Note: The following was first published at ChoiceUSA's Choice Words.
---------------
Every Saturday morning, a dedicated group of volunteers arrives outside of the Louisville EMW Surgical Center, Kentucky's only abortion clinic. On the surface, their job is simple: accompany the clinic's patients from their cars to the clinic doors. But considering the crowds of invasive protesters doing everything in their power to block people from entering the clinic, a day in the life of a clinic escort is anything but simple.
After having possibly driven hours the morning of an abortion, this is what Kentucky's abortion patients can expect to encounter upon arrival:
They call themselves "sidewalk counselors," many of which are from the crisis pregnancy center across the street. Some wear orange jackets similar to those worn by the escorts to further confuse and ambush folks trying to enter the clinic. The ACLU has said that the EMW Surgical Center encounters some of the largest, most aggressive anti-abortion protests in the country.
Further south, the NC-based antichoice group Operation Save America regularly targets Family Reproductive Health, a Charlotte clinic known by many to be one of the most caring, compassionate clinics in the state.
The man depicted in the above video, Flip Benham, was found guilty of stalking a doctor last November and given 1 year probation. The ruling hasn't stopped Benham's followers from appearing week after week to shout over the clinic's gate in his place. Clinic defender and activist Scott Trent describes OSA as "one of the most reactionary, bigoted Christian Fascist groups in the country." Despite the very dedicated group of defenders that show up in the wee hours every week, the harassment continues. "They regularly climb the tree on the border of the property to shout at women going into the clinic, block the driveway in flagrant violation of the FACE Act," Trent tells me, adding that local police regularly neglect to enforce the federal law.
During one of the weeks I was able to make the 90-mile trek to Charlotte, a representative from an area mom's group approached me with a contact sheet. "As a group, we're neither pro-choice nor pro-life," she told me, but they oppose Operation Save America because of their tactics. She was referring to the giant posters depicting aborted fetuses and embryonic remains, saying that as moms, they don't want their young children exposed to such gruesome images. Additionally, she continued, "One of our moms has had multiple miscarriages, several have had abortions, and the posters trigger panic attacks." The moms group is working on a project where folks can hold signs warning oncoming traffic that there are graphic images ahead, then point folks in the direction of a detour.
I could go on about the importance of clinic defense, how activists in both small and large numbers sacrifice their time and their safety to uphold the right to choose. It shouldn't have to be this way, but this is the reality we live in. And while the Feds and local law enforcement alike could be doing more to enforce the FACE Act, defenders put themselves on the line to pick up where the police do not (or cannot) step in.
End Note: This summer, Operation Rescue is revitalizing the "Summer of Mercy" event that led to increasingly violent action against the slain Dr. Tiller in Wichita 20 years ago. This time they're targeting Dr. Carhart at his new Germantown, MD location. If you are able, hook in with local organizations, contact folks organizing defense projects to keep this clinic safe and open. The Summer of Mercy event 20 years ago involved human blockages of clinic entrances, massive arrests, violence, and profound harassment of those receiving much-needed needed care.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
This Is Why Your Kids Are Sick
Mere hours after running across this fantastic mama blog on all the great reasons to let your kids get dirty, I discovered a brand new product that Lysol thinks we should all be using: disinfectant spray for your fabrics!
Not to get all "back in my day," because to be sure, "my day" wasn't all that long ago. And I'm sure the 80s had their share of "Lysol Moms" too. Fortunately, my mom wasn't one of them, and I have the immune system to thank for it. This is not to say that all kids who get sick a lot or who have many allergies are victims of over-cleanliness, but if you're questioning why more and more older kids and young adults seem to get knocked on their asses every time a virus goes around, you might not have to look much further than Target's cleaner aisles. (And a few other choice environmental hazards.)
The "germophobia" thing bugs me for more reasons than the fact that other people's kids are going to be getting sicker (though I do work in health, so it is a concern of mine). It's bad enough that whole generations of children are being denied the ability to develop their own immune systems, but there are other consequences as well:
Not to get all "back in my day," because to be sure, "my day" wasn't all that long ago. And I'm sure the 80s had their share of "Lysol Moms" too. Fortunately, my mom wasn't one of them, and I have the immune system to thank for it. This is not to say that all kids who get sick a lot or who have many allergies are victims of over-cleanliness, but if you're questioning why more and more older kids and young adults seem to get knocked on their asses every time a virus goes around, you might not have to look much further than Target's cleaner aisles. (And a few other choice environmental hazards.)
