When I was growing up, we almost always had pets. Whether it was a dog or a cat (or more) my sister and I always had a furry creature to love on. But unfortunately, not every kid gets this experience; and even more unfortunate, some kids get the experience but abuse the animals because they are not taught how to treat them.

Kids who grow up with animals are more likely to treat them with respect and kindness later in life. They are better adjusted to responsibility and are often more compassionate than kids who do not grow up with animals.

As a student at CCU, I hear a lot of horrible stories about students who try to own a pet for the first time in their lives and they end up abandoning it and abusing it. Many animals around campus are taken in as feral, then abandoned when the student realizes that he or she cannot care for it properly. Some students try to take pets into on-campus housing, which is strictly prohibited (or they try to sneak animals into apartment complexes that don’t allow pets or they take in pets without paying a pet deposit), and they cause more problems for the animal. Animals in cases like these are abandoned or sent to shelters where they are often put down.

A lot of these students have never cared for a pet before and have no idea how much care and time it takes to keep a pet. They are ill-equipped to properly care for a dog or a cat.

If you are a parent (or a grandparent) and are considering whether or not your child should have a pet, make sure you have the time to properly monitor your child around the animal. Children left to their own to take care of a pet will sometimes unintentionally abuse it. They may forget to take the dog for a walk or to add water to its bowl or to feed it. If the child is struggling emotionally or doesn’t have a healthy emotional outlet, they may hit the animal to vent these frustrations. Sometimes, the child will try to train the pet, and because they don’t know how to do it properly, they will get frustrated and “discipline” the pet for not obeying.

This type of abuse happens more often than parents think. It usually happens when the parents aren’t home or are out of the room. Parents should be addressing these issues before they happen and should talk extensively and often to their children about properly taking care of animals. This conversation shouldn’t happen in a “don’t-forget-to-feed-the-dog” way, but in a more informational and adult tone. Your child will appreciate a direct conversation rather than being told what to do.

Not only does a pet increase your child’s ability to take on responsibility, but it also helps prepare your child for a future relationship with their own pet when they are older and out of the house. They say a dog is man’s best friend, but any domesticated animal can form a loving bond with its owner, even if the owner is only 8-years-old. It’s also been proven in multiple studies that having a pet helps relieve stress, both for the parent and the child.

Pets help with a wide variety of growing pains, but it is mainly the parent’s responsibility to make sure that the child is getting the most positive experience. If the child sees the parent neglect the animal, the child will do the same. If your child watches you shoo the cat away with your foot, so will the child (and may accidentally hurt it).

A dog is a bit more durable under a child’s strength (think about a child giving a cat or a hamster a “hug”), and a dog is easier to train than a cat, which will make it easier for your child to interact with it. If you need a more economic reason as to getting a pet for your child, each cat or dog you rescue and spay/neuter may prevent the birth of nearly half a million other animals and thus, overpopulation and the spread of diseases.

Mont Saint Michel

When we began planning our trip to France, we were told we “absolutely had a to stay the night” on the mountain. When we looked into it, the cost was higher than we were hoping for, and we nearly passed up this amazing opportunity. As things happened though, we decided we could have three nights of “splurge spending”. Two of these, out of necessity, occurred in Paris (which is not a cheap city to visit), and the third night went towards a night on the Mont. We had no idea exactly how amazing that night would turn out to be. It is SO worth the splurge.

We arrived and checked into our room. Following five-year-old style bouncing on the bed, (from the excitement of no longer camping) we wandered back out to explore the town. Being a mountain, there are tons of stairs—the only difficulty we had with our stay there. We stopped in for dinner at a beautiful restaurant. We marveled at the waiter’s success at single-handedly taking care of all the tables in the full room. With one look at the fixed-price menu, we became giddy with anticipation of the meal. Being foodies, this is probably one of our favorite discoveries.

After dinner was the real magic though. We went wandering some more. Our mistake was leaving our SLR camera behind and only bringing the video camera. We still kick ourselves for that decision. We wanted to get as high up on the mountain as possible, to get a view of the lit-up city nearby. We climbed a couple flights of stairs to a look-out point. We assumed this would be the best we could get, since the monastery would surely be closed at this hour of the night. That is when we heard it… the sound of a cello playing beautiful music in the distance. After enjoying our view, we continued up the stairs, looking for a street performer or something of the sort.

