A group of young women from the Bay Area air their pleas to Veep candidate Sarah Palin… it’s kinda touching if you’re a feminist like me.

“]More than 35 Sudanese women wearing tight pants were arrested for “disturbing the peace” in Juba, Sudan on Sunday. They were taken by police, but then released without being charged on Monday after appearing in court.

Some of the women were able to avoid arrest by hiding in the Sudanese Gender Minister’s office.

“We saw about 30 girls in two trucks piled up like animals. One girl was just picked up and thrown into the truck,” government worker Nok Duany told Reuters.

Shockingly, the region is seen as a more liberal part of Sudan than the largely Muslim north.

According to SudanForum.net, eyewitnesses saw many women leave the court in blood-stained clothing, clearly beaten…

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Wow, so Sarah Palin delivered this doozie to Katie Couric earlier this week, when she asked Palin what Supreme Court cases she didn’t agree with, aside from Roe v. Wade:

“What other Supreme Court decisions do you disagree with?” Ms. Couric asked Ms. Palin.
And then:
PALIN: Well, let’s see. There’s –of course –in the great history of America rulings there have been rulings, that’s never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are–those issues, again, like Roe v Wade where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know–going through the history of America, there would be others but–
COURIC: Can you think of any?
PALIN: Well, I could think of–of any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level. Maybe I would take issue with. But you know, as mayor, and then as governor and even as a Vice President, if I’m so privileged to serve, wouldn’t be in a position of changing those things but in supporting the law of the land as it reads today.

And it made me think instantly of a Supreme Court case that I personally did not agree with, and I’m sure none of you do either:

Plessy V. Ferguson - Perhaps it was because it was the first court case I had ever heard of (thanks Dad! The second case was Brown v. Board of Education, which overturned Plessy about 60 years later). Even if I were asked this question, and couldn’t think of anything else, this would have been a good jumping off point for Palin to talk about inequality of people (like women), and how it’s unjust. It would have been rather neutral for her to say that “segregation is a no-no, Katie!” and then move on.

And I’m sure that as a hunter, she could have thought of some sort of gun-controlling Second Amendment case that the court ruled on within the past 200 years. I mean, I am no legal scholar, but I know a lot of court cases that effect me (and my work): New York Times v. United States, Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, Lawrence v. Texas, Regents of California v. Bakke, the other 2 I mentioned above…

My point is, why is it that being a citizen means that you don’t need to be engaged, and don’t know things that happen in the government that effect you? Is it really wrong that she doesn’t know one case other than Roe v. Wade? Perhaps she doesn’t know any cases that don’t effect her that she conflicts with? Maybe for the average person, having in-depth knowledge of the history of the Supreme Court isn’t necessary. But shouldn’t politicians have at least a frizbee-deep knowledge of the nation’s highest court? Just sayin…

Photo by Ema

Because I’m a responsible voter, a feminist, and a legal nerd, I was looking at California’s ballot initiatives that we’ll be voting on this November. Apparently, (aside from the same-sex marriage ban that’s going to fail, dammit!) there’s going to be another initiative to require parental notification and a waiting period for minors undergoing abortion. The language, according to the California SoS:

PROPOSITION 4: Waiting period and parental notification before termination of minor’s pregnancy (Initiative Constitutional Amendment)

• Changes California Constitution to prohibit abortion for unemancipated minor until 48 hours after physician notifies minor’s parent or legal guardian.

• Permits notification to certain adult relatives if doctor reports parent to law enforcement or Child Protective Services.

• Provides notification exceptions for medical emergency or parental waiver.

• Permits courts to waive notice based on clear and convincing evidence of minor’s maturity or best interests.

• Mandates reporting requirements, including reports from physicians regarding abortions on minors.

• Authorizes damages against physicians for violation.

• Requires minor’s consent to abortion, with exceptions.

Summary of Legislative Analyst’s Estimate of Net State and Local Government Fiscal Impact:

* Potential unknown net state costs of several million dollars annually for health and social services programs, court administration, and state health agency administration combined.

South Dakota is facing another abortion ban, which has a better chance of winning this time, because it would allow for the procedure in cases of rape or incest (that wasn’t included last time around). Check out other states with propositions on reproductive rights at NARAL.org

In an interview with early New York magazine staffer Gloria Steinem in the magazine’s 40th anniversary issue:

NY: What were office politics like when there were fewer women, Gloria?

GS: At New York Magazine, I felt it was my job to—they were nice guys, but it was my job to keep a good working relationship without going to bed with them or hurting their egos. The term sexual harassment didn’t exist yet. But it was fun because they were smart, good people. And they did change their attitudes. Jimmy Breslin in the beginning was skeptical about women freelancers. He said, “Ah, there’s too many girls here. It’s because we don’t pay enough.” But he gradually changed and became my friend, which meant he would call me up at three in the morning and say, “What’s doing? Come and meet me at the bar.

Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Good news for WNBA fans: the league that has been seen as the less-cared-about stepsister of the NBA is actually on the up. Attendance for the games are up, TV ratings are up by 20 percent, and WNBA.com has seen a spike in traffic. Merchandise sales are up 36 percent an the league’s 14 teams have seen 46 games sold out this season, too.

Reports are chalking it up to a few key points:

- There’s less NBA control over the WNBA…which is probably a good thing, since the men’s league doesn’t seem to have it’s act together. WNBA leadership are adding more non-NBA team owners to its rosters. Here in LA, we have two women owners of the LA Sparks who are the first to independently purchase a sports team — one’s a teacher, the other’s an attorney.

- There are a lot of exciting, new players. I mean, when the WNBA started, there were a ton of great players… many of them are STILL PLAYING. Look at Candace Parker (of the LA Sparks, of course), who was the second player to dunk in a regular-season game (Lisa Leslie was the first, of course)… can’t you hear the crowd chanting, Rookie of the Year?:

Then some of you may remember the big old fight earlier this season that suspended 10 players and Detroit assistant coach Rick Mahorn… lots of people were paying attention (that’s basically why people watch hockey, right?).

- I personally think WNBA.com traffic is up because the mainstream sports media doesn’t give an eff about women’s basksetball. Right now, the WNBA is playing their post season. Not one of the major sports websites have any results on the top of the fold of the front page right now. Granted, this is the last week of the regular season in baseball, too, so it’s very baseball-centric. Also, there were no WNBA games tonight, but the playoffs begin tomorrow with the Sparks playing the San Antonio Silver Stars and the NY Liberty playing the Detroit Shock. In fact NBC sports has an NBA news section lower on the page with no WNBA news — the NBA is out of season. The LA Times mentions the Sparks tonight… waaaaay down below.  Check out screenshots of the top national sports sites below. Hopefully, the screenshots will be different tomorrow night after playoff games #1 for the east and the west.

NBC Sports

ESPN

Fox Sports

Sports Illustrated

Yahoo Sports

LA Times

Lead Photo by MJPeaceCorps