tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79415517018594656262024-02-19T01:33:18.510-05:00I Advocate Feminism ... a mini-blogzineLIKE WHAT YOU SEE? FOLLOW ME! This is an eclectic feminist blog. I try to relate the articles back in some way to feminist and/or women's issues. I am particularly interested in ecofeminism, including animal activism, the environment, and current events. Contact Cherie: cherwyro@wowway.comCherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.comBlogger329125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-73666895298062084022012-12-31T16:05:00.001-05:002012-12-31T16:05:52.794-05:00Passings: Notable women who left us in 2012With the passing of another year, we pause to remember those who are no longer with us. Featured here are a few of them.<br />
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Even though they are gone, their words and deeds will continue to inspire us for years to come, and in that way, they will live forever.<br />
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Blessed be.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Adrienne Rich</span></b><br />
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Feminist poet and essayist.<br />
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Read her poem "<a href="http://writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88v/rich-jennifer-tiger.html">Aunt Jennifer's Tigers</a>."<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Helen Gurley Brown</span></b><br />
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Former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine and known as the original "Cosmo Girl." Wrote "Sex and the Single Girl."<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Helen Milliken</span></b><br />
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Michigan's former first lady and advocate for women's rights, including the Equal Rights Amendment and reproductive rights. She skipped the opening ceremonies of the 1980 Republican National Convention, held in Detroit, after the party removed pro-ERA language from its platform and joined a protest march outside.<b><br /></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Florence Green</span></b><br />
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Believed to be the last surviving veteran of World War I, Green served in Britain's Royal Air Force. She worked on the home front as a waitress in the officer's mess. However, her service was not officially recognized until 2010. She died Feb. 4, just short of her 111th birthday.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Nora Ephro<span style="font-size: large;">n</span></span></b><br />
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Journalist, blogger, essayists, screenwriter and filmmaker.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sally Ride</b></span><br />
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One of the ultimate barrier breakers, she was the first American woman to fly in space.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Susan "Suzie" Kienscherf</b></span><br />
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Acting as a good Samaritan, Suzie was killed while trying to assist a fellow motorist after an accident. A resident of Troy, Mich., she volunteered with Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue, fed feral cats in her neighborhood and found homes for a box of kittens someone left on her front lawn. <br />
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You don't have to be famous to make a difference, because there's no such thing as an insignificant life.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/obituaries/notable-deaths-of-2012.html#85">The New York Times' list of notable deaths from 2012</a><br />
<br />Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-60839428424754322462012-12-31T14:30:00.000-05:002012-12-31T14:30:35.343-05:00Feminist icons appear on "Wall of Frame"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIdVxa1CeMggA1k6y_LsUUfDQ2td_pnHpEh3hWOzLiu2FqYtSxJ7CIsg8VZ7ko4_CcaXS7qYctfsRAamnEanyIby6cBAZzgUqMqNm2YaSONva5ARz7oFklrjOQIjvfs5wuGmNmJKIPeQ/s1600/109_1386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIdVxa1CeMggA1k6y_LsUUfDQ2td_pnHpEh3hWOzLiu2FqYtSxJ7CIsg8VZ7ko4_CcaXS7qYctfsRAamnEanyIby6cBAZzgUqMqNm2YaSONva5ARz7oFklrjOQIjvfs5wuGmNmJKIPeQ/s400/109_1386.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Wall of Frame" at House of Optical in Clawson, Mich.</td></tr>
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I couldn't resist sharing this image of a delightful local landmark.<br />
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This is the "Wall of Frame" featured on the wall of <a href="http://www.houseofoptical.com/">House of Optical</a> in <a href="http://www.cityofclawson.com/">Clawson, Mich</a>. where I have purchased my eye glasses and contact lenses for many years. <br />
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The company commissioned the work from a local artist when it moved to its present location at 329 14 Mile Road about 13 years ago. According to the staff, it has been touched up several times over the years.<br />
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Three women can be readily identified in the tribute to famous spectacle wearers.<br />
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Third from the right, next to Elvis, is tennis great Billy Jean King. According to <a href="http://www.wtt.com/page.aspx?article_id=1252">World Team Tennis</a>, she won "39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles tennis titles, including a record 20 titles at Wimbleton," but she is perhaps best remembered for winning the tennis "Battle of the Sexes" in 1973 against Bobby Riggs. She is also an outspoken advocate for social change and equality and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.<br />
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Slightly less prominent, but no less important, is journalist, activist and Ms. Magazine co-founder <a href="http://www.gloriasteinem.com/">Gloria Steinem</a>. That's her toward the middle in back of John Belushi, next to Larry King. In 1993, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York and was the subject of the 2011 documentary "Gloria: In Her Own Words."<br />
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Actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg is also featured just off center to the right of Larry King.<br />
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This is just another example of how feminist connections can be found all around us, we just have to open our eyes and look for them.Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-70210301509721953892012-11-21T11:57:00.001-05:002012-11-21T11:57:51.072-05:00From Cherie's Kitchen: A holiday treat, Andre Black's Carrot Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my family, as in many others, baking is holiday tradition. Even people who don't cook or bake the rest of the year will be out in the kitchen measuring flour, sugar and butter to recreate old, traditional recipes or try out new ones.<br />
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Andre Black's Carrot Cake is one of my favorites. It was clipped from <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/">The Detroit News</a> years ago and was saved in my old-fashioned recipe card file. Since then, it has made its way to a multitude of Internet recipe sites. <br />
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It is a great new tradition for Thanksgiving or as an alternative to a traditional Christmas fruit cake.<br />
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The cake is a Detroit original. It won Andre Black, a local culinary student, a $10,000 scholarship to Johnson and Wales College, now <a href="http://www.jwu.edu/content.aspx?id=62726">Johnson and Wales University</a>. His recipe was one of 19 winners chosen from 270 entries.<br />
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Because the recipe was written in professional baking terms, it was adapted for home cooks by food writer and author <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/biographies/robin-mather.aspx">Robin Mather</a>. <br />
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The cake is vegetarian, but not vegan because it contains eggs. (If you're feeling adventurous, you could experiment with a commercial egg replacer like <a href="http://www.ener-g.com/egg-replacer.html">Ener-G</a>, or maybe applesauce.) <br />
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The recipe may be prepared as a three-layer cake, but I like to keep it simple in a single 13-by-9-inch pan and baking it for about an hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. I've also made the recipe as cupcakes.<br />
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Also included is Black's cream cheese frosting recipe. It makes an ample amount, so slather on a generous amount and enjoy.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Is baking a feminist act? Vegan chef and blogger Lagusta Yearwood thinks so. Read her essay <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/31/nigella-lawson-baking-feminist-act">here</a>. </span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Andre Black's Carrot Cake</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Cake:</span></b></span><br />
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3 large eggs, beaten<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1 cup & two tablespoons salad oil<br />
2 cups & 1 tablespoon sifted cake flour<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
1 tablespoon baking soda<br />
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut<br />
2 cups grated carrots<br />
1 cup & two tablespoons crushed, drained pineapple<br />
1 cup & two tablespoons crushed walnuts<br />
1 cup raisins<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Frosting:</span></b></span><br />
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1/2 cup softened margarine or butter<br />
8 oz. softened cream cheese<br />
1 pound confection sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
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<li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fareheit. Grease and flour three eight-inch layer pans, or one 13-by-9-inch pan (see my note above.)<br /></li>
<li>Combine eggs, sugar and oil. Beat on high speed until creamy and thick, three to five minutes.</li>
<li>Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.<br /></li>
<li>Slowly add one-third of dry igredients to egg mixture; beat well. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients, beating well after each addition. Batter will be extremely stiff; it may be necessary to blend with a spatula or spoon.<br /></li>
<li>One by one, fold in coconut, carrots, pineapple, walnuts and raisins. Divide batter into prepared pans.<br /></li>
<li>Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes for layers, or one hour for 13-by-9-inch pan or until a tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. For layers: Let cool in pans five minutes, then turn out on rack to cool completely. (I usually frost my 13-by-9-inchn cake right in the pan.)<br /></li>
<li>Prepare frosting by combining ingredients and beating until smooth. Frost cakes when they are completely cool.</li>
</ul>
Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-54367363208200149822012-11-12T15:24:00.000-05:002012-11-12T15:24:45.504-05:00Honoring women veterans means addressing their unique needs at home<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->I love this graphic that Women's Rights News posted on its Facebook page:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIc7ene-8GQ2P1exx-WktfONHQI5rGrcxQjXYfcVmPzBWfCMu_ReH770Tx1SnYdQxw_g1yxw2PSIQIUKNS74Z22qkAupbVYgqv6pqUvPV5ybTdHa5krud9CagV5WqNeUInH8izNT6kY3s/s1600/women+vets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIc7ene-8GQ2P1exx-WktfONHQI5rGrcxQjXYfcVmPzBWfCMu_ReH770Tx1SnYdQxw_g1yxw2PSIQIUKNS74Z22qkAupbVYgqv6pqUvPV5ybTdHa5krud9CagV5WqNeUInH8izNT6kY3s/s400/women+vets.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
There are currently 1.9 million women veterans in the United States. Another 50,000 servicewomen will be coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. <br />
<br />
Many of those will be returning with serious physical and emotional wounds. Homecoming is not easy, and is not always met with empathy and understanding. <br />
<br />
"When we come back, we're not looked at as veterans," Layla Mansberger said during an interview with the PBS program "<a href="http://www.pbs.org/ttc">To the Contrary</a>." <br />
<br />
"People think, 'Oh, you just served, you didn't see any combat.' I was told that I wasn't even in a combat zone. I was in Iraq! I got bombed every other day."<br />
<br />Mansberger's story is part of the 2011 documentary film "Service: When women come marching home" by Marcia Rock and Patricia Lee Stotter. The film features the stories of eight women veterans as they struggle "to find their way home." <br />
<br />
<br />
While serving as a food service specialist at Tallia Air Force Base, Mansberger was sexually assaulted.<br />
<br />
She's not alone. Military Sexual Trauma affects one out of three U.S. servicewomen and is addressed in the film.<br />
<br />
"It seemed like no one cared what really happen to me," Mansberger said on the film's website.<br />
<br />
"It wasn't until I
was introduced to several other women vets that have suffered MST that I
was finally attended to in any fashion."<br />
<br />
Although their film project is complete, Rock and Stotter continue to reach out to women veterans through social media and podcasts. Visit the film's website, <a href="http://servicethefilm.com/">servicethefilm.com</a>.<br />
<br />
See a a preview of "Service: When women come marching home" here:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="377" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/22874367" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="550"></iframe> <br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">Related links:</span></span><br />
<br />
VA report: <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/94036534/VA-Report-Strategies-for-Serving-Our-Women-Veterans">"Strategies for Serving Our Women Veterans"</a><br />
<br />
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America report: <a href="http://media.iava.org/IAVA_WomensReport_2009.pdf">Women Warriors: Supporting She 'Who Has Borne the Battle," October 2009</a><br />
<br /><br />
<br />