a musician in the abbey

We came to the entrance to the abbey and saw a surprising sign: Night Tours- £8. The music was enough to convince us, and we were quickly on our way through the tour. As it turns out, (in July and August) each night, the abbey is set up with dramatic lighting and fantastic musicians. Throughout the building we sat and listened to the talented individuals on the cello, flute, and harpsichord, their sound filling the large stone wings.The most incredible part, however, was in the cathedral at the absolute top of the mountain. The amazingly lofty ceilings, lit almost like moonlight through the many windows, and the performance of a harpist. It was beyond perfect. Dennis and I both had tears in our eyes. Such an unexpected end to our night was overwhelming. We later came to learn that many monumental destinations offered similar tours, and participated in one other at the gardens of Chenonceaux. Ultimately, the advice you should take from this:

1. Research as much as possible
2. Leave time to explore
3. Do the night tour!

Chenonceaux night tour

If you would like to hear some clips of the music played in the abbey, or see some very silly, highly opinionated home video of our trip, please feel free to follow the link below. Please know that the first minute of it, (Dennis walking to our favorite NYC pub) is pretty low quality, but it gets much better. If you have even more time after that, you can watch part two on the same link (After video one ends, it will give the option to view “France 2010 part 2)! I look forward to hearing your comments.

http://www.viddler.com/v/3b855c08

Producer/Director, Maria White

When you hear of a movie called “The Debutante Hunters“, one might think it’s a documentary about someone on a quest to find debutantes.  Not so fast!  Producer/Director, Maria White, in her Sundance Film Festival winning documentary, (she won the Audience Award) tells the story of five true ‘Southern Belles” who shed their pumps and trade them in for hunting boots in this tale about women who enjoy the thrill of hunting wild game.

"The Debutante Hunters"

These ladies talk about conservation, communing with nature and the generational bond they feel with their family members in enjoying the sport.  It’s twelve minutes and thirty-eight seconds long and truly embodies the spirit of hunting from a uniquely feminine perspective.  You can watch the entire film here.  *On a personal note, both Carol and Vicki come from hunting families, hunt to this day and felt an immediate bond with the stars of this fine film.  You’ll get to meet Maria White and we’ll be joined by three of the stars of the film, Kristy, Susan and Sara.  We understand the film is currently in development as a series and we’ll ask Maria about that.

Also on BROADSIDED, we couldn’t let the current events with regard to women’s health issues go by and not address them.  Talking with us on birth control and the “transvaginal probe” required by the Virginia legislature prior to obtaining an abortion, will be Jessica Arons.  Jessica is the Director of the Women’s Health and Rights Program at American Progress and a member of the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative. Prior to joining American Progress, she worked at the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, the labor and employment law firm of James & Hoffman, the Supreme Court of Virginia, the White House, and the 1996 Pennsylvania Democratic Coordinated Campaign. She currently serves on the boards of the Virginia ACLU and is a former board member of the D.C. Abortion Fund.

Jessica Arons

Jessica is an honors graduate of Brown University and William and Mary School of Law. At William and Mary, Jessica was an associate editor of the William and Mary Law Review, managing editor of the William and Mary Journal of Women and the Law, and a board member of the William and Mary Public Service Fund. She has been seen on MSNBC, Fox News, and “ABC News;” heard on NPR and Clear Channel radio; and featured in The Baltimore Sun, The Nation, Politico, Slate magazine, The Huffington Post, ScienceProgress, and RHRealityCheck. Her publications include “More Than a Choice: A Progressive Vision for Reproductive Health and Rights” and “Future Choices: Assisted Reproductive Technologies and the Law.”

Since most of our listeners are members of the “Vagina Havers Club“, this is a show that could have a direct impact on YOU or a woman you love!  Join us!

So, buckle up! It’s time to get BROADSIDED!

Live Thursday

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You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter and now, you can go to the iTunes Store and subscribe to the BROADSIDED Podcasts or listen to our archives shows here!

(Bow)

Thank you for being you all of you wonderful Guru supporters. We are so grateful for each and every one of you! February has flown by and we are steadfastly preparing for our time at the SXSW Festival. In honor of this mind-blowing event we honored to discuss it’s origins on this week’s show. Co-founder of SXSW and the Austin Chronicle, Louis Black (below) will share with us his vision behind launching this world-renowned music, film and interactive festival 25 years ago and explain how he watched it catapult to one of the most highly regarded events of its kind.

We’re also proud to stand with and welcome back pal and previous #WIMG guest Tommy Rosen (below) co-founder of Tadasana Festival, a green-minded gathering committed to giving back.

