Republicans attack feminist-friendly NPR & PBS

Two feminist-friendly media are under attack as Republicans propose measures to cut funding for Public Broadcast Service and National Public Radio.

Democrats, along with PBS and NPR supporters, are mounting a counter attack in support of these institutions that bring us so much valuable programming, along with different points of view, that just aren't available anywhere else.

The Kansas City Star ran a great editorial on Sunday, Feb. 20.

The state of Kansas is looking at cutting its funding for public broadcasting as well.  The Star says, this would be a huge loss to rural areas of the country -- like Kansas' High Plains region -- where " ... Public Radio is as much a part of the landscape as the limitless horizon and brilliant night sky."

The Star hits the nail on the head when it says:

"We mention High Plains because it embodies the very notion of public broadcasting — to serve those who would not otherwise be served.


"Serious efforts to cut spending and reduce the deficit have our full support. However, the money saved from cutting all Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds — $430 million — would be barely a rounding error in the federal budget. But the cost to rural America would be enormous."

Of course the Republican solution would be to turn PBS and NPR over to the free market, adding that it would increase merchandising income.

Yet, according to an article by Chris Moody of "The Daily Caller," supporters of public broadcasting say:

"... ending government funding to public broadcasting would eliminate the programs, and that the market could not be trusted to provide quality broadcasting for children or news content for adults.


"'Reverting to only free-market, consumer-driven broadcasting would be “like treating the Library of Congress as an amusement park rather than as a seat of knowledge,' said Rep. Paul Tonko of New York."

Closer to home, WEMU, General Manager Molly Motherwell told AnnArbor.com that federal funding is 20 percent of that station's budget.

“ ... but it’s a very significant 20 percent,” Motherwell said. “It pays for one full-time person ... and it pays for two-thirds of our network programming. If we were to lose that, probably what would happen is we would have to wipe out all of our locally produced music programs on the weekends and in the evenings, because the majority of our listening is between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays. ... We would lose a lot of our unique flavor because of it. We probably would have to reduce our news staff.”

PBS and NPR are the closest thing to a feminist media we have.

Need proof?

Here are some of my posts that are based on or include information from PBS or NPR:

• Where are the women in Egypt's uprising?  Feb. 2011
• Islam, Women and Agency, Feb. 2011
• An economy based on feminized labor, Nov. 2010
• A Murder of Crows:  More proof of intelligent life on Earth, Oct. 2010
  
• Depoliticizing stem cells, Oct. 2010
  
• "Diana:  A strange autobiography" dared to tell the truth, Aug. 2010
  
• And then there's "The Real Girls," June 2010
  
  
  So what can we do -- speak up and let the Republicans know they cannot silence the American voice. Go to 170millionamericans.org to find out how.

Heart-a-facts: Hot off the press -- "Saving Women's Hearts"

With this book -- just released this month -- Dr. Martha Gulati might do for women's hearts and heart health  what Dr. Susan Love did for breasts and breast health.  The book is "Saving Women's Hearts:  How You Can Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease with Natural and Conventional Strategies."

Dr. Gulati is a cardiologist at the Ohio State University Medical Center where she is the director of preventative cardiology and women's cardiovascular health.  Gulati coauthored the book with Sherry Torkos, a holistic pharmacist, author, fitness instructor and lecturer.

The Gulati-Torkos combination presents "the latest information on both the conventional medical approach and the role of natural medicine in preventing heart disease," according to the center's website.  That's a truly holistic approach.

Gulati says the book "examines the unique gender differences for women and provides valuable insight into the screening procedures, diagnosis, treatment options and prevention of heart disease."

“The statistics for heart disease in women are alarming, " Gulati says. "It is the number one killer of women, accounting for one-third of all deaths in women.

Dr. Martha Gulati

“Our goal with this book is to separate the facts from the many myths surrounding heart disease, while encouraging women to become more proactive in guarding their heart health.” 

If there's only one thing you do for your heart during February -- get a copy of this book.  Just click the link on the right.  It would also make a caring gift for girlfriends, moms, grandmas, cousins etc, etc.

This could become the definitive book on women's heart health.

Pass it on and make the red dress as recognizable as the pink ribbon.



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Sexism is at the root of girl-on-girl crime

Tina Fey lectures on girl-on-girl crime in "Mean Girls."

One of my on-going themes for perpetual exploration is what I've dubbed "girl-on-girl crime."  Simply defined, it's the ugly way women treat each other in social, business and political situations that result in a sabotage of success.

So, just why do we do we treat each other this way?  We use derogatory terms like bitch, cunt, bimbo, hag and the like.  We are jealous of other women's successes, so we talk them down through malicious gossip.  Girl-on-girl crime also goes beyond the verbal to direct acts of violence and petty tricks that are sometimes under the guise of jokes.

The answer is actually very simple:  We are socially conditioned to do so, and the culprit is sexism.

That's right. I said sexism.

Here's an example from my own experience.

In a newsroom, I overheard a male reporter say, about an alleged crime suspect, "He's been bumping off chicks since before I was born."  I labeled him sexist.

I also encountered a female editor who treated me with disdain from day one.  I got the whole package:  dirty looks, snide remarks, attempts to sabotage work and refusal to help.  Classic girl-on-girl crime.  I labeled her a bitch.

While both assessments might be true, the reality is that are both sexist -- and so am I in this case.  None of us are immune to this social conditioning.

This was an epiphany for me, and underscored the need for constant self examination.

