Ginger@Large

The legal system in this country is horrendous. Yo...

2012-03-27T12:31:50.045-07:00

The legal system in this country is horrendous. You have victims of rape who get accused of seducing their rapist while their attacker roams free to rape other men/women, people who outright kill other people and get nothing more than a slap on the wrist, God, this country is going to h--- in a handbasket. Sorry about that, it's just it makes me so mad to hear about kids in their teens carrying guns killing innocent people. Like, the other day, I heard something on the news about a man named Don L. Brown who lived in Over the Rhine, a very bad neighborhood near me who was shot to death and got his head cut off by 2 16 year olds. I think other countries are probably laughing their butts off at us. Other countries have way better justice systems than the supposed "good ol' America". I hate hearing how the innocent get crapped all over the guilty walk free. I ask you, is that right? No, it's not. No wonder if I could, I'd live in another country.

Thanks! :) I think this blog applies: “The reaso...

2012-03-12T17:37:54.569-07:00

Thanks! :)

I think this blog applies: “The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be.”

The good ol days only look good in the rear view mirror. The movie "Midnight in Paris" captures this in a big way. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful blog! Thank you for saying what many us ...

2012-03-12T16:01:06.993-07:00

Wonderful blog! Thank you for saying what many us think, but find difficult to put into words.

"People long for the "good ol days" where women stayed home and every family had at least four kids."

I think most people that miss those "old days" are ones that never realized what kind of life they were really living. Those days had my great-grandmother in a house with 5 children under age 13, when her husband just disappeared and she was now trying to find a way to provide for her family with little to no education, no child care help (other than her 12 yr old daughter) just a few short years before the depression began. So that was also before public assistance, foodstamps, welfare or whatever. Those are good old days that I never want back!

That is so true. I think it was Roseanne who said,...

2012-03-06T14:06:33.418-08:00

That is so true. I think it was Roseanne who said, "If men could get pregnant not only would abortion be legal, it'd be available in a drive thru with hot wings and beer."

I think socially this kind of thing rears its ugly head every decade in some form or fashion. People long for the "good ol days" where women stayed home and every family had at least four kids. They romanticize a past that was essentially economic bondage: a woman and a man got married, had unprotected sex, had a child right away, man had to work, woman had to stay home to care for the kid, man made all the decisions and had all the economic power. Of course there were fewer divorces, women had to settle for whatever they got. They were discriminated against getting a job, finding housing, even getting an education.

We've got so much more now, thankfully, but the mindsets are a lot harder to change. It's an ongoing battle that our culture does not help by treating women like bimbos and sex objects in the media.

It always comes down to the value of our sex.

It drives me BANANAS.

Thanks to Lynn and "me" for sharing such...

2012-03-06T13:50:23.122-08:00

Thanks to Lynn and "me" for sharing such painful and honest stories. This is the reality behind the debate that often gets ignored. We make snap judgments on a group so that we can justify turning them into "the enemy" just because we don't agree. We don't consider the real lives beyond the ideology. The fact is this issue is so much more complicated than can fit on a political poster, in a slogan or on a bumper sticker. We, as women in particular, need to be empathetic and compassionate and stop taking the sides of men like Limbaugh who will NEVER understand what it's like to even be pregnant.

So I don't mind being a troublemaker. People can even call me a slut for having the audacity to enjoy sex beyond the rigid puritanical boundaries of procreation. None of that changes the fact the days of sitting down and being quiet while the menfolk make all the decisions for us are OVER. This is proved by how many companies are dropping Rush like a hot potato. His brand of entertainment no longer speaks to the masses or else the consumers couldn't pressure the sponsors to bail.

It took a couple of decades, but it's happening.

Women finally got a clue there's a war on, and we're in full combat gear to protect the rights that have been hard-won by all the "troublemakers" who came before us.

RE: Morgan Where do I get that Rush hates women? ...

