By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Seems the far Right just can’t stay out of – or quit throwing – the muck. The Huffington Post reports that University of Rochester econ professor, Steve Landsburg, has launched his own attack on Georgetown law school student, Sandra Fluke, who had the temerity to speak her mind to a congressional committee discussing contraceptive services. Landsburg apparently dabbles in English grammar when his dismal graphs and computer models become tiresome. In his off-hours, he seems quite content to edit Rush Limbaugh’s right-wing attack pieces, adding some of his own insights. On his blog he felt compelled to share:
[Limbaugh] wants to brand Ms. Fluke a “slut” because, he says, she’s demanding to be paid for sex. There are two things wrong here. First, the word “slut” connotes (to me at least) precisely the sort of joyous enthusiasm that would render payment superfluous. A far better word might have been “prostitute” (or a five-letter synonym therefor), but that’s still wrong because Ms. Fluke is not in fact demanding to be paid for sex. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) She will, as I understand it, be having sex whether she gets paid or not. Her demand is to be paid. The right word for that is something much closer to “extortionist”. Or better yet, “extortionist with an overweening sense of entitlement.” Is there a single word for that?
But whether or not he chose the right word, what I just don’t get is why the pro-respect crowd is aiming all its fire at Rush. Which is more disrespectful — his harsh language or Sandra Fluke’s attempt to pick your pocket?
Seems he may be on to something etymologically speaking but he fails
miserably in the free speech/separation of church-state class. I’d think he’s also getting a “D-” for comprehension in my class. Fluke made no claim on the public funds and instead merely advocated that private insurance cover contraceptive services to further women’s health rather than cater to religious convictions of a particular sect.
While Professor Landsburg doesn’t get it, the University’s students did. Thirty of them dressed in black and made a rather dramatic entry into his classroom passing out summaries of the professor’s musings and then opted to stand between him and his charges staging a pedagogical wall of separation between scorn and student.
Landsburg called security to disband the protest, but the students left of their own accord making their point for both civility and free speech. “We are appalled by how often women and their bodies have been used for political theatrics, and we refuse to remain passive on this issue,” Kelly Rickert, a Rochester student who was a part of the protest, told The Huffington Post. “To do so would be to condone the actions of Professor Landsburg.”
University of Rochester President Joel Seligman acknowledged his employee’s right to the academic freedom to express unpopular opinions but added:
“I am outraged that any professor would demean a student in this fashion,” Seligman said in a statement. “To openly ridicule, mock, or jeer a student in this way is about the most offensive thing a professor can do. We are here to educate, to nurture, to inspire, not to engage in character assassination.”
Well, Dr. Segilman some of you are. On the other hand, seems some in the ivory tower like to attack from the comfort of their office. Landsburg was undeterred, “[Fluke] deserves only to be ridiculed, mocked and jeered,” and “Rush stepped in to provide the requisite mockery” with a “spot-on analogy.” And in one of the most ironic statements I’ve heard from the academe in a long time said of the protestors, “in their contempt for the free exchange of ideas, they appear to be comrades-in-arms of Sandra Fluke.”
Comrades-in-arms by personal ridicule and thus chilling the free speech of another? In Rochester, it seems it takes one to know one.
In keeping with our academic theme, in a hundred words or less, pick the victim(s) and defend your answer:
a. Sandra Fluke
b. Professor Steve Landsburg
c. The University of Rochester
d. First Amendment
e. Academic Freedom
Source: Huffington Post
~Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
72% Of Virginia Voters Say Govt Shouldn’t Try To Convince Women Seeking Abortions To Change Their Minds | A Quinnipiac University poll released today found that 52 percent of Virginians opposed the state’s new ultrasound law. Men were more strongly opposed to the law, with 56 percent disapproving, compared to a plurality of women, 49 percent. Majorities of independent voters and Democrats also said they are against the ultrasound requirement. When asked whether the government should pass laws to try and convince women to change their minds about seeking an abortion, 72 percent of respondents said they should not, including 57 percent of Republicans.
-Zachary Bernstein
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/03/21/448905/72-of-virginia-voters-say-govt-shouldnt-try-to-convince-women-seeking-abortions-to-change-their-minds/
SwM
Are those in or near poverty paying fed income tax? If so it should be stopped.
Can they at any purchase be exempted from sales tax? Easy to fix in any system, by ID card reading or a mailed ID card on reaching SS age.
The hole in the doughnut should be removed.
Etc.
¨
S–t, you could come up with dozens of suggestions for the Dems to come with.
good night all. beddy bye.
It’s very cynical for either Democrats or Republicans to claim any moral authority with regards to the lives of women. Neither gives a shit and people should not fall for such posturing.
