Clearly Nebulous

SNL's Will Forte Catches up to FFL's "Herstory"

Well look who just caught up! Will Forte had a pretty funny bit on Weekend Update last week on SNL where he recognized that March is Women's History Month, "Or should I say herstory?" Forte asked.

 

Pretty funny song, although -- as Seth Meyers points out at the end -- Emily Dickinson was known for her poems not books! (warning: a little bit of slightly crude language) 

Well,  Feminists for Life of America has been honoring women each March for years now with their Herstory Worth Repeating profiles of the founding foremothers of feminism.

Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and all the women who first fought for women's rights were, without exception, pro-life feminists. FFL has featured the stories of many of these great feminist pioneers in their newsletter and on their website.

Today's featured profile is Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a degree from an American medical school. In her diary, she wrote this about a notorious female abortionist of her day :

Elizabeth Blackwell, the first American female physician, was a pro-life feminist.

"The gross perversion and destruction of motherhood by the abortionist filled me with indignation... That the honorable term 'female physician' should be exclusively applied to those women who carried on this shocking trade seemed to me a horror. It was an utter degradation of what might and should become a noble position for women…. I finally determined to do what I could do 'to redeem the hells,' and especially the one form of hell thus forced upon my notice."

Be sure to check out more of the stories of these brave women throughout the month -- you can sign up for emails and/or membership on the website.

"Strong" Girl Names are No Match for Strong Skills

Six girls rely on me every day to help them grow into strong, independent women. So much has been said about exactly what a mother can do to help their daughters achieve that goal.

It starts with their names. Baby name sites like these can help a mother choose just the right "strong" name. Forget "cutesy" names, names with "distinctive" spellings, or nouns like "Joy." Conversely, names that are traditionally male or are a last name are supposedly good choices.

We were very picky about our daughters' names. Avoiding the pitfalls while choosing something distinctive was tricky. We decided against "Molly" and stuck to traditional spellings. We have two names that happen to be boys' names (but they really sound like girls' names.) We also nixed some of our favorites because they were simply too popular -- we didn't want our daughter lost in the sea of "Emmas." I think we did very well, as we often get compliments.

But now I'm wondering if perhaps parents overthink this whole name thing. Although I'll still stand by avoiding the strange spellings and names that are too popular -- it's not the name a young woman has, it's her character and her skills that determine her strength.

Case in point: If you had introduced me to Officer Kimberley Munley a week ago, I may have smirked inside my mind. I had just that sort of reaction when I met an Officer Brittany on my local police force. I thought, how can you take a woman with that kind of name seriously in that kind of role?

Nadal Hasan learned you don't mess with Officer Kimberley.

But now we all know that Officer Kimberley is a tower of strength -- a mom who had the presence of mind and the courage to take down a killer on a rampage. Even after she had sustained bullet wounds to the her legs and wrist -- even as half the blood in her body was beginning to drain out.

So whereas my daughters were already on the road to learning skills like balancing their own checkbooks, keeping a budget, learning to drive stick shift, changing air filters and burnt out bulbs, using a power drill, knowing self-defense tactics, etc etc...

Now I'm beginning to think that using a firearm might have to be included. Though I'm still not crazy about having a gun around -- learning to shoot couldn't hurt, and could perhaps help someday.

A Special Place in Heaven for Pro-Lifer Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Here's what the MSM will not tell you about Eunice Kennedy Shriver -- unlike almost everyone else in her politically powerful family, Mrs. Shriver remained true to the pro-life views of her Catholic faith. She recognized that political clout was not reason to abandon one's principal's in defending the most helpless among us.

Here is an excerpt from a story on Mrs. Shriver from Feminists for Life's Remarkable Pro-life Women, published in 1998.

WHEN EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor in 1984, then- President Ronald Reagan declared, "With enormous conviction and unrelenting effort, Eunice Kennedy Shriver has labored on behalf of America’s least powerful, those with mental retardation …. Her decency and goodness have touched the lives of many."

Shriver, a longtime supporter of Feminists for Life of America, has demonstrated a lifelong concern for the "least powerful." The founder of Special Olympics International and executive vice president of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, Shriver supports organizations that work on behalf of women and children, born and unborn...

As executive vice president of the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, Shriver continues to support solution-oriented programs to eradicate discrimination and problems faced by the disenfranchised. The Kennedy Foundation says its mission "is to provide leadership in the field of mental retardation and services to persons with mental retardation, both those born and unborn, and their families."

