Her Daily News

Many of us learned back in our school days that the first to retort “Well, you’re fat!” in most any argument has run out of ideas. This lesson appears to be lost on conservative commentator Laura Ingraham, who in a recent radio show went for the cheap shot in disputing political blogger Meghan McCain’s views on the future of the Republican party.

Ms. McCain, pictured above with her father Senator John McCain, recently criticized controversial pundit Ann Coulter for the disservice her radical views have done to public opinion of Republicans and stated that such extremism would dissuade younger voters from associating themselves with the party. In a subsequent radio broadcast, Ms. Ingraham criticized Ms. McCain on rather different grounds, calling her “too plus-sized to be a cast member on the television show The Real World” - and with that, the gloves are off.

In her latest piece, Ms. McCain raises that age-old question - why does image precede message? She cites a certain treatment of women in the media that is often taken as the status quo, where a woman’s appearance is the first order of business, particularly when the aspect of appearance in question is the woman’s weight. Not only has Ms. McCain come under criticism for being “too heavy” at all of a size 8, but her mother, Cindy McCain, has been the target of unkind remarks for her thin frame. What is this elusive “perfect size” that we must aspire to, then? That ideal proportion that won’t distract fickle audiences from our words and ideas? I’d like to think that the size of my brain matters more than the size of my dress, but I’m sure that there are many who would say that it’s all in my head.

Today, President Barack Obama signed an executive order creating a government-wide council designed to address women’s rights - and in doing so, he cited the women and girls close to his heart. According to the Associated Press, the president and his administration created the panel as an effort to mark Women’s History Month, and his roles other than Commander In Chief were not far from his mind. He told all assembled, “I sign this order not just as a president, but as a son, a grandson, a husband and a father because, growing up, I saw my mother put herself through school and follow her passion for helping others.” He also told of his grandmother, who became a bank vice president, despite the gender bias that she faced along the way.

The order was signed with an eye towards the future, as well. The father of 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha cited the hopes and dreams of the younger generation, telling guests, “So now it’s up to us to carry that work forward, to ensure that our daughters and granddaughters have no limits on their dreams, no obstacles to their achievements — and that they have opportunities their mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers never dreamed of.” He also cited First Lady Michelle’s skill at balancing career and family as an inspiration. By creating this council, with senior adviser Valerie Jarrett as its head, our president has made it clear that his administration prioritizes women’s rights, as equality is not only good for women, but for the country as a whole.

Safety in our institutions of higher learning has become a hot-button topic lately - too often, the academia is disrupted by tragedy, as the headlines have reflected. This week, according to Mercury News, women at UC Berkeley stood up against a spree of sexual violence on their campus - and the “blame the victim” attitude that many have taken in light of it.

Since October, a sexual predator has attacked 19 women near the UC Berkeley campus, and it appears that women in skirts have been most heavily targeted. For that reason, an email has circulated among students telling women not to wear skirts so as to avoid becoming a target. However, many women on campus have taken offense, stating that attire is no excuse for sexual assault. For that reason, protesters wore skirts as they stood in solidarity to increase awareness about the recent attacks and to call for action to prevent future ones.

During the rally on the university’s Sproul Plaza, speakers argued against the perception that the victims are to blame for their attacks. Dennie Bates, an organizer of the rally, told the crowd, “My skirt is not a legal reason for raping me.” Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that this man has not been caught yet - and many worry that the violence could get worse. The victim of one attack was present at the rally, and she expressed her wish for justice, telling others in attendance, “I hope this man gets caught and this doesn’t happen anymore.” Details on the perpetrator can be found in the original article.

This time of year brings to mind romance, but women can give themselves the biggest Valentine of all by banding together to end domestic violence. On Friday, a bevy of big Hollywood names assembled to mark V-Day, playwright Eve Ensler’s event meant to bring an end to violence against women. The luncheon brought together stars of the screen, including Rosario Dawson (far right), who most recently appeared in Seven Pounds. According to People, Dawson reminded the crowd that violence against women and their families touches those in all walks of life. She said of Jennifer Hudson, who lost three family members in a triple homicide last October, and Rihanna, whose boyfriend Chris Brown is under investigation for domestic violence, that “these women are our sisters.” She also encouraged serious discussion of domestic violence rather than the treatment of the subject as gossip.

