. If you are maliced or prejudiced, like to express yourself and don’t want to break the law you can always use it on a white man without consequences. I am waiting for a white male to speak up about all these things. I blame part of the problem on the men. Some women are always speaking “We are strong,” “We are superior in many ways,” “We can do anything the men can do and do it better” and the white male feels like he should apologize for even being here. When was the last time you heard the male speak up for his gender? I often wonder how woman feel about men who won’t stand up for their own gender.

This must be some sort of test. I don't even know where to start with this letter. White males have done most of the fighting to make the country free? I'm assuming he's referring to the military back in the 1700s since today's current military is 38% minority (according to a 2003 WP story) which is larger than the general minority population. And I hope he knows that the military in the 1700-1900s DID NOT ALLOW minorities or women to participate and serve in ways equal to their white male counterparts. And white men wrote most of the laws? Yeah, that might be true if again we're focusing on the early days of this country, but why was that? Could it be because they were the only ones with the power to make the laws? Slavery? Women not allowed to own property or be in certain professions? Minorities were only given the right to vote in 1870 (race or color) and women in 1920 and certainly did not have the opportunity to hold public office or be in places of employment like their white male counterparts. Trying to split the white race? Last time I checked, women weren't just white. Jokes and comments about white men? I'm not denying that they may occur, but c'mon, he certainly can't allege that they are meant to belittle and demean to the extent of those made against minorities and women? I'm still trying to figure out what the derogatory stereotype is of a white male. If there is one, I wouldn't support its use anymore than that used against minorities and women. And finally, discrimination laws in employment, credit, housing, etc. passed in this country protect men and caucasians from discrimination not just minorities, women, etc. Although I am not familiar with this particular farm program mentioned, there are other programs which affirmatively market themselves to those who have been victims of discrimination in the past in an effort to make up for what occurred and attempt to level the playing field. This was certainly a Monday letter surprise in the news!

Daddy-State, indeed

Nice exploration of the 8th Circuit case about SD's "Informed" "Consent" law from American Prospect. Mind you, the "legislative finding" referred to below is.....drumroll.... yes! the report of the SD Task Farce on Abortion. Great job guys! You've got the federal courts considering the work of your kangaroo court as fact. The feds! Who knew anyone could be more paternalistic than them. How embarrassing. Kind of gives one the willies to know there's a SD task force on health care over the summer. But I digress.

Consenting Adults

The next frontier in the legal battle over abortion is whether women
need protection from themselves.

By Sarah Blustain Web Exclusive: 04.13.07

... . The second bit of information that abortion doctors would be required to tell a woman seeking an abortion is that she has a "right" to continue her pregnancy. The South Dakota law, as well as the Mary Doe and Acuna cases, assumes that women considering abortions are generally so coerced by outside forces and by their own "crisis thinking" that they need the state to step in to protect them. Written into the text of the South Dakota law is the official "legislative finding" that a woman seeking an abortion may experience pressures that can cause " an emotional crisis, undue reliance on the advice of others, clouded judgment, and a willingness to violate conscience to avoid those pressures." The legislature also found that "there exists a need for special protection of the rights of such pregnant women." This is the daddy state at its finest. ... .

This line of thinking makes clear that women are too ignorant to realize that they are carrying some sort of nascent life in them, and too weak to possibly decide for themselves whether to have an abortion. Even worse, drafters of the South Dakota law do not think women are competent to state whether they have absorbed all of this helpful state information properly: The law would require the doctor to certify, in writing, that he "believes she [the pregnant woman] understands the information imparted."

April 15, 2007 in the News

All from the Fargo Forum today.
Young Women and Careers in Math and Sciences: Story in today's Fargo Forum about an effort being sponsored by NDSU and some local schools to help young girls advance in science and mathematical fields. Some parts of the story of the experiences include:

Junior high school girls from across North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota spent their Saturday morning at North Dakota State University’s campus, learning how to make lotion, designing bridges and examining cow brains.

The most popular workshops at NDSU’s conference have proved to be veterinary science and pharmacy courses, Murie said.

“We don’t want somebody up there just talking away,” Gaynor said. “We want the girls to experience something. One year, a cow gave birth in the barn during a session. That was a very fortunate experience, just happy timing.”

“I think I came when I was an eighth-grader,” Sherlin said. “One of my sessions was on the stock market. That really stuck in my head, just to know that somebody thought that I should know about stocks.”

