tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83281019310275126672024-02-06T23:46:48.801-08:00Fight Like a Girl: How to be a Fearless FeministFight Like a Girl is for anyone who has ever asked, what can I do? Fight Like a Girl details the issues facing women and girls today, addresses the relevance of feminism today, and serves as a call to action to any who want to make a difference.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-18332799780533382012-12-21T10:00:00.003-08:002012-12-21T10:00:36.772-08:00Moving Blog to main siteHi all! I've moved my blog to my website<br />
Please visit <a href="http://74.220.219.141/~fightli1/" target="_blank">Fight Like a Girl</a>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-1104050789513312822012-10-10T20:13:00.002-07:002012-10-10T20:13:56.875-07:00Social Justice at Sierra CollegeToday was my favorite day of <a href="http://scsocialjusticeday.wetpaint.com/" target="_blank">Social Justice Week</a> at Sierra College, an event I host every fall semester. Today was the day that students share their projects by spending the day in the center of campus diseminating information, raising consciousness and taking learning to a whole new level outside the classroom. I love the energy. I love overhearing conversations and debates. I LOVE the comments from students who tell me that they now believe that they can be activists and be a part of social change. This is the reason I teach and why I love my job so much.<br />
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Projects tackled racism, sexism, homophobia, sex trafficking, forced prostitution, the economics of education, body images, size discrimination, sexism in music lyrics, the importance of voting...and more! The week has included similar workshop topics, speakers, and films--we even were honored to host Col. Anne Wright who talked about sexual harassment and sexual violence in the military.<br />
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And tonight, while I write, I am wearing a bracelet that was made by a woman in Cambodia that survived sex trafficking and forced prostitution and another bracelet made by women supporting Women for Women International. The world feels so small right now. I imagine that Cambodian woman's fingers braiding and twisting the yarn into the bracelet that I now run my fingers over. I feel connected to her. And while I can never know or feel the realities of her life I do know this....where a woman is violated anywhere in the world, all women are...everywhere in the world. For violence against women contributes to an overall global consciousness the devalues women everywhere. It must stop. We must collectively say no more. We must rise up and support our sisters, our mothers, our daughters. We must raise awareness, raise money, raise consciousness, and raise our collective voice. <br />
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Tomorrow is the <a href="http://scsocialjusticeday.wetpaint.com/page/Event+Descriptions" target="_blank">last day</a> of Social Justice Week...if you are in the area, JOIN US!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-10986295444914172372012-05-17T20:52:00.000-07:002012-09-30T00:19:26.090-07:00How do you teach your child about 'fat'?Yesterday my not-quite-5-year-old told me that I have a fat stomach. I said 'thank you.' <br />
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I said thank you because, judging the look on her face when she said it, I didn't want her to adopt the wide-spread notion that fat is bad. I wanted, even for a moment, for her to consider that this might be a compliment. But she gave me a look that implied she didn't. So we began a conversation. I asked her what she thought about 'fat.' She shrugged her shoulders. I asked her who told her about 'fat,' she said she thought it up herself. I'm thinking not. So we talked about how people come in different sizes (as they do different colors, genders, ages, abilities...a conversation we have had many times). I asked her if she thought I was healthy. She does...because according to her 1. I eat better than daddy and 2. I don't let her eat gummies all the time she wants to (oh the logic of a 4 year old). I asked her which she thought was most important...healthy or fat? She said healthy. OK, so we're on the right track.<br />
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But our conversation was interrupted. And now I am left with a question on how to <em>really</em> teach her about size diversity, fat politics, discrimination, healthy bodies (at any size). How do you teach these things when size discrimination is nationally practiced and 'medically condoned'? Under the umbrella of concern for health, our nation's 'top experts' have launched a campaign against fat. But rather than healthy messages we are being bombarded with messages of shame and blame. We are being bullied and harassed. Have you seen the billboard campaign in Atlanta, Georgia?? Here is just one of the most offensive ads...<br />
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Granted this ad campaign came under almost immediate attack and I believe are now being pulled ...but the fact that a campaign like this was launched reinforces the notion that fat is bad, ugly, and an automatic equivalent to unhealthy. Not to mention that this particular ad doesn't focus on health but rather on appearance...which is often the focus of our culture. And sadly this isn't the only campaign...the "Healthy Girl Adventure Club" targets 9-13 year olds with plenty of body-shaming language, almost every health insurance plan promotes weight loss programs, there are weight loss centers throughout the country and weight loss products on the shelves of every grocery store, and most recently the CDC-backed <em>Weight of the Nation </em>(read fat-activist <a href="http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2012/05/weight_of_the_nation_fat_shaming.php" target="_blank">Marilyn Wann's assesment</a>) which aired on HBO just this month. <br />