The event also featured the reading of accounts of violence against women overseas - in particular, attendees listened to accounts of the rape and mutilation of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Actress Jessica Alba (second from right) read the story of one woman, and found herself brought to tears as she did so. The stories hit close to home for some stars in attendance. South African actress Charlize Theron (not pictured) recalled similar occurrences in her home country - the Oscar winner said, “I was born and raised in a country with similar turmoil. People want to help, but don’t know how.” Hopefully, efforts like V-Day will bring violence against women closer to an end.

In 2005, two female students were expelled from a private Lutheran school in California after engaging in behaviors that were considered to be “characteristic of a lesbian relationship,” according to the Los Angeles Times. A recent court case maintained that the school was within its rights to do so, much to the dismay of those who believe this to be discrimination, not to mention the students themselves. The school’s position is that the disciplinary action was consistent with its religious mission, and that as a private institution, they were within their rights to enforce a code of conduct based upon Christian values. However, what was really protected here - freedom of religion, or the right to discriminate?

It is widely known that anti-discrimination laws protect citizens from discrimination based on sexual orientation, among other criteria. Indeed, the decision in California’s 4th District Court of Appeal hinged upon the court’s decision that the school was not a business, and therefore was not obligated to abide by these laws. However, despite the exemption that the law allowed, the question remains: Were the school’s actions moral?

As a Christian institution, the school has a conduct code that is likely to include rules in keeping with Christian teachings, and this includes the belief that homosexuality is a sin. The code forbids students from deviating from those rules whether they are on or off campus, and it is stated in the conduct code that to do so is grounds for expulsion. However, it seems to me that such a policy is overly restrictive for high school students. The teaching of religious principles is one thing - however, for a student’s academic career to be derailed by way of expulsion for anything less than strict adherence does more harm than good. While individual institutions may have their own agendas, religious or otherwise, they are primarily educational institutions. Discipline should not come at a disproportionate cost to the student’s academic development, nor should it stifle self-discovery.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the original intent was to “connect battered women’s advocates across the nation who were working to end violence against women and their children.” It was first observed in 1987, also that year, the first nation toll-free hotline was instated. Legislation was passed in 1989.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence was created in 1978 when over one hundred advocates for women came together in Washington, DC to attend the Commission on Civil Rights’ hearing on battered women. The NCADV is celebrating 30-years of existence. This is a great accomplishment for women the world over. In 1970 there were no shelters for abused women. Today more than 2,000 shelters exist as part of a national movement to give women and their children a safe environment free from the threat of violence.

If you are interested in organizing for community awareness about Domestic Violence, visit this site here.

If you are in need of help from Domestic Violence, call this number NOW . The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

The East African nation of Rwanda is trying something new. Historically dominated by men, women are driving the economy by working on construction sites, in factories, as truck and taxi drivers and also holding seats in the government.  With a population of 10 million, 55percent are women.

Rwanda is integrating women into government far more aggressively than any other African nation and this is putting them at odds within the continent.

Women currently hold a third of all cabinet positions. The foreign minister, education minister, police commissioner general, and Supreme Court chief are all women. Rwanda’s parliament is the first in the world where women are in the majority.

The countries of Africa have historically been ruled and governed by archaic patriarchal laws, including one that prohibits women from inheriting land. The legislature, now ruled by women is passing bills aimed at ending domestic violence and child abuse. There is hope that discriminatory laws will be purged from the legal code now that women are in charge and looking out for the greater good of the country, particularly one that requires a women to get her husband’s signature on a bank loan.

While the scars of recent genocide run deep, there exists a strong sense of national purpose among these women.

The capital of Rwanda is Kigali. Rwanda is bordered by Congo to the west, Burundi to the south Tanzania to the Southeast and Uganda to the northeast. It rests just south of the Equator and just west of Lake Victoria.

