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Menstrual Poetry Headquarters is Moving!

January 28, 2008 · Filed Under Menstrual Poetry News

The lack of updates, along with the missing week of Feminism at its Finest is due to packing up the last 2 years of material possessions I have accumulated along with the boyfriend’s past 9 years of accumulated junk into boxes and moving!

Moving is, of course, a very exciting (especially if you’re leaving Scranton, Pennsylvania, which I cannot even begin to stress how happy it makes me to say that I am) but also a very hectic time with very little else left in the day to do but eat and sleep. However, within a few days we shall be completely moved into our new place, internet will hopefully be set up soon after, and Menstrual Poetry will be back not only in full swing, but better (and more frequent) than before!

For a Better Understanding

January 23, 2008 · Filed Under Reproductive Rights

I came across a fantastic documentary last night while poking around online a bit. Via Jezebel, I read about a broadcast that aired on Frontline in 1983.

The documentary won the 1983 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy Award for Outstanding Background/Analysis of a Single Current Story. Even today, 25 years after the date it had originally aired, is a fantastic source of education when it comes to what an abortion is, how it’s performed, what women feel before, during, and after they get an abortion, how the abortion provider feels, the counseling that the women who are seeking abortions receive before the procedure, and what others are doing to try to stop women from seeking abortions all together.

In the video, the “doctor” who is basically running a halfway house for pregnant women, seems a bit creepy to me.

“Yes, you’re pregnant and I don’t want you to get an abortion, so come live with me along with several other women I’ve recruited through my intimidating tactics! And did I mention that my wife is also fully skilled in talking women out of having control over their own reproductive systems? Oh yes, and on Saturdays we all make signs about how the decision you were going to make is “murder” and go hold up signs–that young children also helped us make–and pray outside of the clinic that you were going to go get your abortion performed at. But don’t worry, you made the right decision because it coincides with our religious background!”

Click on the picture below to watch the full documentary!


abortion documentary

Blog for Choice 2008

January 22, 2008 · Filed Under Reproductive Rights

Blog for Choice Day Today is the 35th anniversary of Roe v Wade. 35 years ago abortion was made legal for all women and now, 35 years later, it is important to celebrate this day in history as well as continue to educate ourselves and each other about safe sex and contraception and the right to safe and legal health care.

Celebrating Roe this year is extremely important, especially since 2007 initiated quite a few new abortion bans and even more that are on their way to passing. These points have marked the undeniable war that politicians, anti-abortion and religious organizations, and extremists have declared on women’s rights.

With the elections coming up and the possible overturn of Roe v Wade due to the Republican side of the presidential candidates, all of whom who vote to overturn legislature that gives women the right and control over their own bodies, it is very important to take a closer look at these candidates and choose to vote pro-choice.

I vote pro-choice because I believe in women and I believe that women are capable of making their own informed decisions about what they can and cannot do to their own bodies. I vote pro-choice because women are smart and educated and they deserve to choose for themselves whether or not to go through a pregnancy. I vote pro-choice because no other person–women, and definitely not men, have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body. I vote pro-choice because I believe that every child should be wanted.

It is important to vote for the candidate who will protect the rights of women because no matter what the laws say, women will continue to have abortions. Before Roe v Wade was passed women had abortions and women died in tremendous and tragic numbers. It is important to realize that abortions will always occur and it is imperative to protect the lives of the people of this country. It is imperative to ensure that all women will have access to safe health care and not doing so is simply turning your back on the people who live in this country and saying that you do not care and that your religious views mean more than their lives.

Roe v Wade It is ridiculous to assume that because of your personal morals, that you and your opinions hold more weight than 35 years of helping women live the lives that they want for themselves. That your opinions mean more than the rape and incest survivors who sought abortions and not being able to receive that health care would in turn jeopardize their lives and overall wellbeing. The outright arrogance that goes on in this country and in the minds of extremists who are willing to jeopardize the lives of so many women to “save” an unborn fetus is absolutely disgusting. By voting for a candidate who will do what it takes to save Roe v Wade and save the lives of so many women, you will be saying that no, women will not go back 35 years in time and that no, women do not deserve to die in the streets after receiving a botched abortion because they were that desperate not to go through 9 months of pregnancy and birth a child that is not wanted. Each and every single child should be a wanted child and by voting for a candidate who supports that, that is exactly how it will continue to be in America.

So on this 35th anniversary of Roe v Wade, we must ask ourselves, how important are the lives of women? What will we do to ensure that women will not have to resort back to back-alley abortion days?

Yay! It’s the Fourth Edition of Feminism at its Finest

January 20, 2008 · Filed Under Feminism at its Finest

feminism at its finest blog carnival The fourth edition of Feminism at its Finest is here! I’ve been posting quite a bit lately, which I am quite proud of, so check back often for new content and posts!

We didn’t receive that many submissions this week, so promote promote promote–If you can.

Pretty Lady presents Feminist fashion advice posted at Pretty Lady.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents An Arresting Affair, a fabulous piece about a recent court settlement of $29,000 against the city of New York by a woman who walked down the street topless and was arrested, although a woman going topless is perfectly legal and has been since 1992. This piece is posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

Carole G. McKay presents China, the Olympics and the S.P.C.A. posted at Gold Post-it.

Akemi presents The Mystery of Male Bonding, which talks about how men communicate with each other and also goes on to say a little about how women communicate, as well. The list includes parenting, family health issues, weight issues…I can’t go on, come on. What about politics? Human rights? What about philosophy? And I know I sure do have a damn lot to say about society… This post is at Gratitude Magic.

And for some shameless self-promotion, we have Colorado and Missouri Wage War on Women’s Rights posted over at Woman Tribune.

And that’s it! Be sure to submit your posts for next week!

Instant Messages and Life-Long Friends

January 20, 2008 · Filed Under Society

internet friends We meet a variety of different people online. With the recent hype of social networking websites like MySpace and Facebook, we certainly have the pipelines and capability to connect with thousands, perhaps even millions of different people from all around the world. The problem with the internet, in many cases, is that the people you connect with so closely online start to become real to you. While yes, they are real people, the question most often asked when it comes to “online friends” is do you really know them?

In many cases, if you’ve been communicating with someone long enough on the internet, you start to refer to them as your closest friends, the people you can go to when you just need to get things happening in your life off your chest; sometimes they even become your safe haven. In the same sense, these people become as important to you as the people you see on a regular basis, go shopping with, and other friend-like activities; and on that note, it’s as confusing when someone you’ve spoken to online for years springs the friend breakup on you.

Lines that would most resemble cliche breakup lines are all of a sudden sprung on you. Lines such as “It’s not you, it’s me,” or in many cases because of people who refuse to let go of personal pride and what is most often true in a traditional relationship breakup, “It’s not me, it’s you.” And for what, really? Because you couldn’t instant message them as often as you would have liked? Because that person feels as if you don’t have much in common anymore because you may focus on your personal life, career, family, or your need to pay the bills more often than you may be able to sign onto AIM?

But I suppose that is the difference between the “online friends” you acquire in your time on the internet and the ones who you see on a regular basis or have been your friends for quite a long time. The first feel as if you don’t have much to talk about anymore and in turn, stop all contact and feed you overdone lines while the latter grow with you, understand you, go through life with you.

This really raises the question–Do we grow apart from our friends or do we simply grow while we know our friends are always going to be there for us? My guess is that while it should be the latter, it not always is and that is unfortunate.

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