Shriver, recognizing the high rate of mental retardation among children born to teen-age mothers, led the foundation’s efforts to develop an innovative program to address the causes of problems facing teen-age women and their children. Called Community of Caring, the program focuses on "health and nutrition for the pregnant teen, preparation for childbirth, development of parental skills, and the importance of continuing in school and avoiding risk-taking behavior." Parents and community volunteers act as a mentoring network for teen-age mothers. Since its inception in 1986, more than 350 schools have adopted the Community of Caring program.

In my opinion, the tireless efforts of Mrs. Shriver easily make her the most significant, successful, and saintly of the Kennedy Clan.

Angie Baby, You're a Special Lady

Yes, one needs to be skeptical when it comes to celebrities making endorsements and corporations making donations to charities. But this one passes the sniff test for me. (Mmmmm... the smell of freshly washed and dried laundry!)

Angie Harmon of Law and Order fame is a rare breed in Hollywood. Not only is she conservative, but she is gracious, lovely, and she has her priorities straight. She gave birth to her third daughter about 5 months ago, and she has found a great balance between her home life and her career.

Now she is teaming up with Purex to help women in under-developed countries, while also making a small difference in the impact on the environment.

The company has come up with a new product called Purex 3-in-1. Rather than a separate bottle for laundry detergent and fabric softener and then a dryer sheet, the product comes in a thin plastic wrapper which contains treated sheets that clean, soften and stop static. (The sheets can be stored in an initial refillable container that they sell -- or it seems to me, you can use any old suitable plastic storage you have lying about.)

And as an introductory promotion when you purchase this new product, you can direct the donation of $1 through the company's partnership with Kiva which arranges micro-loans to women who are starting small businesses in order to help their families overcome the devastating poverty around them.

I'm heading out to buy my package today -- and when I go on-line to say where I want that $1 to go, I just might add a few more dollars of my own.

Here is the link for more info: www.PurexChangesLives.com

And here is a link to a group within Kiva that I found: http://www.kiva.org/team/christians_against_abortion

The Truth about Truth -- Sojourner was Pro-Life

Another pro-life feminist foremother was embraced -- perhaps "absconded" would be a better description -- by the pro-choice activists who honored her yesterday at the unveiling of a memorial in the nation's Capitol.

The accounts I have read in the WashPo http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/28/AR2009042803936.html?sub=AR and on pro-abortion blogs praised the life of Sojourner Truth, acknowledging her activism for abolition, against the death penalty and for -- as they reported it -- the vague "women's rights."

Now we all know that when those two words are mentioned in public, a pro-abortion stance is implied. The reporters and attendees of the memorial conveniently failed to mention that Sojourner Truth -- like every single one of her feminist contemporaries -- was against abortion.

I thought it interesting that one of those pro-abortion blogs quoted Truth's most famous speech, not recognizing the obvious pro-life feminist message:

"That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? ...I have borne thirteen children, and seen them most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me. And ain't I a woman?"

Sojourner Truth knew the strength of women. She knew they could do anything -- that childbirth and motherhood would not preclude them from accomplishing great things. She knew women did not need to dispose of their children to achieve equality.  She knew that those who do not acknowledge the humanity of the preborn are just like those who denied the personhood of black slaves. She called abortion what it is, and decried it as the evil it is.

So it was disheartening to see the likes of the uber-pro-abortion Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi acting as if they are deserved to honor this great champion of the oppressed. And when Michelle Obama declared that she thought Truth would have been proud of her -- a descendant of slaves -- as First Lady, she was only partly right. Sojourner Truth would have been pleased at the position, but appalled at the abortion agenda that helped put Obama there.

Sorry Perez -- Miss CA's Answer Improved her Chances

Perez Hilton, and Miss California Carrie Prejean herself, have said that her answer to his question cost her the crown. Though Carrie has said that she wouldn't change a thing and she would choose her faith over a title any day, I think she can rest assured that her response actually did not lead to a loss. In fact I think it moved her up in the standings to second place.

Let's look at the numbers. After the swimsuit and evening gown competitions, the standings were:

Miss North Carolina   18.668

Miss Arizona                18.381

Miss California            18.308

Miss Kentucky             18.010

Miss Utah                     17.700

Now, it's my understanding that the way that the final decision is made is that the judges assign a rank for the five finalists. The girl with the top ranking takes the crown.

The final question can make a real difference, as it did one year, back when the final three contestants were all asked the same question. (Abandoned because...? they got tired of the repetition? they didn't want to pay for the sound-proof booth anymore? who knows...) It was after Miss Universe had caused a stir for gaining weight. The Miss USA finalists were asked if she should have lost the weight.

The young woman who was far in the lead answered first and said she should have lost the weight. A non-answer from the second contestant was followed by a knock-out punch by Miss Hawaii who immediately started shaking her head and said that the woman was chosen for who she was and that was what was important. The audience roared. The first contestant went from top position to third, and Miss Hawaii was crowned the winner.

