Fierce...Flawless...

9 notes

Richard Fausset at Los Angeles Times: Food stamp bills seek to restrict junk food

One key objection raised by the coalition — an objection the USDA echoed in its denial of New York’s demonstration project — is the possibility that further restrictions might lead to further stigma. Feeling ashamed or uncomfortable about being on public assistance, advocates believe, may deter people from signing up for food aid. Alleviating such discomfort is one reason SNAP recipients now use electronic benefit cards similar to debit cards, instead of the old paper stamps, which easily identified shoppers on public assistance.

“This business of being treated differently is a big piece of it for us,” said Ellen Vollinger, legal director for the Food Research and Action Center in Washington. “It’s a big step backward, to the age of paper coupons.”

Agriculture Department officials, in a 2007 paper, identified other “serious” problems with the idea of restricting unhealthful foods. Keeping tabs on hundreds of thousands of American food products would be costly and complicated.

Moreover, they argued, there are no “clear standards” for what constitutes healthful food: by some measurements, diet soda, which is low in calories and sugar, could be considered “healthier” than orange juice.

(Source: meloukhia)

44 notes

Maybe many women don’t feel comfortable with a home birth for whatever reason (it’s outside of their cultural norms, they can’t afford a doula, they don’t have a home suitable for birthing, they don’t have a supportive partner to help with the birth and recovery, they prefer a hospital out of safety concerns, etc.) These women still deserve to have options and autonomy in their birthing choices, and when we turn the debate into HOME=”NATURAL” HOSPITAL=MEDICATED and then focus all our energy on deciding who is “right” in that debate, we lose sight of (in my opinion) the real goal: getting ALL women, regardless of their socioeconomic status and regardless of where they give birth, autonomy over their bodies, access to information, and the right to birth without fear and coercion.
Balancing Jane: Home Births vs. Hospital Births: Who Gets Lost in Dichotomizing Rhetoric (via naomieve)

(via mymilkspilt)

439 notes

Reverse Racism is a myth created by racist white people

ethiopienne:

brazenbitch:

Who believe that sporadic, interpersonal acts of hostility from people of color is equivalent or relevant to the struggle of people of color from oppression.

Even if a person of color is hateful against white people, it has nothing to do with the thought of whites being inferior to people of color, but rather backlash from the harm whiteness has caused non whites, and non white cultures. 

We are enraged that our land has been stolen and occupied 

We are furious that our people are treated as second citizens, IF citizens at all 

We are infuriated that we are forced to assimilate, apologize, and dismiss racism in our lives for the sake of solidarity, to get jobs, to be successful, to be heard. 

So excuse us if we are belligerent, if we are militant in our speech and actions. We can’t afford to be otherwise. 

Bolding for emphasis mine. 

(via sanaa-tamir)

124 notes

REPRESENTATION OF THE “PRIMITIVE” AMERICAN INDIAN

adailyriot:

lakalenyu:

blackma:

We owe many iconic images of American Indians to photographer Edward S. Curtis. Growing up in Wisconsin and Minnesota, Curtis began photographing Indians in 1895 and, in 1906, was offered $75,000 by JP Morgan to continue documenting their lives.  The 1,500 resulting photographs inevitably impacted the image of Indians in the American imagination.Later it came to light that Curtis’ photographs weren’t exactly pure representations.  In some photographs, for example, he erased signs of modernity. 

Follow the source to read more and see the altered images.

[image: sepia-toned portrait of an indigenous person. They have brown skin and deep wrinkles, greying hair that appears to be about chin-length, partially covered under a check-printed(?) cloth hat. They are wearing numerous beaded necklaces and medallions. The photograph is the work of world class fuckface Edward S. Curtis.]

Fixed the link. Hate this guy. Important read. Too tired for clever commentary. Or unfragmented sentences, apparently.

Curtis not only erased signs of modernity, but also carried around clothing and wigs he though were quintessentially “native american.” This is why you’ll see photos of pueblo women wearing cider vests… or just really non-traditional style clothing to various different tribes (i.e. cider was used in clothing and what not to the tribes in the Pacific Northwest… not in the southwest or any/most other parts of the country).

