walk for choice

February has been a rough month for women, and I suspect that things aren't going to turn around tomorrow simply because it marks the start of Women's History Month. So far, a Georgia state legislator has introduced legislation to criminalize miscarriages. The punishment? Death. A South Dakota state legislator introduced legislation to expand justifiable homicide to include the killing of abortion doctors. And among other things, the House Republicans have launched their own war one women. Congressman Mike Pence introduced an amendment to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood. It passed in the House, and should be coming to a vote in the Senate in the next couple of days.

Planned Parenthood provides many critical medical services for women, particularly low income women. Federal funding to Planned Parenthood is not used for abortions, and abortion makes up only 3 percent of its services. It is estimated that one in five women have used services at Planned Parenthood at least once in their lifetimes (I am not ashamed to say that I am one of them. In the period of time between graduating from college and getting insurance at my new job, I went to Planned Parenthood. I don't know what I would have done otherwise.). Planned Parenthood provides pap smears, breast exams, STI and HIV testing, and a host of other services. But perhaps most importantly, Planned Parenthood provides access to contraceptives that prevent unintended pregnancies, which, as you can well imagine, are a precursor to abortion.

It is sometimes easy to forget that getting birth control is difficult for some women. What makes it so difficult? A lack of health insurance. When you have health insurance, obtaining contraceptives is relatively simple. You make an appointment with your doctor, submit to a medical exam, and you get a prescription. It's pretty cheap and simple. But when you have no health insurance, obtaining contraceptives is more costly and more difficult. And that's why funding Planned Parenthood is so important. I just read a study today that said that levels of funding to Planned Parenthood is linked to rates of unintended pregnancies. More funding=fewer unintended pregnancies. And you know what that means? Fewer abortions. Of course, not all unintended pregnancies result in abortion (about half do), but abortions don't happen without unintended pregnancies.

At this point, you may be thinking to yourself, "well, if you don't want to get pregnant, don't have sex." But time and time again, studies have demonstrated that abstinence simply doesn't work. Texas teaches abstinence, yet it has the country's 3rd highest teenage pregnancy rate. I suspect that abstinence also doesn't work particularly well for non-adolescents. (As much as children would like to believe that their parents don't have sex, I suspect that they still do, even though they may think their child-rearing years are long over.) Does anyone really abstain from sex simply to avoid pregnancy? I doubt it. Women have long been practicing methods of birth control, ranging from herbs to abortion, way before the FDA approved the pill (which was in 1960). So while some may preach abstinence, I sincerely suspect that most people do not practice it.

This past weekend, Drew and a couple friends and I headed to Los Angeles for the Walk for Choice, a march to protest funding cuts to Planned Parenthood. I was proud to be a part of it, and it was critical that we go and show our support for reproductive rights.

There was a good turnout, and the crowd was pretty diverse. There were walks in major cities throughout the United States. I was also pleased to see so many young people (okay, I know that it was a "walk," which is possibly more likely to attract a younger demographic, but it's not like it was grueling). Anyway, I'm impressed because I think that it can be rather difficult to get my generation fired up about reproductive rights. For one thing, we have grown up in a time when abortion was completely legal. This is good of course, because we are free to make the reproductive decisions that are right for us. But at the same time, I can see why it might be tough to us fired up about reproductive rights.

We don't remember a time when women were dying from botched abortions. We have no recollection of a time when a pregnancy out of wedlock left women with 3 choices: get married, be sent away to a maternity home and surrender your baby for adoption (against your will), or submit to an illegal and often dangerous abortion. Having a child out of wedlock is not as stigmatized today as it was in the pre-Roe days. And above all, women today have the freedom to be mothers AND work outside the home or get an education. Their destiny isn't necessarily to be wives and mothers.

Abortion rights, and other reproductive rights, are not a done deal. I have always been aware of this, but I was reminded of it again this month. The fight for reproductive rights may not have the same urgency as it did in the 1970s, but it remains critical.

an update

It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, let's see what I've been up to since we've last chatted. I filed my taxes and filled out my FAFSA. I learned how to peel and dice a mango, thanks to Mark Bittman. (It's easiest if you peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler and then cut out the flesh from the pit. There, now you can do it too) I went to the eye doctor and learned that I've cured myself of astigmatism. I went to the dentist and learned I have no cavities. (daily flossing sure pays off!) I got my hair cut. Um, what else? Drew and I went hiking a couple weekends ago. We took a cooking class at the ARC (Anteater Recreation Center) and learned to make dumplings. This Tuesday we are taking a pasta class. I ran 2 and a half miles this morning. Okay, clearly it's been a ho hum couple of weeks, but I thought I should write something.

Drew and I have decided to try our hand at "gardening." (We don't actually have a garden, but we are on the waiting list for a garden plot in our housing community) We planted some herbs in some flowerpots, and they are sitting on our porch. Drew and I are trying to be somewhat ambitious here, but really, we have no idea what we're doing. For instance, the seed packets said to space the seeds a few inches (there was probably some definite number, but I'm not going to get up and go look right now) a part. So do those instructions apply to container gardening too? We didn't know, so we dumped the whole packet in the pot. We'll see what happens, and I'll let you know. There may even be pictures.

against valentine's day

I've been thinking about Valentine's Day lately. I suppose it's hard not to, given that it's just 2 days away. Oh, and because I've been bombarded by hearts and roses, on display in stores since the day after Christmas. I'm not kidding. I can't remember where I was on December 26th, but there were hearts.

But here's the thing: Valentine's Day is a peculiar "holiday." If you think about it, isn't every day Valentine's Day? I don't mean the flowers or the candy or the chocolate or what have you. No, I mean the basic tenet of Valentine's Day: coupling up, falling in love, finding your soulmate, yada, yada, yada. Do we really need a special day to tell us that this is what life is all about?

Think about it: There is an entire genre of movies dedicated to love, romance, and the notion that we are incomplete unless we find our one true love. The protagonist never lives happily ever after...single. There is an entire industry dedicated to weddings. Weddings are the only time when it is socially acceptable to register for gifts.

Coupledom is something to be celebrated. Engagements and weddings? Those warrant parties, congratulations, and gifts. Singlehood? Might be worse than a funeral (hey, at least you get a memorial and a headstone*). There is no Hallmark card congratulating someone on a break up or divorce. There is no card that says "Congratulations for not marrying the wrong person" or "Way to go! You finally got rid of that asshole!" or "Here's to moving on with your life" or "Good riddance, I never liked that moron anyway." I think you get my drift.

So really, when you think about it, is Valentine's Day really necessary? There is already tremendous societal pressure to want to get married to actually marry. Do we really need a reminder that pairing off is supposed to be our ultimate life goal?

* I am not actually suggesting that it is better to be dead than single. I am merely suggesting that if you look at the rhetoric surrounding singlehood, it suggests that it is not a status to be proud of or desired. Sure, we had Sex and the City, but at the end of the series, all four main characters (proudly and admirably single at various points throughout the show) were paired off and shacked up.

** If you're curious, here's what I had to say about Valentine's Day last year.

in solidarity

Drew recently informed me that he would be swearing off sweets during the month of February. No cake, no cupcakes, no cookies, no candy, no chocolate, no ice cream. Maybe muffins, but not if they're say, chocolate chip. Jam is fine, but added sugar is not (so coffee is out- for him). I didn't agree to a baking hiatus, but I agreed not to eat treats in front of him. Drew's decision, while noble, is a bit poorly timed. A couple days after telling me, this came in the mail:

And two days later, so did this:
Uffda. I'm glad February has only 28 days.