The "germophobia" thing bugs me for more reasons than the fact that other people's kids are going to be getting sicker (though I do work in health, so it is a concern of mine). It's bad enough that whole generations of children are being denied the ability to develop their own immune systems, but there are other consequences as well:
- The burden of a sterile environment falls, not surprisingly, on Mom. Women, especially moms, have long been targeted for their consumer ability and the expectation that they will keep their homes spotless. The blame for anything less than a 100% sterile environment generally falls right smack on "bad mothering."
- Creating a sterile environment requires a home keeper to purchase products, and lots of them. Clorox, Proctor and Gamble, and others are really cashing in on the germophobia that they have surely had a hand in creating.
- These products are horrible -- let me say that again -- HORRIBLE for the environment. Whether it's in their manufacturing, transport, or utility, the vast majority of cleaning products are riddled with chemicals that create a toxic (albeit a "sterile" version of toxic) environment.
- I'm not gonna lie... I believe that germophobia can limit a kid's right to be a kid. Playing in the dirt, touching stuff that all their friends have touched, sharing an ice cream cone with your dog... it's what I want for my kid(s?), and I know it's what many kids want for themselves. They don't need to have these awesome activities interrupted every 20 minutes for a "Purell break."
- That a huge body of medical research encourages parents to let their kids be dirty little hooligans proves just how pervasive the sterile impulse is.
The product that started it all. You know, for all the household items that can't be sprayed down with traditional disinfectant. I imagine this product is much like Febreze, except it's guaranteed to kill everything in its path... including, most likely, one or two layers of your skin.
Proudly wear your Purell Bling! Hook it everywhere... your pocket book, backpack, diaper bag... oh yes, don't forget to slop the stuff all over your infant (I've seen it done)!
Lysol Disinfectant Spray... for the air! Just spray it everywhere. For serious, just run around your house letting that aerosol can add some sterility to the very air you breathe.
Germ-X is basically just isopropyl alcohol, so while its over-use will eventually create more alcohol-resistant bacteria (not to mention halt your kids' immune development if it's over-used), it's generally not terrible for the environ... oh, shit. "Individually Wrapped Wipes?" Crap.
Meanwhile, in the world of creating a problem so you can sell the solution, Kleenex is trying to convince you that cloth hand towels are germ-ridden plague factories. According to their website, "The CDC guidelines for hand washing recommends hand drying with a single-use towel." (Oh, do they now?) Of course, for those committed to keeping their home as sterile as the average clinic environment, sure, why not toss out those money- and environment-saving cloth towels for a single-use piece of paper?
Taking a break from cleaning products to point out the single most effective way folks can help their kids develop a strong immune systems: BREASTFEEDING! Won't go too deeply into this one, since if you're reading my blog you already know it, but breastmilk contains more readily-digestible vitamins, nutrients, and yes, immune-building antibodies than any other infant food. In fact, new research suggests that the mama's skin cells (ingested by baby when s/he latches) contain antibodies that fight off air-borne infections that might have just entered the environment (can't find the article right now, sorry). In other words, putting baby to breast is like a more effective (and less stinky) Lysol spray!
I know, I know... shopping carts are loaded with nasty crap. But come on. If it's flu season, by all means, wipe it down with a wet cloth (or just be old-school and wash your hands after you shop), but let's not forget the effects of antibacterial over-use.
I might get shat on for this one. I admit, shopping carts are incredibly dirty, and the covers are incredibly cute. It might make us cringe to think about what flavors of nasty lurk upon our carts' handlebars, but I have enough friends with toddlers to know that this is far from the grossest thing your kid will put in her mouth today. Besides, isn't this just one more product that moms are being guilt-tripped into purchasing? One more thing to carry in the diaper bag? One more thing to futz with at the grocery store while your other youngsters run off and eat god knows what?
I saw a lil' one the other day at Earth Face, probably around 18 months, vociferously gnawing on the bare handlebars of the shopping cart. And you know what? I bet that child is going to be just fine.
