If it had been a Muslim person who had shot an officer and two other people dead at a Planned Parenthood clinic, and injured nine others, it would be wall-to-wall coverage not only on the cable news networks today but on the broadcast TV networks. We would be calling it what it is: terrorism.
Instead, it is only being covered on cable and even then, just as one of many news stories today. THIS WAS AN ACT OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM! Against a health care provider! AND, making it even more awful and news-coverage-worthy, is the fact that this was directly incited by Republican presidential candidates and by Republican congressional leaders--they have been engaged in systematically attacking, spreading misinformation about, and inciting violence against, Planned Parenthood for months and months and months. THIS IS THE RESULT!
Why is the whole country not outraged today?
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
Showing posts with label Planned Parenthood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Planned Parenthood. Show all posts
Saturday, November 28, 2015
The Planned Parenthood Shooting, Post 4: Words Have Consequences
AND *no one* in the media is making the connection between the violence-inciting, misinformation-spreading rhetoric of the Republican presidential candidates and congressional leaders against Planned Parenthood and this Planned Parenthood shooting, which is a DIRECT result of that!
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
The Planned Parenthood Shooting, Post 3: This was a Terrorist Act
This (the Planned Parenthood shooting) was a TERRORIST act that should be getting wall-to-wall coverage. WHY is the news media acting like everything is business as usual today?
I guess terrorism on women's health care providers doesn't count. Nevermind that an officer and two civilians are dead and nine injured. The media is covering this as just another news story. This is infuriating!
This is NOT just another news story. This is domestic terrorism. More than that, this is domestic terrorism that was directly incited by Republican candidates for president of the United States and by Republican congressional leaders.
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
I guess terrorism on women's health care providers doesn't count. Nevermind that an officer and two civilians are dead and nine injured. The media is covering this as just another news story. This is infuriating!
This is NOT just another news story. This is domestic terrorism. More than that, this is domestic terrorism that was directly incited by Republican candidates for president of the United States and by Republican congressional leaders.
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
The Planned Parenthood Shooting, Post 2: The Media
CNN is just giving this (the Planned Parenthood mass shooting) cursory coverage. Nothing like the wall-to-wall coverage for MONTHS they gave to Ferguson. I guess they don't care when a GOOD officer is shot to death in the line of duty by a gunman incited by people serving in Congress and by candidates running for president of the United States, or that two other people are dead, and four officers and five people injured. Nope. If it's just the War on Women, why cover it? It won't generate RATINGS.
Also, if it shows police in a good light, why cover it, either, as that would take away from the violence that they (CNN) themselves seem to me to always be trying to incite in the streets of America against police, so that they then can go out and cover the violence and protesters that THEY themselves whipped up, and get RATINGS. To that end, they are back to their wall-to-wall coverage of the cop who was charged with first-degree murder in Chicago, and that constant coverage is contributing to protesters in the street, even though that bad cop has already been rightly charged with 1st degree murder, so what is there to be covering right now or be out in the streets about--WHY NOT COVER THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD SHOOTING?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why not be out in the streets about congressional leaders and presidential candidates inciting violence against a health care provider?
I'm not happy today.
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
Also, if it shows police in a good light, why cover it, either, as that would take away from the violence that they (CNN) themselves seem to me to always be trying to incite in the streets of America against police, so that they then can go out and cover the violence and protesters that THEY themselves whipped up, and get RATINGS. To that end, they are back to their wall-to-wall coverage of the cop who was charged with first-degree murder in Chicago, and that constant coverage is contributing to protesters in the street, even though that bad cop has already been rightly charged with 1st degree murder, so what is there to be covering right now or be out in the streets about--WHY NOT COVER THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD SHOOTING?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why not be out in the streets about congressional leaders and presidential candidates inciting violence against a health care provider?
I'm not happy today.
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
The Planned Parenthood Shooting, Post 1: Witch Hunt Mentality--The Results
Two days ago, I wrote about what I term "The Witch Hunt Mentality". Now, just two days later, we have a tragic example of the results that I was warning, predicting, looking back at the history of witch hunts and seeing, could, would and always do result from that witch hunt mentality.
