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Autism: The Disease, The Debate, and the Devastated Families

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Note To Presidential Candidates: Women Hold The Key To Your Election

Women Will Play A Key Role In 2008 Election — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at The Care2 Election Blog)

The presidential campaign has taken an interesting turn in the last few days. It’s finally become apparent to the media, the pundits, and the candidates, what has been obvious to women all along…Women hold the key to the White House, ignore them and you shall be locked out.

How important will the “women’s vote” be in the 2008 presidential election? The answer - It’s going to be more important than anyone can even begin to imagine. If that fact hadn’t been abundantly clear before now, it certainly should be after Iowa and New Hampshire. Obama won in Iowa with the majority of women voting for him there, and Clinton won in New Hampshire with the majority of women voting for her there. When all is said and done, the next President of the United States will be coronated not by the media, but by the women.

In 2004, 8.8 million more women voted than men, that number is going to be even greater in 2008.

So, do your homework candidates. This election is not about race, gender, or tears…It’s about the issues, especially the issues that are important to women voters. You will need a message that resonates with all women voters…all colors, ages, income levels, married, single, soccer moms, and single moms. Don’t feel bad men, women ultimately want what’s best for the country, so that includes you too. And NEWS FLASH…Just “pandering” to the women is not going to do the trick, we can actually see through that.

NOTE TO CANDIDATES: Now might be a good time to check in with Lisa Stone of BlogHer about the BlogHer’s Voter Manifesto. FYI…Women who blog not only vote, but they influence other voters. With that said, you may also want to check out The Political Voices of Women, where a list has been compiled of over 300 women blogging about politics and the election. And, don’t forget to check out our very own Care2 Groups, with millions of members, many of whom happen to be women.

So, what are some of the women of the blogosphere saying about the events of the last few days? Here is a little sampling…

READ FULL POST AT The Political Voices of Women

Bush Vetoes HealthCare Bill SCHIP - Leaving Millions Of Children Without Health Insurance

Bush Vetoes Another HealthCare Bill For Children — By Catherine Morgan (links to my post at Care2)

SEE POST AT CARE2

Teen Pregnancy On The Rise - Abstinence Only Programs Failing Our Children

Teen Pregnancy On The Rise - Abstinence Only Programs Failing Our Children — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

I was shocked to read a headline this week, that the rate of teen births is on the rise.

The rate had been steadily declining since 1991, after an intense educational campaign, that included contraception, condom use, and the risk of Aids and sexually transmitted disease. But now, for the first time in 14 years, statistics show a 3% increase in teens having babies.

How could that be? Could it be that sex education programs aren’t working very well? Actually, the sex-ed programs were working just fine, until the Bush administration began diverting funds from them to abstinence only programs.

It doesn’t take a sexologist to explain why abstinence only isn’t an effective means of sex education. But just in case, here is Logan Levkoff of Third Base Ain’t What It Used To Be…

Hmmm…looks like abstinence only programs don’t work. Oh, have I said that before? Sounds familiar, but now there is a new study that is saying the same thing. Last week, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy released a study confirming that ab-only programs don’t delay sex. Even more exciting, the review of teenage sexual behavior also concluded that comprehensive sexuality education does delay the initiation of sex, reduces a teen’s number of sex partners, and increases condom and contraceptive usage. Hurray!

Needless to say, this is terrific news. So I ask you all this: Why have we spent over $1.5 billion in the last ten years on abstinence only? And why is Congress even considering a bill to spend another $141 million on it?

It seems to me that with teen pregnancy on the rise, this would prove that abstinence-only programs are not working. However, instead of recognizing the failure of these programs, the Bush administration is increasing funding.

Ideology, not science, has been driving America’s response to the twin epidemics of teen pregnancy and STD/HIV infections. Funding for abstinence-only censorship programs is dramatically increasing. All told, abstinence-only programs have received over half a billion dollars in federal funds since 1997, and the Bush administration requested yet another sharp increase to $204 million for fiscal year 2007. By 2009, President Bush proposes that funding for abstinence-only programs reach $270 million.

This huge investment of taxpayer funds in abstinence-only programs conflicts with scientific and medical research: abstinence-only programs are not proven effective and may in fact result in riskier behavior by teenagers. Responsible sex education programs, on the other hand, have demonstrated positive results such as delayed initiation of sex, reduced frequency of sex, and increased contraceptive use. — read full article here

Parents really shouldn’t be relying totally on schools to teach their children about sex anyway. It’s not any easy subject to talk about with our children, but it is very important that we do (especially given this latest information on teen pregnancy). Here is a site that seems to include all aspects of sex education…Teensource, and here is one on talking to you kids about sex.