Do I even need to discuss the over-use of antibiotics? I didn't think so. I mean, if we're talking a severe infection with a fever and all that, for the love of all that is holy, get your child some antibiotics! But a sniffle with nothing more than a low-grade fever? No diagnosis of infection? Prescription for Amoxicillin "just in case?" I wouldn't go there.
Of course, as I've said, the biggest issue I have with the clean craze (aside from the total robbing of one's childhood) is the burden it puts on women, particularly Mom, to keep the kids safe from any and all things germy. A child that gnaws on a shopping cart handle, eats mud, or decides that the contents of the kitty litter box is candy may very well contract a virus, an infection, a parasite... but that's why we have medicine. Preemptive treatments -- that is, the treatments that rob us of our natural abilities to fight off the bad stuff -- are well-known to put us at greater risk, and from that no one benefits. Of course, waiting until an illness pops up doesn't make a lot of money, especially to the P&Gs of the world. So we create problems, then sell the stuff to fix it. And when it comes to such pervasive indoctrination of entire generations, we gotta start 'em early:
For the rest of you, let your kids' filth flags fly!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Mother's Day 2011
I was asked, via my blogging gig at ChoiceUSA, to add my perspective as a birth doula who also works in the reproductive justice field. My piece centered around the many intersections of abortion and motherhood, compounded by other factors such as race, class, documentation status, gender identity, etc.
Read it here:
Supporting Her Journey: A Full-Spectrum Doula’s Look at the Politics of Motherhood
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Rant, plus possible TMI
I have a weird cyst-like thing on my boob. I'm 90% sure it's nothing, but it never hurts to be sure. So I went to Planned Parenthood, where, thanks to the failed efforts to defund the organization, I was able to get a breast exam for practically nothing. The NP told me what I thought, that she's 90% sure it was nothing. But to be safe, maybe we should think about referring me to a specialist.
Now, here I had two choices: trust the NP's 90% judgment, or go ahead with the referral. What could be the harm, anyway? So I had PP schedule my appointment with a local specialist for imaging.
Unfortunately, the specialists didn't get rich by offering the low-cost health care that Planned Parenthood offers. Not having insurance that pays for PREVENTATIVE care, the specialist appointment will run me over $300. THREE HUNDRED.
Now, my insurance would cover me if I waited for whatever this thing is to grow and spread and threaten my life, assuming it is something we should be worried about. They would gladly front the thousands of dollars in cancer treatment in the rare case that that's what this cyst-like thingy is. But no, we can't have them just tossing checks at early diagnostic or preventative treatment. Not for the pithy $100 I send them every month.
That's the problem here. I have $100 to spend on health insurance each month. That gives me the chance to be covered if I get hit by a truck or if my life is in danger due to some awful disease that I likely wouldn't recover from anyway. To actually prevent the need for thousands of dollars in health care costs, however, I have to pay the $300 out of pocket.
Sound familiar? The government's Medicaid program is similar. It is completely willing to pay (minimal) prenatal and delivery costs for pregnant folks, but ask Medicaid for $300 for an abortion (or a fraction of the cost for a midwife-assisted home birth), and you get jack shit. They'd rather pay thousands than hundreds, mostly because they know that a person who REALLY needs to come up with the fee will come up with it, even if it means they can't pay for groceries for the next few weeks.
It comes down to ideology, be it capitalist or antichoice, or a mix of both. Either way, I'm paying that $300 to have my boob looked at, or I'm not and it's nothing anyway so my insurance company doesn't have to pay anyone anything anyhow. Just like a pregnant person will either find that $300 for an abortion, or she'll use Medicaid for minimal prenatal and pediatric care and the government can continue using statistics about poor women being a drain on society. Because she had no other choice. Because no one gave her another choice.
Thing is, I have way more resources than the pregnant person living in public housing with her two kids finding herself pregnant again and unable to pay for groceries. There's no comparison once you scratch the surface; I can get that $300 way more easily than she can. My parents, for example. Or savings. But it doesn't change the fact that we both could have benefited from the public option that the Democrats abandoned like frightened kittens all because some misled jackass in a Paul Revere costume sat in a lawn chair and held up a sign.
