I'll beg forgiveness for posting something decidedly off-topic, but I
happened to see this commentary and was thoroughly annoyed. Now I know why!!
Nicole
<<
Last week, the so-called Independent Women's Forum scored a triple
win with prominent attacks on feminism generally, and the National
Organization for Women (NOW) in particular, in the New York Times, the
Wall Street Journal and the CBS Sunday Evening News.
In each case, feminists were attacked for being out of touch and not
representative of most women. Their case in point? NOW's opposition
to the Promise Keepers. "Women want their men to keep their
promises," said these cheerleaders for the right. Carefully left out
of the discussion was the Promise Keepers' links to Pat Robertson and
the Christian Coalition, the fact that Promise Keepers rallies are
training grounds for men to "take back their rightful place as head of
the families, ... and make their wives submit to their leadership,"
and their virulent and hateful homophobia.
At least The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal labeled the
opinion as such, and gave the source of the opinions. But at no time
did CBS identify the IWF's Laura Ingraham as anything more than a
"commentator." The video accompanying the piece featured women
interviewed -- not about the NOW stand against the Promise Keepers --
about the word feminism and whether men should keep their promises.
And the perky blonde Ingraham could easily be mistaken for a
telejournalist (as least in looks -- she is neither old nor
unattractive and is properly deferential to men -- just the kind the
guys in the front office like).
It boggles the mind that CBS thinks it is appropriate to have Ingraham
as a commentator, let alone fail to mention her bias. She sprang full
blown as a media star, a creation of the right wing. And she strikes
us as relevant to most women and their families as a singing pig --
the singing pig's novelty wears off once you realize that she sings
off key and gets the words wrong!
CBS has an obligation to let its viewers know that Ingraham represents
only herself and her right wing masters. If CBS insists on carrying
her novelty act -- "Look! A woman against women's rights!" -- they
must inform the public of her political agenda.
ACTION:
Let CBS know how you feel about their attempt to validate the right
wing by carrying Laura Ingraham's commentary without identifying her
bias. Email CBS at <<mail@uttm.com>> and call your local CBS
affiliate. Only you can stop the backlash!
Please Post Widely!
Women Leaders Online/Women Organizing for Change
PO Box 11019, Washington DC 20008
Voice: 202-861-4730 Fax: 202-364-3018
E-mail: wlo@wlo.org Web: http://wlo.org
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subscribe from your new address.
>>
---------------------
Forwarded message:
From: robinred@msn.com (Robin Rothrock)
Sender: owner-netbytes@mailer.hotrock.com
Reply-to: netbytes@mailer.hotrock.com
To: netbytes@mailer.hotrock.com (Netbytes)
Date: 97-07-17 02:32:08 EDT
WOC Alert 7/16/97 - Congress to Poor Worldwide: Just Say No; CBS Says
'Welcome Home' to the Stepford Wives
As Congress considers the FY 1998 Appropriations Bill, there is a move
(inspired by the Christian Coalition and Concerned Women for America)
to institute a global gag rule -- denying poor women the right to be
told anything about abortion by their health care workers -- and, just
it case that doesn't work, to totally slash all funds for
international family planning. Can't you just hear their logic? It's
as if they are saying, "If you can't afford birth control or more
children, just say no to sex -- control yourselves, you brazen
hussies!" Of course, we suspect that the need for an even cheaper
labor pool for the global economy may be as important a reason as
their blatant hatred of poor women.
But whatever the reasons, we cannot let the House and Senate get away
with this outrage. Even with international family planning available
now, there is still a shocking maternal death rate -- one women dies
every 3 minutes from illegal abortion. And we know that restrictions
on birth control and lack of knowledge of safe, legal abortion will
drive that death rate up astronomically.
ACTION: Email your Member of Congress
<<http://www.house.gov/Whoswho.html>> and your Senators
<<http://wlo.org/woc/senate.html>> or call them (Capital Switchboard
- 202/225-3121) immediately. Urge them to vote FOR international
family planning funding and AGAINST the global gag rule.
Cheerleaders of the Right Win the Triple Crown
Last week, the so-called Independent Women's Forum scored a triple
win with prominent attacks on feminism generally, and the National
Organization for Women (NOW) in particular, in the New York Times, the
Wall Street Journal and the CBS Sunday Evening News.
In each case, feminists were attacked for being out of touch and not
representative of most women. Their case in point? NOW's opposition
to the Promise Keepers. "Women want their men to keep their
promises," said these cheerleaders for the right. Carefully left out
of the discussion was the Promise Keepers' links to Pat Robertson and
the Christian Coalition, the fact that Promise Keepers rallies are
training grounds for men to "take back their rightful place as head of
the families, ... and make their wives submit to their leadership,"
and their virulent and hateful homophobia.
At least The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal labeled the
opinion as such, and gave the source of the opinions. But at no time
did CBS identify the IWF's Laura Ingraham as anything more than a
"commentator." The video accompanying the piece featured women
interviewed -- not about the NOW stand against the Promise Keepers --
about the word feminism and whether men should keep their promises.
And the perky blonde Ingraham could easily be mistaken for a
telejournalist (as least in looks -- she is neither old nor
unattractive and is properly deferential to men -- just the kind the
guys in the front office like).
It boggles the mind that CBS thinks it is appropriate to have Ingraham
as a commentator, let alone fail to mention her bias. She sprang full
blown as a media star, a creation of the right wing. And she strikes
us as relevant to most women and their families as a singing pig --
the singing pig's novelty wears off once you realize that she sings
off key and gets the words wrong!
CBS has an obligation to let its viewers know that Ingraham represents
only herself and her right wing masters. If CBS insists on carrying
her novelty act -- "Look! A woman against women's rights!" -- they
must inform the public of her political agenda.
ACTION:
Let CBS know how you feel about their attempt to validate the right
wing by carrying Laura Ingraham's commentary without identifying her
bias. Email CBS at <<mail@uttm.com>> and call your local CBS
affiliate. Only you can stop the backlash!
AND NOW, A NOTE FROM OUR SPONSOR:
If you have not yet sent in your donation to be part of Women Leaders
Online, we really need your support. Your contribution of $100, $50,
$25, $10 -- or whatever you can spare -- can help keep our
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we can obtain the required information.
Please visit our website at http://wlo.org. Thank you!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Please Post Widely!
Women Leaders Online/Women Organizing for Change
PO Box 11019, Washington DC 20008
Voice: 202-861-4730 Fax: 202-364-3018
E-mail: wlo@wlo.org Web: http://wlo.org
To subscribe, mailto:listserv@listserv.aol.com with the message:
subscribe WOC firstname lastname
To unsubscribe, mailto:listserv@listserv.aol.com with the message:
unsubscribe WOC
To change your address, unsubscribe from your old address and
subscribe from your new address.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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