If  you would like to join us, please feel free to call anytime between 11 am – 12 om EST / 8 am – 9 am PST / 9 am – 10 am MST on Friday, February 24 at the below contact information:

Listen online: www.zeusradio.com/player/hwt/

Call in to appear live on the show: 877-500-ZEUS (9387)

Listen in by phone: 917-388-4642

Chat: www.herewomentalksocial.com

“There will never be a storm
That can wash the path from my feet,
The direction from my heart,
The light from my eyes,
Or the purpose from this life.”
~ Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Here is an account of my experiences on my 20-day Nomad Adventure trip (www.nomadtours.co.za) from Cape Town to Victoria Falls.  What convinced me to take the leap was the difficulty of getting to many places, since public transportation is not available. There is no way I can describe all the places, so I am going to mention places and give my two cents about the people and my interactions with them. For those of you who may be considering a similar trip: this is, no frills, what it is like.

Traveling Pals : There are 22 of us in a wide range of ages.  One couple even brought their children. Argentina, The Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea and the USA are represented. To say it is all easy would be a bit overboard.  I am getting the chance to patiently listen, listen, and listen some more to one fellow and a lady, but overall, a great group.

Nomad Crew: They are a bit secretive of their age. Thabini, our driver, claims he is 65 (45 maybe); Godfrey, the cook, is 72 (same at 45); and Lazarus, the helper, is 85 (late 20s). These guys are fantastic.  Good humored, knowledgeable, and efficient.

Day 1: Meet at Nomad Headquarters for compulsory paper work and we are on our way. Stop to take photos of Table Mountain across the bay and next … a shopping mall.  “Oh what have I got myself into?” Actually it made sense. People needed to make last-minute purchases and hit the ATM. Our optional tour for the day was of a San village.  First night’s camping was in a paradise with lush grass, a pool and cold Windhoek Larger at hand.

Day 2: Our destination is the Gariep (Orange) River that is the border between South Africa and Namibia. We stop in Springbok for some supplies and shaking the legs out. The Gariep is the longest river in South Africa.  Water for agriculture, hydroelectric power, and its role in diamond deposits along the Namibian coast make it a major player in the economy of the region. Another fine campground afforded opportunities for swimming and watching a full moon rise over the river.

Day 3: I’m wary of canoeing on the Orange River in the morning, but then my other choice is to sit around in camp and wait for about two hours. It is fun and worth the time and money. (Someone started a water fight and I was a bit disgusted, but held my tongue.) Guide TJ told about the geology, wildlife and the river itself, turning those two hours into four. After canoeing, we move to the Fish River Canyon, the largest in Africa, and second largest in the world. We do a fair amount of hiking, and dinner on the canyon rim at sunset.

Food: I thought I might lose weight on the adventure. I thought meals would be good but limited, drink would be water, and my flab would melt away. Godfrey torpedoed that ship. His meals are tasty and plentiful. Breakfast is cereal, bread, some fruit, coffee or tea. Lunch is sandwiches. Dinners … dang those dinners. No repeats yet and they just keep getting better, and my discipline of avoiding treats is weak as ever.

Day 4: Namib-Naukluft National Park is home tonight. After camp is set up we are off to the Sesriem Canyon.  Again, a small but wet pool greets us at our camp. The Namib Desert is one of the largest in the world occupying around 90,000 km sq and stretches 1000 km along the Atlantic Coast of Namibia.

Day 5: Up early…4:50 early.  We head for a hike up Dune 45 to watch the sunrise.  The dunes are the tallest in the world, Dune 45 being 170 meters (558 feet) high.  The name of the dune comes from the fact it is 45km (28 miles) from Sesriem Canyon.  “Namib” means open space in the Nama language and it fits perfectly.  The dunes stretch forever and the colors covered the painter’s palate. Coming down for breakfast took considerable effort.

Day 6: Took time for photos at the Tropic of Capricorn.  Thabini tells us all to line up so we can “jump” across all together. Next stop is Solitaire for a treat of apple pie or apple crisp. Out here in the middle of dry, dry, land … not a tree, or at least an apple tree to be found, the main attraction is the bakery with the apple treats. Then it was on to Walvis Bay for a quick stop to see if the flamingos are in town (they were, but far across the bay) and then to Swakopmund. After settling in we all agreed to meet for a group dinner and wandered down to the Lighthouse where I had Namibian Kabeljou, fish, with rice.  Delicious to the point it rivaled Godfrey’s cooking. We are at the Dunedin Star Guest house. It is a very clean, comfortable place with free Wi-Fi.

Day 7: This is a “free day” to take part in activities such as sand boarding, sky diving, dolphin cruise, quad-bike rides, and more. None of those caught my attention, but golf did. I played nine holes at Rossmund Golf Course. Had the place to myself, so I took my time.  After that it was a few chores, and a visit to the museum.

Transportation: The Nomad Adventure made it very clear we were in a “truck” and to refer to said vehicle as a bus, or call Thabani a bus driver would be frowned upon. The truck is quite comfortable, though I can’t imagine any vehicle that could smooth out miles of the washboard dirt roads we traverse. There is a system of people moving in a clockwise direction, so the uncomfortable position of feeling the road over the back wheels is shared.