<br />Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-82521510158740901552012-11-10T12:10:00.002-05:002012-11-10T12:11:31.161-05:00A day for Malala <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkj5IQlztYS7-hPHZ6BRqgUaLzeIBmu2prKJRZemkCsZWZDglUGm8T9Doene_Csp2UsEvm4K2qLGqhyphenhyphenuBB9JZuRBmO9Luxi2qIIHG2Ap-LRvEYThiYA7bJdXFoI5HtROvTWWbl5qIRVKs/s1600/malala+reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkj5IQlztYS7-hPHZ6BRqgUaLzeIBmu2prKJRZemkCsZWZDglUGm8T9Doene_Csp2UsEvm4K2qLGqhyphenhyphenuBB9JZuRBmO9Luxi2qIIHG2Ap-LRvEYThiYA7bJdXFoI5HtROvTWWbl5qIRVKs/s320/malala+reading.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malala Yousafzai recovering in an English hospital.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Malala Yousafzai, 15, is sitting up and reading at a hospital in England. She is recovering from being shot in her native Pakistan last month after the Taliban targeted her as a threat simply because she wants an education.<br />
<br />
Yousafzai is a young advocate for girls' education in her homeland. She became known as "The Anne Frank of Pakistan" after the BBC aired a series of her video diaries chronicling her activism.<br />
<br />
According to a report submitted to the United Nations' Convention Eliminating All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (<a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/">CEDAW</a>) by the <a href="http://www.campaignforeducation.org/en/">Global Campaign for Education</a>, <i>"Only four in 10 of Pakistani women over the age of 15 can read and write, compared to 70% of men. This dramatic educational disadvantage is the result of a deeply unequal education system. Although girls’ enrolment (sic) rates have improved, the net rate at primary level is still just 60%, compared to 72% for boys. At secondary level, the performance is even more<br />appalling (although the gender difference is smaller): the net enrolment (sic) rate for girls is just 29%. Altogether, more than 8 million girls of school age (primary and secondary) are not in school."</i><br />
<br />
The report cites widespread violence against women in Pakistan as a major detriment to girls' education. In northern Pakistan, the report says, "...girls’ access to education was 'severely'<br />
restricted because of their families’ fear of violence whilst traveling."<br />
<br />
Additionally, <i>"Violent acts committed mainly by men against women within the context of the<br />subordinate status of women which society seeks to preserve include domestic violence; sexual violence; traditional harmful practices including female genital mutilation, honor killing and dowry-related violence; and human trafficking."</i><br />
<br />
The report also notes that "strict family, tribal and religious customs (that have) become cultural norms" also play a role.<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i> </i>The shooting of Malala Yousafzai is certainly an illustration of patriarchy at its ugliest.<br />
<br />
Today, the United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon and former British prime minister Gordon Brown, the UN's special envoy fo reducation, have called for a Global Day of Action in honor of Malals Yousafzai and ask that you share her story with friends and family.<br />
<br />
Why not post this image as your Facebook cover and include a link to this post:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWixCMHyjL-TNfhav404u2nq7IDoNDU_od64rLX-iT6bIcutl7xdyP68IX_vUMET9ebUiR_YUrwGoDe6SywmKxVNnbQMgSBk_ZHD81NXU1cVQRNUkHN8tbhE9hEAHPt_gtrWPbq-eiEvE/s1600/malala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWixCMHyjL-TNfhav404u2nq7IDoNDU_od64rLX-iT6bIcutl7xdyP68IX_vUMET9ebUiR_YUrwGoDe6SywmKxVNnbQMgSBk_ZHD81NXU1cVQRNUkHN8tbhE9hEAHPt_gtrWPbq-eiEvE/s400/malala.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The <b>right</b> to education is a social, cultural, civil and political right not to be taken for granted.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Related Links:</u></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://womenintheworld.org/">Women in the World Foundation</a><br />
<a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/pakistan/121109/malala-yousufzai-should-win-nobel-peace-prize-pet">A petition to award Malala Yousafzai the Nobel Peace Prize</a><br />
<a href="http://campaignforeducation.org/docs/reports/GCE_INTERIM_Gender_Report.pdf">Read the report, "Gender Discrimination in Education: The violation of rights of women and girls"</a>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-72289416123219228112012-11-09T14:34:00.001-05:002012-11-09T14:40:45.542-05:00Lilly Ledbetter shows "Grace and Grit" with Colbert<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdQBri5A8EFbPsNAQxztpXUt03KWNYTWjvDwytixLTXZMKKxuksazS31fJALWhm2FgBmWahT1hKqTYdLWCLwsmBxUJIDdTltYld-inj8gtSfmY5CNAVZ1YuyeZDT2kWVbZVmH6q9BHkE/s1600/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%23238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdQBri5A8EFbPsNAQxztpXUt03KWNYTWjvDwytixLTXZMKKxuksazS31fJALWhm2FgBmWahT1hKqTYdLWCLwsmBxUJIDdTltYld-inj8gtSfmY5CNAVZ1YuyeZDT2kWVbZVmH6q9BHkE/s400/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%23238.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Watch Lilly Ledbetter on the <a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/wed-october-31-2012-lilly-ledbetter?xrs=share_copy">Colbert Report </a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">But is her namesake law enough to prevent wage discrimination?</span></b> </span></div>
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<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>"I read the scribbled words and my heart jerked as if an electric jolt had coursed through my body ... I'd never gotten a note like that before. Someone had listed my name and those of three other tire-room managers with salaries next to each name. My salary was exactly correct, down to the dollar. Over the years, I'd worried about being paid less than the men who were doing the same work I was, but I didn't have any proof ... But now there it was in plain black ink, what's I'd always feared: T</i><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">he other managers, all men<span style="font-size: small;">, </span>were making more than I was." -- <b>"<span style="font-size: small;">Grace and Grit: My fi<span style="font-size: small;">gh<span style="font-size: small;">t f<span style="font-size: small;">o<span style="font-size: small;">r equal <span style="font-size: small;">pay and fairness at Goodyear and beyond" by Lilly Ledbetter and Lanier Scott Isom</span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></i></span><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcz6ghNJ2MxwT3HDoH2T-IRRDef0nuc2yo7zGh9ND4sePTAiJveNEog3CXEXuhipxAMjmnoaETNJhY57Ej-XcBVM7QivhtRk_0SSthcNFLf5pDixXbAAy-JXX1EE3y8yIOib9PeYw227I/s1600/grace+and+grit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcz6ghNJ2MxwT3HDoH2T-IRRDef0nuc2yo7zGh9ND4sePTAiJveNEog3CXEXuhipxAMjmnoaETNJhY57Ej-XcBVM7QivhtRk_0SSthcNFLf5pDixXbAAy-JXX1EE3y8yIOib9PeYw227I/s320/grace+and+grit.JPG" width="209" /></a></div>
Lilly Ledbetter became the face of equal pay when President Barack Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in January of 2009. She has now written a book titled "Grace and Grit: My fight for equal pay and fairness at Goodyear and beyond." <br />
<br />
Some background: Ledbetter was an overnight supervisor with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for over 19 years. She discovered she was making 40 percent less than male coworkers who were doing the same job.<br />
<br />
"That was a devastating hit for me because it meant that my overtime was incorrect ... and it also meant that my retirements would not be correct," Ledbetter told Stephen Colbert during a recent appearance on "The Colbert Report."<br />
<br />
Ledbetter sued Goodyear and was awarded $3 million in damages. However, the decision was overturned by the Supreme Court when it was found that Ledbetter missed the 180-day limit for complaints set the the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed major forms of discrimination based on race, sex and religion.<br />
<br />
The Ledbetter law amended the 1964 act so that the 180-day statute of limitations resets with each new paycheck affected by the discriminatory action.<br />
<br />
Ledbetter is sharing her story because she does not want what happened to her to happen to other families. But is her namesake law enough to prevent pay discrimination?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thegloss.com/team/">Jamie Peck</a>, a contributing editor for The Gloss, says no. Here's why:<br />
<br />
"The most glaring issue I have with it is that it does nothing to empower
victims of discrimination to figure out whether they’re being
discriminated against in the first place" says Peck.<br />
<br />
"As of now, companies are under
no obligation to disclose how much they’re paying all of their
employees, which leaves those who are potentially being discriminated
against to ask their co-workers what they are making. This is generally
thought of as being a “rude” question, so many never bother to ask. And
even when they do ask, many won’t tell, because…well, because they don’t
have to!"<br />
<br />
What she's talking about is wage transparency, which is basically the freedom for employees to share salary information -- or to ask their employers for this information -- without fear of discipline, discrimination or dismissal from their employers.<br />
<br />
Colorado passed a transparency law in 2008.<br />
<br />
According to the National Law Journal,Coloado Senate Bill 08-122 "... applies only to employers who are subject to the NLRA and makes it unlawful for an employer to discharge, discipline, discriminate against or in any way interfere with any employee who had 'inquired about, disclosed, compared, orotherwise discussed the employee’s wages.' It also prohibits making nondisclosure by an employee of his or her wages a condition of employment or requiring employees to sign awaiver of “the right to disclose” their wage information."<br />
<br />
Similarly, California labor law prohibits "employer limitations on when, how and with whom their employees may discuss their wages. The California law also explicitly prohibits employers from requiring employees to sign a waiver of the right to disclose their wage information."<br />
<br />
Here in Michigan, I found, under Payment of Wages and Fringe Benefits, Act 390 from 1978 which states that an employer shall not "(a) Require as a condition of employment nondisclosure by an employee of his or her wages. (b) Require an employee to sign a waiver or other document which
purports to deny an employee the right to disclose his or her wages. (c) Discharge, formally discipline, or otherwise discriminate
against for job advancement an employee who discloses his or her wages."<br />
<br />
<br />
A new bill that would amend this Act to permit employees to <b>ask their employer for the compensation rates of those in similar jobs </b>was proposed in the spring, but I can't find any evidence of further action.<br />
<br />
Adoption of wage transparency laws would be the next step in the fight against wage discrimination. But, until they are widely adopted, Lilly Ledbetter, and those like her, must continue to tell their stories to keep the issue of equal pay in the public eye and on the agenda of legislatures.Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-63296155619778716962012-11-07T21:02:00.000-05:002012-11-07T21:02:01.880-05:00Women propel Obama into second term and make some HERstory of their own in the processPresident Barack Obama was re-elected to a second term, and women played a role in his success.<br />
<br />
Women voters favored Obama 55 percent to 43 percent over challenger Mitt Romney, according to NBC News. <br />
<br />
Meanwhile, political analysts are saying that the Republican party failed to recognize the changing demographics of ethnicity and gender. ABC News analyst Matt Dowd called the GOP a "'Mad Men' party in a 'Modern Family' America ..."<br />
<br />
While some women celebrated political victories, others experienced defeat and disgrace. Here are some highlights and milestones from the 2012 race: <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaTf7ib-67d-T_CROcM60GlR1LOe-h8ShojS6zFcJKMi0eru8XuaDmiCX14m5lK5V-Umys3L1gUcPyU1Ui-AaT5iqky5KnXCid676b6g4395TP2GYuJzxORTGmCS3SvpHZ4beWSqx5-4/s1600/Lisa+Brown.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaTf7ib-67d-T_CROcM60GlR1LOe-h8ShojS6zFcJKMi0eru8XuaDmiCX14m5lK5V-Umys3L1gUcPyU1Ui-AaT5iqky5KnXCid676b6g4395TP2GYuJzxORTGmCS3SvpHZ4beWSqx5-4/s1600/Lisa+Brown.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeIMmt20yu6Fibd_4rqTFX17CnnZrzA0SDBxPQTbKGq6gX48v8vUaR9NGsQmdGiiJfmJfzKa1OEii3iZVrwDd_QG6898a3YbnTWOApM1RP__z9TW4kLrG73JBZGWUGlDjqCE5qwwWmxA/s1600/kym+worthy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTBbP-lpIOc_Z7k0RKKSmriufuBN-niZLq-icEofh8IMUWmgNF1uJ-LfTk7MX-iYiK18YXhpuvpBr26P2GO39VKlwPmws5kftqcPk2UHP9h8P7NfdrjwSb4fxycvWW5080juvyC0UdHg/s1600/Warren_2012_05937-7423.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTBbP-lpIOc_Z7k0RKKSmriufuBN-niZLq-icEofh8IMUWmgNF1uJ-LfTk7MX-iYiK18YXhpuvpBr26P2GO39VKlwPmws5kftqcPk2UHP9h8P7NfdrjwSb4fxycvWW5080juvyC0UdHg/s200/Warren_2012_05937-7423.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warren</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>There are now 20 women in the U.S. Senate. Among them is <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-leadership/with-senate-wins-for-elizabeth-warren-and-others-a-new-year-of-the-woman/2012/11/07/88b3d5c2-290f-11e2-96b6-8e6a7524553f_story.html">Elizabeth Warren</a> who will serve as the first female senator from Massachusetts.<br /></li>
<li>There was also an interesting defeat. Republican Linda McMahon, a former executive with World Wrestling Entertainment, lost her second bid for a Connecticut Senate seat. She spent $10 million of her own money on her two campaigns.<br /></li>
<li>In my home state of Michigan, State Representative Lisa Brown <span id="goog_92063557"></span><span id="goog_92063558"></span>(D), won her bid for Oakland County Clerk. Earlier this year, the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/21/opinion/brown-kicked-out-for-saying-vagina/index.html">Michigan House of Representatives censured Brown</a> for saying the word "vagina" in a floor debate over abortion legislation.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeIMmt20yu6Fibd_4rqTFX17CnnZrzA0SDBxPQTbKGq6gX48v8vUaR9NGsQmdGiiJfmJfzKa1OEii3iZVrwDd_QG6898a3YbnTWOApM1RP__z9TW4kLrG73JBZGWUGlDjqCE5qwwWmxA/s1600/kym+worthy.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeIMmt20yu6Fibd_4rqTFX17CnnZrzA0SDBxPQTbKGq6gX48v8vUaR9NGsQmdGiiJfmJfzKa1OEii3iZVrwDd_QG6898a3YbnTWOApM1RP__z9TW4kLrG73JBZGWUGlDjqCE5qwwWmxA/s200/kym+worthy.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worthy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></li>
<li><span id="goog_92063555">Also in Michigan, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy won re-election. Worthy was also recognized in the November issue of O, The Oprah Magazine as one of "<a href="http://www.oprah.com/world/Politicians-and-Elected-Officials-Who-Get-Things-Done/6">12 Elected Officials Who Get Things Done</a>." She was also honored by the Wayne County Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) as a "<a href="http://waynecountynow.org/2012/07/2012-feminists-of-the-year/">feminist of the year</a>."</span><span id="goog_92063556"></span></li>