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So what are we doing? We have more weight loss programs, products, and campaigns than ever before. Americans spend billions, I think somewhere around $40 billion annually, on weight loss and yet, we are not thinner...and more importantly we are not healthier. The shaming around weight and body size is not only demoralizing but it is unhealthy. Shaming doesn't motivate, it humiliates. And when humiliated I would think folks are less likely to be active, social, or engaged in their communities -- all things that can and do lead to healthier lives...physically and mentally. <br />
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In addition to my almost 5 year old I also have a 5 month old, which means I am raising two daughters in this culture. And while I absolutely acknowledge that boys are targeted about weight too, there are well documented studies to show that the impact on girls self-esteem and self-worth are immense. We know that girls are more likely to have eating disorders and disordered eating, are more likely to engage in cutting and self mutilation, and are more likely to view their value in their physical appearance. So this topic will be a BIG & ongoing conversation in our house. I can share with my girls the struggles I had with eating disorders, I can be honest with them when I struggle today about my weight, and I can show them my commitment and effort to be kind to myself, to be healthy in my choices (not the least of which include my mindset about my body), and I can model respect for the differences our culture has in body size as it is a diversity that enriches us. I can question their labeling of 'fat' and encourage them to question it as well. I can do all that, but honestly it feels a bit lonely. I'm sure there will be plenty of folks who mis-interpret what I write as promoting unhealthy lifestyles. Because fat is in many ways the acceptable prejudice in our society. But as I write this, and as a committed activist, I must also put in a call to others...get educated about the 'obesity epidemic' before you buy into the rhetoric, explore the efforts of fat activists like <a href="http://fatso.com/" target="_blank">Marilyn Wann</a>, check out the work of <a href="http://www.lindabacon.org/index.html" target="_blank">Linda Bacon, PhD</a> and <a href="http://www.haescommunity.org/" target="_blank">the Health at Every Size Movement</a>, have conversations in your family and among your friends about body image and self esteem, and consider what 'healthy' might look like if we got rid of the shaming and the blaming?<br />
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As for my daughter? Our conversation will continue. She has started to read, maybe I should give her my copy of Marilyn Wann's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/FAT-SO-Because-Dont-Apologize/dp/0898159954/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337282152&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Fat!So?: Because you don't have to apologize for your size</a>. Maybe we'll read it together. In the meantime, I'm looking for children's books and resources. Open to suggestions. Please share your resources. I'm not sure what is out there for kids about size diversity. Is there anything even written? Are there children's books out there? If not, maybe we should write one? Maybe a summer project for Molly and I? <br />
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Until then, be well, and love yourself.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-19427432172106058282012-05-10T21:33:00.000-07:002012-05-10T21:34:28.253-07:00Is anyone mom enough?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This Time Magazine is getting ready to hit the stands this week and it is already causing quite a stir. The debate is really about Attachment Parenting...this image is most likely designed to 'cause the stir.' You can watch a <a href="http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,1630929351001_2114407,00.html" target="_blank">pre-issue interview</a> with the author and you can read through <a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/attachment-parenting" target="_blank">Dr. Sear's website</a> about attachment parenting to get an idea of what is going on...well, at least part of what is going on. What few seem to be discussing, amid the rampages of <em>to nurse a toddler or not</em>, is the perpetuation of what has been deemed "mommy wars." In other words, yet another way to pit women against women. <br />
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In becoming a mother I am convinced that no harsher judgement against women exists than in motherhood. Endless judgement, often disguised as 'well meaning advice' confront us every where we go, by just about everyone we come in contact with...what mother hasn't been told what her crying infant needs from a 'well-meaning' stranger while at the check-out in a market? And this advice comes with a looming legitimacy because <em>after all children are at stake</em>! But like so many of these related issues and very loud public debates, moms often find themselves in a place that is silenced...we're not to talk honestly about our fears, our inadequacies, our ideas. We are supposed to have the answer, the right one. And we often present ourselves as if we do, because not to invites further judgement (how could you <em>not know</em> breastfeeding is better? how could you <em>not know</em> to prop a pillow up if you leave your not-yet moving-on-her-own infant on the bed?) But in a sea of mixed 'expert' messages this can often leave us in an endless cycle of second guessing. And we learn that we are not to trust ourselves and we are not to be too honest about motherhood because if we are we risk being met with silence from other mothers who are also too afraid of being judged.<br />
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In my experience, moms love and adore their children, they are also exhausted and annoyed by them. We are trying to do our best, we are trying to sort through all this conflicting 'advice,' do right by our kids, not lose ourselves, integrate a working life (and maybe even a civic one) all the while fielding constant interruptions by little people...as I write this my 4 year old is sitting next to me talking non-stop about her 'homework' which is being written all over my work notebook. Did I mention she is also supposed to be in bed? <br />
