Hillary Clinton: "Why do extremists—in every country—want to control women? .. Women have a RIGHT to make their OWN CHOICES!"

God Bless Hillary Clinton!
This weekend, at the "Women In the World" - International Summit, she said, "Why do extremists—in every country—want to control women?" The Secretary of State said that even the U.S. ought to live its own values because "America needs to set an example for the entire world."

BOYCOTT SEX WEEK OF MAY 13, 2012! STAND UP FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS!!

I call on all women across America to stand in Solidarity and Boycott Sex for the week of May 13, 2012. (Mother's Day week) We need to help men understand that women are in solidarity against those that are attacking Women's rights and proposing we revert to the pre-1950's age of women's servitude.

Rick Santorum, Republican Governors and many Republicans are advocating:

1. The END to Birth Control availability on the formularies of Health Care providers.

2. Violating a woman's Right to Choose and proposing a Mandate of a Rape Tool once a Woman has made her Choice.

Santorum is also calling for an end to Sex before marriage.

It is time we help men understand that women are in solidarity against such injustices and bias laws against women.

My thoughts on Abortion and Women's Rights

I believe in Women's Rights. From the time I was a little girl, I have believed in Women's rights. I remember when I was 5 years old, I noticed how boys always received preferential treatment vs girls. My brothers didn't have to clean the house or learn to cook dinner or wash the dishes like my sisters and I did.
When I became a teenager, I loved watching "That Girl" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." I saw that women were finding their place in America and I vowed that I would be "That Girl" too.
As a teenager and a young woman, my girlfriends and I followed politics and we protested against the laws that were unfair to women and minorities. We protested for Equal Pay for Equal Work. We protested for Civil Rights and Equal Rights for All.
Our songs supported these movements: "I am Woman! Hear Me Roar!.. I am strong! I am invincible! I am Woman!"
These were tumultuous times, life changing times. Women were chastised for protesting. Conservative Right wing extremists, then and now - including some of the Republican Prez Candidates, ridicule us, calling us "Women's Libbers" or worse. These conservative Republicans long for the pre-fifties times of old, when women were subservient and catered to them. They continue their attempts to take away our rights and take us back to the pre-fifties.
I wish I could take you all back in a time machine so you could relish the changing times and successes we've achieved in America. Both the Civil Rights and the Women's Right Movements have made such dramatic changes in America. I remember we all had such conviction about the need to change America for the better. We all knew we were in the midst of monumental change and we knew we had to continue our fight and our protests if we were to make a better world.
During the 70s in particularly, Women evolved. We dramatically changed. We found our Voice. In the 60s we fought for, but in the 70s we finally realized we were ALL Equal! If we worked hard enough, we could be successful not only in the home but in our careers -- in Life.
We've also seen monumental changes in Healthcare. We didn't have Medicare until the sixties. Prior to that, seniors were left to fend for themselves. They often died, due to lack of proper healthcare.
Women's Healthcare dramatically advanced through these time. In the 60s came the development and popularity of Oral Contraceptives (Birth Control pills).
There was quite a transition for women during these times. We were still being counseled at Church and by our parents to be "Good Girls." However, the world was offering us so many freedoms. I was fortunate to meet my boyfriend (now husband) as a teenager and also to be hired into my corporation as a young career woman. There were so many choices I didn't have to make. I Thank God for Blessing me with a Wonderful Husband and two Wonderful, Handsome, Loving, Caring Sons!
Some of my girlfriends were not so fortunate. Poor choices in men and some poor career choices caused them to have to make difficult decisions. Even though birthcontrol was available, two of my friends had to make decisions about abortions.
The Republicans would have you think these are easy decisions. Some Republicans are even advocating no birth control and no sex until you are married and until you are ready to conceive, hardly a realistic notion.

Abortion is not a decision anyone wants to make. However, it is a decision some women consider when they become unexpectedly pregnant. I remember the tears, the fear, the agony these two women went through when they made their decisions. The first thing you have to remember is, sex is a choice made by a man and a woman. One night of Sex is all it takes and a Woman is left with a Lifetime of consequence. Yet, in most cases, the man (who usually initiates the action) doesn't face ANY consequences. It is the woman who may be abandoned, left alone, left to make a life changing decision like this on her own. Many of these women are in desperation because of the poor choices they made on that ONE Night. These were young women, starting off in life, new at the job, new on their own.
After their abortion experience, both women went on to have full lives. Both of them found husbands and had families of their own. Neither can hardly speak of their earlier decision. I spoke to one of them recently. She is sad about her decision. She now thinks differently about abortion. We both wondered what would have happened had she changed her mind back then.
A Woman's Right To Choose:
Sex has been happening since the beginning of time. Sometimes an unwanted pregnancy occurs. Once this happens, there are so many scenarios. I wonder about all the backroom abortions and women's deaths that occurred prior to legalized abortions. I also think about all the women who married someone they didn't love because they were pregnant and felt obliged to marry the guy. I think about all the murdered women, murdered by their spouses -- were they trapped in an unwanted marriage because of pregnancy? I think about rape victims and women whose lives are jeopardized by pregnancy.
I cannot and will not make decisions for these women. This is their choice, not mine.
I strongly support Birth Control for ALL Women.
I strongly support Birth Control being on the formulary of EVERY HealthCare Provider.
I strongly OPPOSE Republicans trying to deny Women their Freedom and their RIGHT to Choose!