“A lot of the schools that participate are small schools,” Murie said. “They don’t have hospitals or science labs in their communities, all these things that these girls don’t get exposed to otherwise. So this can be a pretty awakening, eye-opening experience.”

Sounds like a great program. I grew up in a very small ND town and there was so much I missed out on for alternative careers. You didn't see women around you doing those careers or even considering them so you never considered them yourself as a result. I'm not sure if anyone has heard the Ad Council PSAs running on radio about encouraging young girls to think about science. They are wonderful! A station I listen to locally plays them often.

Shelter & Abuse Programs: Letter to the Editor in the Fargo Forum today about the support being given by the Dakota Medical Foundation to the joint effort of the YWCA Emergency Shelter & the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center in Fargo, ND. A snip about this collaborative effort:

The Rape and Abuse Crisis Center opened a south-side location in the YWCA Emergency Shelter on Fargo’s South University Drive. The innovative work leading up to this ribbon cutting serves as an excellent example to our community of how two nonprofit organizations have joined forces to better serve thousands of women and children in our region who have experienced the devastating effects of violence and abuse. Dakota Medical Foundation and the Impact Institute commend the board and staff of these nonprofits as they worked toward a common goal: the client!

Regarding the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center, they will be hosting a breakfast on April 24 in Fargo, ND to acknowledge Sexual Assault Month and to raise funds for children counseling services. Here's some info:

RACC will be sponsoring the 17th Annual “Kids Are Our Business” Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. April 24 at Fargo’s Holiday Inn and the Pinwheels For Peace display April 23-27 in Elmwood Park, West Fargo.

Admission for the breakfast is $50. The price of admission is about equal to the cost of providing one hour of counseling services to children at the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center.

Abstinence Clearinghouse gets one big snuggy

One has to wonder if Wade Horn knew this damning report on abstinence was coming out. He relied on Mathematica at DHSS for years to bolster the case for abstinence ed (and fathers' rights) funding, now his buddies are leaving him, and Leslee, in the cold.

On a call yesterday organized by the Abstinence Clearinghouse, abstinence-only proponents were clearly rocked by the potentially ruinous news in the report. High profile abstinence-only advocate, Robert Rector, led the preemptive damage-control planning. He outlined several strategies the abstinence-only movement could use to rationalize the findings in the report saying, “The other spin I think is very important is not [program] effectiveness, but rather the values that are being taught,” Rector said.

Whether or not these programs work is a “bogus issue,” Rector continued.

Noting that the study was posted on a Government web-site with no press release or advisory, Wagoner said: “The ‘stealth release’ of this study on an obscure government website on a Friday afternoon is clearly meant to bury its contents. But policy makers must now know that funds for these programs must now be liminated”.

Campus Violence Summit to be Held in Bismarck, ND

I just have too much to let you all know about today!

Received this from the ND Women's Network...remember that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (I added in the hyperlinks):

The North Dakota Council on Abused Women's services is seeking men and women interested in thinking critically about preventing sexual assault, pop culture and men’s roles in ending violence. One In Four, a group of young men working to end rape on campuses, will be there to speak and train participants. Those who attend will see "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes," a documentary examining representations of gender roles in hip-hop and rap music. This two-day event is open to counselors, health care professionals, violence prevention workers, students and concerned community members who want to make a difference. The event is free and money is available to pay for lodging and mileage. It will be held at the Comfort Inn in Bismarck April 21-22. For more information or to register, visit NDCAWS. Registration begins at 9:00 on Saturday with the Conference beginning at 10:00am. Participants will be done with training on Sunday afternoon. This event is sponsored by the North Dakota Council on Abused Women’s Services.

Friday in the News

Family Law: Family law initiative in ND had an antiquated view of marriage according to the staff editorial in today's Minot Daily News. Uh, yeah. I especially loved the part in the initiative that stated that either the man or the woman could seek an annulment if the woman did not become pregnant in the first two years of marriage. As I blogged about before, I'm glad this died. I'm sure it'll be back, however. This just wasn't the way to address issues regarding child custody and support.

Diversity and Equality: Great column in today's Aberdeen News from a South Dakotan titled, "Deflate Bigotry: Get to Know Individuals". Truly, isolating yourself from those who you perceive to be different from you, gets no one anywhere. Has a great message about equality in it. Then, on the flip side, there's a column in today's Fargo Forum which encourages inequality for women. Titled "Mother of All Blunders," Kathleen Parker goes on again about women in the military by focusing on the recent British soldier held hostage in Iran and how Britain shouldn't have allowed her to be there. Sidenote: I support women in our volunteer military if they want to enlist. I also support women registering like men have to when turning 18. Doesn't mean I support every war or a draft, but if I'm going to demand equality, I have to take the less popular parts of it as well.