2012-03-06T13:36:51.110-08:00

RE: Morgan

Where do I get that Rush hates women? Decades of evidence:

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201203050015

As for being part of the anti-welfare, anti-abortion crowd, are you also a part of the anti-birth control crowd? Because you can't have it all ways. The best way to cut down on unplanned pregnancies and the social complications that come with that are liberal policies: accurate and complete sex education and accessible birth control. The countries with the lowest instances of abortion per capita in this world are the ones with the most liberal policies. The countries with the most rigid policies (generally as dictated by a religious moral code) have higher instances of abortions despite being illegal.

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/tgr/06/4/gr060407.html

This argument on birth control is where we need to meet in the middle. It gives both sides what they want.

As for "abortions of convenience", it doesn't matter whether you agree with them, I agree with them or not. It's not up to us. A pregnancy is a medical condition for an individual, not for a court or a government. She is the one that has to go through the trauma of whatever choice she makes (and yes, abortion does cause physical and emotional trauma. Don't assume they're easy to get and forget until you've actually had one.) When that little stick turns blue that woman's life has permanently changed no matter what choice she makes - and she's the one who has to live with the fallout, not a bunch of strangers who sneer down their noses at her moral failure.

It's not our business, it's not our choice, it's not up to us to impose punishment on a complete stranger who does something that differs from what we agree. That's part of being an American. We have the liberty to make these choices for ourselves.

Yes, many couples would love a newborn baby... provided it is white and healthy. There are plenty of children already in this system who would love a couple of loving parents. It's interesting how no one ever talks about that.

As for Sandra Fluke being a "troublemaker" - what Rush Limbaugh did was a classic fallacy argument called "Ad hominem". He couldn't attack the legitimate points she raised in her testimony so he attacked her. Go read her testimony in full and then put it side by side with his transcript attacking it and THEN tell me who was the real troublemaker.

Defend him if you wish but what he did was AS INDEFENSIBLE as Bill Maher (whom I also believe to be a misogynist and can't stand either.)

These are men using our sex against us to make us look inferior. You need to watch "Miss Representation" to understand how deep this goes.

http://www.missrepresentation.org/

This is why it's vitally important we stand up against ALL of it... ESPECIALLY from the likes of Rush Limbaugh, whose crowd of dittoheads actually buy into this locker room "humor" as acceptable and perpetuate the problem.

I go into it more in my newer blog, "I am a Slut" which talks about how women are essentially being punished in our society for their sexuality - and that's all he was doing. He opted to ignore the health care aspects she was presenting in a matter of health care to demonize her for having the audacity to promote sex, i.e. "a slut."

This isn't about a couple of words. This is about the mindset that says if a woman is a problem, we as a culture go after her sex as a form of punishment. We have to reach a point where we say enough's enough.

I can't believe these things still have to be ...

2012-03-06T12:53:28.640-08:00

I can't believe these things still have to be said. I thought the sexual revolution happened in the late 60's and early 70's -- about the time I was born. I feel like I've stepped into a time machine.

The argument that insurance-covered contraception gives license to women to be sluts is a ridiculous oversimplification. Both men and women (and our children) are affected by the decision to have children (or not). Even two-parent, heterosexual, married families (the supposed "ideal" American family) would be adversely affected by a lack of insurance-covered birth control, and so would their children.

But I suppose that misses the point. The double standard is sickening. If men were the ones getting pregnant, there would probably be contraceptives in our drinking water.

Thanks Lynn. I hate it when people talk about &qu...

2012-03-06T10:52:34.545-08:00

Thanks Lynn. I hate it when people talk about "convenience" abortions. I have had an abortion and I know many women who have, and for all of us it was one of the most agonizing decisions of our lives.

It's not just an "inconvenience" for a young, single woman to have a baby--for the mother OR for the child.

NOT ALL OF US HAVE THE EMOTIONAL MAKEUP TO GIVE UP A BABY WE HAVE CARRIED BENEATH OUR HEARTS FOR NINE MONTHS. (Try asking a momma bear to just give up her newborn cub. I'm supposed to just hand over my baby because some poor sad infertile white folks don't want to adopt brown children? Or no, I'm supposed to just hand her over because I committed the sin of getting pregnant without being rich or married or both?)

