Feminism and liberalism.
Jun. 14th, 2006 11:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sethrakInstead of my usual web-slumming around comics and other sites that make me go squee, I was moderately productive today. A few days ago I signed an online petition urging Congress to not cut funding for public television, which is currently part of a spending bill up for consideration. Today I looked up the local public television station and donated $25 to them. Not much point in demanding Congress spend other people's tax money for a cause I myself haven't donated to...
And, regarding that HPV vaccine I posted about a couple days ago, I've been looking up various feminist and healthcare websites. Found plenty of good information; plenty of anti-vaccine quotes and links to the sites of those quoted which made me gently thud my head against the wall -![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
davner, this kind of crap is exactly why I can't embrace the Republican party and its conservative affiliates. The Democrats/liberal groups may have their own brand of crazies, but at least my crazies don't want to slap a chastity belt on me and my daughters-to-be for our own good. Now that the vaccine has been approved, its opponents want to get the FDA to make it a non-mandatory vaccine, so that people with religious objections aren't "forced" to have their daughters vaccinated. Sounds reasonable... except that every state except West Virginia and Mississippi has laws that already allow people to opt out of vaccines for religious objections. The trick is, states don't have to pay for the indigent to get any vaccine that the satte health dept. doesn't declare mandatory. The very poor, who are most likely to lack health insurance and most likely to have trouble even affording Pap smears, the current line of defense against women getting cervical cancer, will be screwed.
So, I donated another $25 to Planned Parenthood. They're frequently the only source of low-cost reproductive health care for the poor, and they've got better lobbying skills than I do. I'm also bookmarking a link from a feminist website that details how to email the committee debating whether this vaccine should be optional or mandatory. I'd email them now, but I want to sound reasonably articulate when I do so, and right now I really need to grab a bite to eat and get ready for my pre-natal appointment later today.
Notes to self: Research whether this vaccine can be used on men; they obviosuly can't get cervical cancer, but they pass the virus on from partner to partner. Research whether herpes, another STD that condoms can't really protect against, has a vaccine in the works, and what its status is.
And, regarding that HPV vaccine I posted about a couple days ago, I've been looking up various feminist and healthcare websites. Found plenty of good information; plenty of anti-vaccine quotes and links to the sites of those quoted which made me gently thud my head against the wall -
davner, this kind of crap is exactly why I can't embrace the Republican party and its conservative affiliates. The Democrats/liberal groups may have their own brand of crazies, but at least my crazies don't want to slap a chastity belt on me and my daughters-to-be for our own good. Now that the vaccine has been approved, its opponents want to get the FDA to make it a non-mandatory vaccine, so that people with religious objections aren't "forced" to have their daughters vaccinated. Sounds reasonable... except that every state except West Virginia and Mississippi has laws that already allow people to opt out of vaccines for religious objections. The trick is, states don't have to pay for the indigent to get any vaccine that the satte health dept. doesn't declare mandatory. The very poor, who are most likely to lack health insurance and most likely to have trouble even affording Pap smears, the current line of defense against women getting cervical cancer, will be screwed.So, I donated another $25 to Planned Parenthood. They're frequently the only source of low-cost reproductive health care for the poor, and they've got better lobbying skills than I do. I'm also bookmarking a link from a feminist website that details how to email the committee debating whether this vaccine should be optional or mandatory. I'd email them now, but I want to sound reasonably articulate when I do so, and right now I really need to grab a bite to eat and get ready for my pre-natal appointment later today.
Notes to self: Research whether this vaccine can be used on men; they obviosuly can't get cervical cancer, but they pass the virus on from partner to partner. Research whether herpes, another STD that condoms can't really protect against, has a vaccine in the works, and what its status is.
