The ghosts are in the machine: Has anyone here noticed that the Heritage Foundation (a virulent right-wing organization) is scheduling events to mobilize opposition and win converts from the Obama camp using the OFA website?
Check out their recent postings for events they are scheduling in October in the Twin Cities. Seems we need a strategy to counter. Anyone involved in deriving or applying one?
Minnesota's March for Healthcare - in conjuction with the nationwide movement of marches on Sunday, September 13 to demand real healthcare reform.
In cooperation with TakeActionMN
Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 12 noon
Phillips Park
1530 E. Franklin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
Speakers:
Congressman Keith Ellison
John Marty, State Senator and Candidate for Governor
Reverend Grant Stevenson
Erin Murphy, State Representative
For more information visit www.march4healthcare.com
email: mnhealthcarereform@gmail.com
[This event is not sponsored or affiliated with Organizing for America. It is a truly grassroots action at its most powerful! and finest!]
Dearest uni'forms, uni-corns(maize-puzzled?), uni-verse-all, sails, health care, and share...how 'bout a chip of my heart instead? perhaps that can be our new monetary U.$. doll her. minted, meant, from de'meant'cha, yeah? no insure-ants. busy ants building, marching for sauce, ages, h'ear'th and crops.bet her, better, wag the pu$$y cats, tails. twin cites, two tales. next stop, D.C.from A mare re'gale heart land.get money.
it takes a whole village to raise children, who turn to old wise people.
now peep.
Maternal-Infant Gold Bond, a social relationship?
There have been many attempts to explain complex human behavior. Some explanations, both past and present, serve to justify social hierarchy, oppression, and the inequitable treatment of certain groups of people. Much of these supposed explanations have been reduced to a biological basis. Perhaps it is the simplicity of these innate and "natural" explanations that can be easy to comprehend, requiring less effort to surmise, making it the logical and rational, thus acceptable explanations. Often, the complexity of human lives and effects of socialization are overlooked. For a real understanding of human behavior, considerations of environmental circumstances, cultural meanings, and societal functions are essential. In their study of women's role, Ehrenberg (1989), through her evolutionary functionalism, and Scheper-Hughes, with a critical and interpretive perspective on third-world "passive infanticide," both challenge and refute the biological explanation of an innate maternal infant bond (1989:33)
In Ehrenberg's criticism of the early androcentric evolutionists, she argues for an alternate likelihood of women's vital role in human prehistory (1989). Early evolutionists deduced that the physical changes and technological advancement of humankind are as the results of man's role in hunting (Ehrenberg 1989) However, Ehrenberg and other feminist anthropologists suggest that the key players in the "stimulus" of these evolutionary changes are women and their role during motherhood (1989). She explained that bipedalism is more likely the result of having to carry an infant child, not man's need to see over tall grass (1989). Also, the first tools were most likely containers for carrying food or slings for carrying infants, considering hominids were initially much more herbivores than carnivores, hunting tools were likely developed after containers (Ehrenberg 1989).
As Evolution progressed, either during a time successful hunting tools and techniques were developed or during climate and environmental change, the gender division of labor began to take shape and pattern. The gender role separation in hunting and gathering functioned as a solution for the most efficient way of early food gathering strategies. As breastfeeding mothers, it would have been very difficult for women to hunt while caring for a young infant (Ehrenberg 1989)
Ehrenberg explains that the strong maternal-infant bond is a result of the need for a relative long-term care of infants (1989). This necessary social relation also functions as the creation of a nucleus family of the male-female monogamous relationship, considering that females will seek males that are more willing to share food and are less aggressive-looking, increasing the likelihood of the infant's survival (Ehrenberg 1989).
In contrast to Ehrenberg's understanding of women's role and motherhood based on human prehistory, Scheper-Hughes consider motherhood through her fieldwork based on modern human culture in northeast Brazil. For Ehrenberg, an understanding of human evolution is based on empirical evidence found through studies of early human skeletons, primatology, and archeological evidence (1989). Scheper-Hughes, on the ohter hand, gathered her data through participant-observation (1989).