I hope all the Republican "leaders" who have been "leading" the witch hunt on Planned Parenthood are happy with the results: they have successfully and directly incited violence against Planned Parenthood clinics, and now a police officer is dead, children are left without their father, and a spouse is left without her husband. Two other people are also dead and their loved ones are grieving. Four other police officers and five civilians were injured, too.
Are you happy now, those who have led this witch hunt? Or are you going to go on spreading misinformation and inciting violence?
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
I hope all the Republican "leaders" who have been "leading" the witch hunt on Planned Parenthood are happy with the results: they have successfully and directly incited violence against Planned Parenthood clinics, and now a police officer is dead, children are left without their father, and a spouse is left without her husband. Two other people are also dead and their loved ones are grieving. Four other police officers and five civilians were injured, too.
Are you happy now, those who have led this witch hunt? Or are you going to go on spreading misinformation and inciting violence?
#IstandwithPlannedParenthood
Thursday, September 17, 2015
I Stand with Planned Parenthood
From the time I was a very, very little girl—from as far back as I can remember, actually—my mom would always joke (yet she was serious) that, if she had ten minutes to live, “I would tack the phone number for Planned Parenthood next to the phone for you girls, and then I’d eat hamburgers until I died.” From the time I was tiny, I was taught how important what Planned Parenthood does is. What do they do? They provide birth control. They prevent unwanted pregnancies and children coming into this world when their parents are not ready for them. They empower girls and women to have choices in life. They provide affordable health care. They provide counseling. And yes, they do provide abortion services but that is only 3% of what they do. It’s the other 98% that is so important. It’s the other 98% that prevents more abortions than they will ever, ever do, and more than probably any other organization or entity in the world. They are about what their name is: planned parenthood. Not accidental parenthood—planned, wanted, welcomed, rejoiced-in parenthood. That is the way children should come into this world: when they are wanted, when their parents are ready for them and can afford to take care of them.
Now along come some divisive, patriarchy-supporting, rich MEN and they are convincing everyone that Planned Parenthood is bad, Planned Parenthood is evil. Why? How are they evil? They are not “selling baby parts”, that is utter despicable propaganda, designed to stop this fine organization from helping women. Because make no mistake about it, people: as unfathomable as this may sound/seem in 2015, these men want us barefoot and pregnant. Which sounds pretty good to me right now, actually, although I’m way too old but anyway it should be up to the person if she wants to be barefoot and/or pregnant, not up to some hateful, violent people who want to shut down Planned Parenthood.
They don’t give a hoot about stopping abortion, they want to stop BIRTH CONTROL. Birth control and affordable health care, that is what Planned Parenthood is about, that is what they have been doing since before I was born, that is what I was taught as a tiny girl I should REVERE about them and always know and always keep that phone number “tacked by the phone.”
And when I got old enough to need birth control, I was so blessed to have a parent whom I could pick up the phone and turn to, and actually a college health center I could go to. But if that amazing little health center hadn’t been there, do you know where I would have gone? PLANNED PARENTHOOD. Because I’d been taught. Because I knew. Because I had it told to me again and again even as a tiny child: Planned Parenthood is there for you when you need them. Be sure to know their name. Be sure to keep their phone number tacked by the phone.
I stand with Planned Parenthood!
Now along come some divisive, patriarchy-supporting, rich MEN and they are convincing everyone that Planned Parenthood is bad, Planned Parenthood is evil. Why? How are they evil? They are not “selling baby parts”, that is utter despicable propaganda, designed to stop this fine organization from helping women. Because make no mistake about it, people: as unfathomable as this may sound/seem in 2015, these men want us barefoot and pregnant. Which sounds pretty good to me right now, actually, although I’m way too old but anyway it should be up to the person if she wants to be barefoot and/or pregnant, not up to some hateful, violent people who want to shut down Planned Parenthood.
