Human Rights Day & A Victory For Women’s Health
Posted by Michelle Moquin on December 10th, 2009
I woke up this morning to two e-mails, about two women, that made me smile.
One, informing me that today is Human Rights Day. On the one hand, I’m delighted that there is a day that recognizes and honors human rights. And on the other hand, I wish for a world where human rights didn’t need a day to be recognized, a world where human rights wasn’t an issue, because we honored the rights of humans, all humans, daily without question.
But unfortunately, in this present day, there are many humans in this world who fight for their rights, and thankfully there are people who stand up for them. One woman is Hillary Clinton.
When then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton told the world in 1995 that “women’s rights are human rights, and human rights are women’s rights,” she sent a message of hope and aspiration that continues to resonate today, from kitchen tables in American cities to small villages in countries around the globe.
As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has continued her strong commitment to human rights and women’s rights. In the last year, she has appointed the first ever Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues, chaired the first UN Security Council sessionon violence against women, and offered significant medical help and protection for rape victims in the Congo.
To read more about Hillary’s work around the world click here
Here at NoLimits.org, we’re proud of Hillary’s leadership as Secretary of State: working to rebuild our global alliances and serving as a strong voice for human rights. Our progressive agenda includes supporting these new directions in foreign policy, and also focuses on economic and work-family issues here at home, including the need for health care reform and new initiatives to combat the too-high rate of unemployment. We are advocates for an America engaged and active, domestically and internationally, supporting policies that truly reflect our values.
“I hope you believe, as I do, that foreign policy matters“, Hillary said at our policy conference last month, “[and] that what we’re doing can be explained and understood by the small business owner in Colorado or the homemaker in California…because it is important to our society and it’s important to who we are as a nation, what we stand for in pursuit of our interests and in accordance with our values. I believe that…but we have to make the case to the rest of our country as well.“
Thank you Hillary!
The second e-mail, and the other woman, is Barbara Boxer. I am so impressed with her lately. She nailed it Monday night when she confronted those behind the proposed Nelson Amendment. If anyone’s got a pair, she does.
Monday, during the opening rounds of debate on Sen. Ben Nelson’s (D-Neb.) proposed amendment to prohibit any federal funding of abortion, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) hit “the men who have brought us this” where it hurts.
Boxer likened a measure in the Nelson Amendment that would force women to purchase special abortion riders to a theoretical yet unimaginable measure — requiring men to purchase a special rider for a Viagra prescription.
I love that Barbara hit ‘em were it hurts. How does it feel boys?
But last night she really brought it home for women.
Last night, the Stupak Amendment was defeated in the Senate by a vote of 54-45 — and I know that you will be proud to hear that Senator Barbara Boxer was there on the Senate floor, working to defend women’s health until the last vote was counted.
Once again, Barbara stood up for us. She offered the motion to defeat this amendment and fought to pass it. And she won.
Inserting the anti-choice Stupak Amendment into the Senate’s health care reform bill would have been one of the biggest setbacks for women’s health in decades.
It would have upset a very difficult and delicate compromise that has held firm for decades: Women can use their own private funds for legal reproductive health care procedures, but federal funds cannot be used for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.
Fortunately, Barbara Boxer — along with more than 85,000 Boxer supporters — were there to stand up, speak out, and defeat this dangerous measure.
Thank you Barbara! You can bet I’ll be fighting to keep Barbara in office come the 2010 election.
Readers: I hope this write left you smiling too.
Peace & Love: “Gotta live it, gotta give it!”
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
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