Mixed Messages

Ken AshfordWomen's Issues2 Comments

Shorter Teri Hatcher: "Child molestation is a serious issue, and as the victim of child molestation myself, I want to bring this important issue into the public spotlight — a spotlight in which you will find me posing with almost no clothes." UPDATE:  I’ve posted the image of the Vanity Fair cover.

Conservative Women Respond To The Vagina Monologues

Ken AshfordWomen's Issues2 Comments

Having seen it (again) this weekend in Winston-Salem as part of our community’s involvement in V-Day, I found this story to be timely: Monique Stuart was a teenager when Eve Ensler’s "The Vagina Monologues" first appeared off-off-Broadway a decade ago. But by the time the 24-year-old saw the play in her senior year of college, she’d already made up her … Read More

Inquiring Minds Already Know

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

The AMA has discovered that women are more likely to engage in heavier-than-usual drinking and have sex during spring break. Setting aside the health and moral implications, does anyone really need a study to determine this fact?

Okay, So Say Abortion Is Illegal…

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

. . . what sort of punishment should be given to women who have illegal abortions? This question was put to anti-abortion protesters recently.  Amazingly, they are totally stumped.  Watch the video.  It’s pretty astounding how well-intentioned and earnest people can be reduced to an uncomfortable mass of stupified bumblefucks when politely asked to explain the logical extension of the … Read More

South Dakota Abortion

Ken AshfordSex/Morality/Family Values, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

Blogging has been light because things are busy, but I wanted to interject my two cents on the South Dakota law. For those living in a cave, the governor of South Dakota has signed into a law which would effectively prohibit all abortions in the state, including abortions which are necessary to protect the health of the mother.  There is … Read More

On Women’s Health

Ken AshfordHealth Care, Right Wing Punditry/Idiocy, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

I’m glad that the candidate for my district, Nathan Tabor, claims an interest in women’s health: You may not realize it, but eight women around the world have died after taking the abortion drug RU-486. …While eight fatalities may sound like a low death count, the toll could climb significantly. More than 800 women have experienced potentially life-threatening complications after … Read More

South Dakota Bans Abortion

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

The law is clearly unconstitutional, and South Dakota legislators know it.  There isn’t even an exception for the health of the mother.  The only reason South Dakota passed it was to give the U.S. Supreme Court the opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade.  Full story here. I think that South Dakota is going to be disappointed in the end.  If … Read More

Ayotte Case Decided

Ken AshfordSex/Morality/Family Values, Supreme Court, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

I gave the backgrounder on the case back in November.  It concerned a parental notification law in New Hampshire, a statute which required notification of parents (or a court order, in the alternative, under certain circumstances) before a teenage girl is allowed to have an abortion. The ruling was somewhat surprising, but the bottom line is that it didn’t alter … Read More

Update On “And Baby Makes Three”

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

Last November, I wrote about a woman who was stopped by state police because she was driving in the HOV lane (High Occupancy Vehicle Lane) — the "carpool" lane limited to automobiles carrying 3 or more people. The woman said that she was not breaking the law, and that three people were in the car: herself, her son in the … Read More

Rape Victim Found Guilty

Ken AshfordCrime, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

Yes, you read that write: rape victim found guilty. Shakespeare’s Sister has been sounding the call on this story, and with good reason.  Here’s what happened, as reported here in the Oregonian: BEAVERTON — A municipal judge found a 19-year-old woman guilty Friday of filing a false police report after she said she was raped by three young men. Even … Read More

The Abstinence Wars

Ken AshfordHealth Care, Sex/Morality/Family Values, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

What’s more important?  Young girls learning to have safe sex so that they don’t get pregnant and/or sick — or young girls being sexually abstinent? Logically, these two positions are not incompatible.  Most would agree (I hope) that we would want young girls to be knowledgeable about safe sex, and then choose abstinence (until they are ready). But sadly, much … Read More

And Baby Makes Three

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

Like most states, the State of Virginia has "High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes", better known as "carpool lanes".  These are lanes which are open only to cars which have a certain minimum number of passengers.  To drive on an HOV-3 lane, the car must have at least three occupants. Recently, a woman in Virginia was ticketed for improperly driving on an … Read More

On Opening The Door For Women

Ken AshfordWomen's IssuesLeave a Comment

This was a mini-topic in the blogosphere a couple of weeks ago.  A few blogs I read were having discussions about the practice of opening doors for women as it pertains to the larger topic of chivalry.  (Sorry, I’m too lazy to research and link — just take my word) I had nothing to add to the discussion — like … Read More

Why I Can’t Find Women

Ken AshfordWomen's Issues2 Comments

I’m not married, and I’m not seriously seeing anyone.  As anyone guy in my demographic will tell you, the pickins are slim, especially when you don’t live in a major metropolis.  Doubting Thomases might say that I’m not really looking hard enough, but — no kidding — there’s not a lot there. Oh, there are available women, to be sure, … Read More