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In fact, I had to interrupt my writing this blog to tend to my crying 5 month old (guess that makes me an attachment parent) who <em>was</em> asleep and to read a nighttime story to my 4 year old in hopes to move that little non-sleeper closer to sleep. This is the reality of most moms I know. Whether in the paid labor force or not, we are juggling many demands on our time and selves. We confront the notions of 'perfect motherhood' in the same way we must battle the notions of 'ideal beauty' both of which are largely perpetuated by media, and internalized by ourselves and our sisters. We are so caught in a cycle of obtaining this perfection that few stop to question a society that fails mothers...and families...in almost every way. <br />
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As a society we have set a clear delineation of which women should stay home with children and which should not, thus protecting a long-established class bias in our society. As well, we feed these so-called 'mommy wars' of pitting women who have a 'choice' to stay home or not against each other, regardless of socio-economic class. Damned if we do, dammed if we don't. As a culture we embrace the notion that we are on our own in raising children and admonish any who needs/wants/demands state assistance in raising children. We don't adequately fund child care, in fact child care workers make far less than those who care for our cars. Child care in this country is often lacking quality (especially if you look to lower-income care) and as such most mothers report a great deal of apprehension and fear about non-family child care. While some of our workplace culture has changed to accommodate the working mother, few have addressed the issues of the working father. In fact, we continue to have little discussion about men as fathers, their roles in the home, or any true expectation of egalitarian parenting. Where accommodations for women in the workforce do come, women are all too aware of the unofficial costs. We are mommy tracked, overlooked for promotion, our loyalties are questioned because we are not available after hours, we are far more likely than our male counterparts to move to part-time positions, and we have more fragmented work histories which make us less financially stable. Much of this is because of that aforementioned expectation that women should figure it out on their own. And lest we forget, we did once have a society that fully funded child care to support women in the public labor force...only it did so when it could argue benefit to the state during wartime. Now our country takes an out, convincing the populous that to fund child care or early education for kids, or free lunch programs, or library hours and programs, or after school projects...is unfair to hard working Americans. We embrace the notion that 'not my child, not my problem' instead of recognizing the grand benefits to funding children and families across economic lines, as a society as a whole, not divided by socioeconomic class. It is, as most all other industrialized societies have long figured out, a commitment that returns itself many times over in creating a more productive, beneficial, healthy and<br />
happy society. <br />
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Rather than continuing with these mommy wars, these judgements against how we mother, let us turn attention to a fight that really could make a difference. One that focuses on what social support we could fund if we prioritized family, included fathers in our expectations, and respected motherhood.<br />
<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-28385651908879701522012-03-09T20:17:00.005-08:002012-03-09T21:29:37.752-08:00WTF??<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzwHtRHWySH2FTNFUKIpa932WEsdGFmdTDC48QYvwGTXQKXDf4RlGrmjoNPlTqzZo_DiyFZQlAufFn3ZRL6bRassrbhl9BJQ-Gz5J_FCRSlW6RCKFYj_MHjiN76lWKIKc7UZMhzUOH_4/s1600/sac+bee.3.9.12.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718118069340533106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzwHtRHWySH2FTNFUKIpa932WEsdGFmdTDC48QYvwGTXQKXDf4RlGrmjoNPlTqzZo_DiyFZQlAufFn3ZRL6bRassrbhl9BJQ-Gz5J_FCRSlW6RCKFYj_MHjiN76lWKIKc7UZMhzUOH_4/s200/sac+bee.3.9.12.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br /><div align="center">I went to a meeting this morning to discuss a panel/press conference that I am participating in next week. The focus of the event is to discuss recent Congressional hearings, bills, and decisions regarding women's health, not the least of which is the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/healthcare-overview">Affordable Care Act</a>. I arrived, and when I was getting my green tea I saw this. Taped to the newsstand in front of copies of the Sacramento Bee is this sign announcing that a Senate bill will make abortions easier. I can only assume that they mean <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/09/4323467/while-other-states-tighten-abortion.html">this bill</a>, a California Senate bill, but I wasn't about to buy the Bee and financially support them, especially with the accompanying photo. </div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">WTF</span>?<br /></div><br /><div align="center">Clearly the Sacramento Bee feels that it is within their journalist responsibility to project an anti-choice agenda in advertising their papers along with morning coffee. What ever happened to impartial reporting? What ever <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">happened</span> to integrity in news? Oh my, I want to laugh at myself. Certainly I KNOW bias in the media is rampant in this country. I know that there are few, if any, reliable sources of media. And I spend a great deal of time reading multiple sources just to piece together events of the day. But today, as I prepared to meet with Congresswoman <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Matsui's</span> office to discuss next week's event with both my daughters in tow, on the heels of way too much attention given to Rush Limbaugh's tirade that women who use birth control are sluts and prostitutes, and as my <a href="http://www.womenshealthspecialists.org/">health center </a>faces yet another "40 Days of Life" attack on its clinics...I'm exhausted. And I'm pissed.