Countries with Woman Presidents: Then, we head back over to the Aberdeen News for another great column from a South Dakotan. Titled "American Voters Asking the Wrong Questions," it focuses on the lack of a woman President to date in the US. Despite all our efforts for equality, etc., those countries who we view often as oppressed have had more women presidents than we have. Great history lesson.

Interracial Marriage: According to an AP story, interracial marriages are increasing across the US. Still not always accepted in parts of the US but great strides have been made in that in a lot of places it just doesn't matter anymore.

Child Custody Issues: Then, we end the day with yet another South Dakota related news item involving a former South Dakotan who had tried to get his custody payments eliminated while in jail. The South Dakota Supreme Court recently ruled that just because someone was in jail doesn't mean they don't have to pay child support. Here's the link to the Court's decision. For us North Dakotans out there, they quote a supportive ND case as well in the ruling.

For North Dakota Residents

Planned Parenthood of MN/ND/SD has an online petition for showing your support on the Senate version of HB 1466. It also allows easy email contact to your North Dakota legislators who have been supportive of protecting reproductive rights.

HB 1466 was originally introduced as a ban on all abortions in ND, except to save the life of the mother, in the event of overturning of Roe v. Wade. It passed the ND House. The ND Senate then made significant modifications to the bill. The Senate approved version took everything out of the bill except to allow the calling of a special session of the legislature for debate on any legislation should Roe v. Wade be overturned. The House refused to concur with the Senate changes so the bill is in conference committee where a solution which works for both sides will need to be achieved. Who knows what that might end up looking like. I should also point out that NO WOMEN were appointed to the conference committees despite there being several on the committees where members were selected from.

Friday Miscellenia

Angry man edition.

There is so much discussion about Imus getting fired. Discussion is going around and around. Some things brought up is that Hip Hop is just as bad in their derogatory language towards women. I could not agree more. People have been trying to call attention to the hateful language and attitudes towards women in Hip Hop for a while, the main stream media just has chosen to ignore it. This quote from Molly Ivins probably says the whole core issue of why what Imus did was so wrong and created so much hostility from so many corners.
"I object because he consistently targets dead people, little girls, and the homeless–none of whom are in a particularly good position to answer back. Satire is a weapon, and it can be quite cruel. It has historically been the weapon of powerless people aimed at the powerful. When you use satire against powerless people, as Limbaugh does, it is not only cruel, it’s profoundly vulgar. It is like kicking a cripple."

I won't wade fully into the whole mess of the Duke rape trial but this comment from one of the accused is interesting. "Many people across this country, across this state, would not have the opportunity that we did, and this could simply have been brushed underneath the rug just as another case and some innocent person would end up in jail for their entire life," Evans said. "It's just not right."
Someone of privilege got to see how the real world works and it scared the hell out of him. It also highlights the reality that most people do not have the resources to properly defend themselves. Most people do not get a press conference and a public apology either.

There has been lots of blogging about the internet harassment of women. Dismissing online threats as no big deal is dangerous, they can and do lead to real world harassment. One of the bloggers involved in the Edwards blogger mess had at least one of these threatening lunatics show up at her door and threaten her family. The other had to spend about a week getting her personal contact information removed from various sites as people posted it publicly. Even last year there were a couple of times that people were asking around online trying to find out the identities and locations of female posters on online forums and blog comments.

It is Friday, time for a picture. These scarves are so beyond wrong.

The Courts and Legislature in ND & SD

Update on the ND abortion ban trigger bill in the state legislature: The Grand Forks Herald is reporting that the ND House has REFUSED to concur with the amendments put forth and passed by the ND Senate last week on HB 1466, ND's abortion ban trigger bill. The bill now goes to conference committee (3 members from Senate and 3 members from House). With only a few weeks left in the ND Legislative Session, we should see some quick work. Will keep you updated on what comes from the conference committee.

Time Runs Out on ND Ballot Measure on Child Custody/Family Law/Shared Parenting: The Grand Forks Herald is reporting that supporters of a ballot measure on changes to North Dakota custody laws have not obtained the needed number of signatures for the initiative within the one year time limit allowed. This was a different ballot measure from the one last year initiated by the ND Shared Parenting Initiative which did receive a sufficient number of signatures and was then defeated on the 2006 election ballot in North Dakota.