</ul>
<br /><ul>
<li> In my home town of Troy, Mich., Mayor Janice Daniels was recalled after almost a year in office. According to Crain's Detroit Business, "Daniels, who had opposed taking federal money for a regional transit
center in the city and drew fire from a former city manager and gay
rights supporters in just one year of public office, had 47.8 percent of
the votes in her favor in a local recall election ballot measure. The
recall effort passed by 1,800 votes."</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">Want more post-election analysis? </span></span><br />
<br />
The American Association of University Women will host a post-election conference call Monday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. Lisa Maatz, the AAUW's director of public policy and government relations, will provide analysis of election results as well as an overview of how women voted and their impact on the results. Preregistration is required. <a href="http://www.aauw.org/act/issue_advocacy/signup.cfm">Use this link to RSVP.</a><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-80963431334424786962012-11-06T19:25:00.001-05:002012-11-06T19:25:37.560-05:00IMHO: We need the RIGHT women in officeFeminists commonly say, "We need more women in political office." <br />
<br />
We need to qualify that statement to say, "We need more of the RIGHT women in office."<br />
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Or, we could go a step further and say, "We need the right PEOPLE in office that support feminist and women's issues."<br />
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For example, here in my hometown of Troy, Mich., the citizens are going to the polls to decide the recall of the city's mayor, Janice Daniels.<br />
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Daniels gained national attention when one of her Facebook posts went public.<br />
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“I think I am going to throw away my I Love New York carrying bag now that queers can get married there,” Daniels said.<br />
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She has also exhibited other questionable leadership behavior. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshsA6iBHZTnjgEUyORMqD-F1-pxrFln2vc_W7OgoVXWuZq0Fv8eTDWA6Z1w3wNtbDpetxeh4oyaJXIOu0oSr9tgtwXDBqXjONuRwtamB7_QyDVqIPn8y_DMl1kcf6GxYY4VB2BQ2UWPA/s1600/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%23134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshsA6iBHZTnjgEUyORMqD-F1-pxrFln2vc_W7OgoVXWuZq0Fv8eTDWA6Z1w3wNtbDpetxeh4oyaJXIOu0oSr9tgtwXDBqXjONuRwtamB7_QyDVqIPn8y_DMl1kcf6GxYY4VB2BQ2UWPA/s320/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%23134.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Troy Mayor Janice Daniels in a campaign graphic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The ballot states the reasons for the Daniel's recall as: <br />
<ol>
<li>Referring to the city's charter as a "whimsical" document.</li>
<li>Declaring during a "office hours" forum that "the homosexual lifestyle is dangerous."</li>
<li>Pubicly attacking city employees during a meeting while reading a 20-minute position paper into the record.</li>
<li>Failing to support a federal investment in a transit project.</li>
</ol>
Recalls are difficult, but enough valid signatures were gathered to put the recall on the ballot. So, Troy voters will get their "mulligan." We'll know the results soon.<br />
<br />
The election of Janice Daniels is an example of what happens when people <b>don't</b> turn out to vote. In a city with a population of around 80,000, only 14,000 voters decided the election. And even then, the race was close between Daniels and her opponent, another woman, Robin Beltramini, who served on the city council for years.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>But, the point is this: Not all women represent feminist interests or the interests of other marginalized people. </b> That is why it's important to do research and find out where the candidates stand on issues, even at the local level. This is a task that has become more challenging, because we have lost so much of our traditional media.<br />
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There was only one group asking this question:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsw3pEk1aAcutdHqp6uEsBnYy9FHpDEJID2dsjVRDgzCGeKN3e6hvAFGC9dp_umCT7GM0i8hIKp6my5nb7_guaGDlEJEhLs4QqFTyQYa-PG5BpgmZB-wjhi8dTYyQr2pUMU9zESQqoAWQ/s1600/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%23144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsw3pEk1aAcutdHqp6uEsBnYy9FHpDEJID2dsjVRDgzCGeKN3e6hvAFGC9dp_umCT7GM0i8hIKp6my5nb7_guaGDlEJEhLs4QqFTyQYa-PG5BpgmZB-wjhi8dTYyQr2pUMU9zESQqoAWQ/s320/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%23144.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Exactly!<br />
<br />
From the Detroit Free Press:<br />
<a href="http://www.freep.com/article/C4/20111205/NEWS03/111205045/Students-protest-over-Troy-mayor-s-slur">Students protest over Troy mayor's slur</a><br />
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<br />
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Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-19954775366962064382012-11-05T22:15:00.000-05:002012-11-05T22:15:03.643-05:00On Election Day: Don't take the right to vote for granted<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoJEQCgW8EoV6Tlg-J62grbjWsjiTew1JfwrEMUQ21vcXHVF30tTeqanibgKJHuJRv8qtgug6OrTJgy2TaHY7KVAlki_nksTHCkYjq5QHJW91wHi4NV9p_WmBkUw3zVsfhSB1UM3FuxU/s1600/suffraget+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoJEQCgW8EoV6Tlg-J62grbjWsjiTew1JfwrEMUQ21vcXHVF30tTeqanibgKJHuJRv8qtgug6OrTJgy2TaHY7KVAlki_nksTHCkYjq5QHJW91wHi4NV9p_WmBkUw3zVsfhSB1UM3FuxU/s400/suffraget+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Matt Stopera, Buzzfeed.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Women didn't always have the right to vote in the United States. Many women, like the suffragettes pictured here, put everything on the line to win it for us.<br />
<br />
Please don't take your right to vote for granted. Educate yourself about the candidates and the issues and vote your own mind. If you're informed, you won't be easily swayed by scary and deceptive ads.<br />
<br />
It can be hard to find information, particularly in a time when we've lost so much of our traditional media. But even at a late hour, there are sources that you can turn to.<br />
<br />
Pick up a voter guide from the <a href="http://www.lwv.org/">League of Women Voters</a> in your area, or follow the link to the organization website. Although not considered to be a "feminist" organization by some, the organization's information is well organized and concise.<br />
<br />
Before you go to the polls, print out a copy of your ballot at <a href="http://publius.org/">Publius.org</a>. and take it with you. That way, you'll be sure to complete the whole ballot and expedite the process.<br />
<br />
By participating in the process, we honor the hard work and sacrifice of those early suffragettes. and we say, "Thank you."Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-31267303596897828512012-11-05T21:40:00.002-05:002012-11-05T21:40:54.210-05:00Robocalls: An invasive campaign tactic that's here to stay<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">In the last week, I've received calls from Bill Clinton and Clint Eastwood.</span></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwiyuSFSq8cPe2vE4rbi3LqLVnrdpmlrnPJ6gSG3aRl6SnrKAQEYUrK-tZH-MloKPfNNU0ubUZ5sJXpN4HC7xVRI82mV3n5G8URgi2aFvgRQNX0H8uEZNpdgF7imTYgxzowCBLJpAjXA/s1600/ringing+phone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwiyuSFSq8cPe2vE4rbi3LqLVnrdpmlrnPJ6gSG3aRl6SnrKAQEYUrK-tZH-MloKPfNNU0ubUZ5sJXpN4HC7xVRI82mV3n5G8URgi2aFvgRQNX0H8uEZNpdgF7imTYgxzowCBLJpAjXA/s200/ringing+phone.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Well, not really. They were robocalls -- defined by Wikipedia as "phone calls that use a computerized autodialer to deliver a prerecorded message, as if from a robot, hence the name." <br />
<br />
Clinton's voice was part of a message urging me to support a Michigan ballot proposal to amend the state's constitution to include collective bargaining. And, of course, Eastwood's voice was urging me to vote for Mitt Romney.<br />
<br />
The phone has been ringing often this election season with similar calls for support of candidates and issues. Others are negative in nature. One thing's for sure, the volume of the calls has increased since the last presidential election in 2008 and the midterm election of 2010.<br />
<br />
And it looks like political robocalls are here to stay. They are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry, along with charities, because they do not fit the Federal Trade Commission's definition of "telemarketing."<br />
<br />
However, these calls are regulated by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. This federal law requires all telephone calls using prerecorded messages
to identify who is initiating the calls and include a telephone number
or address where the initiator can be reached. <br />
<br />
A few states have their own guidelines for robocalls, although Michigan is not among them.<br />
<br />
In California, a person must come on the line before the recording to identify the nature of the call and the organization behind it. Additionally, the recipient of the call must consent to the recording being played, and the call must be disconnected from the telephone line as soon as the
message is over or the recipient hangs up, whichever comes first.<br />
<br />
In Indiana, the introduction of the prerecorded message must be made by a live operator and the message may only be played with the recipient's consent.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv04pWnGoljaHKCadJBzH0QLhCnM96ncMx5jHJw2ipFkfAJrdTe65BisiidK03_zooP04IliFj9wBgFBTiyEoMrf2RiuIhKQdT0gzRqN4KAigV1M4MGZc9LG19W4iyjyWDERFMZ66FDFQ/s1600/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%23236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv04pWnGoljaHKCadJBzH0QLhCnM96ncMx5jHJw2ipFkfAJrdTe65BisiidK03_zooP04IliFj9wBgFBTiyEoMrf2RiuIhKQdT0gzRqN4KAigV1M4MGZc9LG19W4iyjyWDERFMZ66FDFQ/s200/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%23236.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
One of the most disturbing robocalls I received came from the <a href="http://www.sba-list.org/">Susan B. Anthony List</a>, a group that, according to its website, is, "dedicated to electing candidates and pursuing policies that will reduce and ultimately end abortion."<br />
<br />
The group endorses pro-life candidates, including two from Michigan: Pete Hoekstra (R), who is running for the senate, and Candice Miller (R), who is running for congress.<br />
<br />
The voice of Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tennessee, 1994-2003.) asked for my vote on behalf of "thousands and thousands of children who have not yet been born." He called President Obama the "most pro- abortion president we've ever had" and went on to say, "if he's reelected, more babies will never be born."<br />
<br />
"If you value human life," the senator said, "you need to cast your vote against Barack Obama and vote for Mitt Romney."<br />
<br />
The truth of the matter is that President Obama trusts women to make their own decisions when it comes to their reproductive health, and has said so.<br />
<br />
As for Susan B. Anthony, she opposed abortion in her day because conditions made it a dangerous, if not deadly, procedure for women to undergo. In those days, her concerns -- for the health and safety of women -- were legitimate.<br />
<br />
Of course, this issue of abortion has been divisive even among feminists. But, we can only speculate as to how Anthony might view abortion in its modern legal and medical context.<br />
<br />
I also wonder how Anthony would feel about having her name associated with an organization with such extreme views, not to mention its invasive tactics.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Detroit Free Press columnist Brian Dickerson exposes how Michigan<span style="font-size: large;">'s </span>Right to Life is <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20121101/COL04/311010088/Editorial-Working-to-make-pro-choice-voters-irrelevant">Working to make pro-choice voters irrelevant</a>. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-82123105951315159042012-01-10T07:31:00.001-05:002012-01-10T12:35:33.387-05:00Make time to mentor a girl<i>A good post is worth repeating! I had the opportunity to talk with local author/mentor Paula Dirkes about the importance of mentoring girls for the Oakland/Macomb NOW blog, but I want my audience to see it too: </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Paula Dirkes knows that the concept of being a “mentor” is scary for many people, but she also knows first-hand that it can be the basis for a fulfilling and meaningful relationship that can change lives – especially for women and girls. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Paula Dirkes talks about the importance of mentoring girls, how to get involved, and how she incorporated mentoring into her busy life: </span></b></div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IZcyYSsJrQw?rel=0" width="420"></iframe> <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dirkes has written a book, out this week, titled “Mentor Me! The Complete Guide for Women who want to Mentor Girls.” Her coauthor is her mentee of over a decade, Chelsea McKinney, who is now 22 years old and a student at Michigan Career Technical Institute.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What she hopes to convey is that it doesn’t take a superhero to be a mentor, and it’s something that can be accomplished within the constraints of a busy life.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dirkes was matched with McKinney through Oakland County Youth Assistance when McKinney was a fifth grader. When their relationship first began, “I thought I had to be the solver of all problems, it freaked me out,” Dirkes said.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But she soon came to discover, “You’re not the fixer or the changer, “you’re just there. You’re a partner, in some cases a listener, a buddy, a friend.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What young women mentees want, Dirkes says, is someone who will “show up on a regular basis and listen.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">They might view a mentor as “an adult friend that’s supportive and reliable, dependable and respects what you have to say.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dirkes wants to encourage other women to take up the mentoring torch. She wrote the book as a guide for her target audience, “busy women,” like herself. Dirkes is the owner of Solid Pathways Consulting, LLC based in Berkley, Mich. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“I want to invite the busy women of the world to take on the task of mentoring a girl, and the whole idea is that you incorporate that child into your existing routine,” Dirkes said.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After all, Dirkes says, “If you want something done, give it to a busy woman.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In conjunction with her book launch, Dirkes will host a mentoring appreciation event Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Unity Church, 11200 E. Eleven Mile Road in Warren, Mich. The event is free and will include networking, mentor/mentee success stories, giveaways, light refreshments, mentoring resources and book signing. To RSVP, email </i></b><a href="mailto:mentormebooklaunch@gmail.com"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mentormebooklaunch@gmail.com</i></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> by Monday, Jan. 16.</i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Related links: </div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.nationalmentoringmonth.org/">January is National Mentoring month</a><b><i><br />