Source: The Washington Post, Print Edition, Monday October 27, 2008

I think Michelle Obama would make an excellent First Lady and I hope and dare to say, I think she will get that chance in just a few short weeks from now.

I heard her really speak for the first time when she gave her introductory speech for Barack Obama at the recent 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver, Colorado.  A video and transcripts are available on this New York Times website.

I think she a classy, educated, balanced, ambitious and incredibly poised woman, wife and mother.  I think she truly understands the hardships that average women face on a daily basis.  She also speaks candidly about how she and Barack make their daughters a priority and check in with them on a daily basis at an absolute minimum.  She is working tirelessly to help Barack get elected next month which is only the beginning of some excellent change for this nation.

She recently said on Larry King Live and in other news outlets that she is not mad at Sarah Palin for the negative campaigning and that she isn’t angry at John McCain for refering to her husband as “that one” during the debate last night.  She speaks articulately about her life as a mother and wife and how she is listening to and identifying with other women across this nation who are struggling each day with the juggling act of motherhood.

If you Google her name the results are endless.  Among the media clips and news articles is a site designated to keeping track of all of her appearances and media mentions, Michelle Obama Watch is a repository of photos and media captions.

It’s been a few months since we last heard about the Mormon Polygamists in Utah and Texas in the news but there are a few books out right now that really give an amazingly heartbreaking and rather informative portrayal of life inside the cult of polygamy.

I am not talking here about the stray and random family who chooses to live in the modern world in a home with one man as husband and several women as “wives”. I am referring here to the large populations that live in a few specific towns on the Utah-Arizona border.

First off,Stolen Innocence is a personal account of Elissa Wall, a most brave and courageous woman who suffered unimaginable abuse of the mind and body for years. Wall writes openly and honestly about her life inside a polygamist family.

I read this book a few months ago as soon as it came out. I read all 500 pages in about three days. I didn’t sleep. It was that good.

Another warrior of a woman, Carolyn Jessop has also written a book about her life. Escape is the story of a mother of eight children, married to a man 32-years her senior when she was a mere 18-years old and her eventual escape in the middle of the night with her children. Neither woman has looked so much as looked back.

I have just started reading this book and just like Stolen Innocence, it is stunning and eloquently written.

Polygamy is illegal in The United States of America. The polygamist sect of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, known as the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, or FLDS, is not part of the more common Mormon Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Canadian blogger and mother, Catherine Connors of Her Bad Mother, was asked to cover-up recently on a WestJet flight from Vancouver to Toronto as she breastfed her four month old son. Connors, not one to take things lying down and also outraged at the treatment of a nursing mother, blogged about it here, and then talked about it here on the CBC news. (skip to minute 16)

We need more women championing for those of us who nurse our children. While I’m not personally a fan of letting my tube-sock boobs flap freely in the breeze, nor would I encourage anyone to do that, the point I make is that it is natural and NORMAL to breastfeed a baby. Most women at least attempt to cover up and are vaguely discreet while simultaneously wrangling a loose boob and a baby.

Sorry guys, but the actual purpose of these boulders is for nursing, not your own entertainment. We’ve gotten far too lackadaisical by giving babies bottles, so much so that we balk and gasp at a nursing mother in public as if that is wrong. What if we chastised women for giving bottles of formula?? I don’t think that will ever happen. If the mother of a three month old wants to go a park or the mall or fly on an airplane she shouldn’t feel any more ashamed to open her blouse than another mom feels to shake-up a bottle of formula.

There are other breastfeeding bloggers out there who keep up posted about their situations and encounters with un-breast-friendly folks. And another one can be found here.

For a complete list of breastfeeding laws in your state, click here.

It doesn’t hurt to know this either. Child’s Right to Nurse Act.

The reason I don’t particularly like politics, (same goes for religion) is that it has a tendency to be rather DIVISIVE.

