Morning Widdershins: Feminist Friday
Posted by: madamab on: October 9, 2009
NOW Rainbow
Enough about public servants who aren’t. Here’s some cool news about women and LGBT for you:
The White House Project starts tonight in New York. Wish me luck – I’m going! I’m hoping to supercharge on some “Can Do” female energy!
Herta Mueller has won the Nobel Prize for literature. She is a 56-year-old woman who writes about the Communist past of her home country, Romania, and is well-known and critically-acclaimed in Berlin, where she now makes her home. Congratulations, Ms. Mueller!
NOW is endorsing the National Equality March this weekend. Here is a statement from its President, Terry O’Neill:
Dear XXXXX,
No woman will have full equality until all women have full equality.
Equal rights under the law for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is what NOW has been insisting upon for over 30 years and we will not stop fighting until we get it. We must seize every opportunity to eliminate the second-class status for our LGBT sisters and brothers. And that is why the National Organization for Women has proudly endorsed the National Equality March taking place in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 11, 2009.
Jamie Leigh Jones, an employee of Halliburton subsidiary KBR, was gang-raped while in Iraq by her co-workers. After her horrifying ordeal, she was held in a shipping container without any food or water for 24 hours, and threatened by KBR employees with job loss if she left Iraq for medical treatment. Even more awful, a clause in her contract prevented her from taking legal action against KBR, so she had to present her case in private arbitration.
Inspired by Jones’ story, new U.S. Senator Al Franken created an amendment to deny contracts to Halliburton or any of its subsidiaries if such a clause is included. It passed 68-30, with ten Republicans joining the Democrats. Al, you done good, and you made Ms. Jones feel wonderful.
Appearing with Franken after the vote, an elated Jones expressed her deep appreciation. “It means the world to me,” she said of the amendment’s passage. “It means that every tear shed to go public and repeat my story over and over again to make a difference for other women was worth it.”
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If you don’t know how prevalent violence against women is, visit RAINN for some very sobering statistics.
That about does it for now. This is an open thread. Tawk amongst yerselves!
32 Responses to "Morning Widdershins: Feminist Friday"
October 9, 2009 at 7:52 AM
Nope. For his tireless efforts to bring peace to the world. Even Chuch Todd is speechless, I am dumbstruck.
October 9, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Isn’t Yassir Arafat among former recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize?
October 9, 2009 at 8:56 AM
Yep. So is “Bloody Henry” Kissinger. If I were Obama, I would donate that $1M prize to the 10 neediest American cities for the homeless. That would make his endless vacations a bit more palatable.
October 9, 2009 at 9:03 AM
I was thinking the same thing, chat – I hope he donates the prize.
It’s official; the Nobels are now an award for best use of Teleprompter.
October 9, 2009 at 9:07 AM
The nominations for it closed in January, so this may be the “Thank God you are not Dubya” criteria as much as anything else. Back to bed.This is as much excitement as my convalescent self can take for the moment………….
October 9, 2009 at 9:46 AM
That’s so strange, chat. He was given the prize for being the first AA POTUS, I guess. I wonder who else was on the ballot?!
October 9, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Reading the Reuters story, the Committee gave him the prize for “extraordinary efforts towards peace and disarmament.” His statements about working towards a nuke-free world were the basis of their decision.
So…Teleprompter reading. He has allowed Iran to get away with building its nuclear program and he’s made “extraordinary efforts?” Oh, please.
October 9, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Can you imagine what the right wing will do with this one? Now I really need to go back to bed!
October 9, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Nobel prize — all I have to say is ‘WTF’??
Franken — you know, it occurs to me that as much as I hate all the bipartisan bullsh&t, Franken has managed to achieve true bipartisanship and accomplished something substantively good. Let that be a lesson to you, Obama.
October 9, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Upon awakening this AM, seeing the news regarding the award of the Nobel Peace Prize, my reaction was to ROFLOL with snorting. I then checked the blogs to see if it was an Onion action. I then experienced an immediate vicissitude – which I shared with my quasi “d” Congressman Heath Shuler. I requested he submit my name for next year’s award – I am thinking of writing a book and considering peace. I recommended he apply for several Heisman awards, after the fact, since I’m sure I wanted to be a “great” football player, also, his wife should get something for really having “firm upper arms”. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by to reach out and contact your diligent elected officials – what a gift of absurdity.
Nobel Peace Prize – Much Ado About Nothing? Does this committee have a wry sense of humor or are they too, as his Oliness, flip birds? JFS
October 9, 2009 at 12:25 PM
Can you imagine that Al Gore, after 30 years of activism, had to share his prize, and Obama, after literally having done nothing in his whole life for anyone but himself, had the prize all to himself?
I am just in total shock.
October 9, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Good morning, all. I’m in shock, too, Madamab. Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to someone who has made no contribution to world peace completely undermines the value of the award. I guess they forgot to factor in this whole Afghanistan thing. Does anyone know who else was nominated?
October 9, 2009 at 1:07 PM
OK, I tried to answer my own question. Sarko has got to be pissed, because apparently he was one of the nominees. There was a record 205 nominees. Others were Ingrid Betancourt, Greg Mortenson (3 Cups of Tea) and the Chinese dissident Hu Jia.
October 9, 2009 at 1:31 PM
I’m telling you, he got the nomination for not being George Bush. What a repudiation.