<br /></div><br /><div align="center">How is it that we are STILL fighting these battles? How is it even a conversation whether or not women should have access to birth control? to abortion? Our culture...particularly our consumer culture...has co-opted the language of choice so thoroughly that we now believe we are empowered because we chose one brand of tampon over another. But reproductive choice is often trumped by issues of access, lack of coverage, lack of information/education, misconceptions, falsehoods, transportation issues, lack of providers, politics...did I say POLITICS?! And worse, with merely 12-13% representation of women in Congress and an average of 20% (California is slightly higher) of state elected offices, the decisions about women's health are largely being made by men.</div><br /><br /><div align="center">Back to the bill in question...California Senator Christine <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kehoe</span> (D-San Diego) has introduced a bill that would allow certified nurse-midwives, physicians assistants, and nurse practitioners to perform aspiration abortions. Duh? We should have been doing this long ago. Abortion is a simple and safe procedure--safer than a shot of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">penicillin</span> and ten times safer than carrying to term and giving birth. Midwives, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">PAs</span>, nurses are all trained medically. Besides, there once was a time when women's health was entirely in women's hands...abortion included. In fact, abortion has been practiced, in various forms, since about the 1500s <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">BCE</span>--long before the 'official medical doctor' practices as we know them today. In fact, 'lay' women performed abortions on other women prior to Roe v. Wade--and did so more safely and more respectfully than many of the men posing as doctors to exploit women who found themselves pregnant at a time when abortion was illegal...and as such dangerous. And this is an important point...abortion is safe. And by the way legal. As are contraceptives. But what makes abortion unsafe is not the procedure but rather the politics and anti-choice extremism that surrounds abortion. Anti-choice sentiments that are fueled and supported by images like this one accompanying the Sacramento Bee this morning. </div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-56229362314568597232011-07-04T16:05:00.000-07:002011-07-04T16:06:36.941-07:00We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equalOn the 4th of July I thought what better time than to reprint this...<br /><br />Seneca Falls Declaration, 1848 <br /><br />When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that which they have hitherto occupied, but one to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to such a course. <br /><br />We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they were accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled. <br /><br />The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. <br /><br />He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise. <br /><br />He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice. <br /><br />He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men--both natives and foreigners. <br /><br />Having deprived her of this first right of a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides. <br /><br />He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead. <br /><br />He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns. <br /><br />He has made her, morally, an irresponsible being, as she can commit many crimes with impunity, provided they be done in the presence of her husband. In the covenant of marriage, she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he becoming to all intents and purposes, her master--the law giving him power to deprive her of her liberty, and to administer chastisement. <br /><br />He has so framed the laws of divorce, as to what shall be the proper causes, and in case of separation, to whom the guardianship of the children shall be given, as to be wholly regardless of the happiness of women--the law, in all cases, going upon a false supposition of the supremacy of man, and giving all power into his hands. <br /><br />After depriving her of all rights as a married woman, if single, and the owner of property, he has taxed her to support a government which recognizes her only when her property can be made profitable to it. <br /><br />He has monopolized nearly all the profitable employments, and from those she is permitted to follow, she receives but a scanty remuneration. He closes against her all the avenues to wealth and distinction which he considers most honorable to himself. As a teacher of theology, medicine, or law, she is not known. <br /><br />He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough education, all colleges being closed against her. <br /><br />He allows her in Church, as well as State, but a subordinate position, claiming Apostolic authority for her exclusion from the ministry, and, with some exceptions, from any public participation in the affairs of the Church. <br /><br />He has created a false public sentiment by giving to the world a different code of morals for men and women, by which moral delinquencies which exclude women from society, are not only tolerated, but deemed of little account in man. <br /><br />He has usurped the prerogative of Jehovah himself, claiming it as his right to assign for her a sphere of action, when that belongs to her conscience and to her God. <br /><br />He has endeavored, in every way that he could, to destroy her confidence in her own powers, to lessen her self-respect, and to make her willing to lead a dependent and abject life. <br /><br />Now, in view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half the people of this country, their social and religious degradation--in view of the unjust laws above mentioned, and because women do feel themselves aggrieved, oppressed, and fraudulently deprived of their most sacred rights, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of the United States. <br /><br />In entering upon the great work before us, we anticipate no small amount of misconception, misrepresentation, and ridicule; but we shall use every instrumentality within our power to effect our object. We shall employ agents, circulate tracts, petition the State and National legislatures, and endeavor to enlist the pulpit and the press in our behalf. We hope this Convention will be followed by a series of Conventions embracing every part of the country. <br /><br />Source: E.C. Stanton, S.B. Anthony and M.J. Gage, eds., History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 1 (1887), 70.