Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Women in the Military deserve better


NARAL Pro-Choice America

It’s outrageous. Women in the military who become pregnant from rape cannot use their health insurance to cover abortioncare.Help us end this horrific policy.Send a message to your senators today.www.prochoiceamerica.org

Shameless. That’s the only word to describe the position that anti-choice members of Congress hold against women in our military who are raped.

Right now, some senators still deny women in the military who become pregnant from rape the right to use their health insurance for abortion care.

I need your help today to change that. Please ask your senators to vote for an amendment that will end this cruel policy. 

Every woman who is raped deserves the freedom to make the choice that is best for her.

But women in the military don’t have the same rights as we do – all because anti-choice politicians banned the military health-insurance program from covering abortion care, even in tragic circumstances.

That’s right – members of Congress went out of their way more than 30 years ago to pass a cruel and heartless law that took away military women’s coverage of abortion care in cases of rape or incest.

www.prochoiceamerica.org

Help us end this horrific policy. Your senators need to hear from you now. Send a message and stand with the military women who are fighting for us.

Today, women are serving on active duty in greater and greater numbers. Imagine what a woman fighting overseas must go through if she is raped and becomes pregnant. What if she can’t afford to pay for abortion services? Where would she turn?

We’ve been fighting to repeal this law for 30 years – and we’re not going to stop. Right now, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire is leading the effort to repeal the ban.

It’s going to be an uphill battle ending this policy, but we’re going for it. Please join me. Contact your senators today.

Thanks for standing with our servicewomen.

In solidarity,

Nancy_sig_pic_primary_jpg
Nancy Keenan
President, NARAL Pro-Choice America

John Oceguera, is running for Congress in Southern Nevada …


A Fourth Generation Nevadan

John Oceguera was born in Reno and raised in Fallon, Nevada, a small agricultural and military town east of Reno. Raised by a single mother, the family did not have much, but it was a home filled with love and perseverance. As the Oceguera family struggled to get by, John suffered from a medical condition that required him to wear special leg braces and corrective shoes. Along with the help of friends and neighbors, his mom worked hard to help him get the treatment he needed.

Growing up, John developed a strong sense of community, responsibility, and hard work — and the importance of giving all of our children the opportunity to succeed. Starting in junior high school, John helped to support his family and worked his way through school by mowing lawns, umpiring ball games, and working at an ice plant, pizza parlor, and a disposal company – whatever it took to contribute to the family savings. He graduated with a Fire Science degree from Cogswell College before going on to earn both a Master’s degree in Public Administration and a Law degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

A Leader for Nevada’s Future

John Oceguera learned about public service from his mother, a school teacher. That spirit of service and pride in our country was further instilled by the Naval Air Station Fallon, home of the Naval Fighter Weapons School, known as Top Gun. John became a firefighter, first in the fire service at the Naval Air Station Fallon Fire Department, thereafter moving on to the North Las Vegas Fire Department. Over the years, John rose through the ranks of fire fighter, paramedic, engineer, captain, battalion chief, and finally, Assistant Fire Chief.

This steadfast belief led him to become a strong, independent voice for our area in the Nevada State Assembly. John was elected to Nevada Assembly District 16 in 2000, and quickly rose through ranks of Assembly leadership, ultimately being elected unanimously to the Speaker of the Nevada Assembly. John has taken on the tough fights – creating jobs, improving education, and ensuring that our next generation has an even better chance to make it in Nevada.

John is running for Congress because it is time we had someone who will stand up to Washington and fight for what is right. He took on the special interests in Carson City and will be just as tough on Washington. At a time when many in Washington are trying to take away seniors’ hard-earned right to Medicare to give special tax breaks to multi-national oil companies and massive insurance companies, John Oceguera is tough enough to fight for us.

http://www.johnoceguera.com/latest/

Spread the Word: The Health Care Law is Working for Women


When the Supreme Court took up the Affordable Care Act last week, opponents asked the Court to overturn the new health care law entirely. But if that were to happen, women would lose vital protections — including coverage of women’s preventive services with no co-pays — that the law now guarantees.

Please help spread the word about what the new health care law is doing for women — share our new video, “I Will NOT Be Denied,” and help people understand what we’ll all lose if the Court strikes the law down.

Because of the new health care law, just in the past year:Over 20 million women with private insurance have received at least one preventive health care service without a co-pay or deductible. Over 39 million women no longer face lifetime limits on coverage, so they can get the health care they need. About 2.5 million young adults gained health coverage because they could stay on their parents’ plans until age 26. And these provisions are just the beginning. Will you please help tell the world what the law is doing for women? Please share our new video and help us tell opponents of affordable care “I Will NOT Be Denied.”™

Thank for all that you do on behalf of women and their families.

Sincerely,

Dania Palanker, Senior Health Policy Advisor

National Women’s Law Center

Cargill needs to come clean … Ashley Schaeffer, Rainforest Action Network


With palm oil in half of all products for sale in US grocery stores, we have the right to know the true cost of its production.image

Cargill is the #1 importer of palm oil into the US, but the company refuses to be transparent about who it does business with. For instance: Is Cargill still sourcing from the notorious palm oil company Duta Palma even though this company is embroiled in severe social conflicts with communities near its destructive palm plantations?

Dozens of people are gathering outside Cargill’s offices today in Minneapolis to ask the company to come clean about its operations.

Will you help us amplify their voices by writing to Cargill now and demanding transparency around its “no-trade list”?

In the past, Cargill has said Duta Palma was on its “no-trade list,” but the company has never made this list public and RAN has reason to believe Cargill’s policy of sourcing from any company that pays membership dues to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil allows it to get palm oil from Duta Palma.

Please email Cargill CEO Greg Page now and ask him to come clean.

In 2009, Rainforest Action Network released a case study documenting illegal rainforest burning by Duta Palma on community lands used by the people of Semunying Jaya in Borneo. Duta Palma doesn’t have permits to operate these plantations and police refuse to do anything about this blatant land theft and environmental destruction.

So community members took action themselves.

A few weeks ago, members of the Semunying Jaya community seized several pieces of machinery, trucks, bulldozers and chainsaws, then barricaded the doors of Duta Palma’s palm nursery, shutting down operations. The community members are now facing possible criminal charges for standing up for the health and safety of their home.

We have the right to know: Is Cargill profiting from the oppression of the people of Semunying Jaya by buying palm oil from Duta Palma? Please demand transparency now.

For the forests,

Ashley Schaeffer

Rainforest Agribusiness Campaigner