In Northeast Brazil, poverty, disease, and all the problems associated with the industrialization of the Third World, leads to high infant mortality (Scheper-Hughes 1989). Women must work in factories, plantations, or as maids in wealthy homes and they cannot bring their infant child with them, Resources are limited thus women must take a grim approach on the caring of their already sick and malnourished infant child (Scheper-Hughes 1989). Scheper-Hughes explained that the infants who are deemed to have little chance of survival are left to die alone and when there is more than one infant, caring of the stronger baby takes precedence (1989). She finds the explanation for the culturally accepted routinization of this "passive infanticide" in the people's religious beliefs and the comforting ideas that the infants become angels in death (1989).
Scheper-Hughes further explains that the high infant mortality creates the situation for a delayed maternal-infant bond and personalization (1989). For northeast Brazilian women, "part of learning how to mother... is learning when to let go of a child (Scheper-Hughes 1989:33)." This grim cultural reality furthers perpetuates the high rate of infant mortality. Also, these findings in Brazil and other poor countries counter the notion that a maternal-infant bond is innate; rather, it is a product of culture and social relations (Scheper-Hughes 1989).
For these two authors, their methodology may differ, however both their conclusions disprove the wholly biological basis of the maternal-infant bond. Ehrenberg and Scheper-Hughes' analyses of motherhood shows that human behavior and culture are very interconnected. Furthermore, the environment and the finite resources available influences culture.
References
Ehrenberg, Margaret. 1989. "The Role of Women in Human Evolution." Pp. 16-21 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective 4th ed, edited by C.B. Brettel and C.F. Sargent, Upper Saddel River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Scheper-Hughes, Nancy. 1989. "Lifeboat Ethics: Mother Love and Death in Northeast Brazil." Pp 31-37 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective 4th ed, edited by C.B. Brettel and C.F. Sargent, Upper Saddel River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Here are some of the things we will be discussing at the Health Care Forum on May 12th. I hope you can make it!
Did you know:
Consider the following facts:
· 50 million people are uninsured and many more are underinsured;
· 37% of Americans report rationing care due to a lack of healthcare coverage;
· The uninsured are more likely to go to the emergency room for care and 20% more likely to be admitted to intensive care;
· 20% more likely to die when receiving intensive care within Intensive Care Units (ICU);
· Many of us go without psychiatric care;
· 18,000 people die each year because of a lack of medical insurance;
· Health care costs are rising at two times the rate of inflation (a major contributor to foreclosures)
· Administrative costs account for 31% of healthcare expenditures (by comparison, that is double the proportion in Canada).
SOURCE: Did You Know, MN Universal Health Care Coalition
We're going to be discussing the Minnesota Universal Health Care Initiative at this meeting. Then we're going to talk about ways to support it or alternatives. All are welcome.
I am a psychiatric RN who is becoming more and more frustrated with the amount of time I spend on the telephone attempting to get medications approved for patients. This is a decision made by their insurance company EACH of which has totally different rules about which medications can and and cannot be paid for--not always taking into account what is best for the patient. Something must be done so that we ALL are able to receive the best medical care.
I attended a meeting in MN where a group has been working on Health Care Reform for some time. They have researched different ways to find the most effective and efficient manner to have EVERYONE insured. I did not think I would agree that the form they advocated was the best. BUT after this informative session I was totally in agreement that the Single Payer System would be the best.
This is their web site. http://www.muhcc.org/home.html check it out. Rebecca
Minnesota FoodShare's annual March Campaign kicked off on March 1st and your generous donation can play an important role in tackling hunger in our community.
In 2008 the Brian Coyle Food Shelf distributed more than 113,000 pounds of food to residents in the Cedar-Riverside and Seward neighborhoods and has a goal this year of collecting 5,000 pounds/dollars to restock their shelves. Non-perishable goods or financial contributions (checks made payable to Brian Coyle Food Shelf) will be greatly appreciated by the more than 900 families who visit the Brian Coyle Food Shelf each year.
Drop off hours are 2:00pm until 6:00pm on Sunday, March 15th, at the home of DonnaMarie Woodson, who was one of the tireless metro area Obama volunteers. Even one can matters, every little bit helps.
