Arts Commission Veto Overridden by House and Senate

29-10

Thank you all for calling, e-mailing, and sharing the post! I seem to have gotten something in my eyes, immensely grateful to all of you.

Will update on further arts votes and the rape crisis center votes as well, but I don’t have time to liveblog today.

UPDATE:

29-12

Art grant money survives as well.

Arts Commission Veto Overridden by House and Senate
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Nikki Haley also vetoed funding to help rape victims

Nikki Haley looks like Human Ursula, enough said

I know, you’re all probably sick of hearing about how horrible my governor is.  In defense of my homestate, we didn’t *all* vote for her and her approval rating is not great, though depressingly high all things considered.

I wrote about the Arts Commission and many of you wrote on my behalf, for which I am immensely grateful.  This other issue, the one of defunding rape crisis centers is less personal to me, but even crueler to people of South Carolina.  Of course, Nikki Haley is the same woman who said, “Women don’t care about contraception”, so perhaps it is unreasonable to be surprised that she is saying that helping victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse is a distraction from *real* health issues.

The good news is that we’re only seventh in the country for women being killed by men!  There are states worse than us!

The SCCADVASA has a statement that’s worth reading, which includes the following info:

The $453,956 that the Governor vetoed will result in a 37% decrease in funding for rape crisis centers.  In FY 11-12, the total amount distributed to rape crisis centers was $648,114, which included both recurring and non-recurring funds.  If the veto stands, the total amount available for programs serving the entire state will be only he recurring $403,956.

They also have a letter from a survivor, one that I cannot read without crying:

The man has yet to be caught, but when he is caught, I KNOW I can call the rape crisis center and they will be with me as I identify him. They will be with me as they prosecute him. That gives me COMFORT. Comfort KNOWING that these individuals witness the pain of women EVERYDAY who are raped. The comfort that they are out there HELPING individuals gain back SOME of their normal life. They help women become survivor, not victims as best they can.

I did NOT choose to be raped that night. I was ASLEEP in MY HOME, yet you are cutting a budget for people that did NOTHING WRONG!!!!! They did NOT choose this pain, they were forced upon with this pain. HOW CAN YOU TAKE WHAT HELP, COMFORT, SUPPORT they have????? How can you take that away from them, from me, for a mother and father’s daughter?????

Here are the contact links again if you want to tell the legislature to override:

All the Senators: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=SMEMBERS

All the House Members: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=HMEMBERS

The good news is that Nikki Haley is making lots of people hate her.  Ms. covered the story and we’ve gotten delightful articles, including one that names her TART of the year — TART being the “Taxes Are Rape Too” group.  Many of the people who have contacted the legislature have gotten positive responses, so there is hope.

Nikki Haley also vetoed funding to help rape victims

Hey Girls: You Deserve Cancer, you sluts!

I live in a state that is often accused of being the worst.  We have a saying in South Carolina: “Thank God for Mississippi!”  When it comes to diseases and listening to the religious right being absolutely beyond stupid, we are pretty close to the bottom.

There is a wonderful vaccine that prevents several kinds of cancer, including almost all cervical cancer, anal cancer, and other cancers as well.  The vaccine also reduces the risk of fertility problems!  The problem is that the vaccine prevents HPV, something people can get through sex.  It should be noted, however, that this is NOT the only way people get HPV.  The thing is, getting HPV from a non-human object can actually happen.  In that study, over half of the virgins tested had HPV.

And it’s frustrating that I should even have to make that point.  Sex is good, sex is healthy, sex is natural, sex should be accepted as an important part of the human condition.  But you don’t have to be a raging slut/whore/liberal to get HPV.

Which is why it is especially tragic that, in a state with incredibly high cervical cancer rates (9th in deaths in the nation, three times higher in African American women), less than 20% of eligible women are getting this vaccine.  I am sure the number is even lower for eligible young men.  Why? Because we won’t enact a mandate like we have for other vaccines.  And, just last week, the house would not overrule a veto from our evil governor, Nikki Haley, that prevents schools from getting funding to provide information on the vaccine.  Not to force anyone to have it, but to tell people it exists.

Nikki Haley: It’s better for people to die than for parents to possibly have to discuss sex with their children.

Also, if you are under 26, male or female, you should get the Gardasil vaccine.  For yourself and for others.

GARDASIL is the only human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that helps protect against 4 types of HPV. In girls and young women ages 9 to 26, GARDASIL helps protect against 2 types of HPV that cause about 75% of cervical cancer cases, and 2 more types that cause 90% of genital warts cases. In boys and young men ages 9 to 26, GARDASIL helps protect against 90% of genital warts cases.

GARDASIL also helps protect girls and young women ages 9 to 26 against 70% of vaginal cancer cases and up to 50% of vulvar cancer cases.

Since I’ve had mine, does that mean I’m contractually obligated to be a slut/whore/liberal now?

Here are some sobering statistics given in the hopes of scaring people into getting the jab.

Hey Girls: You Deserve Cancer, you sluts!