Wow. Nice.

Complaining about your tax dollars being used to fight AIDS on the eve of World AIDS Day?
Now that's what I call a dick move.

A Very Merry War on Christmas

Things are pretty festive around my house. Our tree is up and decorated, Christmas records are playing pretty much non-stop, mistletoe is hanging in the doorway, and my husband even wrapped a few presents to put under the tree. So you can imagine how surprised I was to hear that we're supposed to be waging our annual War on Christmas. Did the ACLU send out an email about that? Can someone forward it to me?

Good luck "taking back Christmas," Carrie. I'm keeping it!


*Apologies to Carrie for missing her name the first time around. You know me -- I've got Bob on the brain!

The Abstinence Clearinghouse Loves Lurid Teen Sex!

Anyone checked out The Abstinence Clearinghouse blog lately? Great stuff. Highlight of the latest entry:

Today, teens are “hooking-up.” As one teen explains, “First you give a guy oral sex and then you decide if you like him.”

This is obviously what happens when we go around encouraging people to "just have oral." Seriously, though, teen sex hysteria is so dumb. I could make up any kind of crazy story about teen sex practices and people would eat it up and put in on 20/20.

Dakota Voice Mind-Meld?

Man, are Bob Ellis and I sharing a brain? His post about the duelling abortion polls pretty much hit on everything I was going to say...sort of.

...the results of a poll can sway widely depending on what questions are asked, the verbiage used, and the tone and emphasis used by the questionnaire (if it's done verbally). If your verbiage and tone tell the respondent that they'd be an idiot to answer with Answer A, many of them will give Answer B, because they want to be thought of as "intelligent and informed."

Agreed. This is definitely a problem with the overuse of polling in politics.

Also, this company that did the poll, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, doesn't exactly look like an objective organization.

Yep, looks like they take on primarily progressive clients. The research company that did the South Dakotans Support Life poll, Public Opinion Strategies (I think; since the anti-choice group refused to distribute a copy of their poll results to the media, I'm just relying on the KELO reporter's notes here) is, on the other hand, "a national Republican political and public affairs research firm with its roots in political campaigns." A partner in the firm is described as "one of the Republican Party's leading political strategists and pollsters." Those tricky pollsters -- there's not an objective mind among them! Right with you, Bob!

Pro-life people aren't going to quit working for what's right, no matter what any poll says. Right and wrong aren't determined by popular opinion.

I think pro-choice people would say the same, my friend.

Interesting note on the press conference though: Abstinence Clearinghouse Executive Director Kimberly Martinez, but Leslee wasn't anywhere in sight. Hrm. In case you missed her, why not enjoy a little Leslee now?



P.S. It's possible that listening to Leslee's crazytalk for hours and hours while making this video may have addled my brain and that's why Bob Ellis is sounding so reasonable to me. Just a possibility.

Anti-abortion laws cause yet another senseless death...

Olga Reyes, a 22-year-old law student, died as a result of an ectopic pregnancy that doctors in Nicaragua wouldn't treat because of their restrictive abortion laws. Of course, those of you who stop by regularly know that Olga Reyes is merely one out of about 70,000 women who will die this year as a result of restrictions on abortion.

The Roman Catholic Church mobilized nearly 300,000 people to march and sign petitions in support of the ban.

"A child is not a sickness," said Henry Romero, a priest who helped lead the campaign. "When two lives are in danger, you must try to save both the woman and the child. It's difficult to say now that it isn't possible to save both."

...

Some doctors privately admit to carrying out what they believe are illegal procedures, while others say they won't jeopardize their careers.

"Many are thinking that instead of taking the risk, it is better to let a woman die," said Dr. Leonel Arguello, president of the Nicaraguan Society of General Medicine.

Doctors frequently see women coming in with infections, many likely brought on by illegal abortions that they refuse to disclose for fear they might be punished, said Dr. Carla Cerrato. Because the people with some medical training who used to do illegal abortions have disappeared, Cerrato said, women more frequently take drugs or pull the fetus out on their own using wires or other crude objects.

"What we are seeing are complications that before we never saw," Cerrato said, sitting in the dingy pre-labor room at a crowded public hospital in Managua.

She added that she sees hysterectomies and severe infections that leave women sterile or dead because obstetricians can't take any action that might harm a living fetus.

"We have to wait until the fetus dies," she said. "But often, for the woman, it's too late."

Keep in mind, y'all, lots of people in South Dakota (many of whom love to comment on this very blog) would not be troubled in the least if stuff like this happened here. "Women in the womb" should be the law's first priority, you see.

November 8, 2007 in the News

Ooooohhhh...lots of stuff...see if anything catches your eye from our Dakota papers:
Think about words' effect before speaking: Nice letter to the editor in the Grand Forks Herald by a guy who realized his remarks were sexist. (You'll need to scroll down in the link.)

Women policymakers outnumbered in area & Politics needs more women: The Mitchell Daily Republic ran a story and editorial about South Dakota women in politics and the lack thereof. See the articles here and here.

Tough choices all around: Column in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader about the tough decisions for schools on whether to provide sex ed and contraceptives to pre-teens who are having sex.

Women Studies Conference set for Nov. 16 in Grand Forks, ND: A Grand Forks Herald story notes "Fifty-two presenters from seven institutions, some coming from as far as Pennsylvania, will converge from 9 to 4 p.m. Nov. 16 at UND Memorial Union to discuss the lives of women for a Women's Studies conference."