October 9, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Slate has an opinion written by Mickey Kaus that Obama should turn it down, “Politely but firmly”, stating that he has not had time for accomplishments. He further states that this will help with the picture of the malignant narsissist.
October 9, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Chatblu – LOLOLOLOL!
I cannot IMAGINE Obama doing something so noble. It would be great if he did it. But I’m sure the unearned glory is too tempting to refuse.
Besides which, this is a guy who thought 144 days in the Senate qualified him to be President.
October 9, 2009 at 1:55 PM
IMO since, hm, April ’08, his Oiliness is Bu$hit II. What Bu$hit action has his Oiliness counteracted?
I should never post when I am so pissed – but then, I would never post. The absurdity of this award is appalling. Finally, his worshipers had STFU, even the tepid BDT let a little daylight in to his credit. The insanity will be reactivated.
May gawd give me back by sense of humor even though the world’s people are mired down with economic stress, war, death, human rights abuses – it’s just the Nobel Peace prize – not like he was appointed Pope. It’s not like they blew off millions and millions of people suffering in thrid world nations nor should we expect anything other than an “appearance” of a POTUS.
October 9, 2009 at 2:36 PM
LOL Boo!
I know, this and the inevitable passing of the reformless POS health crap bill are going to put his gung-ho worshipers in a permanent state of ecstasy. It’s either suicidal depression or snark. I hope I find my snark again!
Oh well, maybe tonight will help me get there.
October 9, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Over at American Thinker, questions like “What has he done?” and “What peace has he begotiated?” are being asked. I am so going back to bed now, but I’ll check in later/
October 9, 2009 at 2:50 PM
Hmmm, Chatblu – American Thinker is pretty conservative, so one would hardly expect otherwise.
However, Glenn Greenwald feels the same way we do. I’d say the Kool-Aid has well and truly worn off for him.
When I saw this morning’s top New York Times headline — “Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize” — I had the same immediate reaction which I’m certain many others had: this was some kind of bizarre Onion gag that got accidentally transposed onto the wrong website, that it was just some sort of strange joke someone was playing. Upon further reflection, that isn’t all that far from the reaction I still have. And I say that despite my belief that — as critical as I’ve been of the Obama presidency regarding civil liberties and Terrorism — foreign affairs is actually one area where he’s shown genuine potential for some constructive “change” and has, on occasion, merited real praise for taking steps in the general “peace” direction which this Prize is meant to honor.
He also goes on to criticize the DNC’s reaction to the GOP’s predictable scorn:
Apparently, according to the DNC, if you criticize this Prize, then you’re an unpatriotic America-hater — just like the Terrorists, because they’re also criticizing the award. Karl Rove should be proud. Maybe the DNC should also send out Joe Lieberman’s 2005 warning that “in matters of war we undermine Presidential credibility at our nation’s peril.” Hamas also thinks that Israeli settlements should be frozen — a position Obama shares. So, by the DNC’s Rovian reasoning, doesn’t this mean that Obama “has thrown in his lot with the terrorists”?
Well-done, Mr. Greenwald.
October 9, 2009 at 3:40 PM
Perhas it’s his fly-catching ability. Public health, etc. Back to the couch.
October 9, 2009 at 3:52 PM
Well, he did negotiate peace between the Cambridge cops and Henry Louis Gates.
Nobel Prize material, for sure.
October 9, 2009 at 3:56 PM
This is a bit off topic but can anyone explain to me why Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize?
Really?
Huh?
WTF?
Why?
You have got to be effing kidding me!
October 9, 2009 at 4:38 PM
RD62, it’s an open thread, and that’s all we’ve been talking about. LOL
What’s even more bizarre is that the voting closed in January. So, this was before he even had a chance to do anything as President.
Who knows, maybe he will bring peace to the world while bombing the sh*t out of Afghanistan and allowing Iran to go nukular (snark). Hey! It could happen!
October 9, 2009 at 5:47 PM
Can you believe they are awarding what until now was the most prestegious prize not on accomplishments but on “potential” this is stupid he does not deserve this prize in any shape or form…I am truely discusted!
I am going to boycott Absolut Vodka (tastes like Zippo lighter fluid anyway!
I think I have the potential to discover the cure for HIV/AIDs where is my Nobel for Science or Medicine?
this sucks!
October 9, 2009 at 6:14 PM
I have traveled on the Orange Blossom Special. May I please have mine in Engineering?
October 9, 2009 at 7:35 PM
My daughter who, last year chose to move to Chicago and become an- ouch… community organizer, tweeted today ” Hooray for amazing Romanian authors I wrote my thesis on!”. And nothing else. Made my day!
October 9, 2009 at 7:59 PM
I haven’t seen yet many people who are thrilled with this award. Personally none of my friends (on facebook), many of whom were Obama supporters, have made any “Hurray!” posts. Several wrote how undeserving this is. So I wonder if this is going to actually be a bad thing for him in the long run; among supporters here at home and worshippers abroad. People will be mocking the Nobel Peace Prize for some time because of this. (So in that regard it might have been a mistake for the Nobel committee, to turn such a prestigious award into a punchline.)
October 9, 2009 at 8:23 PM
I will have to do some research along those lines, DYB. I have many Obama supporters in my family and among my friends.
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October 9, 2009 at 7:15 AM
Please see my note on the last post.