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-33805995035971792382011-06-21T08:49:00.001-07:002011-06-21T08:49:38.853-07:00What women deserveYa! Sonya!<br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mOV7RyHjl5c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-57968538926150026212011-06-18T10:25:00.001-07:002011-06-18T10:25:50.241-07:00Check this out!<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/p72UqyVPj54" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-90343621866492780792011-05-29T15:30:00.000-07:002011-05-29T15:41:59.810-07:00Infantilizing women....a global issue<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KCwWWAqnsq1TsCqfwUhutRjbfLddGosKnshaiPYdeJZlcVio00qT1CpP0Rnuldp6LE-8DMD0-87iiY76Lah5RsWstlzzqBMbJO2pbQp3v78pFnDwRdUBccPx3UZ8_nq46LYZonXBkvU/s1600/Paris+2011+030.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612269294820158786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 126px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KCwWWAqnsq1TsCqfwUhutRjbfLddGosKnshaiPYdeJZlcVio00qT1CpP0Rnuldp6LE-8DMD0-87iiY76Lah5RsWstlzzqBMbJO2pbQp3v78pFnDwRdUBccPx3UZ8_nq46LYZonXBkvU/s200/Paris+2011+030.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Took this picture in the metro station at Montparnasse in Paris, France. I was a little shocked at how balant it is. Then I noticed the same Evian ad all over Paris and even on a guy walking around one day. I teach my students about advertising and its use of women as objects. We talk about how often women are depicted as sexualized infants...this should prove my point!</div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-882225750469088462011-04-19T11:33:00.000-07:002011-04-19T11:35:23.087-07:00Do It AnywayThe lives and activisms that Courtney Martin shares in <em>Do It Anyway</em> are inspiring in many ways...but mostly in the belief that activism comes in many forms and at many levels. Inspiring stories of making change in 'your own backyard' Check it out! A good read.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-73611975159322614682011-03-09T21:40:00.000-08:002011-03-09T21:54:24.572-08:00"A War on Women" is an understatement<p>I am starting to feel insane. I think I am going mad. What the WHAT?! Is this moment, I’ve heard so often referred to when people say ‘it has to get a lot worse before the masses wake up and take action’? Is this it? Is this ‘the worse’ some were waiting for? Are we finally ready to collectively take to the streets? <br /><br />On the one hand my activist soul is deeply moved and nourished by the women of Egypt who were in the streets creating their country’s revolution and then yesterday returned to the streets to make sure that world hears that they will settle for nothing less than being an integral part of designing where their nation goes next. I’m thrilled by the thousands of activists who are in the streets in Wisconsin fighting attempts to take away collective bargaining and the gutting of unions (and yet as I write this reports are in that the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a bill stripping nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a>). And I was moved by the speech that Rep. Jackie Speier gave about her own abortion experience, making the political personal as her colleagues in Congress attempt to de-fund, limit, and criminalize abortion in this nation.<br /><br />But day after day I’m flooded with updates, blogs, reports, articles…to say it is like a train wreck you can’t turn away from is an understatement.<br /><br />Iowa, North Dakota, and Georgia are all pushing bills referred to as “Personhood legislation” that attempt to criminalize abortion and various birth control methods. In Iowa’s case their bills would do two things…1) the state would be mandated to recognize and protect “life” from the moment of conception (House File 153) and 2) would expand state law to allow reasonable force (including deadly force) for the protect of an individual or third party. Criminal defense attorneys have argued that take together these bills allow for the legal and justifiable killing of abortion providers.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a></p><p>Georgia has a bill proposed (by Rep Bobby Franklin who is also responsible to trying to make rape and domestic violence ‘victims’ into accusers last year) that would make both miscarriages and abortion criminal and illegal…even carrying charges of a felony with a penalty of life in prison or death.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a></p><p>Ohio is having zygotes testify in favor of their House proposed bill, the “Heartbeat Bill” which would outlaw abortion as soon as a fetal heart beat is audible.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4">[4]</a><br />20 states are currently putting up bills to outlaw abortion after 20 weeks (Nebraska has already passed such a bill based on an argument of ‘fetal pain’ which has never been proven and completely negates the woman’s experience)</p><p>New York Times reporter, James C. McKinley, reported on the brutal gang rape of an 11-year old girl in Texas by writing “They said she dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s. She would hang out with teenage boys at a playground, some said.”<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5">[5]</a> As if any of these things justify or excuse rape…EVER, for any woman, of any age!