Friday Breakfast Meeting: Open Forum
For those of you who couldn't make last Friday's monthly breakfast, we had no pre-arranged speaker and instead focused on important issues of the day. And what a discussion it was! Among other things, we talked about how funding for affordable housing and other services that HAND provides are continually being reduced, how DWC members can help the former Martha’s House stay afloat, addressing homelessness, and the importance of the upcoming Presidential campaign for progressive issues. And, of course, the attempt to defund Planned Parenthood. Comments on that topic ranged from how we can remove the stigma; to the fact that Planned Parenthood is about health care for women and actually prevents abortion, not promotes it, and also reduces visits to the ER; to Lorraine Farrell reading a nun’s public statement that “pro-life” as pro-lifers mean it is simply pro-birth. There is no consideration of the repercussions of such a narrow minded focus. Thanks to all who attended and participated in the meeting. We were reminded that sometimes a free-ranging conversation about pressing issues can be incredibly informative and energizing. We have lots to do and do many amazing women who can and will continue to make our world a better, more progressive place for all.
A final thank you to all who contributed robes and pajamas for Martha's House clients. DWC members responded to the call as always.
MORE NEWS
- Planned Parenthood: It's not Over By A Long shot
EVENTS
- DWC End-of-Summer Cookout & Hoedown
- August Meeting of Monroe County Democrats' Club
- An Evening with Glenda Ritz on Making our Schools Safe for LGBTQ Students
- IFDW Fall Meeting
- Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor to Speak on "Understanding the Teenage Brain"
Invite a Friend to Join the DWC
Call to Action
MORE NEWS
Planned Parenthood: It's Not Over By A Long Shot
How distressingly close we came to having Planned Parenthood defunded by Congress. Lest we just heave a sigh of relief and head for the hammock, here's an alarm bell. Last week's Republican debate made it clear that GOP candidates for President will continue to target Planned Parenthood for defunding, or worse,shutdown. They are pledging to do whatever it takes, including holding the government hostage as they attempted with the debt ceiling votes. These people are fanatical and will stop at nothing. Indiana Senator Donnelly voted for defunding, but he left a small opening to change his vote if he is convinced Planned Parenthood is not a demon from hell that traffics in baby parts. So here's what you can do: CONTACT SENATOR DONNELLY. We've included all of his possible routes of contact below in the Action Item. In the days before the vote, word is it was impossible to leave a message, but with the vote over, let's hope one of these paths will work. If you have personal experience with Planned Parenthood, describe it. If a friend benefited from Planned Parenthood, tell him how important it was to her. And remember to speak up for low income women--for many of them Planned Parenthood is the only option for basic women's health care.
If you didn't see it, check out Dawn Johnsen's guest column in yesterday's SundayHerald Times on Planned Parenthood and the reasons the attempt to defund it are so, so wrongheaded.
EVENTS
DWC End-of-summer Cookout & Hoedown
Sunday, August 30, 4-7 p.m.
The DWC's annual fundraiser will be August 30th from 4PM - 7PM at Susie Johnson and Dee Tuttle's house at 3974 S. Garrison Chapel Road. There will be wonderful food and drink, a cake walk, silent auction and square dancing to the rollicking music of the band, Entwyned!
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. You can purchase tickets online athttp://www.democraticwomenscaucus.org/calendar. Please mark the date, get your tickets and spread the word!
We could also use a few cakes for the cake walk. Only one cake per person please! Contact Julie Thomas at [email protected] if you want to show off your baking skills!
August Meeting of Monroe County Democrats' Club
The Monroe County Democrats' Club will meet on Tuesday, August 18, at 11:45 a.m. at Bobby's Colorado Steakhouse on North College Avenue. Glenda Ritz, State Superintendent of Schools, and until recently a candidate for Indiana governor, will be the speaker. The $11 cost of the luncheon includes the all-you-can-eat salad bar (including a choice of three soups), a beverage, and gratuity. As always, you can opt not to eat, but cannot bring in "outside" food. We encourage folks to come early to "beat the rush" at noon. Please contact Club Secretary, Marcia Harlow, at [email protected] so we can tell the staff at Bobby's how many to prepare for.