People need to be cautious of the representations of Natives that they see… folks don’t realize that stereotypes and misrepresentations of Natives have been around literally since 1492. 

(via guerrillamamamedicine)

22 notes

lucypaw:

numol:

URGENT: Yanelli is scheduled to be deported on Tuesday, January 31st. She is struggling to hold it together after two suicide attempts. She needs to be home with her family getting help not facing deportation away from everything she knows!

numol:

if at all possible, please call/sign/pass this around.

Maybe we weren’t able to help Joaquin Luna, but we can certainly help Yanelli. Take action and let’s make this happen.

One Call Could Make The Difference - GOAL is 2,000 calls!

Call ICE – John Morton @ 800-394-5855 or 202.732.3000 or 1-800-821-9358

Sample Script: “Hello I am calling to ask that Yanelli Hernadez (A# 205 012 525) be allowed to stay in the U.S. where she needs treatment. Yanelli is suffering from depression, has attempted to take her own life twice and should not be deported. This is wrong.”
PLEASE SHARE THIS PETITION AND ACTION ALERT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

[READ & SIGN PETITION]

additional info from the email Dream Activist is sending out about this:

[WARNING for talk of her abuse in detention, in the text right below]

Stripped Naked and Given a Blanket

That’s how the detention center responded to Yanelli after she almost took her own life. 

[END WARNING for talk of her abuse in detention (in text right above)]

And now, only months later, she is being shipped off away from the only family and friends who might be able to help her get better. Yanelli’s case is urgent, we only have until Tuesday to stop her deportation. Yanelli came to the United States all by herself when she was 13, this means that, if deported, she won’t have anyone to support her.

We need your help to get Yanelli out, she needs to be at home with her family receiving treatment.  Things are not looking good for her, ICE has already moved her to a different location… the last stop for detainees before they are deported.  We pretty much have 1 day to stop Yanelli’s deportation.

Will you join us in making 2,000 calls to ICE demanding they let Yanelli go so she can seek the treatment she needs?

Make a call to John Morton, Director of ICE via one of these numbers:1-800-394-5855 or 202-732-3000 or 1-800-821-9358

Hello I am calling to ask that Yanelli Hernadez (A# 205 012 525) be allowed to stay in the U.S. where she needs treatment. Yanelli is suffering from depression; she has attempted to take her own life twice and should not be deported. This is wrong.

In order to reach our goal of 2,000 calls we need to work together.  Can you help us by changing your facebook profile picture to the image here [http://action.dreamactivist.org/alert.jpg]? That way everyone will know exactly what they need to do.

We cannot lose another undocumented youth to suicide; please take action and make a call to stop Yanelli’s Tuesday deportation. 

[http://action.dreamactivist.org/Group6.jpg]

As a show of solidarity, in addition to calls, several states have planned vigils or phone-banks in support of Yanelli.  She isn’t the only undocumented person suffering and so we need to be there for each other. If you can, after you make a call please take a quick picture and send it to us so that we can remind each other how much support we really have out there.

[http://action.dreamactivist.org/Group7.jpg]

All over the country people are taking action for Yanelli, if you can attend one of the local events hosted in the following cities: Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, New York City, Detroit, Tallahassee, Raleigh, Harrisonburg, San Francisco, Birmingham, Columbus and Cincinnati. We only have until Tuesday to save Yanelli’s life and we aren‘t going to go down without a fight! Will you help us reach our goal of 2,000 calls for Yanelli to be set free?

After you call please let us know how it went so we can keep track of how many calls we get. You can report back on this page, that way maybe your note will encourage someone else to take action as well.

We’ll keep you updated throughout the day. Thank you for all you do.

Mohammad Abdollahi
DreamActivist.org

P.S.  If you are on twitter can you help us send this message? Whn Joaquin Luna cmtd suicide we all expressed regret we hdn’t helped him. Is Yanelli next? bit.ly/wAfWey @NAMICommunicate @dreamact

My social anxiety prevented me from calling but I signed. Please call/sign/reblog.