This is from a post by Susan (a parent coach)…

Don’t wait too long to have these conversations. Kids are experimenting with sex and drugs earlier and earlier. The younger you start the easier it will be to continue bringing it up. A great conversation starter might be after you and your child have seen a movie with sex or drugs being part of the content. “What did you think about that movie? What did you think about the choices that Josie made? What would you have done? Do you have any questions about anything that you saw?”

If your child ignores you or doesn’t want to talk about it don’t give up. Keep looking for opportunities to bring up those uncomfortable issues. Soon you will notice that it isn’t so awkward after all!

From Moms Speak Up…

In May, according to NPR, “Democratic Rep. John Dingell, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, made it clear that Democrats do not intend to re-fund a $50 million grant program for abstinence-only sex education. Dingell says he considers the funded programs ‘a colossal failure.’”

“Democrats would still include money for abstinence teachings in schools, but would combine it with comprehensive sex-ed program* that would teach about birth control and other safe sex methods.” (Click here to read the full USA Today article.)

The abstinence-only grant was set to expire on June 30, 2007.

However, despite Democrat statements and the factual studies that revealed the fallibility and lack of efficacy of abstinence-only education, in June, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations voted to increase federal funding for community based abstinence-only education programs (CBAE) in this country by $27.8 million.

In November, the increase amount was officially set at $28 million for a grand total of $141 million. President Bush would like that amount increased to $204 million for 2008.

Could this be what Bush has in mind?

An easy solution to the problem of teen pregnancy.

If we just had a couple more million to add some critical “family values” classes along with the “abstinence only” program, it wouldn’t matter that the teen birth rate is increasing. It would go something like this…High school counselors could stop pushing college on everyone (it’s getting awfully expensive anyway), and instead they could encourage parenting classes. Picture this…The “advanced placement” pregnant teens could take classes in wedding planning. This could even help solve the divorce problem in our country…With no education and just their husband to count on, these women would be virtually trapped in their marriages, with no possibility of getting a divorce or making it on their own.

Seriously, we are really taking major steps backward these days…even our life expectancy is going down.

What do you think about these new statistics? How do you feel about our government spending millions of tax dollars for abstinence only programs? Do you think the schools should be teaching sex educations? Do you talk openly with your kids about sex?

An open question to the candidates: How will you address the problem of teen pregnancy if you are elected president?

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
also at CatherineBlogs.com and The Political Voices of Women

A Violation Against A Woman’s Right To Choose

A Violation Against A Woman’s Right To Choose – by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

A man purposefully puts RU-486 in a woman’s drink, causing her to miscarry, not just once but twice (CNN News clip).

This is truly a heinous crime and an affront to a woman’s right to choose. A woman’s reproductive rights are sacred, and just as no man should be aloud to force a woman to have a child if she is not ready, no man should be able to force her to lose a child if she is choosing to keep it.

This man (and I use that term lightly) should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, sending a clear message to any man or woman who would consider poisoning a pregnant woman for the purpose of having her miscarry.

Since Wisconson is one of 37 states that has a fetal homicide law, one of many charges this [sorry excuse for a] man will face is attempted first-degree intentional homicide of an unborn child.

However, I think the main focus of this case should be the violation of the woman, although I have no problem with this man being charged with murder since the state already has a law that allows for that. Since there are many other charges as well as murder here, I would leave it up to the judge or jury to decide the extent of this person’s punishment. Regardless of the charges, I would hope that this case be treated very seriously, and have serious consequences.

It seems odd to me, but many are taking this clear criminal violation of a woman, and turning it into a debate over abortion. For example…If a woman has the right to terminate her own pregnancy…Why shouldn’t a man be able to secretly and maliciously terminate a woman’s pregnancy if that’s what he wants to do? No, I’m not making this stuff up…

Are You Going To Let The Government Tell You What’s Best For Your Child?

Get Your Child Vaccinated or Go To Jail — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at CatherineBlogs.com)

More problems associated with vaccines, this time the controversy is with the Chicken Pox vaccine. I haven’t been silent about my distrust with the pharmaceutical industry, and most recently with the collaboration between this industry and our government…specifically the rush to make the HPV vaccine mandatory for 9 to 12 year old girls. As much as I have a problem with *some* vaccines, I have a much larger problem with our government forcing parents to vaccinate for viruses such as Chicken Pox and HPV.