My Intrusive Vaginal Probe and Out of Touch Male Republican Candidates

Birth Control is a needed prescription drug and should be on every Health Care provider's formulary. These prescriptions not only prevent pregnancy for working women, they are also prescribed for the treatment of many female illnesses.
Why do Republican men minimize female medical procedures? Why do they oppose Birth Control? Why do they minimize the role of women in the workforce? In the Military? Why do they want to control women's lives?
The ANSWER: Republicans are closely linked to Big Business Pharmaceuticals who are looking for the opportunity to remove female Birth Control products from their covered formulary list. This would save them Billions of dollars a year.

What else? A Republican MANDATE for Women who are considering abortion to undergo a MANDATED extremely invasive procedure. All the Republican Presidential candidates support the proposed law in Virginia which requires woman to undergo a Transvaginal Ultrasound Exam. (see the video above) I want each of you, ESPECIALLY REPUBLICAN MEN ADVOCATING THIS PROCEDURE, to see this ENTIRE video so you understand what these Republican candidates are asking women to undergo.
I've recently had an Intrusive Vaginal probe medical procedure. In my case, it was a D&C. My husband has heard jokes by his male friends calling it "Dusting and Cleaning," but I am here to tell you, it is no joke. See this video to see what I went through. I had this procedure yesterday and I am still very sore and find it difficult to walk across the room without discomfort.

These Republican Men DO NOT UNDERSTAND Women's Health nor do they have a clue about how important Birth Control prescriptions are to American Women, all Women - whether working mothers, retirees, stay at home moms or single girls. Any man who has a question about this, I suggest you talk to your sister, wife, mother or woman friend about Birth Control. Just ask this question: "Is Birth Control important?"
Then just listen. Let her talk.

HINO Marco Rubio and Republicans Campaign Against Women!

I was listening to Talk Radio this week. One of the reasons I listen to their rants is because I want to stay informed of their various strategies so that I can share them with you.
This week these Republican talking heads have been bashing Women's Rights. They are aiming their anger over a Healthcare policy which includes Birth Control coverage.

In a nutshell, this policy asks insurance companies to include birth control pills in the list of prescriptions they cover. Most insurance companies already do this. However, some don't. This leaves some women, particularly poor women, without coverage for their Birth Control.
This bill does NOT Force Anyone to BUY Birth Control pills. It does NOT Force healthcare providers to PRESCRIBE Birth Control pills. It ONLY says that Insurance Companies INCLUDE Birth Control in their list of covered prescriptions (what they term their "formulary").
The bill clearly explains any Catholic Church or Religious institution are EXEMPT. This bill merely states that those that provide Insurance/Healthcare must include Birth Control as an option in their Formulary.

The policy DOES NOT FORCE CATHOLICS TO TAKE BIRTH CONTROL PILLS! THIS IS A BIG LIE REPUBLICANS ARE PROMOTING!
Now, HINO (Hispanic in Name Only) and Vice Presidential candidate wannabe Marco Rubio is pushing a bill to STOP this policy from happening. He (and many Republicans) are advocating Birth Control be taken away from these women which will result in their becoming barefoot and pregnant!

So back to Republican Talk Radio:
In Dallas, the Republican radio station is KSKY (Case Guy). All shows are hosted by Republican Conservative extremists, even Saturday's show hosted by Chiropractors. You should have heard them.
These Republicans were discussing Birth Control and how they cause Womens' Mood Swings. They said Birth Control distorts Womens' perception. They talked about women on Birth Control choosing the wrong man and then marrying him and then when they were off the pill realizing they married the wrong man and the marriage resulting in divorce. They somehow tied all this in to the discussion regarding Healthcare providers having Birth Control on their Formulary. These Republican wackos blamed President Obama for RUINING MARRIAGES and FORCING CATHOLICS TO USE BIRTH CONTROL. (All Lies!) Not only are they campaigning against our President, they are also advocating THE END OF BIRTH CONTROL.
One of their speakers said women should never use Birth Control. They should stay home, raise children and take care of the house. (Bare-foot and Pregnant.)
These people are AGAINST WOMEN'S RIGHTS and THESE ARE THE AGENDAS THEY ARE PROMOTING. It is clear, Republicans are campaigning against the Women of Today!

No Means No: A Rape in California After the Homecoming Dance: What Can We Learn from this Crime?