SD Abortion Ban Donor Update: In addition to the other SD court case on abortion issues noted in Lucretia's blog below, there's another SD abortion case proceeding in the courts. According to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Roger Hunt has moved to dismiss the Secretary of State's complaint filed against him. This relates to the disclosure of the $750,000 donor for the Vote Yes for Life group which supported last year's abortion ban ballot issue in South Dakota. This is his 2nd motion since the Secretary had rejected his previous motion. Next step is arguments on April 23 before Judge Kathleen Caldwell.

Pregnancy Discrimination: Two South Dakota women have won a discrimination lawsuit against a Sioux Falls oral surgery practice. According to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader and the Aberdeen News, the ruling was against Maxillofacial Surgery Associates of Sioux Falls, SD and dealt with discrimination in hiring due to pregnancy. One woman was told she was fired because she was pregnant and the other was not hired because she was pregnant. Jury awards were given.

Good for these women in going forward and filing complaints. In reviewing the EEOC web site, I was shocked to read that pregnancy related complaints have had substantial increases for most of the last several years. This could be because more women are aware of their rights and filing complaints or that it's increasing in occurrence. Not sure which. I can't believe this stuff still happens. Last year, complainants received $10.4 million in monetary benefits off of complaints filed. 189 of the complaints filed were found to have reasonable cause. (Note, that often the cases with the strongest amount of evidence reach settlement before a cause ruling.) To learn about your employee rights if pregnant, go to the EEOC web site.

AG Long admits he's a religious zealot

I've blogged about this case before and the abdication of responsibility for it displayed by Long/Rounds. What other State matters would SD citizens like religious zealots to decide for them? Next they'll be claiming Cotton Mather wrote the Constitution (watch for a Task Force on that one). Good luck to PP and all of us today in Court. And remember, THERE WAS A MINORITY REPORT (Long, Unruh, et al. just wouldn't let it be published by the Legislative Research Council, how's that for an unbiased agency that's getting hundreds of thousands to spiff up its offices?) - that's the one with the science in it, AG Long, not your Oz-land fairytale you let Harold Cassidy take to Court as the SD Task Force Report. That report was created by fraud, lies and deceptions, something the good citizens of South Dakota shouldn't have to own in a Federal Court.

What a disgrace this case is for our State's administration. Every time you read "State"
just remember the "State" is no longer you, its Leslee Unruh and Harold Cassidy and the hordes of so-called "Crisis Pregnancy Centers" defending their own financial interests.
[Turbak for AG!]

Court Hears State Abortion Case

_The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear a challenge of a 2005 South Dakota law that would require doctors to provide several warnings to women seeking abortions, including that the procedure ends a human life.Planned Parenthood said if it loses the case and the law is upheld, there is a “strong possibility that copycat legislation will be adopted in other states.”

South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long said depending on how the appeals court rules, “lots of other states could require physicians to tell patients the truth, which clearly they don’t now.” [What's next, Larry, the Good News Bible in your campaign lit?]

_Planned Parenthood contends the statements violate First Amendment protections against the state “compelling citizens to speak or listen to anything, particularly state promulgated ideology,” and that the suicide statement is false and misleading.

The state argues that statements required of the informed consent law are medically accurate and supported by science. State lawyers contend the law would not curb reasonable access to abortion in South Dakota._

Another Round Up

Fargo Forum publishes LA Times editorial on this case and advocating for the Prevention First Act which would provide women better access to contraceptives and require employer's health insurance coverage for contraceptives if they also provide other presecriptions. The bill has apparently stalled in Congress. Also, Planned Parenthood's take on this legislation.

Sioux Falls Argus Leader published the following:

An out-of-state organization is coming to South Dakota in hopes of placing a constitutional amendment on the ballot. The amendment would prohibit gender and racial preferences in the awarding of public contracts, in public hiring and in education. It's similar to amendments that have been passed in Michigan, Washington and California. Do we need such an amendment? If we do need to change the way we're doing things, are South Dakotans capable of managing that change themselves?

To read how people responded, click the link above.

Rapid City Journal publishes letter to the editor titled "Treaty on Women may return like the Phoenix" from Rapid City resident Marilyn Havens against passage of Equal Rights Amendment. Ms. Havens (am assuming a female) quotes Phyllis Schafly in the letter, by the way. (It's the 9th letter on the page so you'll need to scroll down.) Here's hoping someone from Rapid City sends in an alternative view. (If anyone wants to read up on posts on ERA on this blog, click the ERA link below.)

