It goes on and on and is rarely reported. As Rachel points out - this is shameful and the American people should rise up and demand better for our vets and their families.
2.) An amazingly smart article on feminism and what we need to tell our girls:
Choosing — what feminism has always claimed to be about — has consequences. It isn't always easy. We pick one thing, which means we don't pick something else. Women need to get more comfortable than ever with their new buffet of choices, but also with the possibility for the same disappointment and unhappiness that men have enjoyed (or not) alongside their many choices. This isn't ammo for arguments that feminism has failed — it never sought to give us happiness, only greater freedom from which to fashion our own idea of happiness.
Nor does it mean that women who opt out of corporate ambition in favor of contentment have harmed perceived progress in the least. In the big, messy, complicated movement that encompasses the progress of all women, some of us can be the backbone, and others can be the bicep. The only thing that matters is to not let all this collective muscle atrophy.
3.) One of my daughter's 19 year old friends confided that she has HPV. She has somehow deluded herself into thinking she didn't get it from a sexual encounter - I loudly disputed that with my daughter lest the mis-information spread. I feel so sad for this young woman as the other woman I know with HPV had cervical cancer at 26, has surgically lost most of her cervix and will likely never bear children.
This week I am reading that a whole lot of ignorant parents are now opting out of HPV vaccinations for their daughters; 44%, in fact, for reasons which make no sense and fears which are unsubstantiated - and despite the facts:
HPV causes essentially 100 percent of cervical cancer and 50 percent of all Americans get infected at least once with HPV. It's a silent infection. You cannot tell when you've been exposed or when you have it. While most HPV infections clear, a percentage linger and start the process of cancerous changes. The HPV vaccine is an anti-cancer vaccine.
I not only vaccinated both of my girls, I tried very hard to get my son vaccinated before they were recommending it for boys. I failed in that attempt but I have made sure he understands his obligations to be tested and to practice safe sex. We are far beyond unintended pregnancies and treatable STD's here.
This can be a death sentence, like AIDS. I cannot believe that we have an anti-cancer vaccine and parents are not lining up to have their kids get this protection.
4.) Ally is coming home late Sunday for a few days of her Spring break (her job has scheduled her for the weekends) - I hate having to work all week and not be able to spend time with her. I finished the FAFSA for next year and the cost of tuition has exceeded the loans we can get - sigh. Off to work I will go.
2 comments:
On my way home last night, I listened to an interview with the soldier who wrote the recently published letter to Bush, Cheney about what the war has done to thousands of veterans. This soldier was the subject of a documentary (Body of War) in 2005 made by Phil Donohue so he was part of the interview. Anyway, he is going to refuse feeding via a feeding tube in May once he celebrates his one year anniversary of marriage with his wife. He just can't take any more pain and suffering. It was a heart-breaking interview.
I suppose Bush and Cheney have heard nothing about any of this.
And as far as the vaccine---Michelle Bachmann told us all that it was dangerous, so there you go. Ignorance wins again.
1. I am exceedingly grateful for the education benefit that my husband was able to pass on to our first 2 sons, and I am beyond frustrated over the Sequester.
2. It makes so much sense... and yet women continue to beat each other up over choices.
3. knittergran nailed it.
4. Updating our FAFSA and dreading #3's college expenses.
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