</i></b></div>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-38723121490508109302012-01-02T22:07:00.001-05:002012-01-04T20:22:02.326-05:00New Year's resolutions for every woman to make nowWelcome to 2012!<br />
<br />
To make resolutions or not to make resolutions, that's always the annual question. Yet, January is a great time to set goals and take stock of our lives and goals.<br />
<br />
Here's a handful of resolutions every woman should make right now. They are guaranteed easy to keep and can make a tremendous difference in your life, and in the lives of others:<br />
<ol><li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vote!</b> </span> We waited far too long for the right to vote, so don't take it for granted. Don't wait for the registration deadline -- October 9 here in Michigan -- and take a chance on missing it. Make sure you are registered <b>now</b>. <a href="http://www.rockthevote.org/">Rock the Vote</a> can help. If your going to be out of town or away at school, make arrangements to get an <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127--21037--,00.html">absentee ballot</a> ahead of time. </li>
<li> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mentor a girl.</b> </span> January is National Mentoring Month. Local author Paula Dirkes has written a book titled "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mentor-Complete-Guide-Women-Girls/dp/0983793603/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325558750&sr=8-1">Mentor Me! The Complete Guide for Women Who Want to Mentor Girls</a>." She also has offers suggestions on her <a href="http://youthmentorideas.com/">website</a>.</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read more.</b> </span> It's one of the easiest ways to push your boundaries. Try a different genre of fiction or a different point of view.</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">Support other women.</span> </b>We don't do it enough and it seriously holds us back. It can be as simple as liking a post on Facebook, following a blog, joining a cause, making a phone call or writing a personal note.</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wear red for heart health.</b> </span>My personal mission is to make the read dress as recognizable as the pink ribbon. Heart disease is the number one killer of women. <a href="http://www.goredforwomen.org/">National Wear Red Day</a> is February 3, but you don't have to wait to learn what you can do to protect yourself and the women you love. Check out this video from the Ministrelli Women's Hearth Health Center:</li>
</ol><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4FS4JiV9Nhs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>iframe> <br />
<ol></ol>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-8775565868647427462011-12-31T11:20:00.000-05:002011-12-31T11:20:39.823-05:00I Advocate Feminism's Woman of the Year: SlutWalker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQbA7KLr1iP2_rKLEetH11qBGigEi844mAbglbHRCpjP1pDlRBWgfaFzVkpPoDMU0YmbiK_aP6ru2anh0qSwSnukNDzlOkjUWiwwDzf1yF4jlESAvqChLlVRiDQ6bwcTTqEnPzVg8AIE/s1600/slutwalker2.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQbA7KLr1iP2_rKLEetH11qBGigEi844mAbglbHRCpjP1pDlRBWgfaFzVkpPoDMU0YmbiK_aP6ru2anh0qSwSnukNDzlOkjUWiwwDzf1yF4jlESAvqChLlVRiDQ6bwcTTqEnPzVg8AIE/s400/slutwalker2.gif" width="328" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">Time magazine named "<a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2101745_2102132_2102373,00.html">The Protester</a>" as its 2011 "Person of the Year." It is in that spirit that I have named feminism's most visible entity of 2011 as my Woman of the Year: The Slutwalker.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She is personified here in my own original digital depiction (above.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She started walking in Toronto in April, and before too long, her sisters were walking all over the world. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She even has her own well-researched and documented <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SlutWalk">Wikipedia entry </a>which succinctly explains the movement and its criticisms this way:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>"Participants protest against explaining or excusing rape<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape" title="Rape"></a> by referring to any aspect of a woman's appearance.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SlutWalk#cite_note-2"></a></sup> The rallies began when Constable Michael Sanguinetti, a Toronto Police<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Police" title="Toronto Police"></a> officer, suggested that to remain safe, "women should avoid dressing like sluts."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-SlutWalk_homepage_4-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SlutWalk#cite_note-SlutWalk_homepage-4"></a></sup> The protest takes the form of a march, mainly by young women, where some dress in ordinary clothing and others dress provocatively, like "sluts." There are also speaker meetings and workshops.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SlutWalk#cite_note-5"></a></sup> Some objectors have remarked that this approach is an example of women defining their sexuality in male terms."</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While SlutWalkers marched through downtown <a href="http://annarbor.com/news/slutwalk-in-ann-arbor-raises-awareness-about-not-blaming-rape-victims/">Ann Arbor to the University of Michigan Diag</a> in October, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/slutwalkdetroit">SlutWalk Detroit</a>, originally scheduled for June, never happened and its future is still up in the air.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And there lies the challenge for SlutWalk and all recent "occupy" and protest movements: Will they remain a visible force for change, or just fade into history as another passing fad?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SlutWalk#cite_note-6"></a></sup><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Related links:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2011/06/theres-two-sides-to-every-slutwalk.html">There's two sides to every SlutWalk</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/20/slutwalk-united-states-city_n_851725.html">SlutWalks Sweep the Nation</a></div><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SlutWalk#cite_note-6"></a></sup><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQbA7KLr1iP2_rKLEetH11qBGigEi844mAbglbHRCpjP1pDlRBWgfaFzVkpPoDMU0YmbiK_aP6ru2anh0qSwSnukNDzlOkjUWiwwDzf1yF4jlESAvqChLlVRiDQ6bwcTTqEnPzVg8AIE/s1600/slutwalker2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-33482055704014696652011-12-26T20:30:00.006-05:002011-12-26T20:35:17.427-05:00Christmas past meets Christmas present on Antenna TVWADL, Channel 38.2 here in Detroit is home to <a href="http://www.antennatv.tv/">Antenna TV</a>, which broadcasts classic television shows. I love classic TV, especially shows from the '70s when I was growing up. Two of my favorites, "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066626/">All in the Family</a>" and one of its spinoffs, "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068103/">Maude</a>," are icons of an era when TV as a medium was pushing our boundaries. By covering topics from racial prejudice, to feminism, to abortion, the shows made us uncomfortable -- and they made us think.<br />
<br />
It was a different time -- or maybe not so much.<br />
<br />
I found a case of Christmas past meeting Christmas present when WADL 38.2 ran holiday episodes of the classic shows during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I happened upon an episode of "Maude" titled "The Christmas Party," specifically, Season 4, Episode 14, original air date: Dec. 22, 1975.<br />
<br />
Maude Findlay, played by the late Bea Arthur, was the fictional depiction of a strong-willed, liberal feminst woman at the heart of the '70s women's movement. She was created as the antithesis of Archie Bunker, the ultimate blue collar, conservative patriarch of "All in the Family." Maude was the cousin of Archie's wife Edith.<br />
<br />
In this episode, Maude's old friend, Stephanie, a feminist writer and activist, comes to visit. Maude's husband, Walter, is worried that feminism might not make and appropriate topic for his Christmas party with his employees. Take a look (forward to 5:45):<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nisBBbXCwUU?rel=0" width="420"></iframe> <br />
<br />
<br />
While I respect Stephanie's passion, we do have to pick appropriate moments to express our views, especially with friends and family who we really want to see the importance of our cause. Even Maude starts to squirm here and later tells Stephanie to "just relax for once."<br />
<br />
However, I find it interesting that 36 years later, in 2011, we are still talking about the same issues Stephanie mentions: male images as subtle put downs of women, feminism referred to as "women's lib jazz," or the like, and references to women as "guys" being passed off as "just an expression."<br />
<br />
But there's more. Here's the conclusion of "The Christmas Party": <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YofwphNVsvo?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
Here we see Stephanie, in the midst of a barrage of stereotypical jokes about women being "nags" and "hags," trying to make the point that language matters. "Language reflects the way we think," she says. She's right. But the guests retaliate by calling her a "party pooper." Even Maude calls her friend a "militant flake."<br />
<br />
But in the end, Maude defends Stephanie saying that she has worked hard to defend "our dignity and our future as women." The two friends embrace and Stephanie gives in saying she has no more righteousness left in her. Everyone sings a carol around the piano and has a merry Christmas after all.<br />
<br />
And 36 Christmases later, we could do the same show with an updated wardrobe. And that <b>really </b>makes you think.Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-89685390744979749742011-12-25T11:43:00.002-05:002011-12-25T14:08:24.925-05:00The Face of Jesus: Is this what a feminist looked like?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTIPgkokNgh6wyaJLCJbfnzKCRZRvobIzKQ54MRAbioxdccGZ2D1AulEpe6A8mEqqeb-XZVBbXLxjh4ztOFlE8nutYFsbfMR3cJ06dbrqvYTll9mXRUd8uPfnelELrq77hXIgroPtX8w/s1600/rembrant+jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTIPgkokNgh6wyaJLCJbfnzKCRZRvobIzKQ54MRAbioxdccGZ2D1AulEpe6A8mEqqeb-XZVBbXLxjh4ztOFlE8nutYFsbfMR3cJ06dbrqvYTll9mXRUd8uPfnelELrq77hXIgroPtX8w/s400/rembrant+jesus.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rembrandt's rendition of Jesus</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>"Jesus vigorously promoted the dignity and equality of women in the midst of a very male-dominated society: Jesus was a feminist, and a very radical one. Can his followers attempt to be anything less?</b></i></span></div><span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><i><b> </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: yellow; font-size: small;">-- Leonard Swidler "Jesus Was a Feminist"</span><b><br />
</b></i></span><br />
<br />
Now through February 12, there's an exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts titled "<a href="http://www.dia.org/calendar/exhibition.aspx?id=2306">Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus</a>."<br />
<br />
The DIA's website says "The exhibition of 64 works includes approximately 52 small, intimate paintings, prints and drawings by Rembrandt and his students that illustrate how Rembrandt broke from traditional 17th-century representations of Jesus."<br />
<br />
Actually, nothing is known about what Jesus looked like. The only Biblical reference that alludes to Jesus' appearance in physical form as the messiah is found at Isaiah 53:2, cited here from the New International Version:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">"He grew up before him like a tender shoot, </div><div style="text-align: center;"> and like a root out of dry ground. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, <br />
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." </i></div><br />
In other words, his appearance was quite ordinary.<br />
<br />
There are many ways to "view" Jesus, other than artists' representations. But whether you see him as God in human form, the Son of God, a savior, a prophet or simply an historical figure, there's one view of Jesus that is seldom discussed: Jesus was a feminist.<br />
<br />
In her essay "A Change in Women's Rights," Marilyn Adamson, director of <a href="http://everystudent.com/">EveryStudent.com</a>, says, "In contrast to the Middle East culture that viewed women rather dismissively, we see Jesus giving great honor to women. Constantly."<br />
<br />
<br />
According to Adamson, in Jesus' day, women were treated more as property rather than as persons. Their function was to serve the needs of their husbands and families. And women's rights were not even a topic for discussion.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6Nl9bMVVIkjnbleYtwBxDqAWBmDXY8N2RWM_05NZUG69wKjdZjFFMjs28mZEGrsJ9Mh2pFeIv59v4K6GzQDHPy34c9RchUCXa8oR-5494vnGSUAR0mhjNuXGLUvIEGnOkk3Sl65FfPY/s1600/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%2523149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6Nl9bMVVIkjnbleYtwBxDqAWBmDXY8N2RWM_05NZUG69wKjdZjFFMjs28mZEGrsJ9Mh2pFeIv59v4K6GzQDHPy34c9RchUCXa8oR-5494vnGSUAR0mhjNuXGLUvIEGnOkk3Sl65FfPY/s320/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%2523149.jpg" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My personal favorite depiction of Jesus appears on a book cover</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A man could divorce his wife for any reason. She was given a bill of divorce and sent away without even a right to contest. But, the wife could never divorce her husband on any grounds.<br />
<br />