Whatever this thing is, it's nothing. I know that. But it doesn't pay to take risks. The use of growth hormones in our food has given us pre-menopausal breast cancer rates like we've never seen before. I need to be careful. I need to be smart. I need to have it looked at. It's just too bad that being careful and smart is a privilege reserved for those of us with the financial resources to buy it. And we can just keep believing that the many women who let those mysterious lumps go unattended are just a "drain" on a society that drained them first.
Now, here I had two choices: trust the NP's 90% judgment, or go ahead with the referral. What could be the harm, anyway? So I had PP schedule my appointment with a local specialist for imaging.
Unfortunately, the specialists didn't get rich by offering the low-cost health care that Planned Parenthood offers. Not having insurance that pays for PREVENTATIVE care, the specialist appointment will run me over $300. THREE HUNDRED.
Now, my insurance would cover me if I waited for whatever this thing is to grow and spread and threaten my life, assuming it is something we should be worried about. They would gladly front the thousands of dollars in cancer treatment in the rare case that that's what this cyst-like thingy is. But no, we can't have them just tossing checks at early diagnostic or preventative treatment. Not for the pithy $100 I send them every month.
That's the problem here. I have $100 to spend on health insurance each month. That gives me the chance to be covered if I get hit by a truck or if my life is in danger due to some awful disease that I likely wouldn't recover from anyway. To actually prevent the need for thousands of dollars in health care costs, however, I have to pay the $300 out of pocket.
Sound familiar? The government's Medicaid program is similar. It is completely willing to pay (minimal) prenatal and delivery costs for pregnant folks, but ask Medicaid for $300 for an abortion (or a fraction of the cost for a midwife-assisted home birth), and you get jack shit. They'd rather pay thousands than hundreds, mostly because they know that a person who REALLY needs to come up with the fee will come up with it, even if it means they can't pay for groceries for the next few weeks.
It comes down to ideology, be it capitalist or antichoice, or a mix of both. Either way, I'm paying that $300 to have my boob looked at, or I'm not and it's nothing anyway so my insurance company doesn't have to pay anyone anything anyhow. Just like a pregnant person will either find that $300 for an abortion, or she'll use Medicaid for minimal prenatal and pediatric care and the government can continue using statistics about poor women being a drain on society. Because she had no other choice. Because no one gave her another choice.
Thing is, I have way more resources than the pregnant person living in public housing with her two kids finding herself pregnant again and unable to pay for groceries. There's no comparison once you scratch the surface; I can get that $300 way more easily than she can. My parents, for example. Or savings. But it doesn't change the fact that we both could have benefited from the public option that the Democrats abandoned like frightened kittens all because some misled jackass in a Paul Revere costume sat in a lawn chair and held up a sign.
Whatever this thing is, it's nothing. I know that. But it doesn't pay to take risks. The use of growth hormones in our food has given us pre-menopausal breast cancer rates like we've never seen before. I need to be careful. I need to be smart. I need to have it looked at. It's just too bad that being careful and smart is a privilege reserved for those of us with the financial resources to buy it. And we can just keep believing that the many women who let those mysterious lumps go unattended are just a "drain" on a society that drained them first.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Last Night's Nums: Stir-Fried Curry Rice Noodles w/ Shrimp
As if I had any doubts about a recipe that involved the words "stir-fry," "curry," and "shrimp!" And it did not disappoint. Of course, in true form, I altered the recipe ever so slightly... only slightly, as recipes from America's Test Kitchen are usually perfect just the way they're published.
This dish is pretty easy and not very expensive, especially considering it's a whole meal on its own! I think I already had everything I needed except for the red bell pepper, the rice noodles, and the shrimp. The shrimp were by far the most expensive ingredient, but I figure this recipe could easily be duplicated with another shellfish, tofu, or even just thinly-sliced potato chunks. I wouldn't try it with chicken, as it's a pretty delicate curry and works really well with the shrimpy flavor. Definitely worth the cost, and hey, you only need 12 ounces.