Democrats evidently don’t include the following populations as Women:
1. women killed or raped in wars of choice
2. women who are poor or very ill who can’t get coverage for abortion
3. women who live in poverty
Apparently, “women” means middle class or above in income. “Women” means US citizen only. I don’t buy it. Women means everyone who is a woman, citizen or not, rich or poor. Rights should not contingent, that is why they are called rights. If someone sells them out for the most vulnerable, they will eventually sell them out for most every other “woman”. That’s because a person willing to sell out the rights of others when they can get away with it, pretty obviously doesn’t really believe in those rights. If they did honor those rights, they wouldn’t trade them out in the first place.
SwM.
There is delayed justice for you in older women’s dual coverage, but litttle comfort in that. It is no better here in terms of income statistics for older women, I believe.
The problem of course can be related to women returning to homekeeping after WW2, and depending on their husbands to do the right thing. Well society changed on them. They were divorced, the job careers were zilch, and meager earnings give low SS. Fair, hell no.
They are still talking about a citizen salary here, even for the home employed as mothers. and sick and disabled get pensions after certification by doctors. Details on my cancer sick wife can be given to show how the system does not favor someone who wishes to return to work after a long chemo therapy, for example. Her company doctor helped her and she did work until her contracted early pension at 62, instead of the legal age of 65.
She had negotiated that several years in advance of her sickness.
Nothing human is perfect, not even systems.
Are there things to do? Hell yes, here and there.
But here, they don’t have to beg for medical care. But the low cost fees can be a hinder here. 3 years ago the fees resulted in all fees for children were zilched.
Next step, all over 75 should have it free of charge.
What do you see for America, if the dems can lift their asses and win?
Or whatever premises you choose.
Thanks Lotta,
Got a tip here to cut off Google doing the same as Facebook does.
On reaching that page, there was info on how advantageous it was to me as I could search and find ALL the places i’ve ever been. i cut it off anyway, and my IE9 got the hiccups temp next day when they pulled the switch in my laptop. Haven’t disconnected my Gmail yet. Any other place you trust for that?
But in general, Microsoft always asks for permission as does Itunes, and some others are stopped by Vista. But looking at the daily download figures in realtime and afterwards, it shows that somebody is downloading large amounts of data. Everyday, with no pattern. And the uploads are not large, so not hosting a streaming sys, but the stuff don’t match the little I can produce manually. No other uploads like pictures, music, etc either.
So thers’ a lot of crap going on in the dark here.
Guess the number of Trojan systems are many, many, many.
Who knows how many USA agencies are infesting the IP devices of the world.
Question. Are Putin’s also?
Yes, it’s armageddon for them. just why now is difficult to sa. The decision was made of course after 2008. And they were so confident considering their success in blocking all dem success, and regaining control of rep house, that it was now time to do it.:
Soros is getting older, as are thé Koch bros. The church is feeling the loss of suckers, even in RCC and evangelical circles. The Repub have seen how the demographics are trending against them. So they grab make or bread emotional issue(s).
As we see they are pushing this on many levels, and have been successful on state levels, particularly, which then effects Rep and Senate races—-and Obama, no matter how much he caters to them will never be accepted. “Just think if we get a bla bla as a President”
It is well coordinated. Well funded. As ice-cold as a Warsaw ghetto or a Holocaust site.
Just time for a revolution as Jefferson wrote, which was cited here recently.
by digby
Here’s a gentle reminder that the Republican war on women is not confined to the sexy, sexy. They don’t like senior women either.
From Emily’s list:
Female Seniors Make Up an Overwhelming Majority of Medicare Beneficiaries. According to the 2010 census, 10,362,546 women over the age of 75 have Medicare coverage compared to 6,878,341 men with the same coverage. [US Census, 2010 Medicare Coverage by Age and Sex, accessed 3/20/12]
• Older Women, On Average are Poorer Than Older Men. According to the National Women’s Law Center, elderly women have lower average incomes and are more likely to live at or near the poverty level than elderly men. [National Women’s Law Center, 5/23/11]
• More Statistics on Women and Medicare:
o “In 2009, 43% of female Medicare beneficiaries were living in or near poverty compared to 32% of men.”
o “In 2007, the average annual income for women 65 and older was $23,400, much lower than elderly men’s average income of $38,222.”
o “On average, older women have lower Social Security benefits than men. In 2009, the average annual benefit for women over 65 was $12,000 compared to nearly $16,000 for men.”
o “Because of their lower income, millions of women with Medicare are also ‘dually eligible’ for Medicaid – meaning they qualify for and receive both. Almost three-quarters (70%) of people who receive both Medicare and Medicaid are women.” [National Women’s Law Center, 5/23/11]
That slut Eve started this whole thing and they’re going to finish it.
