It's time for the Care2 Causes Friday wrap – and what a week it's been! President Obama's historic health care victory continues to be at the forefront of everyone's minds of course – whether they laud it and applaud it, or revile it and want to repeal it. We have it all covered, and to make it easy for you, we have put it all in one place, so check it out and keep coming back as the story continues to evolve. We'll be sure to have the latest for you.
So grab your morning cup of joe, and let's get started with highlights from this week's health care reform posts. Then, when you're ready for your second cup, we'll move on to the rest of the week's favorites, and of which there was definitely no shortage!
They called Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) a "f****t." They called Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) the infamous "n-word." It's getting ugly and only promises to get more so. As if it wasn't bad enough beforehand, Ann Pietrangelo points out in her post, What Do Meathead and Archie Have to do with Health Care Reform?, what a spectacle we're now putting on for the world in the days after the health care bill was signed into law.
Ann also gives us two posts with broad views of the history of the bill, complete with video, that puts it all in context for us. And she blogs about how anti-reform protesters had the audacity to bully a peaceful demonstrator with Parkinson's Disease (they have since apologized).
Scott Pasch tells us what's in the health reform bill for you right away but how both the Republican, and the Tea Parties are doubling down to oppose it. Scott also blogs about two new polls comparing how the world view of conservative "Hatriots" in both the Republican Party and the Tea Party stand up to reality. Can there be two truths? Let numbers speak for themselves.
For another angle, read Ann Bibby's post about how the health care bill is a victory for student loans and Pell grants (really). Ann blogs about how the Obama administration was able to tie big changes in the way student loans are obtained and repaid to the health care bill.
Finally, Jessica Pieklo summarizes the legal challenges lining up against the health care bill. "When we examine the impact and the importance of these legal challenges, it is fair to place them in their social, historical context as part of a larger movement fighting against economic, racial, and social justice," Jessica points out.
Got that second cup of coffee in hand? It's time to move along to our other channels… First let's go from Capitol Hill and Health Care, to Animal Welfare… It may seem an odd transition, but it's been a stressful week, so maybe it's not as oxymoronic as at first glance.
How's this for stress? Heather Moore analyzes a MeatingPlace.com article suggesting that stressed-out animals make "high-quality" hot dogs. Read her reasoning behind why pigs belong neither in blankets, nor in buns.
More on the food–related front: Angel Flinn looks at the recent trend in do it yourself butchery, and questions whether DIY is a fad that's been intentionally engineered by the animal industry.
And fast food giant, Subway, comes out from under to make a decision that sits well with animal rights activists. As Nicole Nuss blogs, the company is promising to phase in the use of cage-free eggs, as well as give purchasing preferences to pork and poultry suppliers who opt for more humane methods of animal housing and slaughter.
If you have, or love, children and pets, Alicia Graef's post about antifreeze and coolant poisoning is an absolute must read. At the end of her blog Alicia asks us to take action and support legislation requiring manufacturers to add bittering agents to these now sweet-tasting products, and avoid thousands of poisonings annually.
As Sharon Seltzer blogs, this year's American Greyhound Track Owners convention had its lowest attendance in history. More than half of the tracks in the U.S. have closed because of lack of business. Greyhound racing in America is coming to the end of an era.
Animals take a stand on the Women's Rights channel this week as Tracy Viselli asks us to listen to the bunnies, and tell the Food and Drug Administration to end restrictions on emergency contraception. Tracy and the bunnies ask us to take action and tell the FDA to act now.
Is it time for Facebook to create a submissions screening process? Ximena Ramirez asks that question this week when she discovers Facebook groups continue to poke fun at rape. When is enough, enough?
So when is enough, enough, really? Over on our Civil Rights channel, Steve Williams writes A Tale of Two Proms. It's a story he has been following closely, about Constance McMillen, whose school chose to cancel prom rather than allow her to bring a female date. Read Steve's blog for the latest on the court's decision about the case, as well as a story about a Georgia student in a similar situation.
Are zero tolerance policies in school going overboard? Take a look at Judy Molland's Education channel post about twin nine year olds in Tennessee who were suspended from school because the part in their identical haircuts was deemed "ganglike." You be the judge.
Our Environment channel was overflowing with water stories this week. Monday was World Water Day, and as Beth Buczynski blogs, "water quality" was the theme. "Too bad no one told municipal governments around America, who have allowed the widespread use of a common weed killer to contaminate public water supplies," Beth notes.
In another World Water day post, Nancy Roberts asks us to take action and sign the Care2 pledge to protect water quality. Nancy highlights a new report and video exposing how the American public has been manipulated into drinking bottled water. "Can we make the easy, green choice to switch to tap?" she asks.
Here's something about water you will definitely want to know: At nine out of ten natural gas wells in the U.S., gas is released from deep underground pockets by fracturing rocks with a high-pressure water, chemical, and sand solution. As Jennifer Mueller reports, the process, known as "fracking," is not regulated by the federal government and, in fact, is exempted from the Safe Drinking Water Act, in spite of suspicions in six states that it's responsible for groundwater contamination. Jennifer's blog prompts us to take action and urge our representatives to pass the Clean Water Protection Act.
For our Trailblazers channel, I took a look this week at Jamestown Properties, a German commercial real estate investment company based in Cologne and Atlanta that has plans to green almost its entire $4 billion portfolio of buildings, all of which are located in the U.S. Green architecture is an everyday reality in Europe, will other companies in the U.S. follow suit?
Finally this week, we leave you with two pieces for deep reflection, so grab that third cup of coffee and go:
Peaco Todd blogs about global warming, evolution, "Climategate", and the convergence of science and belief, and ponders this: "While we seem to revere the idea of science, too many of our citizens (and students) confuse the roles of science and belief, to potentially disastrous effect." Just be sure to catch the Mel Brooks YouTube link at the end of her post!
And Kristina Chew discusses The Oppression of Motherhood vis a vis a recently published book by French philosopher Elisabeth Badinter, Le Conflit, La Femme et La Mère (The Conflict, The Woman and The Mother), which asks if women today are not oppressed by motherhood. She singles out the economic crisis, the green movement and American feminism as culprit.
Time for that fourth cup of coffee, and for you to let us know what you think. We know you will.
From all of us at Care2 Causes, have a great weekend.
There is a whole lot more here.
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