However, Jesus disagreed. In his article "<a href="http://godswordtowomen.org/feminist.htm">Jesus Was a Feminist</a>," Leonard Swidler emphasizes that Jesus' views on marriage were quite different:<br />
<br />
"His unpopular attitude towards marriage presupposed a feminist view of women; they had rights and responsibilities equal to men. It was quite possible in Jewish law for men to have more than one wife, though the reverse was not possible. Divorce, of course, also was a simple matter to be initiated only by the man. Jesus rejected both by insisting on monogamy and the elimination of divorce. Both the man and the woman were to have the same rights and responsibilities in their relationship toward each other."<br />
<br />
While advocating marital rights, Jesus also taught women religious truths and the meanings of the scriptures, even though Judaism forbade it, and women were among his first followers.<br />
<br />
Swidler calls Jesus' "extraordinary, deliberate decision" to teach women one that can be "properly appreciated only when it is recalled that not only were women not to read or study the scriptures, but were not even to leave their household, whether as a daughter, wife, or member of a harem."<br />
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In his teachings, Jesus often used stories, parables and similitude that featured women in a positive light. One of my favorites is the story of the Widow's Mite from the book of Mark, quoted here from the New International Version:<br />
<br />
<i>"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. </i><br />
<i> Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, <span class="woj">“Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.</span> </i><span class="woj"><i><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-24718"></sup> They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”</i> </span> <br />
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A more controversial aspect of Jesus as feminist might be reproductive rights. <br />
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"If one accepts the Bible literally, certain scriptures come to light which will lead you to the inescapable conclusion that Jesus held to the same beliefs as modern Pro-Choice advocates," according to <a href="http://freethought.mbdojo.com/">freethought.mbdojo.com</a>, a website that professes free thought and atheism.<br />
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The reasoning is that Jesus agreed with the law of Moses, at least on the point that life begins at birth and a fetus is not equal to a human life, and termination of a pregnancy would not be considered murder.<br />
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The website's interpretation of Exodus 21:22-25 says, "... if a fetus dies and is expelled from a woman's body as the result of being struck by a man, then the man who struck her is fined a certain amount of money, which he must pay to the husband. But, <i>and here is the important part</i>, if the woman dies, then the man who struck her shall be put to death (life for life.)"<br />
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The website cites John 5:46-47 as Jesus' endorsement of Mosaic law when he said, "<span class="woj">If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.</span> <span class="woj"> But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”</span><br />
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<span class="woj">Of course some will find flaws in this reasoning and cite other scriptures as proof that life begins at conception. </span><br />
<span class="woj"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="woj">Still, Jesus' treatment and views of women during his time on earth was extraordinary. He was an ally of women and not to blame for the abuses heaped on women and other marginalized people by the patriarchal, institutionalized religious institutions of today that claim to act on his behalf. </span><br />
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<span class="woj">Perhaps it is necessary to separate <b></b> from Christendom when we visualize the face of Jesus for ourselves.</span><i> </i>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-31682484499033406612011-12-17T21:45:00.001-05:002011-12-18T13:23:17.287-05:00Buying it or #NotBuyingItAs the holiday shopping season enters its final stretch, the producers of "<a href="http://www.missrepresentation.org/">Miss Representation</a>," the documentary film exposing sexism in American media, want consumers to use their buying power to fight sexism.<br />
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The "Miss Representation" team wants shoppers to watch for offensive products that sexualize women and girls -- and Tweet about it.<br />
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The campaign is called "NotBuyingIt." The film's website explains how it works:<br />
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"If you see a product or ad during the shopping season that misrepresents or degrades women, use Twitter to post a description or upload a picture of the offensive item. Use the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NotBuyingIt">#notbuyingit</a> so that we can all follow along!"<br />
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The campaign can also be used to show toys and images that promote positive representations of women and girls.<br />
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Images can also be posted <a href="http://missrep.tumblr.com/submit">on the film's Tumbler page</a>. <br />
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Here's a few examples:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoNuegG7a_QhoY54CBYTQIGyxR11VWIRn6CdafExdobg3Ymwp2R41ARCXi_H-4b-03w_-_yf2sxqv6CX-1FuobXCulwaSJ7_ejXTBWPdNvw6AIgty6dUiPDNnkd6QNue2mnjrRVAS_zQ/s1600/lego+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoNuegG7a_QhoY54CBYTQIGyxR11VWIRn6CdafExdobg3Ymwp2R41ARCXi_H-4b-03w_-_yf2sxqv6CX-1FuobXCulwaSJ7_ejXTBWPdNvw6AIgty6dUiPDNnkd6QNue2mnjrRVAS_zQ/s320/lego+girl.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> Susie Barr-Wilson posted this image from the Lego Friends collection launched by the company to broaden its appeal to girls clad in tank tops and miniskirts.<br />
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She says, <i>"The minifigures are built to hold hairbrushes and handbags, they’re designed in pastels, and one of their building sets is a hairdressing salon.<br />
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While I applaud Lego for recognizing that girls like to build just as much as boys, perpetuating traditional gender stereotypes is NOT the solution to expanding their market. Create “girl” minifigures, sure, but why not make them astronauts or crime fighters (dressed in practical clothing for the job)? Or how about rock-climbers or world travelers on safari?<br />
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A company of such popularity has great potential to defy patriarchal gender norms, rather than promote them. Nice try, Lego, but until you create “girl” legos that don’t endorse traditional femininity, I’m not buying them."</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsPVQj5sI-xNCPs0IiddtiuL3EuwqnjX0HGF-4mPOrIOA0_90YSgwuvxtm7WH4XSCKrcOobRgDali9JmNaT25mRsLrIAnqsyewr2gJ_ibmpZBkj0U7QkaIyW-WIjP3vIhnp0PhCdjdu8/s1600/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%2523147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsPVQj5sI-xNCPs0IiddtiuL3EuwqnjX0HGF-4mPOrIOA0_90YSgwuvxtm7WH4XSCKrcOobRgDali9JmNaT25mRsLrIAnqsyewr2gJ_ibmpZBkj0U7QkaIyW-WIjP3vIhnp0PhCdjdu8/s400/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%2523147.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>Tessa Crisman Tweeted this image at right of baby close that emphasizes the importance of being "pretty."<br />
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<br />
Pat Mitchell, president and chief executive officer of the Paley Center for media says it best when she reminds us:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: yellow;">"We have enormous power. Eighty-six percent of the purchasing power in this country is in the pockets of women. Well, let's use it." </span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tweet on -- #NotBuyingIt.</b></span>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-1615333786173237592011-12-16T12:00:00.019-05:002011-12-16T16:36:49.491-05:00As Ms. turns 40, women still can't agree on a definition for FEMINISM<div style="color: yellow;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"A central problem within feminist discourse has been our inability to either arrive at a consensus of opinion about what feminism is or accept definition(s) that could serve as points of unification." </b></span> </i></div><i>-- bell hooks "Feminist Theory from Margin to Center"</i><br />
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Forty years ago this month, Ms. Magazine began as an insert in New York magazine. The publication's cofounders Gloria Steinem and Letty Pogrebin appeared on NBC's Today show.<br />
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As a feminist and a journalist, of course I'm interested in the story of how this magazine got its start and has endured through the years. And, of course, I respect the hard work and tenacity of these feminist pioneers.<br />
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But what I found even more interesting about this piece are the opening perspectives on the definition of feminism. Watch now, and come back for my analysis:<br />
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<br />
It was true then, and it's true now. Mainstream feminism is a movement existing without a true definition. Much too often we hear "What feminism means to me" statements like the ones in the "Today" video. These views contain verbiage that sound meaningful, and sometimes contain elements of truth, but they don't identify an underlying cause of discrimination and oppression.<br />
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Most importantly, without a baseline definition, there is no basis for unity. <br />
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Lack of a baseline definition has lead to a societal and political malaise surrounding feminism, as reflected in statements like these from the video:<br />
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<div style="color: blue;"><i><b>"I don't see feminism as a really strong movement today."</b></i></div><div style="color: blue;"><br />
</div><i style="color: blue;"><b>"It's not really even totally meaningful to me in the sense that I take for granted the equal rights of women."</b></i><br />
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In her book, "Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics," feminist writer bell hooks does what liberal mainstream feminists have failed to do after 40 years, she offers a simple, baseline definition for feminism:<br />
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<div style="color: yellow;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression."</b></span></i></div><br />
This simple definition works, and is needed, hooks says because it makes it clear that the problem is sexism.<br />
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"And that clarity helps us remember that all of us, <b>female and male</b>, have been socialized from birth on to accept sexist thought and action. As a consequence, females can be just as sexist as men," hooks says.<br />
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This definition does not target men as the enemy, another commonly held belief about feminism.<br />
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"To end patriarchy (another way of naming the institutionalized sexism) we need to be clear that we are all participants in perpetuating sexism until we change our minds and hearts," hooks says.<br />
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It seems perfectly simple. So, let's look at how a few other definitions offered in the "Today" video measure up.<br />
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<div style="color: blue;"><i><b>"Feminism, or the word feminist, means to me that you're an independent woman who can take care of yourself."</b></i></div><br />
Well ... First, every woman is not a feminist. This definition implies that being born female and being a feminist automatically go hand in hand. They don't. There were strong independent women who took care of themselves long before the feminist movement, and there are strong, independent woman today who do not identify themselves as feminists, perhaps due in part to misconceptions and lack of a basic definition for the movement.<br />
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hooks adds that definitions emphasizing independence are "almost apolitical in tone" and are "the type of definition many liberal women find appealing" because they evoke "a very romantic notion of personal freedom that is more acceptable than a definition that emphasizes radical political action."<br />
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<div style="color: blue;"><i><b>"Feminism is demanding equal rights in the workplace or in everyday life."</b></i></div><div style="color: blue;"><br />
</div><div style="color: blue;"><i><b>"(If the) Definition of feminism is men and women have equal rights, then I'm a feminist."</b></i></div><br />
Equality -- specifically women's legal and or social equality with men -- is a word that is commonly associated or even "equated" with perceptions of feminism. Yet, hooks, asks the $1 million question in her book "Feminist Theory from Margin to Center":<b> </b><br />
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<b>"Since men are not equals in white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal class structure, which men do women want to be equal to?"</b><br />
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Class and race are major factors that are left out of a "simplistic definition" limited to legal and or social equality, hooks says, and adds, "Feminism defined as social equality with men might easily become a movement that would primarily affect the social standing of white women in middle- and upper-class groups while affecting only in a very marginal way, the social status of working-class and poor women." <br />
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hooks concludes that "neither a feminism that focuses on a woman as an autonomous human being worthy of personal freedom nor one that focuses on the attainment of equality for opportunity with men can rid society of sexism and male domination."<br />
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Therefore, it is only when we commit to feminism as a movement against sexism that we have the opportunity to affect change that benefits both mean and women.<br />
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Defined this way, "Feminism is for everybody," hooks says, because it "aims to end domination to free us to be who we are - to live lives where we love justice, where we can live in peace."<br />