Mike, Treading where other men fear to, um, tread. LOL. Except ID.
It’s all the Republicans have, they have no programs or policies to address the majority of important problems (see their new, warmed-over budget) so they have to do something. I think you’re right, the thrust of this electron has been redirected to civil/women’s rights. If they have misread their voters, women voters anyway, this is going to cost them dearly. The election is getting more and more interesting.
Elaine M, The “GiveRickAChance” Facebook page is pretty funny too:
https://www.facebook.com/GiveRickaChance
I’ve been following this thread with growing horror and dismay. The various links provided are making me sicker and sicker to my stomach. The common wisdom was that this election would be about the economy, the budget, the stupid wars, taxes and the 1%. None of these issues can be seen as the “make or break” election issue. The greatest issue of this coming election is women’s freedom. This is about an attempt to oppress not merely a large minority, but in fact the majority of our people. For those of us who haven’t lost our minds, or those who are awash in misogyny, this is the primary voting issue at all levels of government. If these pigs are allowed to succeed all hope is lost.
ID, no, you have to join up. The social network sites collect a lot of information about you and they use it or hand it over to the govt. (if requested) routinely. Facebook even had apps that tracked your browsing when you were not actively logged into their site. I got out of the social network scene by ending my subscriptions, including to Google, some time ago.
http://lifehacker.com/5843969/facebook-is-tracking-your-every-move-on-the-web-heres-how-to-stop-it
Elaine M: “Rep. Alan Dick recently “said that he doesn’t believe that when a woman is pregnant, it’s really ‘her pregnancy’” ”
———-
[Snark On] Women are just vessels, when are you and other uppity women going to get that through your heads. It’s not about controlling another person, it’s about owning a piece of equipment. You lil’ gals just don’t get it. [Snark Off]
Elaine,
Enlighten me. Can a non-Facebooker like me put a post on a governor’s wall? Or must I join first. And do they in which case publish your email address?
Yours truly,
Forever dumb
PS Does Obama, Cheney, George, and other also have them? How can I find them and thank them for their service?
TPMDC
‘Dear Doctor Governor … ‘: Women Protest On GOP Govs’ Facebook Walls
Pema Levy March 21, 2012
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/03/women-protest-anti-abortion-bills-on-govs-facebook-walls.php
Excerpt:
As Republican-led states take on anti-abortion legislation, women frustrated with the laws are voicing their anger in a very public way: on their governors’ Facebook pages. Some comments are earnest, but many seize on the notion that the measures suggest men know what’s best for women’s health.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed a mandatory ultrasound law this month that is proving unpopular even after some of its more extreme provisions were removed. McDonnell is probably getting a good sense of that unpopularity from his Facebook wall, where women are taking issue with his supposed expert knowledge of women’s health.
One woman wrote:
Dear Doctor Governor-I have an issue with my vagina. I’m having a terrible flow and cramping. This happens every month. I’m not sure if it is related to the lack of an ultrasound or the lack of a pill (I know one is mandated but my poor addled lady brain can’t wrap my head around this issue). I’m guessing that it may be the ultrasound since I heard the men folk on the teevee telling us that contraception and the like is one step from abortion. What do I do Dr. Gov? Should I come to your office for the exam?
Another took the same tack:
Dear Governor, I am taking paracetemol for a cold. I believe it has no contraceptive side-effects. Is this ok with you? I have that pesky sore throat, runny nose thing going on. But I’m sure you’d rather hear about my lady parts….
Another commenter asked:
Mr. McDonnell, are you going to address my monthly flow on the air? I asked you a question a last week because I didn’t get my period and I’m worried that I’m pregnant. As an unemployed student I can’t raise a baby (well, not that I have a choice with people like you in office). Please spend some time on CNN talking about female reproduction, of which you know so much! Thanks 😉
Other governors who have signed or are considering similar measures are also being bombarded on Facebook.
Many commenters embraced the theme: If you fancy yourself an expert on women’s health, I have some health-related questions for you.
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Corbett, whose state is also considering a mandatory ultrasound law, said of the bill, “I don’t know how you make anybody watch” an ultrasound, “you just have to close your eyes.” That prompted a wall post from a woman who wrote:
I know this has nothing to do with this, but being a woman and all, I can’t stop thinking about my lady parts. You suggested women close their eyes when getting a transvaginal ultrasound, or Wand of Light, as we lovingly call it in some places. Do you also close your eyes when getting a mandatory anal probe for unrelated legal medical procedures? What else do you close your eyes for? I’m curious, your advice is so fascinating!
“I just called your office, and they wouldn’t let me schedule a pap smear,” a posting on Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s Facebook Wall reads. “I’m confused, aren’t you taking care of all this now?”
