Today, June 24, 2013, I believe that many of you readers, especially you women were shocked as well as astonished by the comments Texas State Representative Jody Laubenberg made explaining the "Rape Kit" to her audience as the discussion was going on about the newly approved restrictive abortion bill by the Texas State Assembly.This is the bill she wrote which would make abortion illegal and restrict women from having access to abortion after being in their 20th week of pregnancy no matter the cause including rape and/or incest. Here the state of Texas has an elected representative who does not understand the "Rape Kit" that is held at hospitals and clinics for women who have been raped so  that samples of semen and other physical proof of the rape are collected as proof of the violation and in hopes of finding and jailing the perpetrator. It is not an "abortion kit". Her statement that all the woman has to do is use the rape kit to "clean herself out" and the problem is solved was unequivocally ignorant.  It sounds like she thinks the rape kit is a douche used for an abortion. How is it possible that a woman who has authored and pushed this restrictive abortion bill has no knowledge of just what rape entails and what the assisting authorities do to help the victim? And yet, she claims to know better than the victim just exactly what should be done, including carrying a baby to term, and gives herself, as well as those who voted for this bill, the authority to control the present and future of the rape victim. How is this possible?

 

I'm sure glad I don't live in Texas and I am so sorry for the courageous women who do and have to deal with this stupidity in power.

 

Keep the citizens filibuster going Texans so that the bill will be killed with no vote in the Senate. Be victorious!

I shall be writing a lengthy article on Jock Rape as a Secret in the next few days because this topic has at last being acknowledged as the serious crime it is. Please stay tuned and I will get back to my blog as soon as I can. Thanks for your patience..

All women will be standing up and cheering today because  the Congress of the United States finally passed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act! There should have been no foot dragging by the male majority held legislators. There should never have been any questions regarding the importance of upholding this law. One wonders just what is going on in the minds of many of the law makers of the United States. This game playing seems to be a disease held by mostly the conservative men of Congress. It is like alcoholism. The power of a drink or two or three makes the drinker feel strong and inpenetrable and self-righteous just like these conservative Republicans who engage in the "one-upsmanship" mentality and game playing holding the country hostage to get their way. How is our democracy to survive this? Obstructionism is paralyzing our country. It is becoming a victim of selfish, self-centered authocrats who hide behind claims that the other side is responsible for the mess we find ourselves in..playing the blame game.  

 

 

 

Time will tell. Let's hope the problem is solved soon before we all lose confidence in our leaders.

Well, Gals, it's time to join together and cast our vote on November 6th for Women's Rights! We are seeing such an extensive egregious attack on women's rights here in 2012 that is incredible! We have so much at stake. Younger women, who are coming into their own presently, most certainly did not walk in their mom's shoes during the 70's when all of us mothers gained our liberation and recognition that we were indeed, people, human beings, citizens of the United States of America just like men and were entitled to our rights...the right to control our bodies and what decisions we needed to make for ourselves. Even the right to have a credit card in our own names was finally "granted".  We fought for these rights not just for ourselves but for generations of women to come. That is why our participating in this election is so crucial and continuing to support people who support women's gains is the action we need to take.

 

Can we go back and live restricted lives? Not on your life!

 

Let's get with it Gals, and move forward not back!

 

 

Yes, if you are a woman reading this blog after watching 2 days at the Democratic Convention, you cannot help but be empowered by all of the speakers, especially those women who have stepped up and stood up for women and their rights in our country. Katheen Sebellius-Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tammy Duckworth-injured Iraq combat veteran running for the House in Illinois, Lilly Ledbetter for whom the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act for women was named, Nancy Keenan-President of the National Abortion Rights Action League Pro-Choice-NARAL, Sandra Fluke-Georgetown Law School graduate and women's rights advocate, Elizabeth Warren-Professor, Harvard, past Special Advisor for the Financial Protection Bureau and now Senate Candidate from Massachusetts,  Cecile Richards-President of Planned Parenthood, and First Lady, Michelle Obama. Men must feel proud for their wives, daughters, granddaughters, mothers, other female family members as well as friends who have benefited from the actions of these women. They have believed in themselves and in the importance of promoting the well-being of their families by their forward-moving behaviors. Every woman benefits from their actions, regardless of political affliliations. 

 

Many women attending the Convention identify with the speakers because they are standing up for who and what they believe in. Understanding how the disease of alcohol and drug addiction affects families, I suggest that a fair percentage of these attendees are dealing with co-addiction in their personal lives, some have gleaned the information which has helped them recover, and many are still in a quandry about the disease. They either have faced or will face the facts of alcoholism in real life. I am attaching a page from my book "It's Okay To Be Dumbfounded, Just Don't Stay That Way!" which describes some of these facts:

 

 

 

I care about people, especially those who are in a relationship with a person who is addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. In my book, I share my life and the newest information about a potent path to recovery-from my co-dependency and my husband's addiction-which led us to our 28 years of sobriety.

 

I identify with the women attending and speaking at the Convention because we all care about our families, ourselves, others and our total well-being. We all do what we can with the information we have to improve our lives. We are the winners!   

 

Governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina, stated in quite strong terms, Wednesday, April 4th, that "women don't care about contraception, they care about the economy". I have several questions for her as a woman. Who are these women she is talking about? What are her facts? What are her sources? Where do they live? Don't they see the relationship between both? The ecomony and contraception cannot be separated. They are firmly connected. One is influenced by the other. If women do not have access to contraception, they will continue to be "in the family way", unable to work because of childcare issues. Or, if they do work, they will be doing double-duty, their health may suffer as well as their children's. Contraception has been a godsend to women who make up a high percentage of the work force and their families. It has been a financial blessing to the U.S. economy. 40 years young Governor Haley would do well for herself if she woke up and paid attention to "real women" of America. And "If Can't is not an Option" then she needs to get at it!