But for the most part, there is little change in the final results without a real stand-out answer like that, or a real clunker of a response. I think the judges look at their old scores and pretty much hold those positions. 

Let's see what each of the other contestants were asked this year:

Miss NC was asked about bailout money. She said that she didn't think companies should be getting so much... and not much else. Not really anything worth noting, and therefore no change in the judges opinion of her.

Miss AZ was asked about universal health care. What's interesting here, is that her answer was like what Hilton suggested for Miss CA. A non-answer where she didn't offend anyone. But I think the judges felt that Miss AZ should have said that yes, health care should be a right, and so her response hurt her.

Miss KY took a chance in saying that she would have spoken up about the Chris Brown-Rihanna situation. I think this hurt her, as she went against what celebrities believe -- you don't criticize or judge another celebrity. 

Miss UT said Hillary Clinton did the right thing in recommending millions for elections in Afghanistan. Like Miss NC, it was an innocuous answer that didn't hurt her.

Miss NC was so far ahead, I really don't think that she could have been caught by anyone, barring a lights-out let's-all-go-home answer. Miss AZ had a small lead over Miss CA, yet Carrie and her convictions leapt past Miss AZ and her politically-correct, offend-no-one answer. Similarly,  Miss UT (innocuous answer) passed Miss KY (unfavorable answer).

Hmmm. So Hilton thinks MIss CA's answer cost her the crown. I've heard one other judge who declared that she is in support of gay marriage and agreed. But the judges scores are secret, so we'll never know for sure -- but the proof is in the numbers: Miss CA moved up in the standings. Maybe Mr. Hilton is a bit wrong in assessing what those in Hollywood think about certain hot topics.

Bottom line -- I don't think a PC, non-offensive answer would have given Miss CA the crown. But she would have compromised her integrity. I think Carrie Prejean made the right choice and will be remembered -- and make more of an impact in the world -- than this year's winner, or any other prior Miss USA.

She stayed true to her faith and her principles. That's a winner in my book.

 

Sarah Palin's Choice

You could see this coming from a mile away... When Sarah Palin disclosed in a speech for a pro-life group how she struggled with the knowledge that her youngest child had Down syndrome -- you just knew what the headlines and the response from the mainstream media would be.

Palin explained how she was on a business trip and the thought crossed her mind that she could sneak off and have an abortion without her husband's knowledge. She described the thought as "fleeting." She then said she found the courage to have her son and is so glad she did because Trig is the joy of her entire family's life.

Predictably, the headlines ran the ilk of "Palin Considered Abortion" totally ignoring the thrust of Palin's entire speech and once again bowing before the altar of "choice." And today the Washington Post ran an editorial by Ruth Marcus that reverently toed the pro-abortion line.

Marcus says that if Palin and prolifers had their way, women "would have no thought process to go through" -- (Because you know, those who cherish all life would be thought police. Women wouldn't even be allowed to think!) -- that we would in essence be making the decision for all women.

Every once in a while the Post will trot out an editorial by some wishy-washy liberal who actually realized the value of the imperfect life within her, and brought her child with Down syndrome into the world (unlike more than 80% of women like her in America). Even though the writer recognizes the potential of her child and the joy that has come from their appearance in the world, she hails the fact that there is still "choice" for women. In other words, the women who pen these editorials know that imperfect people deserve life just as much as anyone else -- but if another woman thinks they don't, it's ok for that other woman to kill her child. Because it's her "choice."

Ah, yes. The "women need to think for themselves" and "the government shouldn't be making private decisions" canards.

Of course the whole point of championing life -- and the whole point of Palin's  speech -- is treated by the MSM as if prolifers are simply bossy cows. In actuality we're declaring the value of every human life, and the ability for women to overcome any obstacle.

Sure there are moments of weakness in which someone may look for what seems to be an easier way out of a situation -- a way no one will have to know about -- with the mistaken belief that it will somehow be a better option. Forgetting that she will know about it. For the rest of her life.

If a woman struggling to feed her children considered shop-lifting, we would understand. If an overwhelmed mother considered abandoning her children, we would see it was out of desperation. If a beaten women considered murdering her abuser, we would recognize the sense of self-preservation.

But we wouldn't legalize theft, child abuse, and murder in order to preserve those women's ability to "control their own decisions." We would steer these women to a food bank, a childcare relief service, and a women's shelter. Because we know that there is always a better way that a woman can see when not feeling despondent and alone in the world -- when she feels supported by her family, friends, and community.

Sarah Palin recognized her vulnerability, one that many women may know at some point in their lives. But she also recognized the dignity of all humanity. Thoughts may cross our minds, even unexpectedly, but the actions we take are deliberate.

