What's on my mind…

I stumbled upon this interesting article today. China’s Foreign Ministry responded to the U.S. State Department’s criticism of their human rights record by basically telling us to mind our own business and take a look in the mirror.

An excerpt from the article:

“The United States ignores its own severe human rights problems, ardently promoting its so-called ‘human rights diplomacy’, treating human rights as a political tool to vilify other countries and to advance its own strategic interests,” said a passage from the Chinese report.

Produced by the State Council Information Office, the government’s public relations arm, the report dwelled on what it said were severe deprivations and threats facing many Americans, as well as Washington’s invasion of Iraq.

It also cited the United States’ refusal to ratify a number of international human rights pacts, and listed poverty, hunger and homelessness as stains on the country’s rights record.

“The United States is the world’s worst country for violent crimes,” said the report. “Citizens’ lives, property and personal safety do not receive the protection they should.”

“Racial discrimination is deeply rooted in the United States, permeating every aspect of social life,” it said.

It leaves me wondering…do they have a point? We have Guantanamo Bay. A recent poll showed that 46 percent of “hardcore Republicans” in Mississippi think that interracial marriage should be illegal. Gay marriage is illegal in the majority of our states. Then there is the resistance to signing human rights treaties that they cited. If you want to go back in time, we have the treatment of Native Americans, slavery and Jim Crow.

In spite of that, I think China wins in terms of human rights violations. Just saying. Can any country cast the first stone when it comes to human rights? Maybe Sweden or the Netherlands, but do they have the economic or military power to force a country like China to release political prisoners or allow freedom of religion?

Yes, we have some work to do in cleaning up our own human rights record. So do a lot of countries. However, what would happen if the United States didn’t try to use its political clout to curb human rights violations?

I don’t have any answers on this. I’ve just been thinking about it.

What do you think?

As most of you know, an earthquake struck Japan early friday morning. The earthquake registered an 8.9 on the Richter scale and triggered a massive tsunami, which devastated Japan and most of the countries in the Pacific. The death toll is expected to exceed 10,000. Survivors are living in temporary shelters while the food supply dwindles.

Thoughts and prayers are always appreciated, but there are some more concrete things you can do to help the people of the Pacific. There was a great blog post on Huffington Post about various groups and their relief efforts. Instead of regurgitating the post here, I’m going link to it.

The earthquake and tsunami come on the heels of the earthquake in New Zealand last month. Of course, many people are still donating money to Haiti and to the gulf after the oil spill. Last August I wrote a post about the flooding in Pakistan and why relief was sluggish. One of the issues brought up was that major relief groups are only equipped for one natural disaster a year.

So as the devastating pictures keep coming in and the bad news piles up, please don’t forget that there are things you can do to help the people in the Pacific.

This has been bothering me all week. However, I read an article in today’s newspaper and it really got to me. Instead of creating jobs and getting our economy back in order, the House Republicans are all but declaring war on women and the future. That’s not what the President said to do in his speech, you guys. He said to win the future. Most of you were reading along, I know you know that.

The article had a pullout featuring the main victims of the $61 billion in cuts. Of the 12 that were singled out, four deal specifically with women. From cutting Planned Parenthood funding to food aid for poor pregnant women or poor women with young children. Seriously? Long gone are the days of the Titanic when women and children got to the lifeboats first.

There are other ridiculous cuts and cuts that are close to my heart, but let me start with Planned Parenthood in hopes of clearing something up for everyone. Planned Parenthood does more than provide abortions. Is that an aspect of their services? Yes. Is that all they do? Oh my goodness, no. I am an uninsured woman who works part-time and is barely squeaking by. I have not been to a doctor in a year. However, I know that I do not have breast or cervical cancer. I am also able to get birth control so that I am not sidetracked by an unplanned pregnancy. I am able to stay healthy and control my body because of the cheap services offered to me by Planned Parenthood. Every three months I thank them for the services they provide. I got my yearly exam there for a fraction of what it would have cost at my old OBGYN without insurance. They do tests for AIDs and other sexually transmitted diseases. They a women’s health organization. So before anyone goes badmouthing them, think of all of the women we’ve lost to breast, cervical or ovarian cancer. Early detection is key. Therefore access to healthcare is key. And for many women living without insurance and/or below the poverty line Planned Parenthood is key. It’s that’s simple.

The other cuts? Um, Americorps. Really? Americorps. And that one isn’t a cut, it simply says “halt financing.” I have a lot of good friends who have been through Americorps. For those of you who do not know, it’s a program where people volunteer for a year. They usually do it after college or high school. They perform public service works. Sometimes with Habitat for Humanity and sometimes through other programs. It’s a multi-faceted group. In 2003, Bush (their golden boy) signed the “Strengthen Americorps Program Act” which doubled the number of volunteers. So, the tax breaks stay, but Americorps goes. That’s how we’re working.

They want to eliminate federal funding for PBS. The cost of a tote bag through donations would skyrocket. Also, I love Nova ScienceNow. PBS exposes people to art, history and culture that other networks simply don’t offer. Have you ever seen American Masters? It’s a fantastic show.

They want to reduce Pell Grants and cut $60 billion from domestic programs, including education. See, this is where they’re really messing up. Because they also want to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing a curb on gas emission. So, if they don’t want our regulatory committees to do things like regulate, then we had better make sure that the next generation of students is the smartest generation that the world has ever seen. Not only will they have to deal with all of this debt they’re whining about, but they’ll have to figure out how to commute to work with no alternative energy and without going outside because the atmosphere is too toxic. Giving schools less money to work with and making it harder for students to go to college is NOT the way we do that. Oh and they want to cut the Social Security Administration, too, so this next generation is also going to have to figure out how to take care of themselves when they retire. I guess if they want to delay college and gain some real world experience, they can try Americorps…oh wait, no.

This bill passed through the House. I am pleased to say that my Congressman voted no on the bill and therefore I will continue to vote for him. The President said he will veto the bill if it gets through the Senate, which is doubtful.

I am reminded once again of the political/historical urban legend where George Washington explained to Thomas Jefferson that the Senate was the bit of coffee that he had poured into his saucer in order to cool the rest of the cup (the House). However, if the House is to be the voice of the people, I am extremely worried that the people want to live in a country with no social security, no PBS, no place for people who want to volunteer, an EPA that cannot protect the environment, limited food aid for poor pregnant women, limited medical care, less money for public school and less money for college. What exactly are our priorities?

Look, budgets are hard and budget cuts are even harder. Every program is important to someone out there. The country is broke and it’s true that sacrifices must be made. However, the idea that those sacrifices have to be women, children and the elderly (cutting the Social Security Administration would mean that the benefits would not arrive as quickly) is cruel. I always thought it was unamerican, too. But maybe that’s just me.

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