I happen to understand biology (unlike most anti-abortion folks) and I know that an eight-week-old embryo has about as complex a nervous system as a shrimp. Sorry if that offends you, but biology isn't convenient, and an eight-week-old embryo isn't a baby. They aren't just miniature humans the minute they're conceived. Don't believe me? Try reading a book.

If I had carried that baby to term, she would have been raised in poverty. I would have loved her, I would have done my best, but we would have had to accept food stamps and other subsidies that you anti-abortion people seem to conveniently ALSO hate.

I later had two beautiful baby daughters in a financially secure marriage. I carried them beneath my heart for nine months while they turned from a blob of cells into beautiful human beings; then I loved, nurtured and raised them into the lovely young women they are today. I am not ashamed of any of that.

And I seriously resent Morgan Mandel's glib, oversimplified judgment of women like me.

I have friends who wanted to adopt. The problem w...

2012-03-06T10:16:19.378-08:00

I have friends who wanted to adopt. The problem wasn't that there weren't enough babies. The problem was that to adopt a child born to people you don't know, is the cost. My doctor and his wife adopted two children over 20 years ago. Those adoptions cost $150,000 dollars, and $170,000 respectively. That was 20 years ago. They unashamedly admit that they bought their children... that the kids were worth every dime, but they bought them. There are several mixed babies that don't get adopted, black babies that don't get adopted, and babies with developmental difficulties that don't get adopted. I don't think anyone thinks that "convenience" abortions are ok. I do, however, believe that there is more that goes into a decision about whether or not to give birth to a child than rape, mother's life being in danger, and convenience. My step-mom and dad had a child that they knew was developmentally disabled. The child lived for a few days, had numerous heart surgeries (which, by the way, they perform without anesthesia) and then died. Did she consider an abortion? You bet she did. But if the child had lived, they had health insurance, and enough income to financially support a developmentally disabled child. Not everyone does. Women are in abusive situations and don't want to bring a child off into it... women are in poverty and can't afford to provide for a child... young girls are dumb and already have no family support or guidance and can't take adequate care of themselves, much less a child. My point is, you have no right to make judgements on anyone. Unless you have walked in that person's shoes, you have no real idea what is involved in that decision. I sincerely doubt anyone is as blase' as you seem to think they are about having an abortion. I know several who have had them, and NONE of them did it because of the "convenience". I think that is a bunch of crap. As for a woman wanting her contraceptives covered by health care, I don't think that is asking too much. I had 10 to 12 day periods from the time I was 11. If I didn't take birth control pills, I was constantly anemic. I'll tell you what. You literally fill your shoes full of blood every time you stand up for 1/3 of every month, and have an insurance company tell you that you can't fix it because they don't cover that. See how you feel about the issue then. I can assure you, I was not having sex at 11. That was not my worry for several years. I don't think that was ok for Rush Limbaugh to bash someone over concerns that he couldn't even contemplate. Just like I don't think it's ok for you to say that the majority of abortions are because of "convenience". What a load of misunderstood, judgmental crap. How dare you, or Rush make a snap judgment of anyone. You certainly wouldn't like it if I made a snap judgment about you. Cause judging from your post, trust me honeybumpkin, I could. Instead, I think that you have probably never been placed in a situation like the ones I've listed. You have probably been raised by a conservative, fairly traditional family, have family support, and a middle to upper class job and life. Which is terrific. And, please don't misunderstand, I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I just think that without having "been there" you are uninformed about the reality. I also think that you have fallen prey to the rhetoric from politicians who have also never "been there" and just want support for their party platform. As for those who would "gladly cherish an unwanted child" please inform them that DHS is begging for foster parents, to take in unwanted and abused children. Oh, but I forgot... Those kids aren't little perfectly healthy, white newborn infants. Yeah, they are still unwanted by all those who are willing to stand in judgment of teenagers and women in bad situations who have an abortion.

Thanks! I think he bought his way out of the drug ...

2012-03-05T17:19:54.456-08:00

Thanks! I think he bought his way out of the drug charge, didn't he? I usually never pay him any attention. He's like a mosquito. I only feel the need to swat him with a paper if he gets too close that he's buzzing in my ear. ;)

I totally agree. I even tweeted that a few days ag...

