Biden Would Not Impose His Faith-Based Belief on Others
Yes, Democratic vice-presidential pick Sen. Joe Biden said he believes that "life begins at conception" on Meet the Press on Sunday. But listen to the whole segment -- he goes on to explain that his belief is grounded in faith, and that he would not foist a faith-based belief onto others or into law. Is it naive for me to hope that he is modeling behavior for how to believe one thing and legislate another?
Will All Evangelicals Thrall to Palin?
Sarah Palin has the religious right on tap. Right? Time magazine takes a closer look.
Lost in the stampede of social conservatives to embrace Palin this past week is the fact that she is culturally outside the mainstream of Evangelicalism. Over the past few years, a growing number of Evangelicals have been consciously distancing themselves from the more extreme stands of the Christian right. They live in the suburbs, hold graduate degrees, and while they might not want their children reading certain novels, would be embarrassed by attempts to ban certain books from libraries, as Palin is reported to have briefly considered while mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. They don't attend churches where speakers charge that violence against Israelis is divine punishment for the failure of Jews to accept Jesus, as happened at one of Palin's churches two weeks ago (though Palin has now issued a statement saying she does not agree with those views). And they would disagree with Palin's decision to use her line-item veto as Governor to slash funding for an Alaska shelter that serves teen mothers.
As Time also notes, younger evangelicals, are spurred by their religious beliefs to embrace passions beyond just abortion and same-sex marriage -- issues like "creation care," on which Palin is weak. This population is often under-sampled in polls, and Time predicts they'll be a larger share of the electorate this year than ever before.
Palin's Record on Women's and Family Issues: What Has She Delivered?
Newsweek examines Palin's record on issues that concern women and families. Not only did Palin cut funding for transitional housing for young mothers, she also voided funds for a WIC program and a daycare facility for student mothers. On other women's issues, including domestic violence, Palin has secured funding increases but still made insignificant inroads in addressing a problem that disproportionately plagues her state, reporter Katie Paul found.
NPR Uses Women to Voice Reservations about Working Mom Sarah Palin
Would a major mainstream news outlet run a segment in which men questioned Gov. Sarah Palin's fitness for executive office because she has five children at home? Of course not. But NPR came up with a clever alternative enabling them to run such a segment -- they got women to lob the same questions, questioning Palin's commitment to her children and her ability to succeed in her job. The segment finishes off with an interview with women's studies professor who calls out the double standard, arguing that Americans still seem to believe that mothers can provide some brand of psychological support that fathers can't.
"America Rewards Women Who Avoid Teen Pregnancy"
"Today's America rewards women who avoid teen pregnancy, study longer and marry later," write June Carbone and Naomi Cahn. Identifying the "path to success in America" as "more education, better jobs and stable marriages," the authors say that teen parents, often forced into the work force in lower-paying jobs, are cut out of further educational development and career success.
Spain to Convene Panel to Study Abortion Laws
The Spanish government has appointed a panel of experts to study national abortion law and make recommendations for its liberalization. Equality Minister Bibiana Aido wants the revised law to "guarantee the fundamental rights and legality of women and the professionals who attend them" and "guarantee geographical equality, so that there aren't differences between autonomous regions." The law currently allows abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape, 22 weeks in cases of fetal malformation and at any time if a psychiatrist determines that the woman's physical or mental health is endangered.