I am not someone who is against childhood vaccinations, as a nurse I fully understand the necessity for vaccinating children against polio, measles, mumps, and rubella. However, vaccinating against these diseases was begun for the sole purpose of saving the lives of children, that can not be said for most of the newer vaccines (Flu, HPV, Chicken Pox, Hepatitis, etc). The sole purpose for pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines today, is for one purpose and one purpose only…money (and a lot of it). I wont be able to go into each one in detail for this post (maybe in a future one), but here are a few statistics to just give you an idea of what I am talking about.

But now, let me talk specifically about the Chicken Pox vaccine and this latest controversy.

In Maryland parents are being threatened with fines and jail if they do not comply with vaccinating their children for chicken pox. Does anyone NOT see how insane that sounds? What the bleepidy-bleep is going on????

Speaking as one of the lucky ones, who lived through “The Great Chicken Pock Pandemic” of the 1970’s…oh wait, there was no pandemic and everyone I knew got the chicken pox and a couple days off from school, and actually lived to tell the tale. For those of us old enough to remember having the chicken pox…The memories are horrifying…the pustules, the itch, the dreaded calamine lotion. If you haven’t been through it yourself, you can not begin to imagine what we suffered with for those never ending couple of days. [My attempt as sarcasm…I know, don’t quit my day job.]

Seriously now. When my children were born (and at that time the vaccine was not yet mandatory), the pediatrician told me about it, and I decided that if my children weren’t exposed to the virus before they would be attending school, then I would consider it. [CHOICE…it’s a beautiful thing, but becoming more and more rare in our society.] My reservations had nothing to do with a possible adverse reaction to the vaccine…It was the fact that, getting chicken pox as a child is not serious, and getting the virus actually gives a life-long immunity (the vaccine does not). I also wondered why anyone would consider this vaccine, when there was already an anti-viral medication available, that reduced the severity of the symptoms and cut the duration of the illness?

READ FULL POST AT CatherineBlog.com

Toxic Toys: A New CDC Report Gives Reason To Be Concerned.

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Toxic Toys:  A New CDC Report Gives Reason To Be Concerned. — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

When we bring home toys to our children, the last thing we think is that we could be putting our child at risk for lead poisoning. However, we now know that many toys made in China (and most everything is made in China these days), are doing precisely that.

So…What do we do? What signs do we look for?

How can we protect our children from their own toys?

Well, there isn’t a simple answer, but I’ll try to address as many aspects of this problem as I can with this post.

Our children are being exposed to even greater levels of lead than we could have ever imagined, and now the CDC is reporting that even small levels of lead can be harmful.

Lead poisoning can cause irreversible learning disabilities and behavioral problems and, at very high levels, seizures, coma and even death. — read full article

Lead exposure, at levels that are much lower than previously thought, now appear to be causing low IQ’s, and other intellectual and learning disabilities in children. There is no safe level of lead in a child’s blood, even the smallest amount can be detrimental. And unfortunately, there is no way to lower these levels once they are discovered. For this reason, prevention is the most important aspect of reducing the risk of lead poisoning.

Lead is more dangerous to children than adults because it can harm the developing brain, causing reduced IQ, learning disabilities and behavioral problems, among other things. Signs of lead poisoning may include irritability, low appetite and lethargy. — read full post at MOMformation

Since lowering your child’s exposure to lead is the best way to prevent lead poisoning, knowing what toys have been recalled is very important. Here is a link to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

But, if knowing what toys contain lead is so important…Why is it that our own Consumer Product Safety Commission doesn’t seem to be all that concerned?

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” was the first thing we thought after hearing on Tuesday that Nancy Nord, the head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), doesn’t support legislation to greatly increase resources for her agency to stop toxic products from reaching children. Right now there is only one inspector charged with testing toys. — read full post from The Huffington Post

Here are some more links to other women blogging about the problem of lead in our children’s toys…

Alpha Mom: Lead The Metal Enemy

BlogHer Chris has a post called Getting the Lead Out

Growing Your Baby: More Lead Recalls

The Clutter Diet Blog

My kids are both in their teens now, so this toxic toy scare isn’t affecting me in the same way that I am sure it is affecting so many moms of young children. How is this affecting you? Are you worried? Have you felt the need to have your child tested? Do you trust our government to keep these toxic toys off the shelves? Where will you be buying your toys this Christmas?