They don’t give a hoot about stopping abortion, they want to stop BIRTH CONTROL. Birth control and affordable health care, that is what Planned Parenthood is about, that is what they have been doing since before I was born, that is what I was taught as a tiny girl I should REVERE about them and always know and always keep that phone number “tacked by the phone.”
And when I got old enough to need birth control, I was so blessed to have a parent whom I could pick up the phone and turn to, and actually a college health center I could go to. But if that amazing little health center hadn’t been there, do you know where I would have gone? PLANNED PARENTHOOD. Because I’d been taught. Because I knew. Because I had it told to me again and again even as a tiny child: Planned Parenthood is there for you when you need them. Be sure to know their name. Be sure to keep their phone number tacked by the phone.
I stand with Planned Parenthood!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Girl Scouts, Planned Parenthood and Women: Oh My!
An article I read today ("Bob Morris, Indiana Lawmaker, Calls Girl Scouts A 'Radicalized Organization'") in The Huffington Post really has me scared, especially taken in context of the anti-women rhetoric coming from the Republican presidential candidates, the recent attempt by the Susan G. Komen Foundation to bully Planned Parenthood, and recent attacks and boycotts against the Girl Scouts of America for their inclusive policy of welcoming all girls. I’m palpably frightened by the intense degree and omnipresence of hate, misogyny, and an "us and them" mentality that is in our societal ether. When I read some of the statements by Bob Morris in the above-linked article, they seem like a parody or satire of what the radical right believes, yet they are his real statements, and THAT is precisely what has me so scared: these people are serious and I believe we are entering into a modern day witch hunt, with similar elements to the Salem witch trials, McCarthyism and even Nazi propaganda. For example, it is very reminiscent of McCarthyesque accusations without substantiation when Morris states in his letter to his fellow lawmakers:
"The Girl Scouts of America and their worldwide partner, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), have entered into a close strategic affiliation with Planned Parenthood. You will not find evidence of this on the GSA/WAGGGS website—in fact, the websites of these two organizations explicitly deny funding Planned Parenthood.
Nonetheless, abundant evidence proves that the agenda of Planned Parenthood includes sexualizing young girls through the Girl Scouts, which is quickly becoming a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood."
Morris does not go on to cite even one example of the supposedly "abundant evidence" showing that the Girl Scouts has become a "tactical arm of Planned Parenthood". It is exactly like Senator Joe McCarthy standing up and saying "I have here in my hand..." evidence that so-and-so is a COMMUNIST! Yet no evidence was forthcoming. It was enough to hurl the accusation, as it is in any witch hunt.
The radical conservative, Christian fundamentalist contingent of the Republican Party has really gone off their anti-misogyny meds and they are now royally riled up to make all women barefoot and pregnant. Since the Girl Scouts empowers girls and Planned Parenthood empowers women, the radical right feels extremely threatened by both of these organizations, but what they are really doing is making them scapegoats, "witches", evil "others" who are threatening "our" way of life. What is really happening is that we are in a period of social and economic tumult and change, and times of change are scary for those in power, so they lash out, they accuse, they deflect and try to unite people via a false "us and them" dichotomy, so that people will turn against the witches and go at "them" with pitchforks, instead of turning against those in power like the richest 1% of individuals and corporations that these radical, right-wing Republicans represent. The patriarchy must be preserved--hunt down the witches! Today's witches are apparently the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood, to name but two. Why them? As I said: these organizations represent empowering women. We can't have that. That is threatening to the power elite.
Apparently, the patriarchal power elite is about to crumble and lose all power unless they deny birth control to women, the right to marry to gay people, and ANY sort of TINY token social safety net to any of us. They also apparently intend to preserve their power by completely replacing “Big Government” with kindly corporations who will create jobs, trickle down their wealth to everyone, and basically take awesome care of all society’s citizens, sort of like how they did in every Dickens novel ever written and during the 8 years of George W. Bush's rule, in which he slashed their taxes and regulations and they created such a healthy, thriving, sustainable economy that it led to The Great Recession, including the collapse of Wall Street and the foreclosure crisis, among other wonderful trickle down effects.