The Coyle Center, named after former vice president of the Minneapolis City Council Brian Coyle, is also proud to host a Farmer's Market once again this summer! Local farmers will sell fresh produce at the Coyle Center on Mondays from 3-7 p.m. beginning July 7th through September 29th, 2008. The Coyle Center is creating choice, change, and connection, one person at a time.
PLEASE SHOW UP TONITE AT YOUR PRECINCT CAUCUS AND SUPPORT RT RYBAK! TAKE THE TIME TO BE A DELEGATE SO YOU CAN GO TO THE CITY CONVENTION AND VOTE FOR RT TO GET THE DFL ENDORSEMENT!! THIS IS SO IMPORTANT HIS OPPONENT IS NOT A FRIEND TO THE ENVIRONMENT!
THANKS KIMI
WARD 7 / 7-4
As a follow-up to Change meetings this weekend, join Representative Keith Ellison and a coalition of community organizations for a Forum to develop ideas for a Roadmap to Economic Recovery on Monday, December 15th.
This coalition has already been doing great work addressing the foreclosure crisis in Minneapolis and provides a great opportunity to keep involved in doing critical progressive work.
See below for details.
Added blog. to make sure it was sent to the new Mpls., MN groups.
http://obama2008.s3.amazonaws.com/headlines.html
Check this out
From social networking to text messaging, young people have changed the way political campaigns are run in the United States.
And, today, we have a chance to change the nation.
But only if we vote.
Check out this video of Kal Penn, the star of the Harold & Kumar movies, talking to students at the U about the power of the youth vote, and then find your polling place and vote!
Now the big question: if your attention is worth billions of dollars, how much power does your vote have?
Go to www.VoteForChange.com to find your polling place.
ATTENTION:
The Minnesota Campaign for Change is asking that any voters who have questions about voting or who want to report problems or issues when voting, to call 651-292-1158
These calls will go directly to a Call Center, where people are standing by to answer logistical questions ("Where is my polling location?") as well as more complicated, legal or voting-related questions.
Kids for Obama Canvass in South Minneapolis
One day to change the world. Now is the time to do what we've been working for: vote for Barack Obama for president.
Yesterday, a group of Kids for Obama canvassed their neighborhood in South Minneapolis:
Holding handmade signs inscribed with things such as purple scribbles, “dinosaurs for Obama,” and “vote for these tiny futures” a group of seriously vociferous elementary-school-aged kids marched down 38th Street in South Minneapolis.
This election is so important, and we all have to do our part.
Go to VoteforChange.com right now and find your polling location.
If you have an hour, or three, or an entire day to help, please volunteer at your local Action Center or making phone calls -- after voting, of course.
Everything comes down to today -- we can't let up now. Sign up to volunteer.
Tonight, as today's tallies are being calculated and tomorrow's walk packets are being assembled, volunteers are out walking in strong Democratic neighborhoods leaving voting information on doorsteps and car windows.
It's called Midnight Madness, and it's an important part of our strategy to win tomorrow.
Check out some of the pictures from the Midnight Madness rally with Al Franken in St. Paul:
Across Minnesota today, hundreds of thousands of calls were made and even more doors were knocked, because tens of thousands of everyday Minnesotans volunteered and shared crucial voting infromation with Obama supporters in their community.
Tomorrow, we'll vote. But that's not going to be enough. We're going to need your help to get others to the polls.
No matter where you live, you can make phone calls, knock on doors, talk to your family & friends, and take the day off so you can volunteer. We need to be at full speed as we head through the finish line.
Let's make history tomorrow.
Volunteers at the "Get Out the Vote" Action Center in Hopkins made a short video to encourage local supporters to come on in and volunteer.
If you're watching any of the down-ticket races in Minnesota, an amazing thing is happening. Some areas, like Hopkins, that started off a deep red, have steadily gone in the last few months from red to pink to purple, and in the last few days, are even starting to look a little blue.
Check out their video, and help out for a few hours tonight or tomorrow to get Barack and the other DFL candidates elected tomorrow!
So... have you made plans for tonight yet?
There's still time help us Get Out The Vote and we still need volunteers going door to door in their neighborhoods to let Obama supporters know where to vote. Go to your local Action Center for a few hours after work today or make phone calls from home.
You can help transform the political landscape here in Minnesota.
Get out the vote.