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Sounds good to me.<br />
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<i>BTW: bell hooks is the pen name of Gloria Jean Watkins. According to Answers.com, "Her pseudonym, her great-grandmother's name, celebrates female legacies and is in lower case because, 'it is the substance of my books, not who is writing them, that is important.'"</i>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-36159147459815991152011-12-15T16:18:00.004-05:002011-12-15T16:23:02.620-05:00Poetry Podcast: "A Christmas Cookie"Sometimes the best gifts are the ones we don't ask for, or least expect. Yet, if we accept them, they can change our lives forever.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Ax3v-K65-o-wkEAoMLCtMfZEiVhA4iMgi9gudLo87R8_ewOPDX0F9g9wDhXp8nxIH9BEE9oul-x0or-TfkZZx0TEHgD5qZU5aoCwTAmh4cV5TqXF4dpCGqNNP7lZUl0LV_pu8zgDV3w/s1600/miss+cookie+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Ax3v-K65-o-wkEAoMLCtMfZEiVhA4iMgi9gudLo87R8_ewOPDX0F9g9wDhXp8nxIH9BEE9oul-x0or-TfkZZx0TEHgD5qZU5aoCwTAmh4cV5TqXF4dpCGqNNP7lZUl0LV_pu8zgDV3w/s320/miss+cookie+001.JPG" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cat Cookie</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>That's the message of my poem "A Christmas Cookie." It's the story of a little tuxedo cat that came into my life on Christmas Day in 2000 and has been a part of my family since.<br />
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Down through the ages, women have used poetry as a vehicle to record their stories, express their feelings and work through their issues. "A Christmas Cookie" was one of my first forays into poetry writing, which is more challenging than it might seem on the surface.<br />
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It's a little corny, and the rhythm is a little "off," but it served a purpose: to tell the story of Cookie that is unique to my own personal history.<br />
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And the sharing of it is my gift to you this Yuletide season.<br />
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Enjoy and Blessed Be:<br />
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<div><br />
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<a href="http://www.podbean.com/" style="border-bottom: none; color: #2da274; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; padding-left: 41px; text-decoration: none;">Podcast Powered By Podbean</a><br />
</div>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-50944122879792216522011-12-10T18:35:00.001-05:002011-12-16T16:44:30.599-05:00Ecofeminism in Action: Living with Feline Leukemia<i>Sometimes animals come into our lives needing our help. At these times, doing the right thing is not always easy, but taking that course molds and changes you forever. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>This was the case with our cat, Peppermint Patty, when she came into our life six years ago, and I think it's finally time to tell her story. I hope you enjoy and learn from it. -- CWR.</i><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">A first glance reveals nothing unusual about my cat, Peppermint Patty. On the surface, there’s her sleek, black coat. A closer look reveals extra toes on her front paws. Concealed on her underbelly is a single white spot. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5tjMnhye5044ikXMTLDsWNONytxKgagiJjG_i_FRE8lyhS6AfUNZDPDzpalF1e5O_6xpytsyCjWJEHR3r_d9vLTA1a8yif8bOIA67VkQoOl44UZFmZboyl1X2wGmQ7tVJ3Mbwlz5B6M/s1600/Pep+Pat+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5tjMnhye5044ikXMTLDsWNONytxKgagiJjG_i_FRE8lyhS6AfUNZDPDzpalF1e5O_6xpytsyCjWJEHR3r_d9vLTA1a8yif8bOIA67VkQoOl44UZFmZboyl1X2wGmQ7tVJ3Mbwlz5B6M/s400/Pep+Pat+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peppermint Patty</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But, under the surface is a dark secret. Peppermint Patty has feline leukemia. It’s a fatal disease, but not necessarily a reason for fear or despair. And in the six years she’s spent as part of our family, Peppermint Patty is proof that living with feline leukemia is possible with the proper understanding, management and acceptance of the disease.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Feline leukemia (FeLV) is a disease of the bone marrow. It is classified a retrovirus, akin to HIV (AIDS) in humans, and its feline counterpart, FIV. The disease compromises the cat’s immune system leaving it vulnerable to cancers and other diseases.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our veterinarian, Dr.Bonnie Burke, of Little Friends of Ferndale in Ferndale, Mich., says 85 percent of cats that test positive for feline leukemia die within three years of diagnosis.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Peppermint Patty is six years old, and Burke calls her “a miracle.” Although, she has seen FeLV- positive cats live as long as 15 years.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Still, the fatal aspect of the disease is all too real to our family. Peppermint Patty’s littermate, Pig Pen, who was also diagnosed with FeLV, died when he was only 16 months old.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The first diagnostic step is a simple blood test known as an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or ELISA test, also called a “snap” test, that’s administered and read in the veterinarian’s office.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dr. Paul Maza, a veterinarian who teaches anatomy and does education and outreach for the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, N.Y., explains that this test checks the blood for antigens, in this case a protein, not antibodies. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“If the protein is present, the virus is present,” Maza says. However, the infection might be “transient,” or temporary. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s possible that a cat could “clear,” or fight off, the virus after exposure, so Maza cautions against jumping to conclusions from a single positive ELISA test result. He recommends retesting after a waiting period of at least four weeks. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Burke says many rescue groups will opt to retest cats after an initial positive ELISA result, but adds that the test yields very few “false positive” results.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another blood test, the indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay, or IFA, tests for antibodies. Burke calls this test the “gold standard” for diagnosis. For this test, a blood sample is sent out to a diagnostic laboratory. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A positive IFA result indicates a “persistent” or permanent infection. This is the case with Peppermint Patty. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The feline leukemia virus is spread through bodily fluids like saliva, blood or semen. It can also be passed from a mother cat to her kittens through milk. Because she was diagnosed as a kitten, it’s likely that Peppermint Patty contracted the disease from one of her parents, an infected male or female cat.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In a multicat household, social grooming, and even sharing food dishes or litter boxes pose a risk of spreading the disease. So, Peppermint Patty – who is also known as “Pep Pat” or “Peeps” – lives in her own “apartment,” a spare bedroom in our house. My husband and I both spend time with her there. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The space is very much like a studio apartment. She has a couch, a water fountain, toys, a “turbo scratcher,” food and litter box. A neighbor made her a custom kitty condo that sits in front of a window where she has a bird’s eye view of the neighborhood activity. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Feline leukemia cannot be transmitted from cats to humans. The virus is fragile and does not live long outside of the cat’s body, so there’s no need to worry about transmitting it from clothing or skin to our other cats. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Soap and water kills it, so we simply wash our hands after a visit with “Peeps.” I wash her food dishes and bedding normally.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We have chosen not to vaccinate our other cats against feline leukemia, although a preventative vaccine is available. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Maza says that while the vaccine can provide “adequate protection,” just how “adequate” is unknown. Additionally, the vaccine poses a risk of causing an injection site sarcoma.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The decision to keep her separate from the rest of our feline family was, and continues to be, a difficult one. Yet, we believe it was the fairest and safest choice for all concerned, and gave Peppermint Patty a quality life she might not have had elsewhere. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sometimes, the decision is made to euthanize a FeLV-positive cat. And, while Burke supports our commitment to give Peppermint Patty a quality life, she recognizes it’s not possible in every case. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Based on living conditions, she says, “For some people, doing the right thing is impossible. There is no right answer.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There is no cure for feline leukemia. Management of the disease includes good nutrition and preventative veterinary protocol. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We feed Peppermint Patty a premium diet of both canned and dry food and she drinks from a fountain that recirculates and filters her water. We do not use any other supplements.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Wellness exams and vigilant health observation are also part of feline leukemia management. Peppermint Patty has an annual checkup that includes a stool sample analysis and blood work. Her vaccinations have been suspended. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I watch for changes in her eating and litter box habits, but Peppermint Patty has only been seriously ill once in her life. Vomiting and loss of appetite prompted a visit to our vet, where she received aggressive treatment. She recovered fully and has only suffered an occasional hairball since.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At her last checkup, Peppermint Patty weighed in at a healthy 14.8 pounds with normal blood work. We have every reason to believe she will remain healthy and live a normal lifespan. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yet, nothing is entirely certain when living with feline leukemia. But, in Peppermint Patty’s case, a compassionate conscience would allow me to do nothing less than give her the best quality life possible. Regardless of how long she might live, seeing her healthy and happy right now is the reward.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: yellow;"><b>Related links:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: yellow;"><b> </b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: yellow;"><a href="http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/"><b>Cornell Feline Health Center</b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: yellow;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: yellow;">From CatChannel.com: <a href="http://www.catchannel.com/news/2010/02/01/feline-leukemia-survey-reveals-disconnect.aspx">Feline Leukemia Survey Reveals Disconnect: More education is needed about the disease and preventing it</a></span></b></div>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-71879266063061809532011-12-07T16:13:00.000-05:002011-12-07T16:13:59.113-05:00Follow that blog -- with email!<div style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now you can get "I Advocate Feminism ... a mini-blogzine" delivered directly to your email in box and never miss another post.</span></div><div style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's easy. Just scroll down the column on your right until you find "Follow by Email," enter your email address, click on "submit," and follow a few simple instructions. </span></div><div style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of course I'd still love to see you as a fan, so feel free to click the "Join this site" button, too.</span></div>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-80514918817814990312011-12-07T14:36:00.000-05:002011-12-07T14:36:36.677-05:00Cherie's favorite things<span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b>Thoughtful gifts that won't break the bank </b></span><i><br />
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<i>"I love to give. I do it because I want to, and I do it because I can. This time of year, it’s important to keep giving in perspective.<br />
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Nothing should be expected, especially in our economically challenging times. If someone can’t afford to give, no explanation should be needed and no judgment should be passed. I also believe that gifts are not quid pro quo. Give for the simple joy of giving and ask nothing in return."</i><br />
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Those words were true when I wrote them two years ago, and they are still true today.<br />
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And it's in that spirit that I present my gift suggestions for the season. Blessed be.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwbDHwS04Cqs398xpDYQspJNzWbkNEfytdr8FSVmUIQr2TC-gZErvQj8LKxRFMTPiDz8haulELOsoxmuv_Zd2tCSZSNanw6Bm5tX7HasggXG-7J9X4MGtfeMU4IBURYSnd3zEpPMCRkk/s1600/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%2523143.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwbDHwS04Cqs398xpDYQspJNzWbkNEfytdr8FSVmUIQr2TC-gZErvQj8LKxRFMTPiDz8haulELOsoxmuv_Zd2tCSZSNanw6Bm5tX7HasggXG-7J9X4MGtfeMU4IBURYSnd3zEpPMCRkk/s200/Screenshot+Studio+capture+%2523143.jpg" width="148" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dress like the Prez: </b></span> Here's where you can get one of these "This is what a feminist looks like" T-shirts and hoodies. $22-$30.<a href="http://store.feminist.org/"> The Feminist Majority Store</a> also has a great selection of jewelry, buttons and tote bags.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgedhnwvCNU9UBWzBvBIFYWNAkDyfxeWZxz1-oVsIljEN4y1nJM3xQgB4b-RS0zrycyHcziT9pyVfCz3rMqk6jFjw54mQEnamvtMygWhyphenhyphen-RnZFGrZXcnTcMwcYimlBQbQ6BdXIJRFSkD4/s1600/heart+spoons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Prevent violence against women: </b></span> Buy the Avon Empowerment Bracelet for only $10 and <span class="hide" id="spnDescExtraText" style="display: inline;">100% of the net proceeds ($8.03)</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuQKmDyZ4x8mJaAUBrK2NGbIAhcorzNzPixBBcXl7dPg_AHQEXjafFyZjTJSlVuOFTtnSIpyb4CZ8KRuz4vAnngBNhoAu3DK9VI-ewfD-4VzAQs-6d0Ih6jNrB2DQ5F1Pp_01RT2QbPQ/s1600/empowerment+bracelet.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuQKmDyZ4x8mJaAUBrK2NGbIAhcorzNzPixBBcXl7dPg_AHQEXjafFyZjTJSlVuOFTtnSIpyb4CZ8KRuz4vAnngBNhoAu3DK9VI-ewfD-4VzAQs-6d0Ih6jNrB2DQ5F1Pp_01RT2QbPQ/s200/empowerment+bracelet.jpg" width="189" /></a><span class="hide" id="spnDescExtraText" style="display: inline;"> will be donated to the Avon Foundation for programs dedicated to ending violence against women. Add a matching ring for only $5. <a href="http://avon.com/">Avon.com</a></span><span class="hide" id="spnDescExtraText" style="display: inline;"><br />