The Great Recession is the logical conclusion of Reaganomics, of Reagan’s “Trickle Down” theory. And Reagan's protégés, like Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, want to BRING IT ALL BACK. That’s right, kiddies, they think that those were “the good old days”. We don’t want Big Government, they say. No, we want corporations to run WILD and free, as God intended, because they will take care of us. I don’t know how Republicans reach that conclusion when corporations are motivated by PROFIT and nothing else, but reach it they do. Do not even attempt to figure out their logic. You will go mad (trust me on that).
People, we need to wake up and smell the witch hunt. Do not let those who are attempting to whip up fear, hate and scapegoating fool you. This is class warfare, this is a war against women, war against children, war against gay people, and war against “hippies” who want to push a radical green “theology” onto God-fearing fossil fuel companies like BP and Halliburton. This is war against anyone and anything that would threaten the power of patriarchal corporate America. It is easier to rile people up against the designated "witches" du jour than it is to face the fact that society is in a profound period of upheaval and change and cannot go on, cannot sustain itself, on the unsustainable course we are on. Instead of facing what we need to change (for example, we need to move from a fossil fuel-based economy to a green one, and we need to go to single payer health care, and if we don't do both, we will not be economically sustainable, let alone environmentally stable or ethical), uniting against scapegoats via a witch hunt is a tried and true way to deflect attention from real problems. Therefore, I am scared.
When so-called leaders start making scapegoats out of, and organizing modern day witch hunts against, organizations like the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood, it is time for a little healthy alarm to kick in. We need to speak out, organize, VOTE, and stop them from drowning out all dissent, diversity, empowerment of women, and tolerance in this country before it is too late. The fix is in with the Citizens United decision (fight it here: Petition Against Citizens United) allowing the 1% to control who is elected to office in this country. But we, the people, still do have some power, some voice, to fight that, and meanwhile to at least vote for the lesser of the various evils in any given election. We have to keep voting, even if we feel it is only to pick the least bad choice. We have to protest—in the streets and in the new social media (bless it—look how it made the Susan G. Komen Foundation do an about face on Planned Parenthood within 72 hours!). It seems daunting for little bitty human beings to go up against corporations with vast wealth and those who represent their interests, but we can do it! We have to try! As Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
The most important things we can do are to speak the truth to power, don't let those who would try to foment fear and hate by deflecting our attention from what's really happening towards scapegoats do so, and don't ever feel that we have no power so why bother trying, speaking, protesting, dissenting and voting? We need to keep doing all of those. It is especially important now to speak up when you notice a witch hunt, a mob mentality, against any individual, group or organization, such as the Girl Scouts or Planned Parenthood. Never turn away from a witch hunt in progress.
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me
And there was no one left to speak for me."
- quote by Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller -
"The Girl Scouts of America and their worldwide partner, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), have entered into a close strategic affiliation with Planned Parenthood. You will not find evidence of this on the GSA/WAGGGS website—in fact, the websites of these two organizations explicitly deny funding Planned Parenthood.
Nonetheless, abundant evidence proves that the agenda of Planned Parenthood includes sexualizing young girls through the Girl Scouts, which is quickly becoming a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood."
Morris does not go on to cite even one example of the supposedly "abundant evidence" showing that the Girl Scouts has become a "tactical arm of Planned Parenthood". It is exactly like Senator Joe McCarthy standing up and saying "I have here in my hand..." evidence that so-and-so is a COMMUNIST! Yet no evidence was forthcoming. It was enough to hurl the accusation, as it is in any witch hunt.
