“The world won’t get any better if all you do is sit there and watch.”
Truer words need not be spoken.
Tracks
This past weekend was the Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) Activist Leadership Institute. Being one of those selected across the country from the tons of applications, we experienced a whirlwind of information and workshops to be better organizers, activists, orators, and framers through the context of future abortion providers. At the end, as a “charger,” we discussed what our ideal 2016 would be in bout 10 minutes. Stuff in the circle is what we want. Stuff outside the circle is stuff we want to get rid of.
Apparently there was a lot of agreemtn on - men having babies and safe (implied) sex.
Hell yeah. 2016 is looking awesome.
Avaaz - Selling India's health to the EU. Help stop India's fatal mistake!
In days, India’s position as the world’s pharmacy may be overturned. But we can persuade Commerce Minister Sharma to save our industry and protect patients everywhere.
For years India has made life saving medicine affordable for millions here and all around the world. But now, Minister Sharma is heading to Brussels to make final decisions in a secretive trade treaty between India and the European Union. This treaty will likely benefit big pharma and make drug prices skyrocket so sick people, especially the poor, can no longer afford them. India’s farmers stand to lose big too.
Our courts just ruled against drug giant Novartis, keeping cheap drugs in reach of cancer patients. Minister Sharma strongly welcomed the result — now we need to remind him to take the same pro-poor stance and put India’s health above big pharma. We have only one week to to convince him to act. Click the link above to join the call and share widely!
THIS IS IMPORTANT PEOPLE. Help take action!
Imagine a World Without Hate (Official Video) (by ADLNational)
There is so much one person can do. We are not powerless.
For Intl. Woman’s Day. On to true equality for all….
(Source: sigfodr)
“Voyager cost each American less than a penny a year from launch to Neptune encounter.” - Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot
Tell Congress To Spare A Penny4NASA:
http://www.penny4nasa.org/take-action/
“Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.”
-MLK. DC. 1959.
40th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the historic Supreme Court decision that ensured a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion. Unfortunately, since 1963, federal and state legislators have worked very hard to chip away at that right, decreasing access for women throughout the United States through restrictions on insurance coverage; waiting periods; and mandatory, medically unnecessary ultrasounds to name a few. The most significant of these is the Hyde Amendment, which keeps Medicaid from paying for terminations, leaving the poor and marginalized, those often at greatest risk for unplanned pregnancy, with the worst access. In the last couple years, we’ve even seen attacks on birth control. As future physicians, I believe it is our responsibility to be scientists in the face of ideology and stand up for the health and rights of our patients and communities.
On this day, I’d like you all to take just a little bit of time to read about the current attacks on reproductive health in the U.S., and the new restrictions that have come into effect even in just the last year. Texas actually defunded Planned Parenthood and Mississippi is on a crusade to make sure the state’s last abortion clinic closes its doors as soon as possible. This anniversary post on Mother Jones is a fantastic summary, including great research from the Guttmacher Institute, and here’s another post on five states we need to be watching in 2013. In case your interested, here’s some up to date Pew Forum polling.
Today, I encourage you all to take action in support of reproductive health and rights:
- Tell your legislators and President Obama how you feel, and visit This is Personal for additional info ways to be involved.
- Contribute to Not In Her Shoes a tumblr voicing that no one can walk in another woman’s shoes but her and no one else can describe her personal experience.
- Check out the 1 in 3 Campaign, which brings stories and faces to the 1 in 3 women who will have an abortion in her lifetime.
- Get involved with Medical Students for Choice at your school or create a chapter if there isn’t one already.
- Consider holding an event on women’s health this semester to educate your classmates on this important issue.
Not into reading today? I’ve got graphics!
Please stand with me in saying we should treat reproductive health care like health care, by respecting women’s decisions in the face of their own unique realities. Take a moment today to be thankful that our obstetric wards aren’t flooded with self-induced, septic abortions as they were pre-Roe v. Wade, but also to realize that our past may come around to be our future if we don’t take action!
I don’t think the NRA really thought this through…
Hell Yes Rachel Maddow. We care more for the cause than you liking us when it comes to rallys, demonstrations and the like.
Here’s to the coordinators. Here’s to the marshalls. Here’s to the executors. Here’s to the public faces. From behind organizing to press calls and recruiting, there’s so much that goes on behind a demonstration that is what is seen on media is barely half of it.
(Source: sansastone)