549 notes

this is super important tw: cissexism, institutionalization

lucypaw:

inflateablefilth:

fracturedrefuge:

kyriarchy:

http://www.change.org/petitions/berlin-youth-welfare-office-stop-the-institutionalization-of-a-11-year-old-transexual

http://www.iglyo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=256&Itemid=42

Because institutionalization is always, always better for a child than being raised by her loving mother.

Guys, please read and sign.  An 11-year-old trans* girl is being institutionalized because her father does not support her gender identity. 

This is fucked up. And this needs more notes and signatures. Poor kid.

Signed and signal boosting.  What.  The.  Fuck.

(Historical note: Trans people have been institutionalised for decades and it DOES NOT make us not trans.  However, it certainly can and has harmed us more.)

60 notes

stardustevolution:

In Labor and In Chains

*This is a follow up to my previous post “The American Dream..Right?!”, please re-blog and if you care, to follow me to keep up with update*

This is a video of Shawanna Nelson speaking on her experience of being inhumanely chained and denied pain management during the delivery of her son Jordan in 2003. As a result of her experience she brought suit against the Arkansas Department of Correction and the CO who chained her. In 2009, the United States Court of Appeal 8th Circuit ruled, based on the 8thAmendment,that Nelson was a victim of cruel and unusual punishment. Her rights as were constitutionally violated and the court is quoted as saying “the shackles interfered with Nelson’s medical care, could be an obstacle in the event of a medical emergency, and caused unnecessary suffering at a time when Nelson would have likely been physically unable to flee because of the pain she was undergoing and the powerful contractions she was experiencing as her body worked to give birth.” I posted this for the sole reason that sometimes we see different calls for justice on one issue or another yet it slowly becomes just another thing to be “upset’ about as we go about our daily agenda. Watch this and see this womyn, I mean really see her! Look at her and see your mother, your sister, your cousin…know that this is not just any one persons unfortunate experience but a testament to a broader, far reaching toxic perpetuation of a dehumanizing ideology.

WE NEED YOU VOICE! ALL CALL FOR MIDWIVES,DOCTORS, NURSES, DOULAS,MEDICAL Practitioners to TESTIFY!

Right now HB653 is housed in the State Institutions and Properties committee of the GA state legislature. As of now a tentative hearing is being scheduled for February. We need your voices! We feel the expert testimony of medical professional, who can give a first hand account of shackling from a care givers perspective, will be crucial is getting the bill passed.We need ALL nurses, doulas, mid-wives, doctors and OBGYN staff to speak out! We’re looking for at LEAST 4 medical staff who have witnessed shackling first hand, willing to testify at the hearing. I’m looking for at least 4 more to attend regardless of first-hand experience. Those who wish to remain anonymous or who cannot attend the hearing are urged to submit written statements of their experience. Staff at Grady and Atlanta Medical are great folks to ask if you know any one who works there.Please pass this along even if you don’t know anyone..someone who’s following you might!

*Also seeking out mothers who were incarcerated or family/friends/partners who have a loved one who is currently incarcerated that has experienced giving birth while incarcerated at a county and local facility. Your voice is even more CRUCIAL!

Thank you so much for helping get the word out. There is an event coming up at Georgia State University February 13th. I will post detail as soon as I get it.

(Source: youtube.com, via guerrillamamamedicine)

283 notes

mohandasgandhi:

TYT: NYPD has been forcing recruits to watch the Islamophobic documentary The Third Jihad

The NYPD has reportedly been showing an anti-muslim documentary to it’s recruits. Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian discuss this bigoted film, and this terrible decision by the NYPD.

Raw Story: NYPD played anti-Muslim movie ‘on continuous loop’ at training

The New York Police Department showed an anti-Muslim film “on a continuous loop” for between three months and one year of training at its COBRA (Chemical, Ordinance, Biological, and Radiological) Unit, which provides terrorism awareness training.

According to the New York Times, the documentary The Third Jihad showed Muslim terrorists shooting Christians in the head, executed children covered by sheets and a fake photograph of an Islamic flag flying above the White House. One of those interviewed in the film says that “Islamism is like cancer.”

