Wasn't There a Better Way

In late January, the Komen Foundation (one of the biggest nonprofits promoting Breast Cancer Awareness) took the controversial step of publicly revoking its donational support to Planned Parenthood, the reason being PP is an abortion provider & Komen doesn't support abortions. Because the uproar was fueled by member outrage on social media, Komen not only quickly backtracked but their Vice President, Mollie Williams (who is perceived to have led the anti-abortion charge) quickly resigned.

I also stumbled upon this GMA interview of former Victoria Secrets model Kylie Bisutti. (Link is below):

http://gma.yahoo.com/video/fashionbeauty-26594250/lingerie-model-discusses-shocking-exit-off-runway-28244133.html

She entered the public conscience when she won an open competition held by the company, beating out over 10,000 prospective models. She's making news now because she's giving up Victoria Secrets gig & aiming for something more wholesome.

The question I'm asking is, couldn't there have been a better way?

Why am I bringing up these two seperate incidents? Allow me to digress.

Realizing the extent of the public outrage, Komen quickly reversed their descion. They could have acheived their objections in distancing themselves from an abortion provider by quietly withdrawing their donations. But instead, they had to make a splash & make it public thus insuring outrage but also making it a POLITICAL statement.

What did they get out of it? They're still paying PP for cancer screening (money which would not have gone to abortions because of the terms of those donations). But in the process, they lose their credibility. The Foundation can't claim to be the preeminent nonprofit interested in only promoting breast cancer awareness if they contract their elligibility pool. Nor was their founder's performance in explaining their rationale whe she appeared on Andrea Mitchell's program (the interview link is below)

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/02/10303379-andrea-mitchell-interviews-susan-g-komens-nancy-brinker

As for Kylie Bisutti, I'm still scratching my head. If a person changes their mind, that's their business. But her justification that "(her) body is only for her husband" left me wincing. What is this like 1955? Don't even get me started that she's also doing it to "honor God". She certainly had no quams about showing off her body when she beat out her competitors (even going so far as saying "I want this, and I'll do what it takes to get it."). Nor did she have quams taking such gigs when it accompanied a big fat modeling contract. She could have easily shifted to more wholesome stuff & no one would have cared. But by making a big splash, it didn't become about her or her husband or her religious beliefs. It became about her ego. Last time I checked the Bible, hubris was a pretty big sin.


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This is one of my muses (its not a term I use lightly).

She earned that name by how she found me. Back during my undergrad, I posted a series of flyers "Seeking a Muse" citing the various benefits. "Eternal glory" was one of the perks. I did it more as a lark than anything else. Anyway, she found & responded to the flyer & we worked together MANY times before she transferred.



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Jim Crow is Alive and Well

The following article was brought to my attention by a family friend:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/02/12/3004849/music-directors-marriage-leads.html

...the guy is his Godfather, an important symbolic position w/n the Christian community.

Some things bother me about this case. The choir director was OPENLY GAY when they hired him & had remained at his post for over 10 years doing an exemplary job. He went out of his way to give his bosses a headsup that he was getting married to his partner, so as not to blindside them. They still kept him on the job. Yet the moment he got married, he all of a sudden wasn’t qualified & thus was fired.

But y'know, if church spent even 1/4 of the time cleaning up their own ranks from pedophiles as they DO spend rolling back women's reproductive rights (same goes for gay marriage), their congregation ranks might be more inclined to adhere what they have to say as well as to attend mass.

The biggest question in my mind, if that church's principles were so important WHY DID YOU HIRE THE GUY IN THE FIRST PLACE?! They sure can't claim they "didn't know".

Granted he'd probably lose because the US Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Jan 2012 in the Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission case that religious schools can legally fire their teachers for nonreligious reasons but I hope the choir director slaps them with a Federal Job Discrimination lawsuit or something just for shits & giggles.

Its sad that Jim Crow is alive & well in America & the law passes it off as "religious freedom".


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This is Morgan. Shot during a break on that day's storm.



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Religion and Abortion and Birth Control

I'm amused at how vehement & hypocritical the Religious Right can be.

I give you two separate instances that occurred recently; the revocation of Komen Foundation's breast cancer screening donations to Planned Parenthood because that organization is an abortion provider & the uproar over the Obama Administration requiring religious institutions to provide birth control as part of their health insurance coverage to their employees.

You'd think the church would WANT to provide free/low-cost birth control because it'd reduce unwanted pregnancies & thus (presumably) less "killings of the unborn". To say nothing about how a drain those unwanted babies are on the state coffers (another concern of the Religious Right).

But I guess that strand of logic is inconsequential.

It should also be noted that religious institutions have already been providing birth control as part of their insurance for the last TEN YEARS. Strange how this fauxtroversy is only coming to light now. Don't believe me, read this link.

I'm guessing this outrage is happening because its an even numbered year (meaning elections). Funny how that works.


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This is Doria, circa 2006. I always liked her creative spunk.



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