Day 8: Leaving Swakopmund, we move away from the coast into some arid landscape to Spitzkoppe Mountain.  Had opportunity to climb some sizeable hills. Travel was short and time out of the truck was plentiful.  Another stunning sunset.

Day 9: The highlight of today was visiting a Himba village.  Was not totally convinced I wanted to go walking into a village and nose into other people’s lives as though it were a zoo. Those feelings dissipated when the first group of four kids came running up, laughing, chasing each other, and just being kids. I learned about their social customs, design of the village, and other aspects of their day-to-day lives.

Days 10 & 11: Etosha National Park.  Besides driving to look at animals we also drove, then drove, had lunch, drove some more, and just because we all wanted to see more animals, we drove again. Next day, drove some more before we exited the park. Animals seen:  giraffe, two lions, springbok by the hundreds, two black rhinos, cheetah cubs, zebra, impala, gemsbok, birds by the dozens, and more.  Ended out day in Windhoek.

Day 12: On our drive from Etosha National Park to Windhoek we had just passed a community when a cry of “something smells like it is burning” came from the back of the truck.  A flat tire was the culprit, so we limped back to town for repairs. This afforded me the opportunity to hunt down a “barber” as I did not want to be mistaken for an old lion with the growth of hair on my neck.

Day 13: The crossing from Namibia to Botswana was a matter of completing a short exit form and then an equally brief entry from, some stamps on forms and passports, and off we go.  Drove to Ghanzi, set up camp, kicked back briefly with a Savanna Dry (cider) some reading and then an adventure of walking in the bush looking for a quarry where swimming was possible.  Great walk, no luck in finding the water.

Day 14: We head for Maun. We set up camp and head into town to exchange currency and get supplies. Back at camp we enjoyed the chilly and comfortable pool. Doug and I set out on a hike of no destination and came across a woman and man fishing. He with the line (no pole) and she scaling the fish. After some conversation about the fish, flowers and wildlife, they offered a couple fish but it was obvious they needed them more than we.

Days 15-16-17: The Okavango River originates in Angola and meanders some 1430km (889 miles) before it spreads out to create the largest inland delta in the world. How big? In the dry season it covers some 9,000 sq. km, and swells to 16,000 sq. km in the rainy season. It is a labyrinth of waterways and islands of innumerable count.

After an early morning “African Massage” ride, (potholes by the score) we meet our guides and mokoro polers who will transport us about the delta. It was an experience unlike any I have ever had. The combination of relaxing in mokoro as we went from island to island, learning to pole, swimming, hiking all over looking for wildlife and joining in a songfest proved more than I could have dreamed of.  As for the singing, each country’s representative was required to perform their national anthem. Afterwards, we headed for camping at Planet Baobab to put us in position for Chobe National Park.

Day 18: Arrived at Chobe National Park in time for lunch. Six of us opted for the afternoon game drive. Worth every nickel. Saw literally hundreds of elephants, some walking within 20 meters of the vehicle.  Hippos, baboons, impala, and scores of birds. In the late afternoon all of us went on a river cruise and saw much the same from a different perspective.  Additionally we came upon a three or four meter crock that generously opened its jaws to expose teeth that could snap a steel bar.

Day 19 -20: We hit the road at dawn’s early light. Warned that the border crossing to Zimbabwe can be taxing due to slow work and/or long lines we wanted to get there early to afford more time in Victoria Falls. Crossing was easy. Arrived at Vic Falls and after a short tour in the truck we wheeled into our accommodation at Adventure Lodge. We got our rooms and then hit the road for the falls. This was marked my number two spot to visit on this trip, and my number two natural phenomena. I was thrilled. We worked our way to the main falls, and a complete soaking.  The “Smoke that that Thunders” rises hundreds of feet above, then rains down in a consistent deluge. That evening we all gathered at Mama Africa’s for a final dinner.

Where will I go next? Who knows…

Live, Laugh, Love in Peace -Neil

Organizing your paperwork is not rocket science and I have found that most businesses make it much more complicated than it needs to be.  Before the first quarter of 2012 passes you by, make sure that you fine-tune your paperwork filing system and avoid the chaos and stress of years past.  Here are some quick and easy tools that can save you time:

First – Go through your files and purge, purge, purge!  Really, if you haven’t used it in years – get rid of it.  (Except your tax paperwork if you are a business owner).

Second – Look at what area caused you the most stress and how you can fix your problem.  Your solution doesn’t have to be complicated and have a ton of steps involved.  Keep your solution simple to ensure success.