</p><p>And the Congressional bill getting a lot of air time but is not explained fully is HR.1 that the U.S. House has already passed and goes to the Senate for a vote next week. This bill would eliminate Title X funding for health care providers that also provide abortion services (even though Title X funds are strictly separated from abortion services and goes solely to contraceptive care and education). The bill also prevents any abortion provider from receiving Title X funds in the future. And while much of the nation is talking about the impact on Planned Parenthood, who is named specifically in the bill, an important fact to note, by the way, is that many reproductive health centers also receive Title X funding and will be devastated by the passage of this bill…and don’t have the ‘household name’ for fundraising the Planned Parenthood does. This will absolutely devastate access for women nationwide! Especially poor, young, and rural women.</p><p>Other cuts included in HR.1 are teen pregnancy prevention grants, maternal and child health block grants, substance abuse treatment programs, job training programs, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition programs, AND a variety of housing programs, educational programs, and workforce preparedness programs<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6">[6]</a><br /><br />And unfortunately I could keep going with my list…and I haven’t even begun to mention international issues (despite yesterday’s 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day). What strikes me particularly hard is that these attacks are not even attempted to be covert or veiled. Oh no…these are BLATANT attacks on women. Even the New York Times posted an article declaring that the Republicans are waging a WAR on women…hardly a radical feminist source of information.<br /><br />So are we ready? Will we take to the streets? Will we take stand? Raise our voices? Legislators left the state of Wisconsin in protest to the attacks on labor issues….do we have legislators willing and ready to do the same for women’s rights? What will you do? What is your action? If not now, when? What more has to be lost before we finally stand collectively and say NO MORE?!</p>Actions to take right now:<br /><ul><li>Click <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-the-new-york-times-to-apologize-for-blaming-a-child-for-her-gang-rape?comments%3Fopt_new=f&opt_fb=t#?opt_new=t&opt_fb=t">HERE </a>to sign the petition to tell the New York Times to Apologize for Blaming a Child for Her Gang Rape</li><li>Get educated and take action...See NOW's <a href="http://action.now.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3534">overview </a>of the impacts of HR.1</li><li>Click <a href="https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml">HERE </a>to find out how to contact your Congressional Representative</li><li>Join the campaign, "<a href="http://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/positions/celebrities-stand-planned-parenthood-1044.htm">I Stand with Planned Parenthood</a>" but also remember your local, and especially <a href="http://www.fwhc.org/">feminist women's health centers</a>...in Northern California, for example, <a href="http://www.womenshealthspecialists.org/">Women's Health Specialists</a></li><li>Speak Out! Share this information with friends, family, colleagues...anyone! </li></ul><p>I never tire of the famous Margaret Mead quote...and it seems ever so relevant now...</p><p>“<em>Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.</em>”</p>___________________________________________<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> NPR, March 9,2011<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Reported in Right Wing Watch, Feb 24, 2011 and The Iowa Independent<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> Mother Jones, Feb 23, 2011<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4">[4]</a> The Nation, March 7, 2011<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5">[5]</a> NY Times, “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/us/09assault.html?_r=4">Vicious Assault Shakes Texas Town</a>” March 8, 2011<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8328101931027512667#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6">[6]</a> See NOW.org overview of cuts in HR.1Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-13245570830984383542011-03-08T23:01:00.000-08:002011-03-08T23:02:28.516-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GaTUjwPVxFwQ0ZivWjYs6Vnz-wp-T00Kfv4kihybL611QwZSstnj6kNoxR83Rcv9YOR0lJ8ulejIqXHphannIc8FhgCoSQvIp6d_p3092LFyoUy2egolqJfUp74MG9UKelf1rfIyKLU/s1600/this+is+what+a+feminist+looks+like.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581972008099146098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GaTUjwPVxFwQ0ZivWjYs6Vnz-wp-T00Kfv4kihybL611QwZSstnj6kNoxR83Rcv9YOR0lJ8ulejIqXHphannIc8FhgCoSQvIp6d_p3092LFyoUy2egolqJfUp74MG9UKelf1rfIyKLU/s200/this+is+what+a+feminist+looks+like.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-155384499189608802011-02-20T14:08:00.000-08:002011-02-20T14:30:42.096-08:00Open Letter to Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif.Dear Rep. Speier<br />I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for sharing <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-votes-strip-planned-parenthood-federal-funding/story?id=12951080">your story </a>Friday (2/18/11) and in doing so, standing up for women every where who make the decision to terminate a pregnancy for a wide array of personal reasons. Sometimes sharing our most personal stories are the scariest but most powerful. I tell my students to speak up even when their voices shake. Thank you for giving them a role model to look up to. And thank you for taking on a battle that impacts women lives in the most profound ways.