September 26, 2007 in the News

Work's had me crazed so here's a round up of recent press. Maybe this weekend I can post something more bloggy.

SD Senator announces $400,000 grant to prevent domestic assault: Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., announced that the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe will receive a $400,000 federal grant from the Department of Justice's Office of Violence Against Women to help prevent domestic violence and sexual assault against women according to a Rapid City Journal story.

Domestic Violence March & Rally: Story in the Fargo Forum about a recent march and rally for Take Back the Night in Fargo, ND.

ND Women discuss politics: A small group of women gathered Saturday in the back of Atomic Coffee in Fargo to discuss their political aspirations according to the Fargo Forum.

Anti-Reproductive Rights Letters in ND & SD: There's '40 Days for Life’ to begin this week in the Fargo Forum and Inform those seeking abortions in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. As well as a Grand Forks Herald story also on the 40 Days for Life.

Suffragist who did it all helped pave the way for American women today: Nice historical story in the Fargo Forum. To quote, "The first licensed female doctor in North Dakota was also a state and national leader in helping women obtain the right to vote."

More on Shared Parenting: Letter to the Editor in the Bismarck Tribune supporting the initiative and Fargo Forum story "N.D. group studies state custody laws."

September 12, 2007 in the News

YWCA News and Events: The YWCA will host a chocolate and chili fundraiser Thursday. Proceeds will support the YWCA Emergency Shelter for women and children. In 2006, the shelter served over 1,400 people, the article said. Another story, "YWCA to receive $255,000 grant." The article notes, "The YWCA of Cass and Clay counties will receive $255,000 for emergency housing for domestic abuse victims."

Emergency Contraception: Letters to the editor in the Fargo Forum and the Bismarck Tribune (by same person) in response to a letter posted on the one year anniversary of the availability of emergency contraception (see previous posts).

We need normal-sized role models: Dorreen Yellow Bird in the Grand Forks Herald takes on weight, celebrity and the effect on young American Indian women.

Abstinence-only simplistic, irrational: Letter to the Editor in the Fargo Forum about promoting accurate sex education.

University women to discuss project: According to the story, "The Fargo-Moorhead branch of the American Association of University Women will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the Fryin’ Pan restaurant in Fargo to discuss the Meadowlark Project...The Meadowlark Project is a two-year project addressing out-migration, racial divides and poverty in the region." Read the Forum story for the meeting information.

Living On Celebration for Family and Friends of Domestic Violence Victims

Received this announcement for a North Dakota event and thought it might be of interest:
You’re invited to a Living On Celebration

WHEN: October 6th, 2007
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Registration.
12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Lunch, Program & Memorial Activity
WHERE: Comfort Inn Meeting Room
1030 Interstate Ave E
Bismarck, ND
Comfort Inn Phone: 223-1911

Living On is a support network for family and friends of victims of domestic violence homicides. There are times when we want to share our memories surrounded by people who have been there and understand, whether it’s been one year or 10 since the death of your family member or friend. This is a great opportunity to meet those people. I look forward to seeing those of you who have become dear friends, meeting those of you who I’ve only corresponded with on the phone or through the mail and also meeting those of you I haven’t been able to connect with yet. Join together in sharing memories of your loved ones, creating memories of your loved one, and to celebrate your lives as you continue to Live On!

Please bring a picture of your loved one for each individual attending the Celebration for an activity planned. Children are welcome! Also, other items can be brought that remind you of your loved one (photo albums, scrapbooks, a poem, etc). Please forward information on to other family and friends who might be interested. If you have any questions about the event, please contact me.

RSVP: Becky Dunker, Living On Project Coordinator
1-888-255-6240 or 701-347-5423 or livingon@ndcaws.org
mailto:besco94@yahoo.com

Another announcement:
2nd NDCAWS Unity Month Conference on Domestic Violence to be held October 2-4, 2007 in Bismarck, ND. Space is limited. For an agenda and registration info, click here. Sponsored by NDCAWS.

Let's Talk About Sex

Received news of this upcoming event in Fargo, ND:

LET’S TALK: ABOUT SEX!
Sex is a taboo subject especially for young people. Fear and shame keep young people in the dark about protecting themselves from pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. It is time to get real, LET’S TALK: About Sex!