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgedhnwvCNU9UBWzBvBIFYWNAkDyfxeWZxz1-oVsIljEN4y1nJM3xQgB4b-RS0zrycyHcziT9pyVfCz3rMqk6jFjw54mQEnamvtMygWhyphenhyphen-RnZFGrZXcnTcMwcYimlBQbQ6BdXIJRFSkD4/s1600/heart+spoons.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgedhnwvCNU9UBWzBvBIFYWNAkDyfxeWZxz1-oVsIljEN4y1nJM3xQgB4b-RS0zrycyHcziT9pyVfCz3rMqk6jFjw54mQEnamvtMygWhyphenhyphen-RnZFGrZXcnTcMwcYimlBQbQ6BdXIJRFSkD4/s200/heart+spoons.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="hide" id="spnDescExtraText" style="display: inline;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">A gift for the heart:</span></b> Raise heart disease awareness and encourage healthy cooking with these heart-shaped measuring spoons from the <a href="https://shop.heart.org/AHAECOMM/en/ecommTemplate.jsp?pid=ahacomm.home">American Heart Association</a>. $10. Add a "Red Dress" lapel pin for $12.</span><span class="hide" id="spnDescExtraText" style="display: inline;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMN9U3zyxvMCR-CYV3zshsZ1ShQWteScAcnqoEqxYNir6rMV0jAZIB_Z_E0eln_gK5x4tn79TGUVD-fdb0fgAgV14aQvLnSF061ajZjdf5zxMzqqqDEGOAX2T_OmswoXsBmgeJxf-7lvQ/s1600/heart+spoons.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWz4EmSAf-9DG8xNbJND4OBhoPg7ofKaF5hJWXt_Uj8UZ914Mw0Y9T4GdeFSKq_YWpB0Ny5lTAN6iC00-GmtaT9VCr5J4plyBZugwSuvPMFTpZoY-oztsmyv5ftvgLj7fKicLgltUR4M/s1600/venus+of+willendorf+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWz4EmSAf-9DG8xNbJND4OBhoPg7ofKaF5hJWXt_Uj8UZ914Mw0Y9T4GdeFSKq_YWpB0Ny5lTAN6iC00-GmtaT9VCr5J4plyBZugwSuvPMFTpZoY-oztsmyv5ftvgLj7fKicLgltUR4M/s200/venus+of+willendorf+3.jpg" width="113" /></a></div><span class="hide" id="spnDescExtraText" style="display: inline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The wonderful woman of Willendorf:</b></span> Restore the sacred feminine to the holidays with this replica from <a href="http://www.emuseumstore.com/">The eMuseum Store</a>. Item number VEN01, $34.</span><br />
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<span class="hide" id="spnDescExtraText" style="display: inline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A gift for the mind:</b></span> One of my favorite books by my favorite feminist </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfItVtLAttj5q8hLWL5q9LtTAG28NmEWRBMoGgaTpYYmmX0avejkCOGAbkI6vdTj9Fw1L9WQ0SBhUz9WnNY7CrJZWe8hO8nX7D9XWbRWTT5n0TMoPZah3zhB-konn3gqAGvpbT-Z2IQE/s1600/feminism+is+for+everybody.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfItVtLAttj5q8hLWL5q9LtTAG28NmEWRBMoGgaTpYYmmX0avejkCOGAbkI6vdTj9Fw1L9WQ0SBhUz9WnNY7CrJZWe8hO8nX7D9XWbRWTT5n0TMoPZah3zhB-konn3gqAGvpbT-Z2IQE/s200/feminism+is+for+everybody.jpg" width="126" /></a><span class="hide" id="spnDescExtraText" style="display: inline;">writer, bell hooks. "Feminism is for everybody: Passionate Politics." </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/feminism-is-for-everybody-bell-hooks/1101156700?ean=9780896086289&itm=1&usri=feminism+is+for+everybody+passionate+politics">Barnes & Noble</a> says: "In this engaging and provocative volume, bell hooks introduces a popular theory of feminism rooted in common sense and the wisdom of experience. Hers is a vision of a beloved community that appeals to all those committed to equality, mutual respect, and justice." $11.42.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizu7vQLruzka5DdtUjzXtJXZ72KUo8gKcwSxZiGZf02FLD48PNgENCLnyQupirOPBFeL7Ei8HGnpK8dyvGqepA03veNQPnwrpaUeuGtPJlQ2ltinzRNkNFjQARKgZvmkVBFKDvOHdHAYw/s1600/vanishing+of+the+bees.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizu7vQLruzka5DdtUjzXtJXZ72KUo8gKcwSxZiGZf02FLD48PNgENCLnyQupirOPBFeL7Ei8HGnpK8dyvGqepA03veNQPnwrpaUeuGtPJlQ2ltinzRNkNFjQARKgZvmkVBFKDvOHdHAYw/s200/vanishing+of+the+bees.jpg" width="135" /></a> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Three for the bees:</b></span> If you haven't yet seen this amazing documentary, take advantage of this special, limited-time offer to get three copies for $30. Keep one, give one to a friend and donate one to your local library or neighborhood school. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2028992268">vanishingbees.com</a><a href="http://www.vanishingbees.com/">.</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>For our BFFs and BCFs </b></span>(best feline and best canine friends): <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHNjWGf-n3X1qSL4TbDZPgt63d73OgAw3Sjk8RCuWQJlQ0lF0WzoYs4GCuuVzE5MNvmqUMHoFPzQjiXES5ZlPEvUxx1s5fv5fPOidY__2IKzBogV6V0gPaIq2ClnO5OKKofAA7Wb4-_A/s1600/sweet+potato+chews.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHNjWGf-n3X1qSL4TbDZPgt63d73OgAw3Sjk8RCuWQJlQ0lF0WzoYs4GCuuVzE5MNvmqUMHoFPzQjiXES5ZlPEvUxx1s5fv5fPOidY__2IKzBogV6V0gPaIq2ClnO5OKKofAA7Wb4-_A/s200/sweet+potato+chews.jpg" width="200" /></a>Vegan dog treats! Dogswell Veggie Life Vitality Sweet Potato Chew Treats. Pack of six 5-oz. pouches, $15.23 at <a href="http://amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a> and some <a href="http://www.target.com/">Target</a> stores.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQldeUkVmSw0EHd2pSX5xBIcvCHVPpKzBldtmXF36rhZSa0ckyV0dpNuDj37L4dSQuo9dK1-7dSo3MInvZrIKyiO3t8R9YGBHjsl8TQKRY0Qj7tEKSCJIY81fKm-7AoAR9j0OWcu05284/s1600/cat+grass.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQldeUkVmSw0EHd2pSX5xBIcvCHVPpKzBldtmXF36rhZSa0ckyV0dpNuDj37L4dSQuo9dK1-7dSo3MInvZrIKyiO3t8R9YGBHjsl8TQKRY0Qj7tEKSCJIY81fKm-7AoAR9j0OWcu05284/s200/cat+grass.jpg" width="200" /></a>Cat Grass Plus, $4.99 at Petsmart stores.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMN9U3zyxvMCR-CYV3zshsZ1ShQWteScAcnqoEqxYNir6rMV0jAZIB_Z_E0eln_gK5x4tn79TGUVD-fdb0fgAgV14aQvLnSF061ajZjdf5zxMzqqqDEGOAX2T_OmswoXsBmgeJxf-7lvQ/s1600/heart+spoons.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-1716626138065932712011-12-01T19:45:00.000-05:002011-12-01T19:45:26.792-05:00Feminist Quote Bag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lWSCOOd8gvo2yqXu6WEXWcbQjPBB8Q8iAa8udVRpMo38mKgKl3-wUfDJ0X5kOaUEuaHIIy-eoAHAwfc3DFlSjVdHNCuteMafIc1DJrRJ9O8enEZmLMJlBkjnCr-PJqzu4KTB10LjlqM/s1600/sunflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZMLG3oJnxoq1sPHptx2Hctmlbw0LJzMHH6R25LM-3G8-GtGxQb635TpwZ03k3mznLHpO65FDc28gd_zwX1qg_EHHSuIAQzlUjU9xYfqduo8tq0LnWmC6yFLj0_i4wZFMBk-XhTh6CYk/s1600/rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZMLG3oJnxoq1sPHptx2Hctmlbw0LJzMHH6R25LM-3G8-GtGxQb635TpwZ03k3mznLHpO65FDc28gd_zwX1qg_EHHSuIAQzlUjU9xYfqduo8tq0LnWmC6yFLj0_i4wZFMBk-XhTh6CYk/s200/rose.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lWSCOOd8gvo2yqXu6WEXWcbQjPBB8Q8iAa8udVRpMo38mKgKl3-wUfDJ0X5kOaUEuaHIIy-eoAHAwfc3DFlSjVdHNCuteMafIc1DJrRJ9O8enEZmLMJlBkjnCr-PJqzu4KTB10LjlqM/s1600/sunflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lWSCOOd8gvo2yqXu6WEXWcbQjPBB8Q8iAa8udVRpMo38mKgKl3-wUfDJ0X5kOaUEuaHIIy-eoAHAwfc3DFlSjVdHNCuteMafIc1DJrRJ9O8enEZmLMJlBkjnCr-PJqzu4KTB10LjlqM/s200/sunflower.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> "<span style="color: red;">Just like a rose is beautiful</span>, </span><br />
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so is a <span style="color: yellow;">sunflower</span>, </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmaC3YKi8o5nKOm7ze-MWiARquMl9JL8K1NlyeGSg1ShY90eF_Jx3_-UHtA-CffqgFqInad4O0ARzpBIWD0vhFUFiBux0HzNhJpyVxw6ViiIT-ydLIcz_8E8SqVQAG18HnmFZ_glVRFg/s1600/peony.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmaC3YKi8o5nKOm7ze-MWiARquMl9JL8K1NlyeGSg1ShY90eF_Jx3_-UHtA-CffqgFqInad4O0ARzpBIWD0vhFUFiBux0HzNhJpyVxw6ViiIT-ydLIcz_8E8SqVQAG18HnmFZ_glVRFg/s200/peony.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
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so is a <span style="color: #ea9999;">peony</span>. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">All flowers are beautiful in their own way, and that's like women too." -</span>- Miranda Kerr, Austrailian model encouraging women to embrace their uniqueness.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinmaC3YKi8o5nKOm7ze-MWiARquMl9JL8K1NlyeGSg1ShY90eF_Jx3_-UHtA-CffqgFqInad4O0ARzpBIWD0vhFUFiBux0HzNhJpyVxw6ViiIT-ydLIcz_8E8SqVQAG18HnmFZ_glVRFg/s1600/peony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-78765957702405209672011-11-13T21:02:00.005-05:002011-12-08T12:41:06.403-05:00Should a woman be one of the "guys?"<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
It’s been one of my pet peeves for years, even in my prefeminist days, so when a Facebook friend began her post with, “I need a little help, <i><b>guys</b></i>” it set me off.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2nsnCTZhmkt5n9MjsdaSzPCjEdH24FXcobnkX6vDuWGcprGo49aIIIifO0fA2hxW3ka5Djz6igPAxndBcNS2tpoX32lf3IdHKhR4JYmSa9izc6FXKbRYANIQhSummShhNuBhP5y_EGM/s1600/friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2nsnCTZhmkt5n9MjsdaSzPCjEdH24FXcobnkX6vDuWGcprGo49aIIIifO0fA2hxW3ka5Djz6igPAxndBcNS2tpoX32lf3IdHKhR4JYmSa9izc6FXKbRYANIQhSummShhNuBhP5y_EGM/s320/friends.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The term "guys" is often applied to mixed companies of men and women.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>“I’m not a guy,” I responded to the use of the all-to-common address used in mixed company.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Guys is <i><b>all-inclusive</b></i>,” she said, “Which is <i><b>obviously proven</b></i> by Sloth in 'Goonies.'" </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Say what?<br />
<br />
Well, I admit I’ve never seen “Goonies,” but I would hesitate to cite a single movie from 1985 as obvious proof that the term “guys,” as it applies to a group of men and women, is acceptable as all-inclusive.<br />
<br />
What I would cite are are academic sources for proof that such language is indeed sex- and gender-biased and not inclusive at all. <br />
<br />
I would start with The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A section devoted to <a href="http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/citation/gender-sensitive-language">gender-sensitive language</a>, explains it this way:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Another common gendered expression, particularly in informal speech and writing, is 'you guys.' This expression is used to refer to groups of men, groups of women, and groups that include both men and women. Although <b>most people </b></i><i><b>mean to be inclusive when they use 'you guys,' this phrase wouldn't make sense if it didn't subsume women under the category 'guys.' </b>To see why 'you guys' is gendered male, consider that 'a guy' (singular) is definitely a man, not a woman, and that most men would not feel included in the expression 'you gals' or 'you girls.'”</i><br />
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Language is important because its influence is so subtle. Every time we speak we have an opportunity to either advance sexism or stop it in its tracks. But, we first have to acknowledge that language is often overlooked as a factor in the perpetuation of sexism.<br />
<br />
Feminist scholars agree.<br />
<br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">A paper titled, "Seeing the Unseen: <span class="cit-first-element cit-title"><span class="cit-subtitle">Attention to Daily Encounters With Sexism as Way to Reduce Sexist Beliefs</span></span>" published in the June 2011 issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly, concludes that both men and women tend to overlook – and perhaps even deem acceptable – more subtle forms of sexism they encounter on a daily basis, such as the use of sex- and gender-biased language.<br />
<br />
According to its publisher, SAGE Journals, <a href="http://pwq.sagepub.com/">Psychology of Women Quarterly</a> is "a feminist, scientific, peer-reviewed journal that publishes empirical research, critical reviews and theoretical articles that advance a field of inquiry, brief reports on timely topics, teaching briefs, and invited book reviews related to the psychology of women and gender."<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">Commenting on the paper, <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/">Science Daily</a> makes the point that "Nearly everyone can recognize the stereotypical scene of construction workers catcalling women as being sexist, but both men and women tend to overlook the more subtle daily acts of sexism they encounter ... Things such as calling women 'girls' but not calling men 'boys' <b><i>or referring to a collective group as 'guys' are forms of subtle sexism that creep into daily interactions.</i></b><i>"</i><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">Science Daily goes on to quote the paper's authors, psychologists Janet Swim of Pennsylvania State University and Julia Becker of Philipps University Marburg, Germany, as saying "Women endorse sexist beliefs, at least in part, because they do not attend to subtle, aggregate forms of sexism in their personal lives."<br />
<br />
And further, "Many men not only lack attention to such incidents but also are less likely to perceive sexist incidents as being discriminatory and potentially harmful for women."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">What's more, says Science Daily, "The study goes on to differentiate the way men and women's beliefs change once they become aware of subtle sexism. Women need to 'see the unseen,' the authors note, to make corrections, whereas men need not only to be aware of the sexist behavior or comments, but also to feel empathy for the women targeted. These results are consistent with other studies which found that empathy is an effective method for reducing racial and ethnic prejudice."<br />
<br />
So, do we correct the use of sex and gender-biased language when we hear it -- and thereby make "the unseen" obvious? I say, yes. Although, be prepared for repercussions such as being labeled an oversensitive, nasty, annoying feminist and being dropped as a Facebook friend.<br />
<br />
Another question would be, "What -- if anything -- should we say instead?"<br />
<br />