Leslee Unruh responds to Wade Horn's resignation. See Feministing for her quote.

Round Up

A Round Up of Misc. Items from the last few days:
The Bismarck Tribune and Fargo Forum publish a letter to the editor by the North Dakota Women's Network Chair regarding the need of the Women's Equality Amendment and the reratification in North Dakota which occurred this session.

The North Dakota Department of Labor's Division of Human Rights rules that a Fargo, ND landlord sexually harassed female tenants through unwelcome advances and groping, lewd comments and propositions for sex in lieu of rent.

A Sioux Falls forum was held on Wednesday to address the "taboo" subject of sexual assault and domestic violence where it was reported that one in six women and one in 33 men will experience a sexual assault.

SDSU Students distributing fact sheets on sexual assault and promote April 24 Working Against Violence vigil.

Update: I also added a couple ND blogs to the blog roll at the bottom right. Added: Hear Me Roar and Teller of Truths.

Good news, Bad news

The overwhelmingly good news is that Wade Horn has resigned
from the federal Dept. of Health and Human Services.

The bad news is that he's leaving behind a plethora of really, really
nasty social policy .

Happy Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Sen. Bill Napoli was reelected in SD Dist. 35 despite his outrageous
views on women and reproductive health (or was he? Pulling only 307
more votes than his opponent, Theresa Spry, in a race with over 500
undervotes and numerous computer tabulation problems, where was
the recount? Nevermind that ridiculous tantrum he threw about
polling place changes – there are far bigger fish to fry in the results
and guess what, stop churches from acting as polling places and
viola! venue problems solved), but Napoli isn’t really an anomaly in the
SD legislature.

As noted before, SD legislators’ failures to sever parental rights for
rapists, to provide even information about EC to sexual assault victims
in the ER and the myriad hoops built into the abortion ban (called
EXCEPTIONS! when they were merely groupspeak for ‘We don’t
believe women who say they were raped so let’s have the Police
check up their skirts for sure’), the lack of will and insight to simply
collect sexual assault info statewide so everyone can get a realistic
bead on violence against women in SD and then there’s the Sexual
Assault Task Force which met three times last year yet produced
NOTHING for the legislature to consider, (how about we ban all those
stacked task forces, anyway?) - all point to elected officials severely
out of touch with basic safety and reproductive health needs of women.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. That’s about 335 days
too short and way too long before the next election.

Bottom-Up Power

Pay no attention to those Presidential races and their burdgeoning
bankrolls. The real action is, as always, on the ground. Laura Flanders
has a new book just in release, Blue Grit. After a read-thru of an advance
copy I’d say its just what the grassroots ordered for the SD Dem Party.
Today in the Nation mag she writes about just one chapter,
The Montana “Miracle”.

Bottom-Up Power
Laura Flanders
The Nation, April 23, 2007 issue

__The coordinated campaign of the Montana Democratic Party, the groups that
made up the Voter Summit, and Native Vote, a powerful new group, registered
40,000 new Montana voters between the primary and the general election. In
a gubernatorial race that was decided by just 19,703 votes, those numbers are
huge. Because they didn't rely on bused-in volunteers and hadn't left the field
in the intervening months, these same groups were able to draw on their base
again for the hotly contested 2006 Tester versus Conrad Burns Senate race.

__But the biggest change in Democratic fortunes came with the work of Native
Americans, the state's largest minority group. Montana has seven Native
American reservations and is home to eleven tribes. Natives are a small percentage
of Montana's population (about 7 percent), but in some districts, and on the
reservations, they are a 90 percent majority.

__Instead of conducting outsider "outreach" to minority voters, Democrats in
Montana gave enough resources directly to local Native American leaders that
they could participate on an equal footing and build their own base. Pat Williams,
a longtime US Congressman from Montana who worked energetically for Native
rights, remembers the process: To start, "we gave that money to a virtually
all-white, all-male consulting group in Helena.... They didn't consult. The effort
collapsed." The next time around, over the objections of his political staff, Williams
saw to it that GOTV money went straight to the reservations, into the hands of
the local Native leadership. "I was assured by everybody that the Indians would
drink the money. Instead they had the highest gain of any ethnic group in any
state in registration and turnout." __

Friday Miscellenia

Please look at my face when you talk to me edition.

