Almost missed this one

A federal appeals court has vacated an injunction that had allowed pharmacists to refuse to dispense emergency contraceptives. The Ninth Circuit held that pharmacists are obliged to dispense the Plan B pill, even if they are personally opposed to the "morning after" contraceptive on religious grounds. From the LA Times:

The right to freely exercise one's religion "does not relieve an individual of the obligation to comply with a valid and neutral law of general applicability," the 9th Circuit panel wrote.

"Any refusal to dispense -- regardless of whether it is motivated by religion, morals, conscience, ethics, discriminatory prejudices, or personal distaste for a patient -- violates the rules," the panel said.

And no, this was not a particularly liberal panel of the Ninth Circuit - two of the three judges were appointed George W. Bush. Complete decision here.

All your uterii are belong to us, part 460

Oh, and about that brain-dead, deformed fetus in your womb? The one whose delivery could kill you or prevent you from having children in the future? Tough luck, sister.

The latest Kansas antichoice witch hunt?

Shut down:

In a trial watched closely by those on both sides of the abortion debate, Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas physician accused of performing 19 illegal late-term abortions, was found innocent today. The six-person jury, three men and three women, deliberated for less than an hour.

All your uteri are belong to us, part 459

Another in a series of posts highlighting that as a woman your bodily integrity is subject to state control:



Choice is far more than the freedom to end a pregnancy.

Now this is just strange

The Milwaukee journal is reporting that a "crisis pregnancy clinic" (read: fake - usually taxpayer supported - clinic designed to talk women out of ending a pregnancy) in rural Wisconsin has claimed that they know of ten young women using common veterinary drugs to end their pregnancies. No other women's health care providers have heard of such actions, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction are treating the reports as rumors, and no cases have been officially confirmed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. A Dept.of health spokesperson said, "There's no proof that this occurring."

These can be dangerous drugs and can result in "excessive hemorrhaging, infection if pregnancy tissues didn't fully clear the body, clotting issues, and complications for asthmatics, as one side effect includes constricted bronchial tubes."

This small, anti-choice fake clinic is hoking up what appears to be a non-existent problem that could potentially plant a dangerous idea in the minds of young, unintentionally pregnant young women. If the CareNet Pregnancy Center of Green County wants to discourage abortions, why are they calling attention to unsafe methods using dangerous drugs?

I would like to think that they're not just doing this so that their concern becomes some twisted self-fulfilling prophecy that causes desperate young women to take dangerous drugs just so that the CareNet Pregnancy Center of Green County can say "See? We told you so. Abortions kills!"

I'd like to think that, but I'm not entirely certain I'd be correct.

Unbought, Unbossed on International Women's Day

On this day, International Women’s Day, I’d like to honor a woman from our past who has inspired thousands of women, whose story is relevant today and should be told every day in different ways (not just one day of the year). Women’s leadership is still missing from the halls of power in many nations. From Saudi Arabia, where Pelosi commented that ‘it was a nice view’ from the speaker's chair of the all-male advisory council to America where there are currently 92 women serving in the Senate and the House of Representatives. This is a 1% increase from the 110th Congress, which some have lauded as ‘groundbreaking’ because it is the largest margin of women serving in Congress.

I wonder if Shirley Chisholm would see it as groundbreaking? As the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968 she brought an important voice to Congress for the first time. Later she ran for President during the 72’ election where her campaign slogan was “Chisholm 72’ – Unbought and Unbossed”. While she was on the ‘Chisholm Trail’ and serving in Congress for 14 years she gave voice to millions of people left out of the political process. She asserted at the beginning of her presidential bid that she was wasn’t just a voice for the women’s movement, or the civil rights movement but a voice for people everywhere. You can find her full speech here.

Of course it would be excellent to have Congress filled with leaders like Chisholm, and we need to keep working to elect leaders who represent everyone, not just the special interests. It’s also important to take a few moments to recognize those who have come before us and helped pave the way for women and minorities everywhere.

It's got to be Palin!

Why is Sarah Palin winning in the "who'd be best to run a daycare" contest being run by US News.



Obviously it's because liberals eat babies.

(Misogyny hat tip to Fecke)