!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.! ! ! ! Catt's Claws ... A Feminist Newsletter #52 ... July 24, 1995 ! ! ! !.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.! As Catts Claws has said many times before: "the forces of evil never rest nor will those men who are fighting to FORCE their morality and beliefs on us ever going to obey the rules of honesty." The Congressional hearings into the Waco disaster appear to be orchestrated under the direction of the National Rifle Association. Come on, guys, give us a break! First Ralph Reed of Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition is given a hero's welcome in the halls of Congress where Newt Gingrich, Bob Dole, and Phil Gramm paid homage by almost licking the floor under his feet and now the NRA investigators are setting the agenda for important Congressional inquiries. When are you going to start serving the people and not special interests ... is that spelled intere$t$? One wonders at the results of the hearing even before it begins, especially after the opening day: Following the testimony of Kiri Jewell in which she alleged being 10- years-old and subject to forced sexual intercourse by Branch Dividian guru David Koresh, Rep. Steven Schiff (R-N.M.), is quoted as complaining: "So details about underage sex are going to get more attention than a faulty search warrant?" Good god! What kind of men are these Republicans who appear to approve of the rape of 10-year-old girls? I'm sickened. ....................... * ........................ By the way, has anyone else noticed the new respect the Republican party is showing towards President Bill Clinton? They are referring to him as the finest Democratic politician in the past 25 years! Well, welcome to reality boys - as Catts Claws has said before, you ain't seen nothing yet. Clinton is a masterful campaigner. He is going to tear the Republican Congressional actions into shreds that will make the Truman campaign passe in political circles...and the Reps are just beginning to get wise to it - notice how they are sitting on certain bills which are part of the so-called Contract (out on) America - a contract which KKK leader Duke is claiming HE wrote ... Well, Gingrich's book was written by a ghost writer, why not a ghost writer for the Contract (out on) America? ....................... * ........................ Event 07-16-95, retired journalist Marj Carpenter, 68, was elected moderator of the 2.8 million member Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the church's highest elected position. ....................... * ........................ This is one BIG and very beautiful country - our trip that was supposed to be three weeks long, maybe four, turned into five - Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, back to New Mexico, Texas and then home, sweet home and my own wonderful bed. One thing that became plain, however, is that the problems we face in our home towns are the same problems suffered by women all over this country. The horrors are all over, but the news is not allowed to spread into national awareness so that we don't realize how bad it REALLY is. That's why we need Catts Claws (or something like it) and Catts Claws need YOU to send us information. In New Mexico a man who had been wrist-slapped by judges several times regarding terrible domestic violence then used a shotgun on his wife ... In Montana a man used a CATTLE PROD (that uses electrical shock aimed at subduing thousand pound steers) to stun a woman friend, then tied her up to rape her ... In San Francisco articles blaming one-parent homes (read that, women) for the rising juvenile terrorism were all over the papers. No one seems to blame the fathers. By the way, these high-priced "authorities" are also forgetting that the violent young men in these past twenty years have been allowed to grow and grow and replicate without being killed off in wars - peace has turned out to have a dark side ... In Colorado we saw tabloid papers with headlines screaming against the IRS and blaming the U.S. government for all sorts of things that make Hitler look like a guardian of our rights - and they were being read by men in pickup trucks dressed in quasi military uniforms with American flag patches on their shoulders, their eyes masked behind mirrored sunglasses. No guns were visible, but betcha they were there! We traveled in a purple rental car - the color chosen by the car company and we didn't object because of the poem, "When I am old I shall wear purple..." That purple color, amazingly drew opposing reactions. Most were, of course, lighthearted, but there were those who actually became angry when they saw it. One young boy commenting on it favorably at one of the national parks was pulled away roughly by his father who muttered, "It's a disgrace." I think he would have kicked the car if I hadn't been standing there. Amazing ... By the way, would anyone in Seattle reading this column please look up a woman driving a brownish car who was chased down Aurora Road the morning of July 4 by two crazy old ladies in a purple car, honking their approval of her bumper stickers including one of my all time favorites, "If you don't approve of abortion, don't have one." ....................... * ........................ Federal Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr who is still angry because he was passed over for the U.S. Supreme Court for Clarence Thomas and probably thinks that a good showing against Clinton will guarantee him a seat, has indicted ten men - nine of them, including Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker, have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Whitewater or with President Bill Clinton. Starr wants to interpret difficult constitutional law, yet he can't even follow a simple instruction sheet. He was to investigate Whitewater, period ... not every sin ever committed in the State of Arkansas (by Democrats). Starr was the choice of Sen. Jesse Helms of the tobacco interests and Starr is now representing tobacco interests while also pocketing taxpayer dollars as special prosecutor. Oh, yes, Starr left his briefcase containing (some say) highly sensitive material at a bar in Little Rock - seems our esteemed special prosecutor got sloshed - spelled DRUNK - and had to be taken home and he forget his briefcase. But of all things crazy that this character has done, nothing beats the latest reports: Starr is questioning witnesses before the federal grand jury about Clinton's sex life and ALSO QUESTIONING THEM ABOUT HILLARY'S SEX LIFE ! ....................... * ........................ The power of selective reporting as an arm of the radical religious rights battle to take away our civil liberties... On Thursday, 07-21, CBS Evening News (Dan Rather) reported President Clinton's march across Pennsylvania to defend law enforcement officials. Clinton's speech was strong in its denunciation of the Republican efforts to make law enforcement officials the bad guys, and Clinton also pointed out (in the CBS excerpts) how David Koresh had molested and raped young girls. Rather also showed a woman quoting one of the molested girls in her testimony before Congress. The ABC (pretty-boy Peter Jennings) version skipped all that nonsense about the rapes, child molestation, etc., as well as the President's harsh condemnation. Instead it focused on the claim that the military advice to the civilian police at Waco was a support of the rumored conspiracy to take away the rights of the American people. Obviously one of the ways the propagandists are supporting their claims that Clinton is a wimp is by NOT showing him making strong statements. Instead, the commentators paraphrase Clinton with their comments. Shame on ABC ! ....................... * ........................ If any of your friends or co-workers have any doubts as to the ultimate aim of the Republican Reactionary Rightists operating under the control of the Religious Supremacists, the latest Seig Heil in Congress should straighten them out. A U.S. Congressman and U.S. Senator have actually introduced legislation in Congress (as members of the political party which condemns government controls for health, safety, and welfare) that would dictate (READ that HITLERIZE) medical training standards. A bill is actually pending in the Republican-controlled Congress that would destroy educational accreditation standards. At risk is the requirement that Ob/Gyn medical residents be trained to perform abortions. Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) and Sen. Dan Coats (R-IN) have introduced legislation that would not only remove the requirement set down by a medical standards groups, but would eliminate federal funds to hospitals that offer abortion training to its residents. Training, ladies and kids, TRAINING! In other words, under these Republican guidelines, women should die, MUST die of ectopic pregnancies, or any other of the thousands of medical emergencies that can arise during pregnancy rather than have doctors be TRAINED to be doctors. What kind of ***t is this? I remember a time when such legislation would have brought the walls of Congress down because of its intent to dictate medical care and training. Where is the ACLU on this one? ....................... * ........................ 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 irenestuber@delphi.com for inclusion in the Catt's Claws feminist newsletter which will be emailed three times a week: Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. This is NOT an interactive discussion net but an exchange of information and 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. Irene Stuber. PO Box 6185, Hot Springs, AR 71902.<<<<