Catt's Claws is ranked among the Best 1001 Internet Sites by _PC Computing, awarded Three Stars by _NetGuide_, recommended by _Mother Jones_, and gotten a bunch more online kudos. So what have we done lately? This is the first issue since February 13, 1996 when a family health crisis occurred (foot infection/diabetic). Lengthy hours at the hospital, then 24-hour nursing/aide care at home that made the house more a hotel lobby than home-sweet-home. Even my cat left. It was too much confusion for her. Well the nurses and aides are gone ... the cat has returned home and sleeping inside at night. Things are calming down. Although Paula is still in a wheelchair, she's back at work and doctors expect her to be walking in a month or so. They were able to save some of the foot. <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> ........Catt's Claws # 104 ... April 25, 1996......... ........ A Feminist Newsletter by Irene Stuber......... <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> <^> Paul Courry from whom we got the Brendan Walsh quote we use in our personal email signature: "When they come for the innocent without crossing over your body, CURSED be your religion and your life," wrote the following update: "(Here is) my follow up story on what happened to Bishop Jane Dixon at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on January 14th. "By the way, congratulate yourself, the _Washington Times_ did not run an article on this until February. You broke the story 15 days before a major U.S. paper! "The long and the short of it is that the chief bishop of the diocese of Washington D.C. backed Bishop Jane. When she made a visit to another "traditionalist" parish two weeks later, the chief bishop laid down the law and told the rector to be present at the service, have everything necessary on hand or lose his license to minister in the diocese (this is the death penalty). The same law was laid down to the "sob" whom you wrote the last article about. As well as a third rector who has yet to be visited." Paul (a new, happy bridegroom of the brave, brave Cathi): "On January 22 Catt's Claws reported a certain "Reverend" Woolley of St. Lukes Episcopal Church near Washington, DC, did everything he could to prevent Episcopal Bishop Jane Dixon from making a visit and celebrate mass as a bishop to that parish. "All the altar decorations, the Bread, the Wine, flowers, candles, altar linens had been removed and the parishioners were called and told that no service would be held that Sunday. "Since that time we have learned that the male bishop in charge of the diocese, Bishop Haines, lowered the boom on that parish as well as two others that threatened to do the same thing. "All three priests have been told to be present in the sanctuary when Bishop Jane Dixon celebrates Mass, and to have everything present and ready for Mass or lose their license to minister in the diocese. "On Sunday Feb 4th this was put to the test at one of the "traditionalist" parishes. Bishop Jane Dixon celebrated Mass with 100 people who came out to support her, the stubborn priest was in the sanctuary as directed, but with his back to the altar, a fool for all to see. Bishop Dixon said: `That is the sign that this relationship, no matter how hard or how painful it may be, is open. I offer myself to this parish not to change your mind, but to somehow be in relationship with you.' Paul added, "In my book, the lady is a class act." If Catt's Claws may comment: What did that guy say so many years ago? "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do...." What has the eucharist, the sacraments, etc., got to do with peni? The original article about this incident may be found in the 01-22-96 Catt's Claws, archived on my web page http://www.imageworld.com/istuber.html or ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/u/f/feminist/ or FTP.execpc.com ....................... * ........................ One in eight women in our country will develop breast cancer during her lifetime, compared to one in 20 a generation ago. And 46,000 American women will die of breast cancer this year. Time for your monthly breast exam - remember, the breast you examine is the one you want to keep. (BTW, the men's rights groups that are part and parcel of the radical right and radical religious right wingers are attacking the figures of one in eight or one in nine as being misleading. No matter that they are recognized figures by the medical authorities. These boyz are united in their hatred (spell that F_E_A_R) of women and because these guys are mostly the useless, extra men in society, they have lots of time to attack the women they can't get to love them. ....................... * ........................ The latest ploy of the radical, uterus envied right-wingers is to log onto a targeted woman's online service. When the attempt catches the woman online (even though the faker doesn't have the right password) it sometimes tosses the women off line and draws a reprimand from the online service that accuses her of giving out her ID to someone else and breaking her agreement. Anyone out there have any advice on how to catch these slimebags? The FBI must be brought in on such cases. ....................... * ........................ As Catt's Claws pledged last fall, we will continue to post the drug- induced abortion information to prevent it from being lost since our "feminist" national leaders have been strangely silent, although one group is still trying to fundraise on the RU-486 dead horse controversy. About six months after Catt's Claws started publishing this information Planned Parenthood has finally taken up the cry. (And believe it or not, so did the National NOW newsletter!!!) "We anticipate that sometime this year, when this new approach has been properly vetted by our medical committees, it will be made available," the Planned Parenthood Federation President Jane Johnson said in March, 1996. The initial findings on the two drugs was made IN 1994. Yes, dear hearts - 1994. This is 1996 ... The use of the drugs has been proven and proven and proven, but there are to be more delays. WHY? Catt's Claws is damned proud to have published the information that will soon make the abortion clinics, the anti-abortion demonstrations, etc., mute while the "feminists" leaders stood around doing nada until goaded into action. Methotrexate is FDA-approved for use against cancer; Misoprostol is FDA approved to treat ulcers. Because both are FDA-approved, they can be prescribed by physicians today and together, they produce abortions at a better rate than the RU-486 pill according to articles in the New England Medical Journal. The method is available *today* at your friendly M.D. Also available for many years and never brought to women's attention, are the drugs that produced abortions in women with ectopic pregnancies and the morning after pill used in rape cases. ....................... * ........................ Two sisters won a $1.15 million dollar verdict last March in the Orange County Superior Court (California) in a suit which proved they had repressed memories of their father's sexual abuse for 18 years. The molestations began when each daughter was about 5 and continued until one was 18, and the other 12. The memories allegedly returned when the older sister began having anxiety attacks. Dr. Diana Elliot, an expert in the area of sexual abuse, testified that young victims of abuse often protect themselves by disassociating the incidents so they can continue with their lives. The radical right is spending LOTS of money trying to discredit repressed memory accusations - usually financed by the men who are accused of the incest - although everyone seems to accept repressed memories of other kinds of trauma. Filthy beasts. Keep your sexual perversions off your kids (and others who are helpless). ....................... * ........................ What's the latest in the story that the "The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office is `seriously looking into' allegations that an anonymous letter that ultimately led to the dismissal of a juror in the O.J. Simpson murder trial was fabricated. "If prosecutors determine the document was falsified, its author - assuming he or she can be identified - could be charged with obstruction of justice. Simpson, however, cannot be retried, since his acquittal confers a constitutional protection against double jeopardy," a news article said. Isn't jury tampering grounds for throwing out a trial? ....................... * ........................ A cry for sanity from Asherah3@aol.com: "If anyone on this list is on America Online, I am in dire need of your help. My folder, "Exposing Anti-Feminist Men's Groups" is about to be taken over by father's rights supporters and other misogynists. I've just had 19 hate posts removed. However, I'm not getting much support from people who want to stand up to this abuse. If you aren't on AOL, and would like to participate in the folder (God knows there are not enough folders for people to speak out against the masculinist lobby, but there are PLENTY of listservs, newsgroups, and folders that support the masculinist agenda), I will gladly forward all of the folders posts to you to date so that you may respond. Directions to the folder for those who have AOL: Keyword: "Women." Click on "Women's Issues Conf.' in the center block. When in Women's Issues Conferences, click on the red block labeled "Boards." Then click on "Women To Women (W2W)." My folder is the first one on the list: "Exposing Anti-Fem Men's Grps". (Actually, I think a lot of this shit would stop if women stopped doing all the work around the house that allowed men to have so much free time to play John Wayne at the computer.) ....................... * ........................ F. Lee Bailey who has been behind bars for months for contempt of court finally raised the $2.4 million to win his freedom from the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, where he was serving a six-month sentence. His brother, attorney Bill Bailey, said he believes the struggle to raise the cash is the result of "a very severe backlash from the O.J. Simpson case. I don't think Lee had any idea about the depth of the resentment of his participation in the Simpson case," he said. Bailey's famous clients include Sam Sheppard, the Cleveland doctor who was accused of murdering his wife whose case inspired _The Fugitive_, and Albert DeSalvo, the confessed Boston Strangler, as well as Simpson. (Catt's Claws author lived in Cleveland at the time of the Sam Sheppard slaughter of his wife and would love to have Bailey as my attorney if I was guilty of murder.) "There are people who might have been of assistance but they don't like some of the clients he's represented," a Florida colleague said. Bailey was accused of keeping stock illegally that went from $6 million to $27 million in value. (Who said men don't whine?) ....................... * ........................ "Religious political extremists and conservatives in the California state legislature are trying to revise existing state education code to require that parents must give prior written consent before their children in grades 7-12 would be permitted to attend regular AIDS, STD, or sex education classes. Parents would also be allowed to inspect instructional materials teachers plan to use. The bill requires that 15 days prior notice be given to parents and that only those children whose parents affirmatively consent would be allowed to receive such instruction." So much for education. The children of rightwing crackpots can only larn what their folks want them to larn. Die you little darlings and breed to a woman's death because your folks don't want you to larn about what being an adult is all about. Children's health and future lives are being held hostage to religious bigotry. ....................... * ........................ Why isn't someone raising a terrible hue and cry about the bills currently pending before Congress known as the Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act (HR 1946 and S 984), which promotes the "father is god" belief that fathers have the right to raise their children in any manner they see it. Informally, but truthfully, it is called the Child Abuser's Bill of Rights. The legislation establishes a new four-part legal test under which the police or children's protective services must prove a compelling need exists BEFORE they can even CONDUCT an investigation. In other words, in enacted, the law will henceforth consider children as property. The father (hey they're talking about returning to "traditional" values aren't they?) will be safeguarded against anyone interfering with his rights under the "unwarranted search and seizure" measure in the U.S. constitution because the children would be considered PROPERTY. Women, of course, would also be property, not fully human. ....................... * ........................ Hope you missed us - For those who thought we went away to stay, aw shucks. To unsubscribe to Catt's Claws, please send an email msg: To: listserv@netcom.com Subject: (leave blank) Text: unsubscribe catts-claws To subscribe do the same thing only change the word subscribe. (Please note it must be written: catts-claws. The hyphen is necessary and no '. ....................... * ........................ Women's rights are young and tender and we must protect them from the plagues of holy hypocrisy and newts. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>> Send your ideas, comments, and news to istuber@cswnet.com for inclusion in the Catt's Claws feminist newsletter which will be emailed up to three times a week. This is NOT an interactive discussion net but an exchange of information. Catt's Claws is NOT sponsored by any organization. We are accepting *limited* donations (only what can be spared) to help offset the online costs of posting Catt's Claws. Copyright 1996, Irene Stuber. PO Box 6185, Hot Springs, AR 71902.<<<<