Additionally, this recipe is quick. I usually shy away from curry recipes when I don't have a sous-chef, but I didn't want to wait until my husband's semester is over to make something like this! The 20 minutes hot water soak is definitely the most time-consuming part, and the prep work took me less than 10 minutes... plenty of time to pour myself a glass of wine and check my email. After that it's 2 minutes here, 2 minutes there, a few minutes to finish, and BAM! Dinner's ready.
Stir-Fried Curry Rice Noodles with Shrimp
8 oz rice stick noodles (about 1/4-inch thick)
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp vegetable oil (You might need more if you're like me and don't use a non-stick skillet.)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
12 ounces extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon red curry paste (Note: The original recipe called for 1 tbsp of curry powder, but I'm an idiot and didn't remember that we were out. I loved the curry paste, however, and can see the powder method getting a bit "grainy" and dry.)
6 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths, reserving greens for later
1/2 cups basil (This was my other addition. Can't have curry noodles without basil!)
Directions
This dish is pretty easy and not very expensive, especially considering it's a whole meal on its own! I think I already had everything I needed except for the red bell pepper, the rice noodles, and the shrimp. The shrimp were by far the most expensive ingredient, but I figure this recipe could easily be duplicated with another shellfish, tofu, or even just thinly-sliced potato chunks. I wouldn't try it with chicken, as it's a pretty delicate curry and works really well with the shrimpy flavor. Definitely worth the cost, and hey, you only need 12 ounces.
Additionally, this recipe is quick. I usually shy away from curry recipes when I don't have a sous-chef, but I didn't want to wait until my husband's semester is over to make something like this! The 20 minutes hot water soak is definitely the most time-consuming part, and the prep work took me less than 10 minutes... plenty of time to pour myself a glass of wine and check my email. After that it's 2 minutes here, 2 minutes there, a few minutes to finish, and BAM! Dinner's ready.Stir-Fried Curry Rice Noodles with Shrimp
8 oz rice stick noodles (about 1/4-inch thick)
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp vegetable oil (You might need more if you're like me and don't use a non-stick skillet.)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
12 ounces extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon red curry paste (Note: The original recipe called for 1 tbsp of curry powder, but I'm an idiot and didn't remember that we were out. I loved the curry paste, however, and can see the powder method getting a bit "grainy" and dry.)
6 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths, reserving greens for later
1/2 cups basil (This was my other addition. Can't have curry noodles without basil!)
Directions
- Cover noodles with boiling water in bowl. Soak until softened but not completely tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. Drain noodles.
- Whisk water, 2 tbsp oil, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar until sugar dissolves.
- Heat remaining oil in large nonstick skillet (I used a large saucier, worked much better because of the depth) over medium heat until shimmering. Cook onion and bell pepper until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in shrimp, garlic and curry paste. Cook until fragrant and shrimp are nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Add scallions, softened noodles and fish sauce mixture. Cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are completely tender and shrimp cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add basil and reserved greens (chopped), toss to combine.
- Pour yourself a glass of white wine and ENJOY!
Monday, April 4, 2011
A Funny Thing Happened at the Planned Parenthood Rally
There are those who believe that everything happens for a reason... as in, the universe works the way it's supposed to, this isn't some sort of pre-destination religious conversation. Sometimes really cool things happen, and you just know that they were meant to go that way. If the woman leaving the sew and vac shop had approached anyone else, it might have been completely different. But she approached me.
I was at a rally for Planned Parenthood at the health center right next to my house. The Senate is looking at the bill passed by the House last month that would effectively de-fund Planned Parenthood, even though federal funds are already barred from going to abortion services.
I was leaving. Many supporters had stayed behind to line the sidewalks, but I had a yoga class to get to. As I said a final buh-bye to several of the clinic workers that I know, I noticed a woman leaving the sew and vac shop, looking disapprovingly at the gathering of pink-shirted Planned Parenthood supporters. Our eyes met as I started walking in much the same plane towards my car. I gave her a smile, the way I do with strangers whose gazes I sometimes catch. I was going to leave it at that, but she approached me. "You're young," she started, then lightly touched my shoulder and glanced back at the big pink bus with "I STAND WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD" written in big block letters. "Have you ever seen a live birth, hun?"
I was taken aback for a moment. This could have been anyone, and her obvious attempt at an anti-abortion one-liner could have been about anything. And yet she approached me. And her question was about birth. Specifically, have I ever seen one?