Third – Take a second look at your filing system and find the missing piece or pieces that keep you from being totally organized. 

Fourth – What files do you use the most?  Keep them front and center on the top of your desk – or at least somewhere close by.  This will save you time from having to get up and down and into a filing cabinet.

Fifth – Only print out information that you absolutely need to print!  If it is something that you would like to refer to later file it away in an appropriate file on your computer.  Not only does printing everything out cause an abundance of paperwork that you may not be sure how to handle, but it is also costing you a ton of money in paper and ink every month!

It is 2012.  Now is the perfect time to get your act together and find systems that work for you and your personality.  There is no right or wrong way to organize your files.  Really!  The three basic systems are to file: Alphabetical order, Numerical Order or by Month.  None of these systems may be the right system for you though.  The decision about how to file and find your paperwork is very personal.  That is what I absolutely love about working with home-based businesses. 

Another thing to consider is that if you are having your taxes prepared by a CPA and you don’t have your paperwork organized, you are costing yourself and your business a ton of money every year!  I understand that as a business owner, it is imperative that you have a responsible and credible person take care of your taxes every year.  You don’t however, have to pay more than necessary.  When you hand over your files, paperwork and documentation in an orderly manner it will do three things:  make their job easier; save them time and, most importantly, save you money! 

Invest in yourself and your business this year.  Organize Your Paperwork now.                  

Linda Clevenger, Organization Direct     www.organizationdirect.com

Don’t Agonize – Organize

I had one of the most interesting revelations this week. I was in a spiritual class and we were talking about LOVE in the world. This week’s talk was pretty much confined to Earth.

I didn’t make this technique up so I can’t take credit for it. It certainly brought youth and love to me in a big way.

We were talking about how people can seem unfriendly in the big city. I have to admit that I don’t feel people are unfriendly in New York. Most of the tourists I speak with are surprised by how helpful New Yorkers are. I do, however, understand what was being referred to and I really hadn’t thought about it much, but there are people who seem to be annoyed when I say “Have a good day”, to them in an elevator or in the lobby or laundry room in my building.  These people seem to be to busy to be bothered by a “hello” from little old me.  It reminds me of the days when we “Upper Eastsiders” (the Upper East Side in Manhattan used to be considered “posh”} were very conscious of being like the “Society Ladies” we were expected to be. Ewe, ewe, ewe!  When people snub me I tend to feel I’m less than and must have done something wrong.

This reminds me of last week’s article about dear Colin Lively (now you know who the person I was talking about is) worrying about why a fellow didn’t call him back – and, as it turns out – the fellow had died of an illness shortly following their having met. We rarely know what’s going on in the other guy’s head.  I was thinking that a fellow in my building was too busy or too above me to say “Hi”, while we were both waiting for an elevator. He was probably trying not to appear less than business like. The lack of warm response to me probably has nothing whatsoever to do with me!  It’s all about him.

I realize that when it’s very crowded, many people have a tendency to pull in and not say, “Hello!” or smile as they pass people.  I’ve learned that many people are timid or have been taught to “pull in” when they’re in crowds of strangers or walking down a street in the city.

I thought I wasn’t affected by any of this. Then, when I began testing the advice we were given I couldn’t believe the change inside my heart. This was the most effective thing I’ve practiced in a long time (perhaps for my whole life) in terms of me feeling I wasn’t in any way being shunned by humanity.

I took this lesson out on the street this week and was amazed at the joy I felt just being out there with people.  I usually feel joyful out on the street with people although I must admit sometimes I think the scowling or tight-faced people in the crowd are off putting. I feel that way in suburban shopping malls and parking lots and in small towns too. I know this method of feeling love and loved in the crowd would work anywhere.

So what was this method we were presented with?  We were guided to see the people around us as pets! Pets – as in animals – dogs, cats, parrots, turtles etc.! Guess what happened?  OOOOOOHHHHHH! All the people on the street became adorable.  I mean ADORABLE. Even the angry ones looked like little (or, even big) dogs that felt penned up in their cages.  The faces on these people suddenly looked like pet mongrel doggies that were holding back a bark and wrinkling up their faces.  I wanted to put my nose right up against theirs and rub their snout with my snout as I’d shake my head quickly and lick their little tongue as they’d pant.  One fairly elderly Asian woman was staring straight ahead.  Her eyes were totally devoid of emotion and her mouth was closed tightly with her cheeks slightly pulled in. In the past I’d have thought she was an angry pathetic person.

I got such a warm and wonderful a feeling that’s hard to explain.  Suddenly, I saw the world saying, “YES” to me and guess what?  I was suddenly saying YES to me!  Whenever I’m feeling people are shutting me out or I’m a bit down on myself – I’m going to think “Woof! Woof!”