I found an online exchange from the women's studies email forum at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where a participant endorsed my personal favorite expression, "y'all," for a couple of reasons:<br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I nominate "y'all" as a perfect feminist solution to two problems: the <b>English language's lack of a plural "you,"</b> and the <b>related issue of trying to create a plural "you" using gender-specific words</b> like "you guys." Or worse, "gals" and "girls."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Or Goonies. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>"Friends" appears courtesy of NBC. </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> <b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></b></span></div>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-44516580447713140302011-11-11T13:46:00.007-05:002011-11-14T13:10:56.617-05:00Best of the Blog: Celebrating two years online<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zEpqjRBC2V3r-5NY5-cUY6lLZxT9ulWQuDYmDKmbVizocIEScipEOwyNAxQo4jqbrBbIXpu88ZwrVmxkUo9sOJsWos_DGZrEt19HHv2952zAqzED1La2_PAJrUV6pRbPvzt9kU0dAQs/s1600/cattle+queen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Everybody does it. From TV shows to rock bands, the concept of a "Best of ..." show, album or book is a popular way to commemorate career or lifetime milestones.<br />
<br />
For me and "this little blog o'mine," that milestone is two years online. <br />
<br />
But, what determines "the best?" For most artists, actors or authors, popularity is the criterion based on input from a fan base or sales.<br />
<br />
For this particular "best of" feature, I've decided to showcase my most popular posts based on page views alongside what I personally consider to be some of my best-written and most important posts. It's a great opportunity for exploration and examination. Links are there for your convenience. Thanks for reading. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"I Advocate Feminism ... a mini-blogzine's top five blog posts:</b></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiert3lt7xXe_BmqWQRZ3-JOPJNia1XEaFiAHIbW85M6PrSbkP2bRskauIO16HXRzsvr8fOYxlR5cshvyUd1bOEuOiM4ifL9onp73uV6izYJrmvEtS9Mqzc69nEU9eiEaln0-z4cCBSOss/s1600/venus+of+willendorf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiert3lt7xXe_BmqWQRZ3-JOPJNia1XEaFiAHIbW85M6PrSbkP2bRskauIO16HXRzsvr8fOYxlR5cshvyUd1bOEuOiM4ifL9onp73uV6izYJrmvEtS9Mqzc69nEU9eiEaln0-z4cCBSOss/s200/venus+of+willendorf.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">1. <a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2011/02/different-view-of-willendorf-project.html">A different view of the Willendorf Project</a><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: purple; font-size: small;"></span><b style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">2. <a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/11/of-frankenstein-and-feminism.html">Of Frankenstein and Feminism</a><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">3.</span> <a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/12/jennifer-granholm-talks-about-gender.html"> Jennifer Granholm talks about gender politics</a></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">4.</span> <a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/09/ancient-people-revered-sacred-feminine.html">Ancient people revered the sacred feminine</a> </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">5.</span> <a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/10/equitable-equine-enthusiasm.html">Equitable equine enthusiasm</a></b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cherie's top Five Blog Posts:</b></span></div><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;">1. </span><a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2011/02/sexism-is-at-root-of-girl-on-girl-crime.html">Sexism is at the root of girl-on-girl crime <span id="goog_1966770308"></span><span id="goog_1966770309"></span></a></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVFOAu_XIgkDAgk0xYdPwuTOgOQlou2N3E2eVnmYUp0T0oTOAiBmM522OMAbS45Ba3LGx_A5qDLW2Fswk6ygiHPJhc1GhSZo5uGuAQ79cPwdPNIDWQ3fiCHsSuhVyfRXIzj-rDVOiF3w/s1600/Tina-Fey-mean-girls-1482856-450-290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVFOAu_XIgkDAgk0xYdPwuTOgOQlou2N3E2eVnmYUp0T0oTOAiBmM522OMAbS45Ba3LGx_A5qDLW2Fswk6ygiHPJhc1GhSZo5uGuAQ79cPwdPNIDWQ3fiCHsSuhVyfRXIzj-rDVOiF3w/s200/Tina-Fey-mean-girls-1482856-450-290.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Defined as,"the ugly way women treat each other in social, business and political situations that result in a sabotage of success," I see girl-on-girl crime as as the number one reason women cannot achieve more in social, business and political arenas -- and even within feminist circles. A great piece for self examination.<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2011/02/sexism-is-at-root-of-girl-on-girl-crime.html" style="color: purple;"><br />
<br />
</a></span><br />
<div style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2. <a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2011/01/martin-luther-king-jr-in-feminist.html">Martin Luther King, Jr. in feminist perspective then and now</a></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="color: purple;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Possibly the best piece I've written in this venue. My husband Chris paid me a high compliment when he said, "This should be in a magazine." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: purple;"></div><div style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. <a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/11/economy-based-on-feminized-labor.html">An economy based on feminized labor?</a><span id="goog_823631655"></span><span id="goog_823631656"></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eye-opening information from the book, "Feminism Seduced." Comment from the author is still a high point in blog history.</span></span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">4. <a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/11/sexual-politics-of-meat-set-to-music.html">Sexual Politics of Meat set to music</a></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nothing makes the connection between the oppression of animals and women or builds the case for a feminist/vegetarian connection better than Carol J. Adams' own voice.<br />
<br />
</span></span></span></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;">5. </span><a href="http://femadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/05/pro-choice-and-pro-abortion-are-not.html">Pro-choice and Pro-abortion are not the same thing</a></span></b><br />
<br />
At a time when reproductive rights are being aggressively challenged, the title of this post, combined with the common sense feminism of bell hooks, conveys a very important message that needs to be heard and understood.Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941551701859465626.post-46529640915799593682011-11-03T12:54:00.003-04:002011-11-04T12:13:42.096-04:00IMHO: Young feminists must comply with school dress codes<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">But -- fair enforcement free of discrimination is a must.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="color: yellow;"><b>Take my poll!</b></i></span><br />
<br />
Let's talk about pants. Let's talk about yoga pants. They're a hot topic among high school students. At issue is whether students should be allowed to wear them to school and whether they violate school dress codes.<br />
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Here's a clip from Battlefield High School in Va.:<br />
<br />
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<div style="width: 320px;"><a href="http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/virginia/battlefield-high-school-students-challenge-school-dress-code-with-yoga-pants-protest-032111">Battlefield High School Students Challenge School Dress Code With Yoga Pants Protest: MyFoxDC.com</a></div><br />
A similar situation recently took place in <a href="http://www.wlwt.com/r/29342654/detail.html">Loveland, Ohio</a>. <br />
<br />
Note that neither school's dress codes or rule book cite "yoga pants" as a specific violation, more generally naming tight or suggestive clothing. But what is apparent, at least from these two videos, is that school administrators could be unfairly targeting female students for dress code violations and, in the process, disrupting their personal learning experiences.<br />
<br />
In her blog, fitness expert <a href="http://www.lisajohnsonfitness.com/yoga-pants-banned-from-high-school-as-too-sexy/">Lisa Johnson</a> writes, <i>"I drive by the high school regularly and have seen plenty of girls in outfits that make me cringe. But never once did I do a double-take over yoga pants. Super-tight, low-cut jeans and tank tops that barely cover are always present, but what actually drives me the <i>most</i> crazy are pajama bottoms worn in public; that’s not sexy at all, just sloppy.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>"I think having a general rule of conduct for both sexes that bans clothes that are too short or too tight is appropriate, <b>but why are the girls being singled out here?</b> <b>Is it a concern over the sexualization of female teenagers? </b> Lots of boys of high school age wear nothing but skinny jeans which can be nearly as form-fitting as yoga pants, but there’s no uproar or concern over that fashion choice."</i><br />
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Johnson goes on to explain that yoga pants are popular, "<i>Because they’re ridiculously comfortable, very functional, <i>and </i>flattering! I can smoothly go from a Pilates session to the grocery store to school pick-up to coffee with a friend. I’m sure high school girls appreciate the same flexibility as they go from classes to gym to after-school activities to study dates with friends.</i>"<br />
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Locally, my young feminist friends, who are facing similar issues at their high school, tell me the same thing. They want to be comfortable and they don't want to be unfairly hassled over their fashion choices. <br />
<br />
But, negotiating school rules and dress codes is sticky. It is true that public schools function "<i>in loco parentis</i>," meaning "in place of the parents" and can set certain standards and rules for students. <br />
<br />
The civil law firm of <a href="http://www.modrall.com/0927071190907578.art">Modrall-Sperling</a>, located in Albuquerque, N.M., has a some very comprehensive, generally applicable information on its website. Modrall-Sperling confirms both the legality and constitutionality of dress codes:<br />
<br />
<i>"Dress and grooming codes are generally legally permissible. The wearing of a particular type or style of clothing usually is not seen as expressive conduct protected under the Constitution.<sup></sup> Various school dress codes have been upheld including a prohibition against sagging pants, earrings, and clothing containing advertisements or objectionable statements."</i><br />
<br />
The firm further explains:<br />
<i> </i><br />
<br />
"<i>Public schools are delegated with the responsibility of educating students and maintaining an effective and orderly environment conducive to learning.</i><br />
<br />
<i>"An educational institution may prescribe reasonable dress codes. Recent court decisions have noted that an educational institution must demonstrate that the dress code is reasonable and rationally related to a legitimate pedagogical purpose. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>"Many public school administrators maintain that dress codes reflect community values and create a positive educational environment. According to educators, dress codes promote student self-respect, maintain classroom discipline, discourage peer pressure to buy extravagant clothing, and make classrooms safe. Moreover, some educators have reported that dress codes have reduced the number of fights in schools and improved scholastic achievements and student attendance."</i><br />
<br />
<i> </i><br />
Still, fair enforcement remains an issue.<br />
<br />
I found an opinion piece titled "<a href="http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2009/05/high_school_dress_codes_shirt.html">High school dress codes shirt around fairness issue</a>" written in 2009 Lilly Joynes, who was a sophomore at Mechanicsburg Area High School in Pennsylvania when her editorial was published by PennLive.com. She hit the proverbial nail on the head when she wrote:<br />
<br />
<i>"Unfortunately, there isn't a mutual agreement when it comes to dress code enforcement and what is or isn't appropriate for a learning environment. Every school's dress code is different and, therefore, different rules are enforced.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>"Clear rules need to be stated in every school's student handbook so a particular person or gender is not being wrongfully punished for their clothing choices. These rules need to be enforced fairly for both sexes."</i><br />
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And, her parting shot is still applicable:<br />
<br />
<i>"All students ask is that principals and teachers treat them fairly. So as a school authority, consider how many dress code violations your school has handed out this year. Were a majority of those to females? If so, it might be time to think more carefully when dishing out discipline to inappropriately dressed students, males included." </i><br />
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It also jibes with Modrall-Sperling's recommendation to, "<i>Apply dress codes impartially, consistently, fairly, and in equal manner</i>."<i> </i><br />
<br />
I would also admonish parents to become part of the process. Parents should talk sons and daughters about modes of dress that are appropriate and comfortable in the learning environment and watch to see that what they are wearing does not contribute to sexualization or objectification in or out of school.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="color: yellow;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Related links: </b></span></i></div><div style="color: yellow;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></i></div><div style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Yoga Pant Selections from <a href="http://www.athleta.com/products/yoga-pants.jsp">Athleta</a></b></i></span></div><div style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Yoga Pant Selections from <a href="http://www.titlenine.com/category/womens-bottoms/yoga-pants-shorts-capris.do">Title 9 </a></b></i></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="color: yellow;"><a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2071271/are_high_school_dress_codes_sexist.html?cat=9">"Are High School Dress Codes Sexist?"</a> -- a different view from Yahoo! Associated Content</i></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What do you think? Take my poll. <span style="font-size: small;">Leave comments below:</span></b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<script charset="utf-8" src="http://static.polldaddy.com/p/5615449.js" type="text/javascript">
</script><br />
<noscript>&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/5615449/"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Do school dress codes unfairly target young women?&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</noscript>Cherie W. Rolfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09551367505820960713noreply@blogger.com0