Bras can kill you and potentially increase breast cancer.

Push up bras, pantyhose, high heels and headscarves are all the same. Society imposed symbols of compulsary femininity. Are there still offices that require pantyhose in their dress code?

The National Council of Women's Organizations has a task force on the WRA (aka: ERA). They have many other important efforts going on.

The Guardian UK has an article about how the web is being used as a tool to harass and threaten women. Many of these people would never say the things they do in public but find the distance of a virtual community more comfortable for their misogyny. Even rather benign subject matter like java programming can be fodder for violent threats of torture and rape simply because the author is a woman. Just remember that next time someone wants to turn an online discussion into a personal attack on your body, looks or sexuality. There is a networking group aiming to prevent online gender discrimination and harassment, Take back the tech.
This subject reminds me of a local example of exactly this kind of behavior.
"Instead of protesting the Purity Ball, why not have your own event and call it the "Slut Ball" or something? After all, if you hate sexual purity so much, you should be proud of being a promiscuous slut, right?" Nice, eh?

The Girls Gone Wild rapist/owner is off to jail again. The police demanded he turn himself in yesterday after violating a court order.

Since its Friday, time for a picture. How about a video?

HB 1466 Heard by ND Senate for Final Passage

Today, HB 1466 was debated on the Senate floor today. A lot was happening and it was all very confusing and I'm going off my notes. I also cross posted this on BismarckDems:

Ok, this is kind of a mess so we'll need to wait until the Legislative Web Site updates to completely sort out. They moved 1466 up in the order to be the last bill heard of the day. With that in mind, and going off my notes, here's what happened (which I could have incorrect so keep that in mind):

Nething introduced bill with no recommendation by the Judiciary Committee. Senator Erbele proposed a floor amendment to include rape and incest as exemptions and to also exempt prosecution of mother and doctor. Senator J. Lee then attempted motion for the proposed amendments to be laid on the table which failed. The floor amendment was then adopted. Senator Fiebiger spoke against passage as did Senator Triplett. Senator Triplett stated that this was as anti-woman as a bill can be and that this should be a private matter for the woman and her family. Senator J. Lee spoke against the bill stating that in its now amended form it did not have public input. She stated she was also concerned that they were throwing this upon the Attorney General's Office to sort out down the road which is unfair.

Senator Tracy Potter then introduced a floor amendment to, I believe, have the bill be made into a concurrent resolution. He reasoned that we can't pass legislation and base upon something in the future being overturned. He suggested that a resolution is a way of making the point by the Legislature as to what they desire and that they want to reduce abortions. He urged that if the legislature wants to do something about abortion that they offer 100% prenatal care, easier access to adoption services, etc. and put their weight behind that in a resolution rather than in this proposed legislation. Apparently, these proposed amendments had already been distributed to members and the amendment was adopted 26-21. HB 1466 then went to floor vote where it passed 41-6.

All this was happening very fast so I could have some things wrong above so please keep that in mind. I'll update and correct as more info follows and/or post in the legislative forum on this topic once things are updated more clearly on the Legislative Web Site.

I'll also correct here as well. They moved it up on the list at last moment so I wasn't expecting it to make it to the floor today. I'm sure there'll be press to post as well. Will keep you updated.

Update: In the confusion over all the amendments and floor debate, I was mistaken above. It was not a resolution which was put in as an amendment but languge that says that should Roe v. Wade be overturned, a special session may be called to determine any legislative action. Here's the link to the amended HB1466 that was passed. If the House does not concur with the changes, it goes to conference committee.

Another update: I cross posted over on BismarckDems on this and also put the links to press related in the Legislative Forum there in case you want to take a look (scroll to update from today).

Mix of News from SD

Ex-Black Hills Firefighter Files Sexual Harassment Suit: Sioux Falls Argus Leader, April 3, 2007

A forest firefighter who worked in the Black Hills National Forest is alleging she was sexually harassed by co-workers and is suing a firefighter and the secretary of agriculture.

The article goes on:

Such incidents are not uncommon, even though some parts of the country are seeing a growing number of women firefighters, said Maureen McFadden, board member of Women in the Fire Service Inc. She said, however, that as women gain years of experience as firefighters, they are less willing to put up with harassment.
"In way too many communities, what hasn't changed is the culture of firefighting in what is still thought to be a man's career," McFadden said. "And until the change comes from the top down, there isn't going to be a systemic change."

