You're probably becoming overwhelmed with politics at this point - even those of us who are slightly obsessed are starting to look a little weary. On the NBC newscast tonight, Brian Williams said "And there is other news tonight, besides politics..." The political season is gearing up and it's only going to get more intense from here!
This political season reminds me of the semester my roommates and I watched a soap opera in college. We watched every day, because it seemed like so much was happening and we would miss something if we stopped paying attention - even for a minute. Yet, about six weeks in, we started to realize that not much had actually happened in terms of a story line. Everyday in this election seems like so much is happening, but in reality, how much as really happened?
There was one breakthrough last week - the nomination of Sarah Palin as the Republican candidate for Vice President. After going through stages of shock, disbelief, and finally anger, it has taken me the week since the announcement to really get my head around this nomination.
First, do the Repubs really think that Palin is going to bring in disgruntled Hillary voters? As a Hillary Supporter / Obama Voter, I will acknowledge that there are many women and men upset that Hillary was not the nominee, and with good reason. That being said, I think those that are siding with McCain to make themselves feel better are much fewer than the media would have you believe. Also - do the Repubs really think women are that stupid? This just keeps coming up... from Samantha Bee on the Daily Show, to Ben Smith at TAPPED. Just because Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton share a chromosome does not mean that their policies are similar, their achievements are anywhere close to similar, or that women are stupid enough to fall for this condescending choice.
And what about Sarah Palin's policies? ABC News reported on Palin's speech with a story you might expect to see on the Daily Show - blasting Palin for all of the inaccuracies in her acceptance speech. Sarah Palin was the governor of a state with a smaller population than Cincinnati, Ohio. She was the mayor of a small town in Alaska, where she tried to ban books at the library. She was against the Bridge to Nowhere - after she found out that Alaska would have to foot some of the bill. And where did the earmarked money for the Bridge go after the plans fell apart? Into Alaska's pocket. Palin used a line-item veto to decrease funding for a home for teenage mothers in Alaska just last year - teen pregnancy is ok if it's her daughter, but if you aren't as well off as the Palins, tough luck.
Sarah Palin is not a woman's choice for Vice President, and certainly not this woman's choice for VP. Sure, having a female Vice President would make history, and I absolutely support women rising in politics, regardless of their party. A woman in the White House would be great... but not a woman who hasn't done anything to deserve being there!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Something important just happened.
Something important just happened - and you need to know about it.
This weekend, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) released the results of a study on HIV. All of the people who do HIV prevention or treatment work everyday had been waiting on pins and needles to hear the results of this really important study.
So why was it so important? This new study is an estimate (but a very scientific one!) about the number of new incidences of HIV in the United States. This is different from the number of positive tests; it is virtually impossible to know all new infections because some people think they are not at risk so they do not get tested, some people are too scared to be tested, and so on.
The CDC developed new technology that uses two types of HIV tests. The first is the test that you would get if you walked into any clinic. This tests sees if there are antibodies in your blood that then lets you know that you are HIV+. They took samples that came back positive in more than twenty states and ran them through an additional test - one that is less sensitive, which means that it would take more antibodies in your blood to show up on the test. If a sample was positive on the first test, but not on the second test, it was considered to be a new infection.
So... sounds like a lot of science. Why do we need to know the number of new infections in the first place? Fancy answer: knowing the rate of new infections helps us know where the epidemic is moving. Real answer: when we know where and among whom new infections are occurring, we can do a better job making sure people are being tested and treated. Basically, we want to know where the new infections are occurring so we can help people get treated, but also so we can stop the disease from spreading even further.
Now you know what the CDC has been up to lately - but what about the really important findings? What the new estimate found was that there are approximately 56,000 new cases of HIV in the US every year. This is significantly higher than the original estimate (40,000), but not because all of a sudden we have a lot more HIV. The reason it is higher is because the old estimate was too low int he first place. This does mean, though, that the numbers are much worse than we thought.
All of this is interesting, but why do YOU need to know? Because the new study found that one-third of new infections in the US occur in someone between the ages of 15 and 24. Read that again. That means that 1 in 3 people who becomes infected with HIV is young. And not sort of young. Really young. Like our age.
Something really important just happened - we know more than we did before, and we know now that it is worse than we thought. Something needs to change, and it needs to change fast. This is going to turn into an issue in the election; both candidates have already issued statements about it.
The real reason I want you to know about this is because it is important for your everyday life. Why is this happening to young people? What can we do about it?