News of the film’s use by the NYPD first broke in January 2011. A police official at the time claimed that it had only been shown “a couple of times.”

But documents (PDF) obtained by the Brennan Center for Justice revealed that the film was “played on a continuous loop during the sign in, medical and administrative process” of the training. It was not used during the lecture portion of the training, though, only as an “intermission filler.”

At least 1,489 police officers saw the film.

“Somebody exercised some terrible judgment,” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the Associated Press. “As soon as they found out about it, they stopped it.”

Staff at the COBRA Unit said they obtained the video from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. But the identity of that DHS agent who provided the film remains a mystery. The DHS said the film was not an authorized to be used or distributed by the department.

The film was eventually pulled after police officers complained that it was offensive.

“It’s clearly a propaganda, anti-Muslim film,” said Linda Sarsour, a member of the Muslim-American Civil Liberties Coalition. “It’s overly dramatic, piecing together things out of context and threading it together to make this very false narrative about Muslim Americans.”

The film was created by the Clarion Fund, a group tied to the Israeli orthodox organization Aish Hatorah, according to Think Progress. The group has received millions of dollars in donations and has produced multiple anti-Muslim films, including Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West and Iranium.

Gee, and I wonder why Islamophobia is so bad in NYC that NYPD is spying on Muslim college students.

(via sanaa-tamir)

264 notes

pencilscrap:

Ms. Blaspheming Bitch: What oppression looks like:

agirlcalledhome:

For the oppressed:

  • you are expected to be familiar with and abide by the rules and customs of your oppressors, regardless of how this harms you or your culture
  • crimes committed against your community go unnoticed by the mainstream culture; crimes committed by members of your community are punished abnormally harshly
  • you are forced to walk on eggshells around your oppressors, for fear of offending them, or being harmed in some way
  • attempts to explain oppression to your oppressors are either disregarded, or perceived as petty attacks and prejudice
  • your voice on your own situation is not valid unless the majority says something about it too

For the oppressor:

  • THERE’S NO OPPRESSION, YOU GUYS, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
  • MAYBE IF YOU STOPPED COMPLAINING AND TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR SITUATION, YOU’D BE BETTER OFF
  • BUT I DON’T SEE COLOR/DISABILITY/SEXUALITY/GENDER!
  • YOU’RE JUST COMPLAINING FOR THE HECK OF IT

(via sanaa-tamir)

4 notes

Nona Willis Aronowitz at Good: Rick Santorum Says College is 'Indoctrination'; We Say It's Necessary

Let’s get one thing straight: Rick Santorum is about as educated as you can possibly get, and not from insular religious institutions, either. He got himself a bachelor’s degree from Penn State. Then a M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh. Then he went back to Penn State to get his law degree. Would he be a millionaire running for president if he hadn’t gotten those degrees?

(Source: meloukhia)

358 notes

widdershinsgirl: notalwaysweak: kshandra: lilalanor: fuckyeahcuteanimalss: (via Animals / baby koala) I have to be honest. Koalas? Cute but evil. Still totally cute though It’s dangerous to take this. You should go alone. First, *KOALAFACE*. Second, look at the fucking claws on that thing seriously. This is why we tell people Australia is all snakes (and spiders), because if they start thinking our cute stuff is safe to cuddle, they’ll get their faces ripped off. Koalas are the scariest things in the known universe. Incredibly adorable, but ill-tempered and vicious. They make noises like something that crawled out of the bowels of hell.

widdershinsgirl:

notalwaysweak:

kshandra:

lilalanor:

fuckyeahcuteanimalss:

(via Animals / baby koala)

I have to be honest. Koalas? Cute but evil. Still totally cute though

It’s dangerous to take this. You should go alone.

First, *KOALAFACE*.

Second, look at the fucking claws on that thing seriously. This is why we tell people Australia is all snakes (and spiders), because if they start thinking our cute stuff is safe to cuddle, they’ll get their faces ripped off.

Koalas are the scariest things in the known universe. Incredibly adorable, but ill-tempered and vicious.

They make noises like something that crawled out of the bowels of hell.