Mr. Peabody and the "Wayback Machine" take Sherman back to a time before birth control was legal.

Something just occurred to me: What is the single thing Republican men are more afraid of than gay marriage? Simple. Women.

The recent rash of crazy comments coming from the Right regarding birth control has a lot less to do with abortion than even I realized. To have a clearer understanding of the apoplectic comments with which we’ve been bombarded, you have to understand the history of the politics of birth control in our country and how it has changed the place of women in our society, socially, economically and ethically.

This realization came into sharp focus for me this week when Foster Friess, the main donor to the Super PAC backing Rick Santorum’s presidential bid, made the following comment to MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell:

“On this contraceptive thing, my gosh, it’s so inexpensive. You know, back in my days, they used Bayer Aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn’t that costly.”

His comment left Andrea Mitchell (and me) stunned and unable to immediately respond. The media backlash, however, was swift and harsh. He later dismissed it as a bad joke, but behind every bad joke lays the heart of the jokester. What’s the subtext here? Let’s start with his use of the word “gals”. In the world of Foster Friess, we’re not rational, thinking adults who know what’s best for our bodies and our families, we’re “gals” who need the clear guidance of a man to make decisions for us. And of course, if we “gals” would just keep our legs closed, contraception wouldn’t be an issue. Yes, if we’d just stop acting like whores, we wouldn’t have to worry about pregnancy.

I couldn’t believe this was a wealthy, educated man in a suit uttering these words and when I watched the clip (about a dozen times), all I could see was a man with a three-day beard holding a longneck, wearing a “wife beater” screaming for his woman to “make me a sammich!” I thought long and hard about this and it led me to wonder how, in the year 2012, we could possibly have anyone left in our society with such blatantly sexist and backward views. That wonder led me to take a closer look at the historical experience of the American woman with regard to birth control.

And I couldn’t comment on this week without sharing this photo taken of the “experts” on women’s health and reproduction taken at a Congressional hearing this week on Capitol Hill. I’m betting you’ll probably be able to point out what’s wrong with this picture as quickly as did I.

The Congressional panel of "experts" on birth control and women's health issues. What's wrong with this picture? If your answer was the complete absence of uteri, you win the bonus points.

Contraception was legal in the United States throughout most of the nineteenth century, but in the 1870’s a social purity movement, much like the one we see today (yes, we’ve regressed 140 years), grew in strength, aimed at outlawing vice, prostitution and obscenity. The campaign also attacked contraception, which was viewed as an immoral practice promoting prostitution and venereal disease. Anthony Comstock was a postal inspector and leader in the purity movement, who successfully lobbied for the passage of the 1873 Comstock Act, a federal law prohibiting mailing of “any article or thing designed or intended for the prevention of conception or procuring of abortion”, as well as any form of contraceptive information. Anthony Comstock made it illegal to even educate women on contraception. Think about that, because we’ll come back to it later.

For Social Conservatives, perhaps the most hated woman in history is the founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger. Social Conservatives like to re-write history by claiming that Margaret Sanger was a leading proponent of abortion. Sanger’s family planning advocacy always focused on contraception, rather than abortion. It was not until the mid 1960’s, after Sanger’s death, that the reproductive rights movement expanded its scope to include abortion rights as well as contraception. Sanger was opposed to abortions, both because they were dangerous for the mother (at the time they were), and because she believed that life should not be terminated after conception. In her book Woman and the New Race, she wrote,

“while there are cases where even the law recognizes an abortion as justifiable if recommended by a physician, I assert that the hundreds of thousands of abortions performed in America each year are a disgrace to civilization.”

In her 1938 autobiography, Sanger noted that her opposition to abortion was based on the taking of life:

“[In 1916] we explained what contraception was; that abortion was the wrong way, no matter how early it was performed it was taking life; that contraception was the better way, the safer way — it took a little time, a little trouble, but was well worth while in the long run, because life had not yet begun.” And in her book Family Limitation, Sanger wrote that, “no one can doubt that there are times when an abortion is justifiable but they will become unnecessary when care is taken to prevent conception. This is the only cure for abortions.”

I realize that flies in the face of everything the Social Conservatism/Modern Purity Movement would have you believe about Ms. Sanger, but it took very little research and an easy read of her own writings to uncover these facts. Sanger’s mother bore 11 children and died young. My own mother bore way too many children at way too early an age to the detriment of her mental health. I’m not sorry I was born. I’m sorry that birth control was still illegal for married couples at the time, disallowing her to make the choice. That’s right. She didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t until 1965, in Griswold v. Connecticut, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the ban on contraception by married couples violated their right to privacy.