I smiled and looked into her eyes while I fumbled around in my purse. It could not have been more perfect... like it was meant to happen. "All the time," I said, smiling, and handed her my card. She raised her eyebrows in an inquisitive way, likely when she read "Birth Doula." It was obvious to me, probably to her as well, that I had at the very least made a tiny crack in her idea of what it means to be pro-choice.
Unfortunately, I did have a yoga class to get to, and to be quite honest I didn't have much else to say. So I said nothing else. I gave a slight nod, got into my car, and left. The woman remained in place, looking at the crowd of Planned Parenthood supporters gathered in the parking lot, and put my card into her wallet.
This is one of those moments that happened with Intention. She Intentionally approached me, she Intentionally asked about birth, and I Intentionally handed her my card that answered her question in ways that she hadn't expected.
I set certain rules for engaging with anti-abortion folks. If we're friends or colleagues, I don't ever mention it. If they're wingnuts, I don't befriend them at all, but if they're simply "pro-life" then we can probably get along in most social settings. I don't have "the argument," by which I mean, I refuse to risk burnout by debating when life begins and all that jazz with someone whose mind is not going to be changed. However, I hope this woman contacts me. My card contains phone and email information, and I hope she uses it.
Why? Because she seemed intrigued. Because, at least after her initial question, she wasn't trying to "convert" me to her ways of thinking. Because I feel like I could at least have a real conversation with this person, even if it doesn't change her opinions on abortion or pregnancy prevention.
Not because doulas are awesome (though we are, heh). But because people who believe in the right to reproductive autonomy are diverse. We're the exact kind of person you'd expect a pro-choice activist to be; at the same time, we are not at all the kind of person you would think would be pro-choice. We're young and old, we have kids and we don't, we're all kinds of professions and political identities, we're all gender identities and we fall in love with all kinds of people. We're cat lovers, we like hip hop and we like Kenny G. We're nurses and doctors and midwives. We're students and drop-outs. We're all races. We speak every language. We have all possible experiences with pregnancy and infertility. We've seen live birth or we haven't. We like sex or we don't. We drive pick-up trucks and ride bikes, we practice yoga and we attend church every single week. We like Jersey Shore and we hate it. We have PhDs. We're in the military or someone we love is. What unites us is the idea that women control their bodies. We're pro-choice.
If you're the person I gave my card to today in the Planned Parenthood parking lot, please email me. I want to talk more.
I was at a rally for Planned Parenthood at the health center right next to my house. The Senate is looking at the bill passed by the House last month that would effectively de-fund Planned Parenthood, even though federal funds are already barred from going to abortion services.
I was leaving. Many supporters had stayed behind to line the sidewalks, but I had a yoga class to get to. As I said a final buh-bye to several of the clinic workers that I know, I noticed a woman leaving the sew and vac shop, looking disapprovingly at the gathering of pink-shirted Planned Parenthood supporters. Our eyes met as I started walking in much the same plane towards my car. I gave her a smile, the way I do with strangers whose gazes I sometimes catch. I was going to leave it at that, but she approached me. "You're young," she started, then lightly touched my shoulder and glanced back at the big pink bus with "I STAND WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD" written in big block letters. "Have you ever seen a live birth, hun?"
I was taken aback for a moment. This could have been anyone, and her obvious attempt at an anti-abortion one-liner could have been about anything. And yet she approached me. And her question was about birth. Specifically, have I ever seen one?
I smiled and looked into her eyes while I fumbled around in my purse. It could not have been more perfect... like it was meant to happen. "All the time," I said, smiling, and handed her my card. She raised her eyebrows in an inquisitive way, likely when she read "Birth Doula." It was obvious to me, probably to her as well, that I had at the very least made a tiny crack in her idea of what it means to be pro-choice.
Unfortunately, I did have a yoga class to get to, and to be quite honest I didn't have much else to say. So I said nothing else. I gave a slight nod, got into my car, and left. The woman remained in place, looking at the crowd of Planned Parenthood supporters gathered in the parking lot, and put my card into her wallet.