Film “The Education of Shelby Knox” and open discussion
Thursday, September 13th
7:00 p.m.
The Green Market: 623 NP Ave. Fargo
Free and open to the public

The Education of Shelby Knox is a coming of age story about a teenage girl who joins a campaign for comprehensive sex education in the high schools of Lubbock, Texas. As Shelby is swept into the fight, she begins to question her deeply conservative Southern Baptist upbringing; when the campaign broadens to include a fight for a gay-straight alliance, Shelby confronts her family and her pastor, in the end declaring herself a feminist and a liberal Christian.

Sponsored by:
The Committee on Health Care Accountability and Planned Parenthood MN, ND, SD.

Breaking my silence.

Choice Ireland members picket a "crisis pregnancy center"

Poking my head in for a moment: Irish doctors and feminists have launched a campaign to (eventually) legalize abortion in Ireland (website: Safe and Legal in Ireland). These people are total badasses; they're my new heroes/heroines.

This issue has been contentious in Ireland for some time - the most recent development occurred in the spring of 2007, as an anonymous 17-year-old Irish girl in state custody went to the courts to request the right to travel to England to abort a fetus with anencephaly (in other words, no brain). Government social workers called the police and the passport office in an attempt to stop her from traveling for an abortion. The girl later decided to induce labor, and still had to go to England for that procedure.

Ireland also saw a case in 2006 of a divorced couple, who froze embryos while they were married and had one child from the embryos set aside. After their divorce, the ex-wife wanted to have a second child with the remaining embryos, while the ex-husband argued for his right not to have further children with that particular woman. The Roman Catholic church called for a "national debate" on abortion in the wake of this case. In the words of columnist Nuala O'Faolain:

Notice the position of the husband, by the way. For reasons that seem to him compelling he does not want a child of his to be borne by this woman. He wants to prevent the development of the viable, independent life of such a child. That's exactly the position of women who seek abortions: they have reasons which seem to them good not to proceed with a pregnancy. Who would have foreseen that the questions raised by abortion would become unisex . . . that the subject might be somewhat freed of the element of fundamental contempt for women and disgust at their bodies?

...

I'd be very interested in knowing what has changed. What part of the abortion question does Archbishop Martin think is now open to debate? That is, if he meant debate.

But I think he meant what he also plainly said . . . that he wants influence. He wants his church's views in there influencing whatever policy emerges from the court's deliberations in the embryo case. Well, he's entitled to that and there's not the slightest doubt he'll get it. But is there any hope he can get it just in simple acknowledgement of his position as a leader of the majority church? Could we skip the debate bit? Insulting women and patronising women and restating a belief about what God wants women to do is not debate.

Indeed! Seriously, I think what we should do is pass an idiotic constitutional amendment in South Dakota saying that life begins at conception, so then we can deal with the immense amount of litigation that will result from such a birdbrain move. Good thinking, Team Roger Hunt.

September 4, 2007 in the News

Religion, politics have tenuous relationship: Column in the Aberdeen News about politics, being Catholic, and supporting a woman's right to choose which quotes "But the basic point is clear: If a politician, or indeed anyone, actively supports a procedure that the church regards as a horrendous crime, then that person has by that very action separated him or herself from the church. It would then be quite hypocritical for that person to continue participating in the church's most sacred rite.""

Minot women take business world by storm: Long story in the Minot Daily News about women and business including the following stat "According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, in 2004 women constituted more than 51 percent of the American population and nearly 47 percent of the labor force."

Emergency Birth Control: Response by the ND Catholic Conference lobbyist to the previous Letter to the Editor in the Bismarck Tribune and Minot Daily News marking the one year anniversary of the availability of over the counter emergency contraception. You may also want to read the posted comments on the Bismarck Tribune pages to the letters published there.

Domestic violence leads to suicides: A Bismarck Tribune story about the Rosebud SD Indian Reservation. The article states "A suicide epidemic on the Rosebud Indian Reservation largely stems from broken relationships and violence against women, according to two victims and the head of a women's shelter who's helping them."

Just a note.

Blogging from me is going to be pretty much non-existent for the next few months. I've started a graduate program in history, and I'm also a teaching assistant for about 50 undergraduate students, so I have plenty (too much, really) to fill my time.

Keep up the good work, everyone - I'll try to be around from time to time.