Authorities Argue Over Providing Birth Control to Undocumented Immigrants: Aberdeen American News, April 3, 2007

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bush administration is pressing California to ensure that poor women are legal residents or citizens before giving them free birth control, though the policy could cost the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
State officials say requiring women to present documents to get family planning services could result in more unintended pregnancies, including among undocumented immigrants who would qualify for federally funded prenatal care and whose children would be U.S. citizens if they were born here.

Mahone Receives Human Rights Award: The Plainsman, April 4, 2007

HURON - Hazel Mahone said she was surprised to receive a Human Rights Award from Christian Women United during a recent World Day of Prayer.
“The sum total of human rights means so much,” said Mahone, whose grandfather was a slave in the South before he escaped. “Everybody has a chance. It’s what you make of it, you take advantage of it.”
Mahone, who was a cosmetologist for almost 60 years, said the advent of women’s rights opened a world of opportunity.She was a member of Business and Professional Women, an organization that she says helped women take their place in the world of work. Mahone was named BPW Woman of the Year in 1972, an honor she cherishes to this day.“Women’s rights only came in in the early 1960s,” Mahone said. “Women needed polish 20 to 30 years ago. We fought for it, like Margaret Gibbs was the first woman to work in a bank — it was a man’s world.”

Lava Lounge cancels Girls Gone Wild

Just in. The Argus Leader is reporting that the Lava Lounge is cancelling the GGW event.

What was a bit odd was they mentioned that feminists criticized the plan. Anyone know if any local feminist group made an official declaration on this? Maybe the story tomorrow will shed some more light.

More WEA.

Ken Blanchard here.

Regarding the VMI case Roberta Francis mentions, I think her point (and mine) would be that sex discrimination should have a Constitutionally-protected level of "strict scrutiny," and if the ERA had passed in the 70's, this case wouldn't have been an issue because that standard would have been in place. As it is, the courts had to construct the "heightened scrunity" standard, which may be altered over the years by future court decisions. Whether the court found for or against the United States in the VMI case isn't really the point. The fact that women needed to file suit in the first place is the problem.

As Francis mentions, we live in a country where men are born with Constitutionally-protected rights. Historically, women have had to prove we hold rights, through filing lawsuits, ratifying Constitutional amendments (right to vote), or passing legislation. That's not an acceptable situation for women in the United States in 2007. Women's rights should not be subject to a vote of Congress, a Supreme Court decision, or a vote of the people (as we saw in South Dakota in 2006) because we should hold these rights due to the fact that we are human beings (and when specifically talking about the WEA, United States citizens).

I am probably not the right person with whom to have this discussion, because to me the symbolic reasons for adding the WEA to the Constitution are enough for me to support it. I can't see any reason why the Constitution should not specifically state the fact that Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. This is personal to me and to a lot of other women.

Ken Blanchard went on to ask for civility from me, taking issue with my previous comment that "[i]t is amazing how frightened people get when faced with the idea of equality in the law for women." I would mention first of all that I purposely used the word "people" as a general term - which included Prof. Blanchard but did not specifically point him out.

A lot of people genuinely are afraid of the effects of this amendment, including Prof. Blanchard, which I know because he specifically posted what he considered to be possible unintended consequences of the WEA. I think conservatives tend to believe the WEA will do big scary things that it really won't. Phyllis Schlafly thinks we'll all be peeing in the same bathrooms, Bob Ellis thinks this will open the door to same-sex marriage, and Ken Blanchard wonders if the WEA will remove the presumption of innocence from men in rape or sexual harassment cases. Prof. Blanchard's fear is without a doubt more reasonable, but I think the thought process that prompted the comment is not that different from Schlafly's or Ellis's. (I would like to point out here that I do not believe Blanchard, Schlafly, and Ellis have the same or even similar opinions of women or women's rights - but, again, all three of them seem to think "Good Heavens! Whatever will we do?" while most Americans are surprised the ERA wasn't passed the first time.)

While I have everyone's attention, I was also interested in Blanchard's post about pay equity, much of which consists of quotes from a Washington Post article by Carrie Lucas. She addresses why she thinks women work, what they hope to get out of a job, and why these expectations may lead to lower-paying work.