Just seven years later, in Eisenstadt v. Baird, the Supreme Court ruled that unmarried people had the right to possess contraception on the same basis as married people and, by implication, gave the right of unmarried couples to engage in potentially non-procreative sexual intercourse. The Court struck down a Massachusetts law prohibiting the distribution of contraceptives to unmarried people, ruling that it violated the Equal Protection Clause. The reason most of us aren’t even aware of Eisenstadt v. Baird, is because another landmark case, Roe v. Wade, was decided on the very same day. The Court ruled that a right to privacy, under the Due Process Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment, extended to a woman’s decision to have an abortion. So, when you hear people talking about overturning Roe v. Wade, they’re not talking about overturning legalized abortion, they’re talking about overturning a woman’s right to privacy, a woman’s right to have a private conversation between her and her doctor, a woman’s right to be truly free. What I’m saying is that it took 100 years after blacks were given citizenship and the right to vote, for women to gain the hard-earned right to sovereignty over their own bodies.

Speaking of the Right to Privacy, this week, the Virginia state Legislature passed a bill that the Republican Governor has vowed to sign, that would require women to have an ultrasound before they may have an abortion – but not just any ultrasound. Because the great majority of abortions occur during the first 12 weeks, that means most women will be forced to endure a “transvaginal ultrasound”, in which a probe is inserted into the vagina, and then moved around until an ultrasound image is produced. This is not a medically necessary procedure, the patient can’t opt out of the procedure and the physician can’t refuse to perform it. Women in Virginia will be forcibly penetrated, for no medical reason, prior to obtaining a legal abortion. Under any other set of facts, forcible penetration constitutes rape under Virginia state law, unless of course, it’s the state perpetrating the rape. I call this intrusion of the worst kind. Republicans, for all their talk of small government demonstrate just how invasive the government can be – and how it can look exactly like a very large phallus.

The socio-economic impact of access to birth control for women was immediate. No longer were women automatically eliminated from the workplace. No longer were women automatically denied some of the same financial advantages as men. No longer were women reliant on men and marriage for their futures. Access to birth control meant women didn’t just gain autonomy over their own reproductive choices, they were no longer forced into a life of servitude and forced incubation. They could choose a career if that’s what they wanted. If a woman chooses motherhood, no one is happier for her than me. If she chooses to stay out of the workplace to devote life to motherhood, no one is happier for her than me. I’m happy for her because that is what she chooses. But make no mistake about it: removing reproductive choices for women does force them to incubate a pregnancy to term and the impact on her body, her health and her career is immediate and long-lasting and that is a conversation worth having. This is the Republican Jobs Plan: keep women barefoot and pregnant and you keep them out of the workforce.

Fox News commentator Sean Hannity is entitled to believe that access to birth control encourages “screwing around”. In the same breath that he slammed the President for ruling that insurance companies should cover birth control without co-pays, he defended men receiving the same coverage for Viagra. Hannity insists that birth control isn’t a women’s health issue while claiming that men not getting erections on demand is a “medical problem”. I don’t know too many men who don’t worship at the altar of birth control. I don’t know too many men who want to give up sex for pleasure. I don’t know too many men who can afford to have as many children in which their unprotected sex would ultimately result. It’s pretty clear to all involved that access to birth control prevents pregnancy and access to Viagra promotes “screwing around”.

Barefoot and Pregnant

But back to “Aspirin Man”. Mr. Friess, I dropped my aspirin a long time ago. I’ve been fortunate in this life to have a man who loves me, agreed that we didn’t want children together for personal reasons and spent all of my adult life enjoying a healthy and active sex life. Yes, I’ve enjoyed a healthy and active sex life not to procreate, but for pleasure, all the while enjoying a very successful career. I did, however take your advice and purchase that bottle of Bayer Aspirin. I figured when that angry, birth control loving mob of sexually active women caught up with you… you were going to need it. I’m here for you, man.

This is in response to the letter to the editor of the Freelance Star Newspaper, with the title “Think you have control over your own body, ladies?” [Feb. 6].   I would like to share a counterpoint from Dr. Bernard Nathanson, co-founder of NARAL, America’s largest abortion lobby group. On Dec. 1, 2009, I flew to New York to interview Dr. Nathanson, who felt personally responsible for killing 75,000 children while he advanced unfettered abortion in the 1970s, and gave me a message to carry to America. I promised him I would carry his message and never stop.