There is a blog I have read on and off for years and just today she wrote about Joy Bahar’s comments last night on Larry King Live. I was excited to read her comments but my excitment was short-lived when I saw that she had the exact opposite reaction that I did. I was all, “Oh! So you LIKE her!” and then I closed the window and wondered how I would ever relate to her again. I don’t need to have all like-minded friends, quite the opposite, I just want people to wise-up and realize that I am right. that not everyone is as they seem and perhaps they should inform themselves as voters, not just vote by party or by appearance.

Joy mentioned in a rather off-color way that perhaps Sarah Palin brought a certain sex-appeal to the Presidential election. Okay. Let’s take a step back and look at that. Sex-appeal + Presidential Election? Hum.

Marketing and media attention have taken a very unfortunate front seat in recent elections and it diverts out attention from the actual issues and actual debates of whether or not a candidate is qualified to really deliver and lead in office.

Back to my original point of Palin’s sex-appeal: Of course there’s sex appeal! Look back a mere two decades, Ronald Reagan? George Bush? Bill Clinton? George Bush again? Al Gore? None of those men are any more attractive than the other. Going bald. Going Grey. Physicalities just are not an issue for those men. But BAM! Throw a woman into the mix and suddenly appearance matters or at least, it get noticed. I think as a nation, as a species, we perceive men and women differently and we are much more apt to judge a woman and make comments about her appearance than we are a man. Right or wrong that is human nature.

But! We must move on. FAST. It doesn’t matter what side you are on or how you have voted in the past. While we are busy talking about Palin’s sexy-librarian-style we aren’t discussing how to end the war in Iraq and bring a lot of young men home. While we are discussing her decision to birth a baby with Down’s Syndrome we aren’t talking about how to provide affordable health care for Americans, equal and high quality education for children born in inner-cities, revamping the Social Security system so that it will be there for our children.

We are a nation saturated with media-sensations. It’s time to grow up and stop looking at the book’s cover and actually read the book.

More from Larry King last night:

For more reader opinions about Joy Bahar visit Watching The View.

Republican Senator and Presidential Candidate John McCain has selected a female state governor as his running mate in the upcoming 2008 election. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has agreed to be his Vice President.

Palin is the mother of five children and most recently gave birth to her second son on April 18 of this year and returned to work three days later. … I have a problem with this. If nothing more than from the standpoint of a mother, why isn’t she home caring for herself and her newborn. When you choose to have children you commit yourself to them, commit to putting their needs ahead of your own, commit to being THERE. I am not saying that a mother needs to put her own needs, goals and aspirations in the deep freezer, but actually, sometimes you do have to shelve them temporarily. And one of those temporary times is when you have a newborn. You owe it to that baby to be there, not to pawn him off on his father or siblings or family members. It is possible to have a career and be a good mother but I think Palin has reached too far. It seems ironic to me that she would be accepted by the Republican party being such an ambitious woman.

When the mother of a newborn baby (4 months) leaves her family to go out on the presidential campaign trail she isn’t going to garner support from other women. Other women will say, “what are you thinking?” and “If you are THAT SUPER MOM then I cannot relate to you.”

It is particularly odd to me that a party (The Republicans) that believes women should not have the right to choose to terminate a pregnancy or that a war deserves more funding than education and that working class people should be taxed in a higher bracket than families making over $200,000 would choose a woman who has so clearly chosen to have a career at the disgrace and sacrifice of her family. She may have a working class background and her husband may be a commercial fisherman but that doesn’t mean she can relate to the greater population of soccer-moms nationwide. In fact, I find her to be untouchable, unreachable and most importantly, unrelatable.

I also have a problem with a WOMAN who is a LIFETIME member of the National Rifle Association. Just sayin’.

Source: Wikipedia
Photo Source: People Magazine

I’m not new to the blogging world but in the past year I wasn’t too aware of all the new sites and activism in the blog world. (I was home with a newborn and my reality contact and awareness was, … slight?)

This is a big year, politically speaking. I live in Washington, DC (okay, the suburbs, but still) While I normally don’t get too involved in political debate, I feel it is often futile, I have some opinions and I do support those who lobby for change that I can get behind.