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
also at CatherineBlogs.com and The Political Voices of Women

Blog Day For The MOTHERS Act

Today is Blog Day for The MOTHERS Act. See how you can help…

Thank you for taking time to participate in this LIFE SAVING legislative initiative which will help to end the suffering of thousands of mothers, infants and families, while offering education, research and training to those who are charged with their care. Together, we are a powerful force to support the promotion of The MOTHERS Act until it becomes federal law. The implementation of this pivotal prosocial supportive legislation will offer crucial safeguards to women, children and families.

PLEASE LET OUR NATION AND LEGISLATORS KNOW YOU WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS ISSUE TO BE IGNORED ANY LONGER. Below you will find a complete listing of U.S. Senators and their Washington DC telephone numbers. This is a bipartisan issue that BOTH Democratic and Republican state senators need to support. Just PICK UP THE PHONE and CALL!! If the line is busy, call back or leave your message.

List of (over) 200 Women Blogging on Politics

Our list that began with just under 100 women bloggers blogging on politics, is now well over 200. You can check it out here. My thanks to everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute to this list…I couldn’t have done it without you.

Is God Pro-Choice? Planned Parenthood Controversy

Is God Pro-Choice — by Catherine Morgan (cross posted at BlogHer)

Yesterday I wrote a post on my personal blog titled “All Women’s Rights Are Not Created Equal“, in response to the controversy over the opening of a Planned Parenthood in Aurora.

With the “anti-choice” movement claiming to have God and the Bible on their side…What do you think? Why do “pro-lifers” believe that God wouldn’t allow for “choice”? I’m a Christian and I believe in choice…does that mean I’m going to hell? I don’t know what you think, but I’m pretty sure I’m not going to hell. Anyway, is hell even big enough for all the people that believe in choice?

Well, here is a sampling of what the blogosphere is saying.

Sally Field at Emmys Is Censored…If women ruled the world, would there still be war???

FOX CENSORS SALLY FIELD - FOX Hosts The Emmy’s and Censors Sally Field’s Comments on the War. Shocking! Not, so much.

Sally Field said on live television (unfortunately, with a five second delay) what every one of us already knows…If women (particularly mothers) ruled the world, there would be no more war.

SHAME ON YOU FOX!!!

From The Huffington Post…

“If mothers ruled the world, there wouldn’t be any god -” Emmy winner Sally Field said before the Emmycast cut her off her sound and pointed the camera away from the stage so viewers would be distracted. Cut off were the words “god-damned wars in the first place.”

Has the Pro-Life Movement Turned Into a Terrorist Movement?

Suzanne from BlogHer did a post today about how violent the “pro-life” movement has become. Suzanne sites these facts about how hate and terror are permeating through the “pro-life” movement.

How many actual human beings – living and breathing, with family and friends who love them and value them – have been killed by so-called “pro-lifers?” Well, Dr. Bernard Slepian was killed in his kitchen upon return from synagogue by a life-saving sniper. Dr. David Gunn was shot and killed in the parking lot of the clinic he worked in. Religious Tolerance counts 24 murders and attempted murders by “pro-life” folks from 1993-2004. Almost 150 bombings, arsons, or attempted bombings or arsons took place against clinics, many with people inside. Further, 11,449 incidents with hate mail, harassing phone calls, bomb threats, and other terrorist tactics have been employed by “pro-life” advocates.

Health Crisis in America: Is universal health care the answer?

Health Crisis in America — by Catherine Morgan (cross posted at BlogHer.org)

I’m a little frustrated about not hearing more concrete answers from the presidential candidates on the health-care crisis in America. Let me clarify that; I am hearing a lot about how bad the “crisis” is, what I’m not hearing is how we are going to “fix” it. Why is that?

Statistics from the NCHC…

Forty-seven million Americans, or 16% of our population is uninsured.

Over 8 out of every 10 uninsured person is from a working family. (70% of those are from families where one or more are working a full-time job, and 11% from families working part-time jobs). These are NOT lazy people who just want a “free ride”, these are hard working American families.

How You Can Help The Children of the Peru Earthquake

UNICEF needs your donations to help the children of Peru Earthquake.

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PISCO, Peru - The death toll rose to 450 on Thursday in the magnitude-8 earthquake that devastated cities of adobe and brick in Peru’s southern desert. Survivors wearing blankets walked like ghosts through the ruins.