The first thing you can do is know your status - find a testing center near you, swallow any fears you have, and know. You cannot stop there though... using protection when you have sex is not just to prevent pregnancy - it could literally save your life. And you can do even more. Read more to learn how you can be an advocate. Start by forwarding this information to your friends. Go together to get tested. Encourage your family members to become involved.
This is serious. It is time for young people to respond in a big way. HIV can stop with us... it has to.
This weekend, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) released the results of a study on HIV. All of the people who do HIV prevention or treatment work everyday had been waiting on pins and needles to hear the results of this really important study.
So why was it so important? This new study is an estimate (but a very scientific one!) about the number of new incidences of HIV in the United States. This is different from the number of positive tests; it is virtually impossible to know all new infections because some people think they are not at risk so they do not get tested, some people are too scared to be tested, and so on.
The CDC developed new technology that uses two types of HIV tests. The first is the test that you would get if you walked into any clinic. This tests sees if there are antibodies in your blood that then lets you know that you are HIV+. They took samples that came back positive in more than twenty states and ran them through an additional test - one that is less sensitive, which means that it would take more antibodies in your blood to show up on the test. If a sample was positive on the first test, but not on the second test, it was considered to be a new infection.
So... sounds like a lot of science. Why do we need to know the number of new infections in the first place? Fancy answer: knowing the rate of new infections helps us know where the epidemic is moving. Real answer: when we know where and among whom new infections are occurring, we can do a better job making sure people are being tested and treated. Basically, we want to know where the new infections are occurring so we can help people get treated, but also so we can stop the disease from spreading even further.
Now you know what the CDC has been up to lately - but what about the really important findings? What the new estimate found was that there are approximately 56,000 new cases of HIV in the US every year. This is significantly higher than the original estimate (40,000), but not because all of a sudden we have a lot more HIV. The reason it is higher is because the old estimate was too low int he first place. This does mean, though, that the numbers are much worse than we thought.
All of this is interesting, but why do YOU need to know? Because the new study found that one-third of new infections in the US occur in someone between the ages of 15 and 24. Read that again. That means that 1 in 3 people who becomes infected with HIV is young. And not sort of young. Really young. Like our age.
Something really important just happened - we know more than we did before, and we know now that it is worse than we thought. Something needs to change, and it needs to change fast. This is going to turn into an issue in the election; both candidates have already issued statements about it.
The real reason I want you to know about this is because it is important for your everyday life. Why is this happening to young people? What can we do about it?
The first thing you can do is know your status - find a testing center near you, swallow any fears you have, and know. You cannot stop there though... using protection when you have sex is not just to prevent pregnancy - it could literally save your life. And you can do even more. Read more to learn how you can be an advocate. Start by forwarding this information to your friends. Go together to get tested. Encourage your family members to become involved.
This is serious. It is time for young people to respond in a big way. HIV can stop with us... it has to.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
What is a quarter life feminist?
You've probably heard about "third wave feminists," and how they are different from the feminists of their mother's generation. And it's true - we are different. Quarter life feminists have benefitted from many of the successes of those who came before. QLFs have never known a time when abortion was illegal, or when sexual harassment wasn't a crime. QLFs have enjoyed the benefits of Title IX, sports leagues and education. Our grandmothers would probably say that we have it pretty good.
QLFs are experiencing things our mothers and grandmothers only dreamed about. The (good) possibility of electing an African American president, the internet as a communication tool. We're also continuing to deal with things that should have ended generations ago - the media's effect on body image, the fight for affordable, high-quality health care, the demand for equal pay. Even with all of the changes, suprisingly little has changed.
A QLF is young, black, straight, disabled, queer, white, transgendered, hispanic, bisexual human who cares about women. We're different from those who have come before us, but no so different that we don't recognize where we've come from.
We're here to demonstrate that feminism is far from dead, that young people today face unique issues and have unique ways to solve those issues, and that you should care. This blog exists as a place to learn about what it's like to be a quarter life feminist and to remind you that you aren't the only one.
QLFs are experiencing things our mothers and grandmothers only dreamed about. The (good) possibility of electing an African American president, the internet as a communication tool. We're also continuing to deal with things that should have ended generations ago - the media's effect on body image, the fight for affordable, high-quality health care, the demand for equal pay. Even with all of the changes, suprisingly little has changed.
A QLF is young, black, straight, disabled, queer, white, transgendered, hispanic, bisexual human who cares about women. We're different from those who have come before us, but no so different that we don't recognize where we've come from.
We're here to demonstrate that feminism is far from dead, that young people today face unique issues and have unique ways to solve those issues, and that you should care. This blog exists as a place to learn about what it's like to be a quarter life feminist and to remind you that you aren't the only one.
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