<br /><br />With the embattled culture we have surrounding reproductive rights in this country it is no wonder that there are rampant mis-conceptions about abortion and the women who have them. I believe that the mystery around abortion and politics that have ensued are the result of a targeted campaign by anti-choice extremists and politicians who wish to convolute the issues and remove women from the debate. We so often talk about abortion in this nation with a failing to recognize that behind every abortion is a woman making the best decision she believes she can at the time. When we remove her from the discussion we create an debate that is impersonal and hypothetical. We lose any compassion or recognition of women themselves at the very heart of the issue. Abortion is neither something one <em>believes </em>in or not, it is a reality in the nature of who we are. Women have had abortions since the beginning of human time, and will continue to have them until the end of human time. We have abortions for as diverse of reasons as we ourselves are diverse. Not all women choose abortion and not all women find that they have a choice. To deny women accessible and safe abortion, is to deny women dignity and self-determination. A fact, given your story, I am sure you are aware.<br /><br />Often those who represent us hear only from us when we complain. I wanted to take a moment publicly to thank you. So thank you...thank you for standing up and speaking out and for doing so even though it may put you into a firestorm of anti-choice harassment. Know that many support you.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Megan Seely<br /><br />P.S. Readers...Often we are motivated to contact representatives when something is wrong, when we want to protest. I encourage this! But I also think that it is important to let representatives know when we like something that they have done. Especially, when their actions have likely made them the target of harassment. So on this note, I encourage you to thank Rep. Speier and recognize the incredibly brave act she did in speaking out. To contact Rep. Jackie Speier, click <a href="http://speier.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=159&sectiontree=54,159">here</a>.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-18632189770170381432011-01-22T23:28:00.000-08:002011-01-22T23:33:35.547-08:00For all those who believe in equality...a powerful new filmMiss-Representation<br />Click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8__GFHYkdZo&feature=player_embedded">here for the trailer</a><br /><br />"Writer/Director <a class="class2" onkeypress="window.open(this.href); return false;" title="http://jennifersiebelnewsom.com" style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; LINE-HEIGHT: 15px" onclick="window.open(this.href); return false;" href="http://jennifersiebelnewsom.com/">Jennifer Siebel Newsom</a> brings together some of America’s most influential women in politics, news, and entertainment to give us an inside look at the media’s message. Miss Representation explores women’s under-representation in positions of power by challenging the limited and often disparaging portrayal of women in the media. As one of the most persuasive and pervasive forces in our culture, media is educating yet another generation that women’s primary value lies in their youth, beauty and sexuality—not in their capacity as leaders. Through the riveting perspectives of youth and the critical analysis of top scholars, Miss Representation will change the way you see media."<br /><em>From the <a href="http://www.missrepresentation.org/welcome.html">website</a></em>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-47602807716182586132011-01-08T11:58:00.001-08:002011-01-08T11:58:20.666-08:00Book recommendation"...decades of experience have taught us that gaining reproductive rights is not a simple answer to the bigger problem of ensuring reproductive justice for all women." Started reading a new book this morning...<em>In Our Control</em> by Laura Eldridge. Only a chapter or so in but already want to recommend!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-16459601508441057932010-12-21T20:57:00.000-08:002010-12-21T21:06:25.111-08:00Wikileaks, Assange, and Michael MooreWhen I first heard that Michael Moore posted the bail of Julian Assange after two separate allegations were filed against him by women in Sweden I was outraged. I wondered, once again, how it is that we continue to discount women's voices and the global epidemic of violence against women. While appreciate the work that Assange has done to expose secrets and to tell the truth of governmental actions I am endlessly frustrated that we are so often willing to cast women aside for the 'greater good.' And I am exhausted by the men who fight for justice socially and politically but violate the human rights of women they encounter personally. OK, even if only 'presumably' in Assange's case. Regardless, women's lives are not expendable.<br /><br />I was happy to come across this blog from the ever fabulous Rachel Maddow who interviews Michael Moore and discusses this issue further. And while I would have like to hear Michael Moore address the allegations against Assange and the impact his endorsement has on public perception, I do agree with him that despite the good work that Assange has done, the wikileaks founder must address the allegations of rape that stand against him. Take a look...Click <a href="http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/21/5692437-the-michael-moore-interview">HERE </a>for the interview.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-53838815641928527892010-12-05T15:30:00.000-08:002010-12-05T15:31:39.551-08:00Great article...must read<a href="http://www.ontheissuesmagazine.com/2011winter/2011_winter_Ross.php">Fighting the Black Anti-Abortion Campaign: Trusting Black Women</a><br />by Loretta J. RossMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-85075036256138187072010-12-05T15:29:00.000-08:002010-12-05T15:30:41.456-08:00Mother Jones article<a href="http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/12/republicans-abortion-hyde-amendment-defund-planned-parenthood">The GOP's New Abortion Agenda</a><br />12/2/2010Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-953165678250229572010-11-22T13:45:00.001-08:002010-11-22T13:45:37.198-08:00Feminist for ChoiceCheck out my new interview with <a href="http://feministsforchoice.com/fight-girl.htm">Feminist for Choice</a>!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-39744996182896680612010-10-20T21:12:00.000-07:002010-10-20T21:20:52.888-07:00Today I wore purpleChildren, young people, are dying. They are so alone, so afarid, tormented and fearful that they see no way out, no better way. They take their own lives. Homophobia killed them. Hatred killed them.