2012-03-05T17:18:20.477-08:00

I totally agree. I even tweeted that a few days ago when the story broke that the most dangerous thing about Rush Limbaugh is his audience. We need to keep this outrage going all the way to November so women will get out and vote.

Amen to both!

2012-03-05T17:16:31.801-08:00

Amen to both!

"Mr. Limbaugh went so far as to demand sex ta...

2012-03-05T17:10:18.187-08:00

"Mr. Limbaugh went so far as to demand sex tapes of women on birth control because he felt like he paid for it" That is the most despicable, comical, disgusting thing I've heard-he deserves any backlash he gets. As for Patricia Heaton? shame on her for not having the vagina to back up her comments but deleting them instead

oh and... I just want to ad that I wrote an articl...

2012-03-05T14:27:30.137-08:00

oh and... I just want to ad that I wrote an article on him years ago in college. I was watching a video of his show for research and he was talking about female genital mutilation and mistakingly used the word "manipulation." He then joked and apologized saying 'oh it's mutilation ... women would like manipulation." and I was horrified at his sick gross insensitivity. I don't know who listens to that show but it's really scary to think people find him .. well anything near funny or true.

Great article, all the things I've been thinki...

2012-03-05T14:22:24.154-08:00

Great article, all the things I've been thinking. I would have just included that his only experience with pills is Oxycontin ... although I think you've implied that. Well done.

Thank you! :) He wasn't thinking that one thro...

2012-03-05T13:10:31.585-08:00

Thank you! :) He wasn't thinking that one through. was he? You'd think as a man who had been married four times he'd understand the phenomenon - but... apparently not. (My question - who are the women would associate with him willingly anyway??)

You're quite welcome :)

2012-03-05T13:07:59.742-08:00

You're quite welcome :)

"On Monday, AOL Inc. and Tax Resolution Servi...

2012-03-05T12:54:50.244-08:00

"On Monday, AOL Inc. and Tax Resolution Services Co. were the eighth and ninth companies to say that they will suspend advertising on Limbaugh's program"

Looks like more congratulations are in order.

Please don't use such generalizations, since y...

2012-03-05T06:41:02.024-08:00

Please don't use such generalizations, since you are resorting to just what you dislike about Rush Limbaugh. I'm part of the anti-welfare, anti-abortion crowd and proud of it. Although I believe the truly needy should have a right to welfare, I'm not in favor of those who milk the system. I'm also not in favor of "convenience" abortions, when babies are killed off for convenience sake. There are so many people who would gladly cherish an unwanted child. Don't trot out the what ifs about when a mother's life is at stake or in a rape case, since those are not the majority of abortions that are performed. I wouldn't venture to make judgments on those sensitive issues.

I don't know where you get the idea Rush hates women, just because he's exposing this one for what she is, a troublemaker who has gone from place to place stirring up trouble, as shown by her history.

Yes, Rush could have been more civil and not resorted to name calling, but so could Maher have been when he attacked Palin with the c word, which is much grosser.

Ginger, you are awesome! The most ladylike biatch ...

2012-03-05T06:00:52.021-08:00

Ginger, you are awesome! The most ladylike biatch slap I have ever witnessed. Poor Rush now knows what it feels like to have his head handed to him. Wonder how he feels to have millions of women suffering from PMS coming at him. Be afraid, Rushbo. Be very afraid.

Brilliant. Thanks for writing this.

2012-03-05T05:59:48.030-08:00

Brilliant. Thanks for writing this.

Thanks syl! :)

2012-03-04T20:40:17.032-08:00

Thanks syl! :)

Could not have said it better Ginger, you rock!!!

2012-03-04T20:39:10.523-08:00

Could not have said it better Ginger, you rock!!!

Thank you! :))

2012-03-04T20:10:11.619-08:00

Thank you! :))

You are a Big Damn Hero. I bow, I genuflect.

2012-03-04T20:08:59.424-08:00

You are a Big Damn Hero. I bow, I genuflect.