An Evening with Glenda Ritz on Making our Schools Safer for LGBTQ Students
Join us for a community-wide education night with Superintendent Glenda Ritz on September 8 at 6:30 PM at the Bloomington High School South auditorium. The event is free and open to all. Superintendent Ritz will speak on educational policies that affect LGBTQ students and how to make our schools safer for them. To RSVP and invite others, visit Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/1706247839594830/
IFDW Fall Meeting
The Indiana Federation of Democratic Women (IFDW) is having its fall meeting on Saturday, September 19th from 10-3. The meeting will be at IBEW Local #481, 1828 N. Meridian St., Suite 205. Registration fee is $15. The meeting will include a public speaking workshop and issues discussion. Send registration fees to Brittany Solis c/o the Indiana Democratic Party, 115 W. Washington St., #1165, Indianapolis, IN 46204, email her at [email protected], or call 317-504-2853. For questions, email Leona Glazebrooks at [email protected], or Sue Althouse at [email protected].
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor Presentation
The Youth Service Bureau is thrilled to announce that Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, neuroanatomist and best-selling author of My Stroke of Insight, will be presenting on “Understanding the Teenage Brain” on Monday, September 28 from 6:30-8:00 PM at the Bloomington High School North Auditorium, 3901 North Kinser Pike. Dr. Taylor is a Harvard-trained brain scientist and was featured in the first TED talk to go viral. She experienced a rare form of stroke in 1996 and took 8 years to fully recover. She has been an advocate for those who have experienced neurological trauma and created a not-for-profit organization focused on providing educational services and promoting programs related to the advancement of brain awareness, appreciation, exploration, education, injury prevention, neurological recovery, and the value of movement on mental and physical health.
The event is free but you must get tickets at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/dr-jill-bolte-taylor-understanding-the-teenage-brain-tickets-17800543906 . Up to 10 tickets can be reserved at a time and printed or shown on a smart phone.
INVITE A FRIEND TO JOIN THE DWC
Ask a friend, co-worker or colleague who is interested in learning more about making a positive impact on the presence of women in office to accompany you to our monthly breakfast or to one of the local political events.
The DWC is open to progressives regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Join any time. Only $20 for one year’s membership. Join online here.
ACTION ITEM
OK. We'll say it again--CONTACT SENATOR JOE DONNELLY!!!
You can email him by going to the link below. You will need to put the link into your browser as it would not allow us to insert a working link here. You have to start by putting in a topic. Here's a hint: It's "Women's Issues" (NOT "Abortion").
http://www.donnelly.senate.gov/contact/email-joe
If you'd rather speak to a person or leave voicemail message, below is contact information for all of Senator Donnelly's offices. Take your pick. If you have trouble leaving a message or sending an email, please let us know. Senator Donnelly needs to know when his constituents are unable to reach reach him and we will not hesitate to work our contacts to make him aware.
Indianapolis, IN Washington, D.C.
115 N. Pennsylvania Street Suite 100 720 Hart Senate Office Building
Indianapolis, IN 46204 Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (317) 226-5555 Phone: (202) 224-4814
Fax: (855) 772-7518 Fax: (202) 224-5011
South Bend, IN Jeffersonville, IN
205 West Colfax Avenue 702 North Shore Drive, Suite LL-101
South Bend, IN 46601 Jeffersonville, IN 47130
Phone: (574) 288-2780 Phone: (812) -284-2027
Fax: (574) 234-7476 Fax: (812) 284-2044
Evansville, IN Hammond, IN
123 NW 4th Street, Suite 417 5400 Federal Plaza, Suite 3200
Evansville, IN 47708 Hammond, IN 46320
Phone: (812)-425-5862 Phone: (219) 852-0089
Fax: (812)-425-5817 Fax: (219) 852-0729
Fort Wayne, IN
203 East Berry Street, Suite 702-B
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Phone: (260) 420-4955
Fax: (260) 420-4930
Do you have news items? Send your items of interest to us at[email protected].
Deadline for MMN is noon on Sunday.
Democratic Women's Caucus
http://www.democraticwomenscaucus.org/