<br /><br />Today I wore purple, along with students and faculty at Sierra College, to raise awareness, to start a conversation...to take an ever-so-small stand.<br /><br />Resources:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.glsen.org/">GLSEN</a><br /><a href="http://www.thetrevorproject.org/suicide-resources/suicidal-signs">The Trevor Project</a><br /><a href="http://www.reachout.com/">Reach Out</a>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-56893807183890210612010-10-14T18:32:00.000-07:002010-10-14T18:34:06.065-07:00What does Peace mean to you?Check out this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4U4bWqyAQw">living project</a> from Sierra College studentsMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-77867812624777125102010-10-13T13:05:00.001-07:002010-10-13T21:22:34.020-07:00The Status of American Electra?Recently Susan Faludi wrote a controversial piece in Harper's Magazine (October 2010). The article, <a href="http://www.harpers.org/archive/2010/10/0083140">"American Electra: Feminism's ritual matricide"</a> , has elicited a great deal of response in the feminist community--most notably from active young feminists. I share the frustration of many bloggers who have responded to Faludi, who seems to argue that the only goal of third-wavers in feminism is to discard older feminists. This is hardly my experience. While there are indeed issues of conflict intergenerationally, I rarely encounter feminist women my age (or younger) who don't care about, or recognize, the work of women before them. I don't think it is about disregarding 'veteran' feminists as much as it is about wanting to be listened to as well. To continue this movement we must foster an exchange of ideas and an appreciation for our generational realities. I wrote extensively about intergenerational feminism and intergenerational partnerships in my book <em>Fight Like a Girl. </em>In a chapter addressing these very issues I argued "to foster intergenerational leadership is to recognize the contributions that young activists have to bring to the table while honoring the work and perspectives of those who have built the modern movement. It is both of these sets of experiences and perspectives that collectively strengthen and further the women's movement." It is an exchange that is needed, not a further pitting of young vs. old that Faludi seems to perpetuate.<br /><br />I also agree with bloggers that argue that Faludi's mis-characterization of young feminists as focused on popular culture, sexual escapades, and shopping is, as Jennifer Baumgarder responds, "as accurate as saying that, after 40, a woman is more likely to be killed by a terrorist than find a husband." As the writer and teacher of a new class at my college entitled "Feminism and Social Action," I witness every week the energy, the engagement, and the political awareness of students. They bring their activism into our discussions, into their assignments, <em>and</em> out into our community (a community by the way that constitutes some of the most conservative political attitudes in the country).<br /><br />Having been a leader in the National Organization for Women (NOW) I certainly confronted entrenched authority that refused to incorporate young feminist activism beyond a supportive role. I have long since left the organization and therefore can't speak specifically to the O'Neil-Lyles election. However, I would hesitate to point to NOW as the primary resource for what young feminist activism looks like today, or as an example of intergenerational leadership. Instead I would encourage Faludi to take another look at bloggers who use the internet as a venue to vet ideas, raise consciousness, and organize. I would encourage her to look in community college classrooms all over the country that are bridging academics with community and civic engagement. Or to community-based activism that is challenging environmental racism, fighting for better access to health care, working for solutions to homelessness, or raising awareness of queer youth experiences. The examples are endless. And feminist activism is everywhere.<br /><br />Here are a few blog responses to Faludi's article:<br />Reported by Maya on Feministing.com: <a href="http://feministing.com/2010/10/13/responding-to-susan-faludi-on-mentoring-and-%e2%80%9cbeing-seen%e2%80%9d/#more-25724">Responding to Susan Faludi: On mentoring and “being seen” </a>and <a href="http://feministing.com/2010/10/01/electras-talk-back-jennifer-baumgardner/">Jennifer Baumgardner</a> on Feministing.comMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-88114108781790609252010-10-12T17:37:00.000-07:002010-10-12T17:39:47.703-07:00"It's like Princess Jasmine showed up drunk to the Little Mermaid's birthday party." —Tiny Michael KorsKids reenact "Project Runway" Click <a href="http://www.babelgum.com/6002965/kids-reenact-project-runway.html">here</a>.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-795020180576665572010-10-04T12:33:00.000-07:002010-10-04T12:34:52.623-07:00Reclaim the name!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrC58zZhHo3jhV8Lyts56Lo-Zho7bQ2_8vXmVR5Tj6_8Ufak_sx7TnRlEaahrqtyfIXrFjYquRxeCl_WQr8vpLULLx7dQGFoeykGynIZzYMOgUi9rWmnmLN7H90YLoH0R7CjvOISMFNQ/s1600/49141_100001671031575_6416_n.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524276430229178338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrC58zZhHo3jhV8Lyts56Lo-Zho7bQ2_8vXmVR5Tj6_8Ufak_sx7TnRlEaahrqtyfIXrFjYquRxeCl_WQr8vpLULLx7dQGFoeykGynIZzYMOgUi9rWmnmLN7H90YLoH0R7CjvOISMFNQ/s200/49141_100001671031575_6416_n.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is a student project from one of my students at Sierra College. Join her campaign! <a href="http://www.facebook.com/reclaimthename">www.facebook.com/reclaimthename</a><br /></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8328101931027512667.post-35574697559217876702010-08-01T12:16:00.001-07:002010-08-01T12:16:27.531-07:00Rescuing PrincesGetting dressed up in princess clothes (again) Molly puts an item of clothing on and says "this is for rescuing princes from the dragons."<br /><br />Maybe her self concept while a princess is intact.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10067536702163487775noreply@blogger.com0