The Mudlfats reports that State Rep. Alan Dick recently “said that he doesn’t believe that when a woman is pregnant, it’s really ‘her pregnancy’” and “would advocate for criminalizing women who have an abortion without the permission via written signature from the man who impregnated her.” “If I thought that the man’s signature was required… required, in order for a woman to have an abortion, I’d have a little more peace about it,” he said. Such remarks suggest that the GOP’s effort to restrict access to abortion aren’t just about outlawing a particular procedure — they’re also aimed at ensuring that women are subservient to men.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/03/21/448960/alaska-lawmaker-women-should-obtain-permission-from-the-man-slip-before-undergoing-an-abortion/
I guess it was Jill who gave me the idea, but the rest is mine.
.
There’s not much differency between churchs/religions, congress/legislatures, and executive powers—-and that delegated to agencies.
It’s all about control of people, making money off of them, and getting the egaotrip of being top dog.
Since religion is the only volutary one, I wonder why folks sit there and read all the written crap that’s comes out of the different councils, (yeah, cathholic ones) and get hung up on it all.
It’s just part of manipulation, little different from Scientology, actually. And if you can tell the RCC go dump yourself on contraceptives, then why don’t you make up your own Jesus and God to pray to?
Why in the world listen to these pretendents to apostolic succession. It isn’t true, and Jesus did not give it to Peter, in spite of the forgery in the NT. Find another place there, nope, only once. So it is not in keeping with JC’s message; “I will return”.
My rant for the day.
Lottta,
watch your mouth (should I warn for that?)
berserk is certainly a NSA pickup word.
As for the rest, Sheesh indeed.
PS on politics and election year issues. How about some race riots from Martin’s murder, and the police coverup.
It nothing else it got Obama on the phone to Holder. “Whitey ain’t commin out on assassinations but our friends might be unhappy over Martin boy.” “need I say more?”.
Everytime i write or read the word police, i can’t help hearing it in my head with a black “reading”. Just our of irony against those police piglets.
National, universal health coverage is the only thing that makes sense. And that was taken off the table by the administration. This makes clear where loyalties lie.
As to religious institutions. They do not have a conscience. They have a dogma and believers are required to adhere to this dogma. That is the opposite of having freedom of conscience. Freedom of conscience is guaranteed to individuals by the Constitution.
Clearly, not one of the major players in this debate to screw over women care about women or human life in general. If they did, they could not act as they do.
Elaine: “Birth Control Mandate: Religious Groups Will Have More Say According To White House Proposal”
“At its heart, the newest offering from the White House would allow religious groups — dioceses, denominations and others — to decide which affiliated institutions are “religious” and therefore exempt from the new requirement that employers offer free contraception coverage as part of employee insurance plans.”
——–
Couple of things; I think my head just exploded, and every time the Republicans have driven me back to the Obama camp the Obama administration does something that is such a betrayal (and frankly this is about every 48 hours) that I just don’t think I can support him with a vote. The berserker model of voter participation just looks better and better.
They are totally incompetent politically and repeatedly undercut their own voters. We now have a national discussion on repression of women and the overbearing position of the religious in this country and what happens:
A. The administration capitalizes on the dissatisfaction, mobilizes it and turns it into votes as well as policy;
B. Capitulates and undercuts the argument and its voters and potential voters.
Fuck me! This is such a well established pattern that the next time there’s the beginning of a national freaking debate/uprising over some grotesque over-reach of government regarding civil rights the smart move is to start taking bets on how long it will take for a white flag to be raised.
From linked article:
***
“The other main innovation in the new proposal is to have a “third-party administrator of the group health plan or some other independent entity” assume responsibility for the contraception coverage for self-insured organizations, with various proposals for ensuring that self-insured groups with religious objections would not directly or indirectly pay for the birth control policy.
Whether any of these ideas will satisfy the die-hard critics of the contraception mandate is unclear, and perhaps unlikely.
“At the end of the day, no accounting gimmick changes the fact that the mandate forces religious organizations to pay health insurance companies for coverage to their employees with drugs and services that simply violates their religious convictions,” said Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council.”
….
“Others believe that the 90-day open comment period on the proposals, known as an “Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,” or ANPR, could actually function as a kind of cooling-off mechanism for this issue, which has exploded into an election-year debate that poses risks and rewards for all sides.”
***
Because that’s exactly what we need, the issue, and its broader implications, to cool off and wither away. Because the fight isn’t overdue and worth having. Because the status quo is just working so well for so many. While it’s implied that the actual mandate will not be lost, just the funding for it shunted elsewhere, this is really just the tip of the iceberg. A touchstone in a greater issue that must be addressed. It’s a good fight to have.
Man, it’s only noon here and I’m already apoplectic, sheesh.
Bloiuse, sent.