Dust-covered dead were pulled out and laid in rows in the streets, or beneath bloodstained sheets at damaged hospitals and morgues. Doctors struggled to help more than 1,500 injured, including hundreds who waited on cots in the open air, fearing more aftershocks would send the structures crashing down.

Destruction was centered in Peru’s southern desert, at the oasis city of Ica and the nearby port of Pisco, about 125 miles southeast of the capital, Lima.

The United Nations said the death toll was expected to rise beyond the 450 reported by Peru. — read full article

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ALSO SEE: Erin Kotecki Vest’s post at BlogHer.org

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Important News For Women - Genetic Risk For Breast Cancer Can Also Come From Father’s Side.

From The Associated Press CHICAGO - A deadly gene’s path can hide in a family tree when a woman has few aunts and older sisters, making it appear that her breast cancer struck out of nowhere when it really came from Dad.A new study suggests thousands of young women with breast cancer — an estimated 8,000 a year in the U.S. — aren’t offered testing to identify faulty genes and clarify their medical decisions.

Guidelines used by insurance companies to decide coverage for genetic testing should change to reflect the findings, said study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Weitzel of City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif. Testing can cost more than $3,000.

“Interestingly, it’s about Dad,” Weitzel said. Half of genetic breast cancers are inherited from a woman’s father, not her mother. But unless Dad has female relatives with breast cancer, the faulty gene may have been passed down silently, without causing cancer. (Men can get genetic breast cancer, too, but it’s not common.)

Weitzel said doctors often overlook the genetic risk from the father’s side of the family. — read full article

Three Deaths Linked To Merck’s HPV Vaccine - Gardasil. Does the benefit really outweigh the risk?

Since my original post on the controversy surrounding the Gardasil vaccine, I have already added three updates. Recently I was made aware of new information released by the FDA regarding the more serious adverse reactions to this vaccine. Most upseting is the fact that at least three young girls have died within hours of receiving this controversial vaccine.

(Washington, DC) — Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released documents obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, detailing 1,637 reports of adverse reactions to the vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV), Gardasil. Three deaths were related to the vaccine. One physician’s assistant reported that a female patient “died of a blood clot three hours after getting the Gardasil vaccine.” Two other reports, on girls 12 and 19, reported deaths relating to heart problems and/or blood clotting. — read full article

As of May 11, 2007, the 1,637 adverse vaccination reactions reported to the FDA via the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) included 371 serious reactions. Of the 42 women who received the vaccine while pregnant, 18 experienced side effects ranging from spontaneous abortion to fetal abnormities.

Side effects published by Merck & Co. warn the public about potential pain, fever, nausea, dizziness and itching after receiving the vaccine. Indeed, 77% of the adverse reactions reported are typical side effects to vaccinations. But other more serious side effects reported include paralysis, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and seizures. — – read full article

What troubles me the most about this is; Parents understand that with all vaccines there will be a very small percent of people (in this case young girls) that will have an adverse reaction ending in death. The major difference is that vaccines like the MMR vaccines (given to our children to prevent Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) are essential in saving many lives from these highly contagious and often fatal diseases. So, the benefits of these vaccines most definitely outweigh the risks…(the small percent of serious adverse reactions with MMR vaccine is still only a tiny fraction of the amount of deaths we would see without this vaccine).

Unfortunately this is not the case with the HPV vaccine. I think if a parent thought that their daughter might die from a vaccine that has limited protection against a treatable (non life-threatening) virus, they might not see a benefit that outweighs that risk.

Is The Media Glorifying Drunk Driving With It’s Coverage of the Paris Hilton Story?

Paris Hilton Mania! Is the media coverage Glorifying Drunk Driving?

I think the whole “Paris Hilton” thing is so over dramatized and I’m really just sick of hearing about her. With that said…Even more than the excessive over-coverage of this story, I am appalled by the lack of (really NO) coverage of the problem of drunk driving in this country.

Furthermore, it actually seems to me that the media is “glamorizing” the issue with their coverage of Paris Hilton and other celebrities.

Cindy Sheehan Says Goodbye - Are women losing their voices, or will more attempt to be heard?

Whether you agreed with Cindy Sheehan or not, it is very sad that she has been beaten down the way she has. But Cindy showed all women that any of us can have a voice, and have our voice heard. I think that is a very important message. Only time will tell if women got this message, or instead got the message to keep their mouth shut. I for one hope we see more Cindy Sheehans.

Please take a moment to see this video by Dan Bialek Loves Kittens