This is particularly interesting to me personally, as I prepare to leave my full-time job to enter a (male-dominated) graduate program, in the eventual hope of entering the (heavily male) academic job market in one of the social sciences. I have, of course, been advised to be open to relocation, travel, and spending a lot of time on my work - all things that Lucas says most women want to avoid. I apparently buck the trend, since none of these things bother me so much. Regardless of this, trusted advisors in the (yes, I'll say it) heavily left-wing academy have also given me a laundry list of expectations for women: "If you hope to be employable as a woman in this field, you need to (blah blah blah blah blah)."

In my view, we're damned if we choose the mommy track, and we're damned if we don't.

Fire Thunder: Women's Rights Critical

“Women should be taught to respect their bodies,” Fire Thunder, ousted leader of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, said Monday in an address kicking off Ethnic Studies Week at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“For too long, the voices of women have been silenced.”

Women should take pride in puberty and pregnancy, she said, because there are few things more honorable than bringing a child into the world. But, diving headfirst into the controversial topic that led to her impeachment last summer, Fire Thunder added: “I believe in a woman’s right to choose.”

____________

Her argument: Abstinence-only education doesn’t work and government regulation of women’s bodies is wrong.

Wherein I respond once again to SDP.

South Dakota Politics on the Women's Equality Amendment.

Prof. Blanchard acknowledges, at least, that many of the "scary stories" used to fight the ERA in the 70's were silly. Then he makes up some scary stories of his own:

The problem with the language is that it is either redundant or meaningless. It is impossible to know which without knowing what "equality of rights" means. Does it mean, for example, that no state can discriminate against women and in favor of men in hiring, or in public school admissions?

...

Does it mean that the presumption of innocence for men must be surrendered in cases of rape or sexual harassment? Does it mean that affirmative action policies in favor of women (and therefore against men) are unconstitutional? There is no way to tell from the wording.

Yes, and when the WEA is finally added to the Constitution, cats will marry dogs, and asteroids will fall from the sky! It is amazing how frightened people get when faced with the idea of equality in the law for women.

Roberta W. Francis, Chair of the ERA Task Force of the National Council of Women's Organizations, explains why we need the ERA. I will quote a few things here that directly address Prof. Blanchard's concerns:

It was not until as recently as 1971 that the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause was first applied to sex discrimination. Even today, a major distinction between the sexes is present from the moment of birth – the different legal standing of males and females with respect to how their constitutional rights are obtained. As demonstrated in 1996 by the last major Supreme Court decision on sex discrimination, regarding admission of women to Virginia Military Institute (VMI), we have not moved beyond the traditional assumption that males hold rights and females must prove that they hold them. The Equal Rights Amendment would remove that differential assumption by affirming that "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged . . . on account of sex."

....

The VMI decision now tells courts to exercise "skeptical scrutiny" requiring "exceedingly persuasive" justification of differential treatment on the basis of sex, but prohibition of sex discrimination is still not as strongly enforceable as prohibition of race discrimination. Ironically, under current court decisions about sex and race discrimination, a white male claiming race discrimination by a program or action is protected by strict scrutiny, but a black female claiming sex discrimination by the same program or action is protected by only skeptical, not strict, scrutiny.

....

The need for the ERA can be expressed simply as a warning. Unless we put into the Constitution the bedrock principle that equality of rights cannot be denied or abridged on account of sex, the political and judicial victories women have achieved with their blood, sweat, and tears for the past two centuries are vulnerable to erosion or reversal at any time – now or in the future.

Congress has the power to make laws that replace existing laws – and to do so by a simple majority. Therefore, many of the current legal protections against sex discrimination can be removed by the margin of a single vote.

Let's make sure it's ratified this time.

Girls Gone Wild in Sioux Falls/Our wacky legislators

KELO reports today that a "Girls Gone Wild" film crew will be making an appearance at the Lava Lounge in Sioux Falls, looking for Sioux Falls' hottest ladies.

I am reminded of the now infamous article in the LA Times about Joe Francis, the founder of Girls Gone Wild.

I wonder why any business would welcome these people.

Oh, and if you want to know what goes on in the minds of our legislators, I recommend District 6 Republican Rep. Kristi Noem's postings on the Everyday Woman blog. Don't read it while you're eating though. I particularly recommend the post about how she brought a bunch of teenage girls from her church to her house so her husband could randomly tell them how men should treat them. Uh, creepy.

A Different Take on the ND Abortion Battle

Here's a common sense look at the abortion debate, less the morality issue of it, today's Bismarck Tribune, April 1, 2007 column by Clay Jenkinson.

And then, in contrast, here's the same old kind of letter in today's Grand Forks Herald.