Eve Ensler has put it best.
The award-winning playwright of The Vagina Monologues penned a column entitled “Dear Mr. Akin, I Want You to Imagine,” published two days ago by The Huffington Post which directly addresses Todd Akin, the Missouri Congressman running in the GOP Senate race who recently asserted in an interview that a woman could not get pregnant if she were the victim of a “legitimate rape.”
Read the column and tell ARK what you think.
Peace,
ARK
I’m sure that our on-the-beat ARK readers have all heard by now about Tea Party Representative Tod Akin’s (R-Missouri) atrocious comment yesterday, which reads, as the New York Times quoted:
Todd Akin
“It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” Mr. Akin said of pregnancies from rape. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something: I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child.”
ARK has discussed abortion already on this blog, so I won’t recite that argument again, but let me reiterate:
Regardless of where folks stand on the abortion debate, and regardless of the moral or religious ideals folks want our government to uphold, women’s health needs to be a priority.
That means that accurate sexual health education needs to be provided across the country so that people form their decisions about health based on science and logic and fact.
That means that victims of rape and sexual assault need to be tirelessly advocated for, and that their physical and mental needs need to remain at the forefront of policymaker’s minds.
Bear in mind that Representative Akin (who is currently running for the Senate) did note that rapists ought to be punished–but really, people who are completely ignorant of women’s health and women’s bodies need to be kept out of public office–and especially need to be kept out of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, on which Akin currently serves–because they have failed to represent more than half of their constituents.
I’ll leave you with a quote from Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) which graced the Politics section of the September edition of Elle (pg 384):
Women need to be willing to take more risks in running for public office. I’ve talked to countless women who’ve convinced themselves that they’re not ready, not knowledgeable enough about the issues. I’ve never talked to a male candidate who felt that way. Ever. Truly never. A female officeholder once told me that to talk about international trade policy, a woman felt she needed a PhD. A man felt that he was qualified if he drove a Honda.
There are plenty of things that silence women in the world of politics, and silencing ourselves is one of the worst responses.
See you back on campus in a few weeks, ARK! Stay tuned!
Peace,
Annie
All it takes to make a difference is an idea, and with enough passion the idea will grow into reality. This is something that the founders of A.R.K. have experienced first hand, as well as seen in other remarkable, caring individuals. Towards the end of last school year, A.R.K. was contacted by Taylor from San Diego, CA, who shared, “I love what you are doing to raise awareness for women’s issues.”
At the same time, we were greatly inspired by Taylor’s work. This ambitious rising high school senior started her own charity called Téte â Téte Hats, which helps chemotherapy patients and others who are in need of hats, such as hospitalized infants and children, by knitting and crocheting hats and donating them. Since 2010, Taylor has been able to donate over 3800 hats to people in her local community, as well as across the United States.
We were happy to collaborate with Taylor, and she worked with us on creating not only hearts (to promote women’s heart health) but also ties (to promote women in government) to put on campus, as well as in the local community.
We would like to thank Taylor for collaborating with A.R.K. on raising awareness about important women’s issues!!!
Here are some photos from Taylor, showing the yarn graffiti that she collaborated with us on, promoting heart health.
Thanks again Taylor!!!
Feel free to email us at stricken4macht@gmail.com if you are interested in collaborating with A.R.K.!
Peace,
Rosie
Hey A.R.Kers!
Long time no see! So I hope you can forgive the break…A.R.K. is here, just not in Claremont anymore. As I write this post, the delicious sound of thunder is singing to me, and I am currently in my apartment in a high-rise in Munich…yes, Munich, Germany. Deutschland. And Annie, fellow partner in crime, is in Morocco (but I’ll let her tell you about that another time!) And the other A.R.K.ers…well, you’ll just have to guess ; )
Before coming to Munich, I was able to visit some friends and family in Berlin. And while Berlin is famous for its street-art, especially more traditional spray-graffiti, I was pleasantly surprised to see yarn graffiti on the rise! I thought I would share some of what I found with you all…
Along the Spree in Berlin
This particular yarn bomb was to promote sustainable water use! A.R.K. is a big fan of craftivism (combining the art of yarn bombing and activism!), and though the Spree is beautiful on its own, the piece definitely added warmth and much needed color to the railing!
Here is a close up of one of the tags:
Tag for Water
The tag basically says, water means life! Every drop counts! It also says how many “Lebensfaden” this person spun. This is a really beautiful term in German…meaning something like, “threads of life.” Now that I think of it, they really are threads of life- yarn-bombing allows for a space to be reclaimed, and it takes on a life of its own. The yarn is living, interacting not only with the space itself, but also with the people and souls who are touched by it (literally and metaphorically!)
Here are some more “Lebensfaden”, maybe not as seemingly impressive, but still made me pause, and smile.
Unexpected Lebensfaden
This particular yarn-bomb was in my old neighborhood in Berlin, and even though it is a small piece, it definitely brightened my day (and the pole’s day!)
I haven’t seen any yarn graffiti in Munich so far, or much street art at all for that matter, but I have a rather strong feeling that that is about to change…very soon (wink wink!)
