This week was not only MLK Day, but Roe v. Wade Day. Additionally, I lost another family member to cancer. In any case, there was a lot you should have read about:
Roe v. Wade Day/Abortion:
Frances Kissling (formerly of CFFC) and Kate Michelman (formerly of NARAL) wrote an op-ed in the LA Times about abortion, and, really, the shift in perception around abortion. They say that one thing the pro-choice folks need to engage in is a discussion about the "challenges" of the movement, including the judgment of women for getting pregnant in the first place.
Saletan says that pro-choicers need to message abortion with the goal of zero, same as teen pregnancy.
We've already discussed that the abortion rate is dropping, there's a rise in the use of RU-486 for medical abortions.
A new movie, "Silent Choices" is about abortion and African Americans. Good article, go read it.
Pictures from the "March for Life" in DC.
Reproducing:
Related to the LA Times op-ed, a study out about Indiana shows that about 80% of black babies are born to unwed mothers. Single mothers have lower levels of education and higher rates of poverty than married mothers, although that doesn't necessarily include those older single moms.
Italy has ruled that it is now legal to do pre-implantation genetic diagnosis of embryos. The ruling, applicable only to the Rome area, will be reviewed by a higher court. Also, don't forget, that in Italy only 3 embryos can be implanted at a time.
This type of diagnosis, however, is not foolproof.
Gender/Work:
We're learning that ancient Mayan sacrifices were of young boys, not girls.
Slate had a great series on economics and gender and all of that lovely Gary-Becker-type-stuff. Included were articles on why Divorce is Good for Women and the Economics of Marriage. The articles are actually excerpts from a new book that's now on my wishlist. In Japan, the introduction of divorce means that men have to treat their wives with more respect.
So while feminism opened up options for a lot of women, there was an ensuing backlash against feminism, and now there's this embrace of everything under the sun as feminism. Want to walk around with a dog collar being led by your boyfriend? Who's to say that's not feminist? Stripping? Feminist. Housewife? Totally feminist (not by all). I'm not about to make any statements about it right now, but it certainly seems to be a trend that the idea of "choice" whether related to feminism or abortion, is in the eye of the beholder. I mean, is one's choice really off bounds for social comment?
Science:
The Pill has an extended effect on preventing ovarian cancer, the number one cause of gynecologic cancer deaths in the United States. Apparently, this is leading folks in the U.K. to renew a call to make the Pill available over-the-counter. Additionally, caffeine decreases the risk of ovarian cancer, while alcohol and tobacco use play no role in it.
As always, there's way more to blog about, but I have to get moving. Have a great weekend!
And the animal story: Pigeons in Paris