The author of the letter, asked: “How is forcing [a pregnant woman] to carry a baby to term with a serious deformity going to help anyone?” and “Do you think you have autonomy over your own body?” She voiced her complaint that Del. Mark Cole was patron of a bill that would repeal taxpayer funding of the state’s Medicaid program for women who choose to kill their babies in the womb due to physical deformity or mental deficiency. The author saw nothing positive or good in bringing a baby like this to full-term.

Dr. Nathanson had answers to these questions; if I could share them with the author over a cup of coffee, this is what I would say.

As I entered Dr. Nathanson’s apartment that December day, I observed a feeble man in his 80s. Too shaky to stand to his feet, he welcomed me to sit beside him while I asked my questions. I listened intently, sometimes with tears in my eyes, as his story unfolded. His decisions affected the course of American history and the lives of millions of Americans.

In 1969, with the help of a public relations firm, Dr. Nathanson and a few other people caught the nation by surprise and framed the debate over legalizing–or, rather, decriminalizing–abortion. The co-founders of NARAL invented the slogans of “freedom of choice” and “women must have control over their own bodies.” Framing the debate away from the morality–or immorality–of killing another person, he and his team set out on a course to change public opinion and lay the groundwork for Roe v. Wade.

To gain the public’s acceptance of decriminalized abortion, he and his colleagues fabricated poll results, making it appear that the majority of Americans wanted legalized abortion, and disseminated this information to the media. In addition, they lied about the number of illegal abortions performed annually in the U.S., consistently citing 1 million abortions a year when only about 100,000 were being performed.

The co-founder of NARAL also explained how they marketed the idea that legalizing abortion would not increase the overall number of abortions–a claim that is now preposterous considering that a million people a year lose their lives to abortion. Reflecting on the sinister nature of the death industry, it was obvious he was remorseful for partaking in this national deception.

A CHANGE OF HEART

Four years after co-founding the nation’s largest pro-abortion lobby group, Dr. Nathanson saw the error of his ways and became pro-life. With the help of the new and improved ultrasound and electronic fetal heart monitoring, a second patient was revealed: a baby, a baby with a beating heart, puckering his lips, stretching his little arms.

Shattering his pro-abortion world, founded on lies and deception, Dr. Nathanson turned from being pro-abortion and began to tell the truth. He even made an in-utero film called “Silent Scream,” which shows an abortion taking place. Revealing a baby squirming away from the suction tube, a little mouth open in an inaudible cry, “Silent Scream” was seen and “heard” around the country.

Dr. Nathanson knew what we all really know in our hearts: The baby is not the woman’s body. Therein is the lie that the co-founder of NARAL started. Once we recognize the humanity of the baby, who temporarily lives inside his mother, the argument, not the baby, is dead. Regardless of how deformed or ugly, he or she has the gift of life, and every life is precious. No child’s life should be taken. A woman can do what she wants with her body, but the baby living inside her is a separate and genetically distinct human being with every right to live.

When a nation and a government violate this principle of life, everyone’s rights are abrogated. The same lie supported slavery; the same lie undergirded the Holocaust the notion that someone is less than human.

I asked Dr. Nathanson what message he wanted me to carry throughout our nation, and he softly said to me: “Tell them to love one another. Abortion is not love.”

As his hands trembled while reaching for a cup of water, I was thankful that since 1973 his life had been put to good use, proclaiming a message of life and love, not death and deception. He died on Feb. 21, 2011, but his message will never stop. Loving babies and protecting the gift of life, no matter how short or difficult, are the right things to do.

When America can do that again, everyone’s right to life is protected and the “worth” of someone’s life will never be measured by somebody else’s scale. This protects the individual’s right to life and benefits society as a whole.

Lindy Gravelle

Patrick McMullan

2-3 pm EST (11am-12pm PT) The Colin Lively Show~ Colin has so much to cover in this show, we’re not sure an hour is enough! Today, Colin will try to tackle and overcome his fear of flying with none other than Dr. Shadenfreud, who has cured many celebrities of severe fears and phobias over the years. Colin is very hopeful this will work, so please, keep your fingers crossed!

Then, the fabulously talented Lindy Gravelle, acclaimed singer/songwriter/pianist. Lindy’s illustrious career began at the age of 3 in picturesque Tillamook, Oregon. Her musical talent took her to stays in San Francisco and Nashville. Now, coming full-circle, she is back in her beloved Oregon.

And on a more serious note as Colin is completely heartbroken, we’re sure he can pull it together long enough to share some fantastic anecdotes about his dear friend, Zelda Kaplan, who suddenly passed away this week at the age of 95. She was, and always will be, an icon in the fashion industry. Oh the fashion changes she’s seen in 95 years! Colin’s dear friend, Patrick McMullan,THE A-List celebrities’ photographer of New York, joins Colin in remembering Zelda.

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