So where in the world are you? Share with us! I want to know, have you seen any cool street art or yarn graffiti lately? Tell us in the comments! And if you can, send a photo of it to stricken4macht@gmail.com! We’d like to feature it on our blog as well.
Peace and Liebe Grüße,
Rosie
Hey fellow ARKers,
Sorry the photos are a bit late, but here they are all the same as promised! Now that finals are over (phew!), we hope to be able to post more! These are just SOME of the lovely ties we put around the Colleges. Enjoy : ) Also, for those of you who aren’t in the loop about what we have done/are doing, we recently yarn-bombed our campus with these ties to raise awareness about and spotlight women in government. Because women rule!
Peace,
A.R.K.
P.S. We think ties are sexy.
Hey ARKers! I saw this comic today, and I think it really makes a good point about what, or rather who, feminists are. I wanted to share it with you all, because I feel like so many people don’t understand what it means to be a feminist. “Feminist” isn’t a dirty word, in fact, it’s something to be proud of. Because, if you aren’t a feminist, what does that make you???
Think about it.
-Rosie
Happy Equal Pay Day!!! Sounds exciting, right? And yet, according to the American Association of University Women, American women earn about 23% less than males. If we actually achieved equal pay, this day would probably become somewhat more irrelevant.
So, what should we be doing about this? The most important rule to remember: don’t be afraid to ask for what you’re worth.
Also, be sure to check out this cool calculator—it’ll show you how much of a raise you should be asking for based on your current and goal salaries over the time span that you choose. If you are not sure about how to do so, here are some helpful tips to get you started.
If you want to learn more, visit http://www.aauw.org/learn/research/upload/simpletruthaboutpaygap1.pdf.
Stay Strong,
Rosie
Not just another Gaga parody.
Keep your eyes peeled, folks, for the newest tag around the 5Cs! Pictures will be posted soon.
Peace,
Annie
I thought the Arizona Congress was messed up upon the passing of the racist SB1070 bill, but this new bill puts them at a new low.
If this new bill, HB 2625, were to pass, employers would be allowed to deny health care coverage for contraceptives, if they are morally opposed to contraception. One congresswoman, Debbie Lesko, said on the subject: “I believe that we live in America. We don’t live in the Soviet Union. And so government shouldn’t be telling employers, Catholic organizations or mom-and-pop employers to do something that’s against their moral beliefs.”
Guess what, Ms. Lesko? I believe we live in America, too. And I believe that taking basic health care services away from people is a huge infringement on their rights. This bill runs completely counter to the idea of personal liberties. It would be allowing some citizens to impose their moral views on others, and decide for other citizens how they should live their lives and manage their health.
The inherent sexism makes me sick too. This bill aims to directly limit the freedom of women when it comes to healthcare. Imagine the reverse, if men’s health services were being restricted. What if an employer were morally opposed to erectile dysfunction medications, and denied access to them? Or prostrate cancer screenings? I seriously doubt that the bill would have gotten as far as it has.
It’s amusing to think about how far this bill could go, letting employers determine what health benefits their employees get. Would someone who didn’t believe in evolution not allow coverage for vaccines for mutated strains of viruses? Would someone who disapproved of travelling to foreign countries not allow malaria immunizations? How about the people who say to have faith in God for everything? The next religiously-minded health plan: only enough money to cover the costs for a Bible.
I shudder at the idea of any bill that allows some citizens to control the lives of others. It would let people’s arbitrary personal preferences to influence others. This sounds much more like totalitarianism than any sort of democracy that I want to be part of, Ms. Lesko.
Another ticked off Arizonan,
Kat
This past spring break gave me some time off from focusing on my studies—so instead, I chose to focus on me. That might seem odd, but sometimes I get so wrapped up in my school life that I tend to ignore what is really going on, just me living my life. As a freshman in college, something that is always on my mind is my future; where will I be in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years? This can easily escalate into overwhelming and stressful thoughts, when I am not exactly sure about how I will fill in the blanks. There are a lot of unanswered questions there, and that scares me. But the one thing that stands strong and clear is that I want to make a difference in the world. That is one of the reasons why I became inspired to start the Armed RevolutioKnits. I wanted to combine two things I love and am passionate about—being creative and human rights—and channel this into something that could have a positive impact upon others.
While doing a little soul-searching, I came across an article called Lessons to My Younger Self: A Series by Inspiring Women. The piece showed me that I don’t need to worry about the future so much as just happily absorb every moment of the present. What’s more, I realized I don’t need to be afraid. Friends and family often describe me as a dreamer, or an optimist, as if it were a bad thing. But I believe in myself and in my dreams, and just because they are wild, imaginative, and crazy doesn’t necessarily make them impossible. Besides, you can’t win if you don’t play the game. 
I dedicate this post to you, readers. Dream big. Conquer fear. Do the impossible. And please, read the article. It shares advice and stories from women who did just those very things, and made it to the top. Even if you are not a woman, this applies to everyone. Learn from their experiences, and what they would have told their younger selves.
…Unless of course, you’d rather learn things the hard way?
I didn’t think so.
Peace,
Rosie
Armed RevolutioKnits 