Today Ruth Rosen posted a memorial note about the work of Barbara Seaman, one of the determined feminists of the 60s and 70s who put issues of women's health on the national agenda. That wasn't easy work. If women like Seaman hadn't demanded to be heard, simplistic medical "remedies" for female life realities -- such as universal estrogen prescribed at menopause -- might still be the order of the day.
And the struggle to ensure that women are free to make our own medical choices is not over. In this clip, contemporary Washington State Democratic Congressional candidate Darcy Burner carries on the work of those women's health pioneers. She leaves the wooden guy she is trying to unseat (Dave Reichert) close to speechless. Forthright discussion of women's health rights is clearly beyond him. Do watch.
This Wednesday First Lady Laura Bush will be in Medina WA, headlining an exclusive, $500 per person, fundraiser in an effort to jumpstart Reichert’s flailing campaign. Bloggers are organizing to match what Bush raises for Burner. Contribute here if you can. Burner seems to be one of those "more and better" Democratic office seekers we need to elect as a prerequisite to turning this country around. And she can win; she almost knocked out Reichert in 2006 and is better organized and funded now.
H/t to Orcinus for the YouTube.
The corporate media -- newspapers filled with ads from pharmaceutical companies -- is ignoring the death of this feminist pioneer. Coincidence? I don't think so. Barbara Seaman got fired from every magazine job she ever had when pharmaceutical companies threatened to pull their ads. The media blackout continues.
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