This is one of those moments that happened with Intention. She Intentionally approached me, she Intentionally asked about birth, and I Intentionally handed her my card that answered her question in ways that she hadn't expected.
I set certain rules for engaging with anti-abortion folks. If we're friends or colleagues, I don't ever mention it. If they're wingnuts, I don't befriend them at all, but if they're simply "pro-life" then we can probably get along in most social settings. I don't have "the argument," by which I mean, I refuse to risk burnout by debating when life begins and all that jazz with someone whose mind is not going to be changed. However, I hope this woman contacts me. My card contains phone and email information, and I hope she uses it.
Why? Because she seemed intrigued. Because, at least after her initial question, she wasn't trying to "convert" me to her ways of thinking. Because I feel like I could at least have a real conversation with this person, even if it doesn't change her opinions on abortion or pregnancy prevention.
Not because doulas are awesome (though we are, heh). But because people who believe in the right to reproductive autonomy are diverse. We're the exact kind of person you'd expect a pro-choice activist to be; at the same time, we are not at all the kind of person you would think would be pro-choice. We're young and old, we have kids and we don't, we're all kinds of professions and political identities, we're all gender identities and we fall in love with all kinds of people. We're cat lovers, we like hip hop and we like Kenny G. We're nurses and doctors and midwives. We're students and drop-outs. We're all races. We speak every language. We have all possible experiences with pregnancy and infertility. We've seen live birth or we haven't. We like sex or we don't. We drive pick-up trucks and ride bikes, we practice yoga and we attend church every single week. We like Jersey Shore and we hate it. We have PhDs. We're in the military or someone we love is. What unites us is the idea that women control their bodies. We're pro-choice.
If you're the person I gave my card to today in the Planned Parenthood parking lot, please email me. I want to talk more.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Humanitarian Mathematics
So the U.S. has dropped 110 Tomahawk missiles onto Libya. At roughly $569,000 a pop, let's go ahead and say our little humanitarian venture cost roughly $62.5million. Well okay, that's the missiles alone, not factoring in the planes, fuel, service pay and benefits, etc. Missiles alone, we've exploded about $62.5million into Libya.
The average teacher's salary, obviously a lavish and wasteful way to spend government dollars, is roughly $41,500 per year. While we simply cannot continue paying them this excessive amount, we did burn through the fiscal equivalent of 1506 teacher salaries in under 24 hours.
NPR runs on $164million/year. About 5.8% of that comes from government grants to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. That's about $9.5million per year, from all forms of government (federal, state, and local). Truly the epitome of government waste, NPR could be funded for 6.5 years with the money spent on the 110 missiles dropped into Libya.
Everyone knows that women, infants, and children are a huge waste of public funds. In fact, we spend about $6.7billion per year just feeding these bastards! Sounds like a lot, right? Well, when you consider about 9,175,478 women, infants, and children received WIC assistance in 2010, total government assistance through WIC averages around $725 per person per year. Our humanitarian effort in Libya could have provided nutritional assistance for 86,206 unsupported women with children for one year.
Also, it would only take about 5 more days of this kind of humanitarian expenditure to top Planned Parenthood's annual funding from the federal government. And remember, that's just calculating the missiles dropped.
The average teacher's salary, obviously a lavish and wasteful way to spend government dollars, is roughly $41,500 per year. While we simply cannot continue paying them this excessive amount, we did burn through the fiscal equivalent of 1506 teacher salaries in under 24 hours.
NPR runs on $164million/year. About 5.8% of that comes from government grants to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. That's about $9.5million per year, from all forms of government (federal, state, and local). Truly the epitome of government waste, NPR could be funded for 6.5 years with the money spent on the 110 missiles dropped into Libya.
Everyone knows that women, infants, and children are a huge waste of public funds. In fact, we spend about $6.7billion per year just feeding these bastards! Sounds like a lot, right? Well, when you consider about 9,175,478 women, infants, and children received WIC assistance in 2010, total government assistance through WIC averages around $725 per person per year. Our humanitarian effort in Libya could have provided nutritional assistance for 86,206 unsupported women with children for one year.
Also, it would only take about 5 more days of this kind of humanitarian expenditure to top Planned Parenthood's annual funding from the federal government. And remember, that's just calculating the missiles dropped.
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