There are some great women, many of them mothers, who are taking a lot of time from their own lives, leaving their children for a few days to lobby for change that will benefit all of us. You can find them here at one of my new favorite sites MOMocrats. Many of them are actually at the Democratic National Convention this week in Denver, Colorado speaking up and taking notes. They are updating on Twitter and they have a Facebook page.  These women are awesome, check them out!

U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, an Ohio Democrat died yesterday at the age of 58 from a brain aneurysm she suffered while driving in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

Most recently she is known for her outspoken voice in Congress during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. She was one of only 11 Democrats who voted against the war in the 435-member House of Representatives. She also registered a complaint after the 2004 presidential election suspecting voting irregularities that cost John Kerry a win in her state of Ohio. She had a solidly liberal voting record.

Her death will not alter the partisan balance of power in Congress because the Democrats hold a wide majority.

When she was first elected in 1998, Tubbs Jones headed the House Ethics Committee and was the first black woman to serve on the tax-writing Ways and Means committee.

A brain aneurysm is the abnormal bulging of a blood vessel in the brain. Sadly, they are most often discovered only after they rupture which causes bleeding into the brain or the space surrounding the brain. This type of hemorrhage leads to stroke, brain damage and death. Treatment functions to stop the bleeding, reduce permanent damage and reduce the risk of recurrence.

“The annual incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in the U.S. exceeds 30,000 people. Ten to 15 percent of these patients will die before reaching the hospital and over 50 percent will die within the first thirty days after rupture. Of those who survive, about half suffer some permanent neurological deficit. Brain aneurysms can occur in people of all ages, but are most commonly detected in those ages 35 to 60. Women are actually more likely to get a brain aneurysm than men, with a ratio of 3:2.”
Find more information at Brain Aneurysm.com

You can read more about Tubbs Jones and her work as a Congreswomen by visiting her site.

Actress and entertainer Jenny McCarthy is the author of Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism. I have to admit that I never paid much attention to her before. She wasn’t someone I really took seriously, until I read about her son’s struggle with autism.

Autism is a frightening word for parents. I remember watching my own son as he reached the age when most autistic traits begin to manifest themselves, around 1 to 3 years old. I had read about it and knew some kids who had it, so I analyzed his every movement for while to see how he was acting. Was he lining things up too much? Overreacting to noise, lights, or touch? Was he responsive or in his own little world all the time? Did he lack age-appropriate communication, did he fail to learn by copying behaviors of others, was he showing repetitive movements, or displaying socially inappropriate behavior? These are all traits of autism. They are also traits of normal childhood development in the appropriate amounts. So when I read how McCarthy had been stunned by the doctor’s diagnosis, I could sympathize with how that blow must have felt. My own son has no signs of autism. But I had prepared myself for the worst and hoped for the best as he developed.

In a special report to CNN, McCarthy stated, “Everything I thought was cute was a sign of autism and I felt tricked.” Some children with autism have severe forms that are evident right away. For milder forms, like McCarthy’s son Evan has, the clues can be difficult to pick up on. She had been to several doctors and hospitals after Evan began having seizures at age 2. It wasn’t until she finally visited “the best pediatric neurologist in LA” that a diagnosis was finally made. As Evan lined up ear cones in the corner of his office and started flapping his arms, the doctor explained autism and how Evan’s “cute” behaviors were actually classic autistic traits.

McCarthy has pledged to “work my ass off raising awareness for autism and banging down doors to get answers.” Evan is now five, completely communicative, and has responded very well to treatments. But his mother knows she was one of the lucky ones. The same treatments that worked for her son don’t work for others, and no one knows why. I didn’t pay much attention to McCarthy before because she just seemed like another blonde with boobs trying to get famous for being an all out party girl. But it is her energy, drive, determination, and complete emotional openness that just might provide an effective spokesperson for Autism. If anybody can bang down the doors, it will be Jenny McCarthy.

To learn more about McCarthy’s book, visit Amazon: Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism.

Read more at Discussing Autism.

Jenny McCarthy, autism, Louder Than Words, autism treatment, diagnosing autism, health, children’s health