Rape is primarily a crime against women. Rape is never ok. Rape is one person holding power against another person. Rape is a crime. Rape is a sin. Those guilty of committing rape should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, even on the 1st occasion, even if watching and not getting help for the victim.
There was a horrendous rape in Richmond, California last week against a young girl who was only 15 years old. Yesterday, her family's Pastor said: "Stop the violence! Please do not respond to this tragic event by promoting hatred or by causing more pain. We've had enough violence already in this place." Her parents added, "If you need to express your outrage, please channel your anger through positive action..Work toward changing the atmosphere in our schools and in this community so that this kind of thing never happens again."
I've been thinking about writing a blog about what happened to this young girl. One of my anonymous commenters has been harassing me to write about it because there were some young Latinos involved. I guess he didn't read that there were several perps of various races/ethnicities, including white, black, latino, middle eastern that have been arrested. I'm not writing this blog because of anon's request. I am writing it to support the victim, a young, naive and open-hearted girl and her parents wishes. Several in depth articles have come out.
Summary: Rape, Richmond California, October 24, 2009
On the night of the attack, the young victim left the homecoming dance before it ended (about 9:30 p.m) and walked to the back of campus to call her father to pick her up. A young friend, Cody Ray Smith (15) invited her into the notorious courtyard. The courtyard is notorious for being an unlighted area in the back of the school grounds where young boys and men gather to drink, smoke and spin tales.

In the courtyard, a group of about a dozen boys and young men were already well into 2 gallons of vodka. After they liquored up the girl with brandy, they proposed sex, according to several accounts by friends of those who were there but asked not to be named for fear of retaliation. The girl said NO. Some of the men placed her on one of the two red cement benches set alongside the main brick building of the school and said they were going to have sex anyway, according to the accounts.

"They had her down on the bench and the bitch tried to kick 'Tweak' (one of the men) in the nuts," said one young man, who said he had a first-hand account of the attack from Smith but was afraid of being named. "He went off on her, started hitting her, and then it was on. They pulled a train (a gang initiation-style rape, one after the other) on her."

What ensued was 2 1/2 hours of beatings and raping, at times with a foreign object. The scene attracted onlookers, some calling others over by cell phone, and eventually there were as many as 10 men or boys sexually assaulting the girl while another 20 looked on, laughing and snapping pictures. Teachers and students were searching last week for at least one video that many said was filmed of the attack.

The rape finally stopped, around midnight (A 2 1/2 hour rape from 9:30 - midnight), after students at a house down the block heard of what was going on and called police. The girl was found, semiconscious, beneath a picnic table.

"Her face was purple and blue and she wasn't moving when they finished and ran," said Eraclio Lopez, 23, who lives nearby and ran over when the police cars rolled up. "I guess those kids thought what they did was tight, was cool. But it was terrible." The girl was released from a hospital Wednesday, but her recovery has only begun, police Lt. Mark Gagan said.

"This was a barbaric crime, and I find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that so many watched and didn't report it," Gagan said. "That poor girl will have a lot of healing to do."

This was not the first time the churchgoing sophomore had hung out with the wrong crowd, said one educator who asked not to be named for fear of offending school district sensitivities. That has caused anguish for not just her but the advisers who helped her over the past couple of years,

"She really is a smart girl, but it's not always easy to fit in," the educator said. "I think she can be a little naive, and she's been harassed by guys in the past who took advantage of her when she tried a little too hard."

From Cody Smith's my space comments: "Freee mah nigga ... F- dem snitches," reads one of the more prominent comments posted by a friend. Arrested: San Pablo residents Cody Ray Smith, 15, and Ari Abdallah Morales, 16; Pinole resident Marcelles James Peter, 17; and Richmond resident Manuel Ortega, 19 were arraigned in court on Thursday.

Teachers, who asked not be named because of district confidentiality rules, said Smith and the other two juvenile defendants charged as adults have had tough times academically. Ari Abdallah Morales, 16, of San Pablo and Marcelles James Peter, 17, of Pinole were transferred out of Richmond High to continuation high schools. Although Peter has a shelf of city league soccer trophies, he and the others are mediocre pupils at best, sources said.

The fourth suspect arraigned in the case, 19-year-old Manuel Ortega, ran away from home and dropped out of school after his junior year, sources said. He was a disruptive student who once threw a flaming ball of paper at a teacher.

"The younger ones - they mostly just watched, and they are the ones talking and giving up names," said one source familiar with the investigation who asked not to be named, because the Police Department has ordered its investigators to keep a tight lid on information. "This was not a gang thing. It was just a mob that got out of control. It was the older ones who led it all."
There were a lot of people to lead.

Readers, I ask you:
1. What Lessons do we learn from this crime?
2. What can we do to ensure crimes like this never happen again?
3. Are those who watched and either cheered or did nothing, are they accountable too?
4. What lessons can women/victims learn from this crime?

This crime reminded me a little of the movie "The Accused." While in the movie, the victim bears some responsibility, this young 15 year old victim holds none. I am showing you this clip to illustrate how the mob mentality may have occurred in this rape. In the movie, the watchers/instigators were convicted.
In last weekend's rape, the police are saying there are up to 25 more suspects. Could they have been the instigators too? WARNING TO VIEWERS: Here is the clip, but viewers who are sensitive or with weak-stomachs should NOT view it. THE ACCUSED - RAPE Scene.
References:
Richmond gang rape seen as nearly inevitable
Parents of California teen raped at school: Stop the violence
Richmond High School Gang-Rape in California: Others Watched and Did Nothing, Say Cops