Girls Gone Mild: Bismarck Tribune columnist who discusses sexual images seen by girls. She discusses the Fargo billboard controversy and also notes: "If ever there were a cause for a modern feminist movement, this is it. The sexual revolution of the '60s liberated women sexually. Now we need a new revolution to fight the superficial sexuality that threatens to define us.Let's wear the bras but burn the Bratz dolls."

At North Dakota State, Women Are Few and Far Between-Why does one university seem so behind the times?: The NDSU student newspaper notes "Linda K. Langley has been a faculty member at North Dakota State University for just five years. It is her first academic job. But while she is still several months away from making her final bid for tenure, she finds herself in the unlikely position of being the most senior woman in the psychology department." Read more...

Anti-abortion effort continues in Fargo: The Fargo Forum notes "The nationwide “40 Days for Life Campaign” will last at least 50 days in Fargo." Also, a related Letter to the Editor titled "Protesters should find another way". On the same subject but from the other side of the aisle, letters here and here.

South Dakota Voters could decide abortion ban again: The Rapid City Journal notes "South Dakotans might vote on an abortion ban again -- this time with exceptions for rape, incest and health of the mother." Related story here from the Argus Leader. See also LL's post below.

Bill protects freedom of speech: A Sioux Falls letter to the editor notes "The Internal Revenue Service would like to resurrect a law called the 1954 Johnson Amendment, which would take away churches' tax-exempt status if they speak out on topics such as abortion, same-sex marriage and other moral issues of the day." Sounds like a good idea but the letter writer doesn't agree claiming "I would encourage those of you who profess to be Christians to call those we have elected to represent us in Congress to pass this bill. Freedom of speech is for everyone." Hmmm...that's not how I see it. No one is saying a Church can't speak out on those issues, they just can't keep their tax exempt status if they do. Separation of church and state as they call it...

Where I Attempt to Be a Better Blogger

First, take a second to check this out: Feminism Is Not Your Expectation
What a spectacular post! It really warms my heart.

Now, to the meat. It's no secret that Steve Sibson is off his nut. Bloggers (and, I'm guessing, citizens of Mitchell) of all political stripes, from all walks of life, can come together and enjoy a good laugh about Sibby and black helicopters. So why, then, am I bothering to respond to his typically crazy post about my recent Volante article? Is it because I can't match wits with SDP boys like Anna (this is sort of true to the extent that I know I'd have to take the time do research to argue with them, while taking on Sibby simply requires that I have my sanity)? Am I that desperate for a distraction from studying? Well, yes, but mainly, I feel like when someone calls you out by name, even if they're fruitcake-level nutty, you should probably at least try to muster a response.

First off, let me say that while Sibby characterizes my column as "the kind of attitudes you will find at South Dakota Universities," anyone who knows me will tell you that I thought Roger Hunt was moralizing blowhard long before I got anywhere near a South Dakota university. As a lifelong, forth generation South Dakotan, I'd prefer to say that my writing reflects the kind of attitudes you will find all over South Dakota (minus a certain one-room shack in Mitchell). I also object to the label of "radical feminist." I am indeed radical, and a feminist, but that doesn't make me a radical feminist any more than being an asshat makes Sibby both an ass and a hat.

Seriously, though, let's get something straight: I NEVER claimed to oppose the previous abortion ban because it lacked exceptions (although I think that fact goes to show how callous its supporters really were) and I think the same can be said for an awful lot of pro-choice 'advocates.' I feel like I made it fairly clear in the column -- I won't support a ban no matter how many supposed exceptions it has.

Sibby asks, "So what kind of extremists would you rather be; one who supports freedom’s right to life for all pre-born, or one who advocates abortion on demand for the purpose of contraception?" Between the two, I think we can guess where Sibby and I each stand, but that isn't really the question that's posed by attempts to criminalize abortion. The real question is, "Who should make medical decisions -- private citizens or the government?" That's a question that a tin-foil-hat lover like Sibby should find easy to answer.

Deal or No Deal?

So the booger’s out of the bag. We’ll either be looking at another nasty attempt to regulate women’s lives in our overwhelmingly male-dominated legislature (never thought I'd say it but bless you, Daily Republic) or have yet another election cycle decimated by single-issue political thuggery.

Much as I love him, Madville has himself gone mad if he thinks women would be happy to make their bodies the consultants’ carrot to lure more liberal voters on election day, as if a tossaway issue. Let’s make a deal, Maddy muh laddy. Just as soon as the SD legislature has gender parity, 50% women seated, we’ll talk again about putting reproductive health on the ballot. And we're a creative lot. Like mandatory contraceptive use for males, maybe, or vasectomies for all husbands who believe wives should submit to their will or how about for all men with domestic violence or sexual assault convictions? Heck, as it is, the guys in the leg can’t muster the votes to sever parental rights for rapists! Makes you wonder. And I bet we could get physicians to keep track of your compliance to the State's bodily regulations just as current legislators lust to keep track of ours (of course, Rep. Van Etten would have us report headaches and hangnails, too, those ever popular reasons for seeking the dastardly abortion of "convenience". Be sure to lock us up on bad hair days!). Deal or no deal?

If you’ve forgotten or never bothered to read the full text of last session’s ban, the one, you know, with all those exceptions the voters purportedly wanted, take a little field trip to your local meat locker with a copy and read it carefully in that coldness next to the hanging slabs of meat and you’ll have some idea how it felt for us to read it, too.

We are SD's second most influential political blog.

Look, it says so right here.

Ha!

And to give this post some tiny amount of substance, I'd like to direct the guys at South Dakota Politics here and here and here and also, what the hell, here in preparation for the next time they post about how men accused of sexual assault are tarred and feathered - treated so unfairly! - by the justice system. I like to be prepared.