Wednesday, October 8, 2003

Koli-forny-a Terminated? QUOTE OF THE DAY "But history, real solemn history, I cannot be interested in... I read it a little as a duty, but it tells me nothing that does not either vex or weary me. The quarrels of popes & kings, with wars or pestilences, in every page; the men all so good for nothing, & hardly any women at all - it is very tiresome." - - Catherine Morland (in Jane Austen's novel, "Northanger Abbey", written 1798, published 1817) KNOW YOUR HISTORY - OCTOBER OCTOBER 7th 1980 -- Rastafarian philosopher, street poet, voice of the down-trodden, natural mystic and reggae giant, Bob Marley, collapses onstage during a Wailers concert in Pittsburgh, PA, USA; the last concert he ever performs. He is flown directly to Sloan-Kettering Hospital in NY City, where it's denied he's dying of a brain tumor or cancer. Ras Bob ends up at a German disease-treatment center & dies from a brain tumor in May 1981, en route to Jamaica. "So much trouble in the world."  - "One love - one heart." http://www.bobmarley-foundation.com RHINO HERE: I'm writing this, as I always do, on the eve of today's blog. So it's actually Tuesday night about 8PM Pacific time & the tri-letter's (you know, ABC, CNN, FOX, etc) are projecting via their "exit polls" that KOLI-FORY-A has been TERMINATED.  May be, or maybe not. In any case, I must blog on, so... National Pro-Choice Lobby Day Tomorrow, that would be Thursday, October 9, Abortion rights supporters have deemed National Pro-Choice Lobby Day. The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) Pro-Choice America is encouraging you to become virtual lobbyists by sending emails to your members of Congress. You can do so easily at: http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05Gvb4MPiAb/ Informed Dissent. Get Informed. Get Involved. In the middle of each month, as events warrant, veteran progressive investigative publication, Mother Jones Magazine, publishes an email newsletter called, "Informed Dissent" which highlights concrete actions that you can take to address the issues raised by the investigative reporting in Mother Jones. This week's edition appropriately focuses on reproductive rights. So with a tip of my pink hat to the "CONAN. THE PREDATOR; THE LAST ACTION HERO," I'm handing today's Rhino's Blog, BOTTOM LINE & all, to the fine folks at Mother Jones.   If you'd like to subscribe, free, to Informed Dissent, go to the Mo Jo web site, look left, scroll down to the Informed Dissent "SUBSCRIBE" button & then enter your email address. You can make a difference. Informed Dissent tells you how. http://www.motherjones.com/ Informed Dissent. Get Informed. Get Involved. October 7, 2003  / Volume 1, Issue 7 (EXCERPTED BY RHINO) The Right V. Roe: Chipping Away at Choice In the September/October issue of Mother Jones, Dr .William Rashbaum tells Rebecca Paley that he is "running out of steam." But that may not be what forces the 76-year-old, New York gynecologist to stop providing second-trimester abortions. Rashbaum, described by Paley as one of the country's "pre- eminent and longest-practicing providers" of such procedures, may find his medical decisions overruled by Congress. On Thursday, October 2nd, the House of Representatives approved a bill to ban abortions of the type provided by Rashbaum. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure within a matter of weeks, and President Bush has vowed to sign the bill into law. Abortion rights advocates promise to challenge the legislation in court, and predict it will prove to be as flawed as similar state laws, which have been struck down as unconstitutional. Mother Jones Article: "End of the Road" By Rebecca Paley (September/October 2003 Issue) http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05Grb4MPiAb/ The bill is just the latest assault on abortion rights launched by anti-choice lawmakers and their allies in the Bush Administration. Earlier this year, Ziba Kashef described how the president was diverting federal funds to 'crisis pregnancy centers' operated by anti-abortion groups. Last year, Gloria Totten, the former top Washington lobbyist for NARAL Pro-Choice America, told MotherJones.com how she expected the fight to play out. And two years ago, Mother Jones Contributing Writer Barry Yeoman detailed how anti- abortion groups are pursuing a 'stealth' campaign to undermine reproductive rights. Mother Jones Article: "The Fetal Position" By Ziba Kashef (January/February 2003 Issue) http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05Gsb4MPiAb/ MotherJones.com Interview: "Fixing for the Fight" By Brian H. Griffey (January 20, 2002) http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05Gtb4MPiAb/ Mother Jones Article: "The Quiet War on Abortion" By Barry Yeoman (September/October 2001) http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05Gub4MPiAb/ Abortion rights groups are mobilizing in response to the administration's efforts, launching a series of campaigns to lobby lawmakers and marshal abortion rights supporters. 1) Abortion rights supporters have established Thursday, October 9, as National Pro-Choice Lobby Day, and NARAL Pro-Choice America is encouraging Americans to become virtual lobbyists by sending emails to members of Congress. http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05Gvb4MPiAb/ 2) Four groups, NARAL, Planned Parenthood, Feminist Majority, and the National Organization of Women are planning "a public demonstration of historic size" for April 25 of next year, and they are calling for abortion rights advocates from around the country to join in lead-up events throughout the fall. http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05Gwb4MPiAb/ 3) The same groups are also calling on Senators to filibuster in opposition to any Supreme Court nominee who will not support the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05Gxb4MPiAb/ http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05Gyb4MPiAb/ 4) Abortion rights advocates are also fighting to defeat another anti-choice measure, "The Unborn Victims of Violence Act." The measure would provide fetuses the legal status of people in murder cases -- a legal conceit that abortion rights supporters describe as an end-run around Roe v. Wade. http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05Gzb4MPiAb/ http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05GAb4MPiAb/ http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05GBb4MPiAb/ 8:06:51 AM    comment

RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE - Support the Mother Jones Investigative Fund Support the Mother Jones Investigative Fund As a non-profit, the Foundation for National Progress relies on tax-deductible donations from readers like you. Your gifts allow us to continue to sustain Mother Jones in its effort to create a more just and democratic society.  Keep your MoJo working! Make a donation today. http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05GCb4MPiAb/ Subscribe to Mother Jones Magazine -- Social change for pocket change. Subscribe now to Mother Jones magazine - 1 year (6 issues), $18 http://informed-dissent.c.tep1.com/maabwRnaa05Gpb4MPiAb/ "RHINO'S BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. (rhino@kifaru.com) Feedback, and requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged. SEARCH BLOG ARCHIVES / SURF RHINO'S LINKS, AT: http://www.rhinosblog.info RHINO'S OTHER WEB SITES: http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG) http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES) Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html All copyrights belong to original publisher. Tell a friend about Rhino's Blog 6:57:52 AM    comment

© Copyright 2005 Gary Rhine.