What will we as a nation -- as a part of that humanity -- decide the fate of the imperfect will be?

Go Ahead and Say it -- Beating a Woman is WRONG!

I've been amazed by the reaction to Rihanna's plight -- especially by blacks stars who at first came out and denounced Chris Brown's behavior and later backtracked. Oprah makes a strong statement, and the entertainment media suggests she was too strident.

Ashanti-- who has been an advocate for victims of domestic violence in the past -- has said what so many others have also expressed in similar wishy-washy statements, "A lot of people are speculating. Only those two know exactly what happened. I think that we shouldn't judge. You know, it's obviously very unfortunate."

Hello! Did you see the photo?! Everyone knows exactly what happened. That oaf beat that poor young woman to a pulp and admitted to threatening her life. I don't care if it comes out that Brown himself was beaten every day of his life -- it doesn't mean that we can't judge this incident. Unfortunate? Try brutal, inexcusable and criminal.

Why is this happening? Do other celebrities fear impending litigation for defamation? Has their management told them that "judgmental" doesn't track well with the fans? Why are stars so afraid to call it like we've all seen and heard it?

And it has translated to some fans excusing the behavior and even suggesting that Rihanna is somehow partially responsible for being treated like a punching bag.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/03/13/many_boston_teens_surveyed_say_rihanna_is_at_fault_for_assault/

But at least one celebrity has been willing to step forward and really help young women see the dangers of abusive relationships and how to avoid or escape them.

Martina McBride has partnered with the National Domestic Violence Hotline on their website for teens at www.loveisrespect.org. Visiting the site, one can see the great care and the commitment to the cause to help young women stay away from abusive relationships.

Even before entering, once you have typed in the address, there is a warning that when you visit a site, it could be discovered later by someone else. They strongly advise that if you fear reprisal for doing so, there are phone numbers to call right away.

After entering the site, there are many ways that the organization tackles the issue. There are links to answer "Am I being abused?" or how to get help for yourself or a friend. A chat room with peer advocates is available 24 hours -- there is even a "Teen Dating Bill of Rights."

McBride's involvement is with their "My Time to Shine" program which encourages young women to make the most of their teen years and to seek out healthy relationships. While the soft-spoken McBride has tread lightly in her opinion of Brown -- she at least expressed that the man needs some help, and she would get her own daughter out of a situation like that.

For that simple statement, and her involvement with this organization, Martina McBride might hopefully undo some of the damage that the cowards in the music business have perpetrated. She isn't hemming and hawing and hoping for the best -- she's actually doing something about it.

Bald is Beautiful

Miss Virginia, Tara Wheeler, has made a bold choice -- brains over beauty.

While attending a fundraiser for pediatric cancer, she learned of one way the organization raised money. Participants would shave their heads if they met a fundraising goal. She made the decision to shave her locks, too.

After getting permission from the pageant, she has set a goal of $500,000. And not to worry, she has already arranged for a wig to pin her crown on.

"Imagine how those little girls will feel when they get a visit from Miss Virginia and she pulls off her wig?" Wheeler says in the video below.

Here's the full link to make a pledge -- I'm making mine today:

http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/shavee_info.php?ParticipantKey=2009-339663

Parker's Priorities

If I had started this category when I started this blog, I imagine Sarah Palin would have been the first entry. I think it's important to recognize women who are living their lives with their priorities straight and their lives in balance.

Just yesterday I read about 22-year-old WNBA star Candace Parker, a player considered essential to the success of the league, who is expecting a baby in the spring. She is not the first WNBA star to have a child mid-career -- Lisa Leslie missed an entire season when she had a child -- but as the "new face" of the league there has been some grumbling by some fans and sports writers that Parker is letting everyone down. But overall, the league and coaches and teammates have been supportive.

Parker, who is married to NBA player Shelden Williams, told the Los Angeles Times that she wanted her children to grow up witnessing the athletic career of their young mother rather than arriving after it ends, and the league commissioner acknowledged that.  “Candace can be a very usable symbol of how you can have a family and a career.”

Chances are that Parker won't have to miss the next WNBA season (although she relinquished a $1.5M payday from a winter league in Russia) as she has had great timing: It seems this pregnancy started right about when she helped lead Team USA to gold in Beijing, and she will deliver months before the start of the season.

But while Sheryl Swoopes played six weeks after giving birth to her son back in 1997, Parker is not in any hurry to return to play. "The biggest thing for me is not a matter of if or when [I return] but of coming back with a good balance in my life."

This mom-to-be seems to have her priorities in order. She recognizes that her career and family do not need to be at odds. And most importantly -- Parker says motherhood is "a blessing" that will "make me a fuller, happier person."  

You got that right.