The radical conservative, Christian fundamentalist contingent of the Republican Party has really gone off their anti-misogyny meds and they are now royally riled up to make all women barefoot and pregnant. Since the Girl Scouts empowers girls and Planned Parenthood empowers women, the radical right feels extremely threatened by both of these organizations, but what they are really doing is making them scapegoats, "witches", evil "others" who are threatening "our" way of life. What is really happening is that we are in a period of social and economic tumult and change, and times of change are scary for those in power, so they lash out, they accuse, they deflect and try to unite people via a false "us and them" dichotomy, so that people will turn against the witches and go at "them" with pitchforks, instead of turning against those in power like the richest 1% of individuals and corporations that these radical, right-wing Republicans represent. The patriarchy must be preserved--hunt down the witches! Today's witches are apparently the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood, to name but two. Why them? As I said: these organizations represent empowering women. We can't have that. That is threatening to the power elite.
Apparently, the patriarchal power elite is about to crumble and lose all power unless they deny birth control to women, the right to marry to gay people, and ANY sort of TINY token social safety net to any of us. They also apparently intend to preserve their power by completely replacing “Big Government” with kindly corporations who will create jobs, trickle down their wealth to everyone, and basically take awesome care of all society’s citizens, sort of like how they did in every Dickens novel ever written and during the 8 years of George W. Bush's rule, in which he slashed their taxes and regulations and they created such a healthy, thriving, sustainable economy that it led to The Great Recession, including the collapse of Wall Street and the foreclosure crisis, among other wonderful trickle down effects.
The Great Recession is the logical conclusion of Reaganomics, of Reagan’s “Trickle Down” theory. And Reagan's protégés, like Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, want to BRING IT ALL BACK. That’s right, kiddies, they think that those were “the good old days”. We don’t want Big Government, they say. No, we want corporations to run WILD and free, as God intended, because they will take care of us. I don’t know how Republicans reach that conclusion when corporations are motivated by PROFIT and nothing else, but reach it they do. Do not even attempt to figure out their logic. You will go mad (trust me on that).
People, we need to wake up and smell the witch hunt. Do not let those who are attempting to whip up fear, hate and scapegoating fool you. This is class warfare, this is a war against women, war against children, war against gay people, and war against “hippies” who want to push a radical green “theology” onto God-fearing fossil fuel companies like BP and Halliburton. This is war against anyone and anything that would threaten the power of patriarchal corporate America. It is easier to rile people up against the designated "witches" du jour than it is to face the fact that society is in a profound period of upheaval and change and cannot go on, cannot sustain itself, on the unsustainable course we are on. Instead of facing what we need to change (for example, we need to move from a fossil fuel-based economy to a green one, and we need to go to single payer health care, and if we don't do both, we will not be economically sustainable, let alone environmentally stable or ethical), uniting against scapegoats via a witch hunt is a tried and true way to deflect attention from real problems. Therefore, I am scared.
When so-called leaders start making scapegoats out of, and organizing modern day witch hunts against, organizations like the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood, it is time for a little healthy alarm to kick in. We need to speak out, organize, VOTE, and stop them from drowning out all dissent, diversity, empowerment of women, and tolerance in this country before it is too late. The fix is in with the Citizens United decision (fight it here: Petition Against Citizens United) allowing the 1% to control who is elected to office in this country. But we, the people, still do have some power, some voice, to fight that, and meanwhile to at least vote for the lesser of the various evils in any given election. We have to keep voting, even if we feel it is only to pick the least bad choice. We have to protest—in the streets and in the new social media (bless it—look how it made the Susan G. Komen Foundation do an about face on Planned Parenthood within 72 hours!). It seems daunting for little bitty human beings to go up against corporations with vast wealth and those who represent their interests, but we can do it! We have to try! As Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
The most important things we can do are to speak the truth to power, don't let those who would try to foment fear and hate by deflecting our attention from what's really happening towards scapegoats do so, and don't ever feel that we have no power so why bother trying, speaking, protesting, dissenting and voting? We need to keep doing all of those. It is especially important now to speak up when you notice a witch hunt, a mob mentality, against any individual, group or organization, such as the Girl Scouts or Planned Parenthood. Never turn away from a witch hunt in progress.
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me
And there was no one left to speak for me."
- quote by Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller -
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