In her book "Feminist Theory from Margin to Center, Second Edition," feminist writer bell hooks says this:

"Between women and men, sexism is most often expressed in the form of male domination, which leads to discrimination, exploitation, or oppression.  Between women, male supremacist values are expressed through suspicious, defensive, competitive behavior.  It is sexism that leads women to feel threatened by one another without cause.


"Sexism teaches women woman-hating, and both consciously and unconsciously we act out this hatred in our daily contact with one another."

If sexism is defined simply as, "behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles," this is what hooks is talking about.  Men and women internalize sexism differently.  Between women, it manifests itself through girl-on-girl crime.

So what's the answer?  Again, hooks makes it so simple:  We must unlearn sexism and its ensuing behaviors.  She says:

"To build a politicized, mass-based movement, women must work harder to overcome the alienation from one another that exists when sexist socialization has not been unlearned, e.g., homophobia, judging by appearance, conflicts between women with diverse sexual practices.  So far, feminist movement has not transformed women-to-woman relationships, especially between women who are strangers to one another or from different backgrounds, even though it has been the occasion for bonding between individuals and groups of women. 

"We must renew our efforts to help women unlearn sexism if we are to develop affirming personal relationships as well as political unity."

In other words -- we need to get over ourselves.  And that requires a constant effort of self examination, because none of us can do it perfectly.  But, recognition is the first step towards change and a redirection of the negative energy of sexism to the positive energy of sisterhood.

Pay gap growing for women MDs

from the Associated Press:

Starting salaries for women who become physicians are significantly lower than men's, and the pay gap has grown over the past decade, a study reports.

The pay differential, which was 12.5 percent in 1999, increased to nearly 17 percent by 2008, according to the report, published Thursday in Health Affairs.

The growing gap could not be explained by women's preferences, the authors said. While women on average do choose lower-paying specialties and shorter workweeks than men, those disparities were less pronounced in 2008 than in 1999. Yet the pay differential has widened.

"That was the part that surprised and puzzled us," said one author, Anthony T. Lo Sasso, a professor of health policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "As you start moving forward in time closer to the present day, your ability to explain away that difference between men's and women's salaries essentially evaporates."

The research looked at more than 8,000 new physicians in New York State. In 1999, the women earned $151,600 on average, compared with $173,400 for men; by 2008, the figures were $174,000 for women and $209,300 for men. (The study adjusted for inflation.) After accounting for differences in their practices, the study concluded, the pay gap had increased to $16,819 in 2008, from $3,600 in 1999.

Heart-a-fact: Another reason to consume less meat

It's good to see that women are being included in heart health studies.  This one, "Major Dietary Protein Sources and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease," by Dr. Adam Bernstein of the Harvard School of Public Health included over 84,000 women ages 30-55 and specifically looked at meat consumption over a 26-year period. 

According to the study, women who consumed two servings per day of red meat, as compared to those who consumed only half a serving per day, had a 30 percent higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. Compared to eating one serving each day of red meat, women who substituted other protein-rich foods experienced significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease:

• 30 percent lower risk associated with eating one serving per day of nuts;
• 13 percent lower risk associated with eating one serving per day of low-fat dairy products.

These findings led the researchers to an important conclusion:

"These data suggest that high red meat intake increases risk of [coronary heart disease] and that [coronary heart disease] risk may be reduced importantly by shifting sources of protein in the U.S. diet."

From Cherie's Desk:  In addition to nuts and dairy products, the study also recommended chicken and fish as alternate sources of protein -- but who wants to see anybody get killed?  By avoiding these animal proteins, we can also care for the health of our figurative hearts and unburden our consciences of cruelty.

Courtesy of ToYourHealth.com

Just for Fun: Red lips speak for heart health

Cherie's favorite red -- get it while you can.

This month I'm encouraging the "wearin' o'the red" to promote awareness of women's heart health.

Personally, I like to wear red lipstick.  But, selecting a shade can be daunting.  Here are a few tips from Ladies Home Journal to help find your perfect shade:

Consider if you look better wearing silver or gold jewelry. 

If you chose silver, try a cool red with blue undertones.  LHJ recommends Estee Lauder's "Rich Red" or Bobbi Brown's  "Hollywood Red."

If you chose gold, try a warm red with peach, coral or orange tones.  LHJ likes Estee Lauder's "Spanish Red" and Bobbi Brown's "Vintage Red."

If you're fair -- like me -- you might want try a sheer red that builds on your natural lip color.  Deeper skin tones can use a full coverage formula.

CHERIE'S PICK:  I once heard that actress Sophia Loren bought out the remaining stock of her favorite lipstick shade when it was discontinued.  It might be the same with my tube of red that I've had for quite awhile.  Almay Ideal Lip Color #255 Red is hard to find.  I love it because it's sheer and bright.  I found a limited quantity at BuyMeBeauty.com.  Get it while it lasts.

The Angel of Grace wears red

Anna Strem and Linda Craik of Shelby Township, Mich. make awareness bracelets as fundraisers for a variety of causes. I interviewed the two women today for an upcoming Patch.com feature on their organization, Angel of Grace.  

Heart Disease Awareness Bracelet available at angelofgrace.com

This is their heart disease awareness bracelet.  It sells for $10 on their website.  

The hand-made bracelets are available in small, medium and large sizes.

What a great way to show support for heart health by wearing a little red -- anytime.

Buy one for yourself, and several for girlfriends.

Angel of Grace has a history steeped in friendship, awareness, love and giving.  Look for my story soon.