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Community

Walmart’s Battlefield Win

by Cate Nelson on August 25, 2009 · 5 comments

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Walmart has won approval to build a Supercenter on the edge one of the most important battlefields from the Civil War: the Wilderness Battlefield.

Wilderness was the location when Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant first met in battle, on May 4, 1864. Altogether, on both sides of the fighting, 160,000 soldiers total took part with approximately 29,000 killed or wounded. It was the beginning of the turning point of the Civil War.

Supervisors in Orange County, Virginia voted Monday night to grant a permit to the corporate giant, despite public outcry, especially from historians and Civil War buffs.

Jim Campi, of the Civil War Preservation Trust, is against it because,

What Walmart is proposing would absolutely transform the landscape. Walmart is proposing a superstore closer to a national park boundary than any previous Walmart, and this is right on the boundary of the national park.

Only one-quarter of the historic battlefield is protected, so the controversy has surrounded the question, “What is a battlefield?” [read the full article...]

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Gardasil is “Mostly” Safe, But Is It Effective?

by Cate Nelson on August 25, 2009 · 10 comments

Here in Virginia, health officials are pushing the vaccine that protects against HPV. As the Washington Post reports, the Commonwealth wants Gardasil administered to every girl entering the 6th grade. Parents here can opt out simply by refusing to give their girls the shot.

But fears of adverse affects still abound. This month, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that in the 2.5 years between June 2006 and December 2008, there were

12,424 reports of side effects, or 54 reports per 100,000 doses given. That included 32 reports of death, or 1 per 1 million girls vaccinated, though it’s unclear whether the vaccine or something else was to blame.

An NPR report also stated that we’re not sure how many of those deaths were due to preexisting conditions in the teen girls, such as blood clots:

All of these people had a known risk factor for having blood clots. Most commonly was that they were on some sort of estrogen birth control. But obesity, traveling, immobility and some of these people had genetic risk factors for getting – for having blood clots, as well.

So…we’re blaming the girls for their deaths? For their previously unknown medical conditions? Not only are we as yet uncertain of Gardasil’s safety, we also have no clue about its efficacy, especially long-term.

[social_buttons] [read the full article...]

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CDC Considers “Universal Circumcision” to Fight HIV Cases

by Cate Nelson on August 24, 2009 · 16 comments

Worked for Jesus... This week at the CDC’s National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta, the government agency will discuss whether to recommend routine circumcision for all baby boys to protect them from the disease.

Research is split on whether routinely cutting boys at birth will protect them from sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDs and HIV. Most research points to a decrease in diseases only in high-risk populations where such diseases are prevalent.

One of the groups lobbying against such a blanket recommendation is Intact America, a newly-formed group in the U.S. with the aim of lowering the circumcision rate.

But those who state simply that “circumcision prevents STDs” may need to get their facts straight.

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[read the full article...]

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The Swine Flu Vaccine and Your Family

by Cate Nelson on August 24, 2009 · 15 comments

Like most families, you’re probably being bombarded by the media regarding swine flu: precautions, symptoms, and the availability of the shot.

First, you need to know this: most widely available doses of the swine flu vaccine will contain thimerosal, a mercury-laden preservative that has been removed from most vaccines on the Recommended Immunization Schedule over fears of neurological effects.

Also, there are ways you can protect even the littlest members of your family, without giving them a vaccine.

What? It’s either stock up on the Tamiflu or line up for the vaccine? Not so fast, there…

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[read the full article...]

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Mapping Out Errands

by Derek Markham on August 21, 2009 · 0 comments

bike

(image via ci.wixom.mi.us)

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Mapping out your errands with your kids can turn into a fun activity to plan and execute. Make a game of running errands by mapping out the shortest route. Grab an old map of your city or use an online map service to draw your own. Involving your children will help deepen their respect for reducing the pollutant they put in the air to run their errands now and as they grow older. You can also point out that since you took the time to bunch all your errands together you have more time to do things you really enjoy.

To live green means to live a sustainable lifestyle that won’t deplete or pollute the earth’s natural resources–and to find ways to replenish or recycle these resources and materials. To be green means to preserve and to protect our environments and our planet. Even small things like mapping out your errands teaches your children this important concept.

[read the full article...]

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Nursing Mother Called “Immoral” At Vancouver Museum

by Cate Nelson on August 19, 2009 · 15 comments

Augh. It’s happened again.

A woman began to breastfeed in the Science World museum when a volunteer directed her to the nursing room. Because Kristen George was with her 23-month-old and her 8-week-old nursling, she stayed put, keeping an eye on one child while soothing the infant.

I’ve always felt a little self-conscious, so I usually pump and bring a bottle, but I had forgotten it this time.

George was in the section of the museum specifically for infants and kids, and says she was wearing a baggy shirt that covered her. She says she was approached by a young man who asked her to move. Then when she responded that she wasn’t “doing anything wrong,” he said what she was doing was,

Morally wrong

His words were loud enough to catch the attention of other parents, now making something otherwise mostly overlooked into a spectacle. Fabulous.

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Breastfeeding Mother Asked to Leave Olive Garden

by Cate Nelson on August 19, 2009 · 47 comments

In Michigan City, Indiana, the mother of a breastfed 11-month-old was asked to leave an Olive Garden restaurant after she refused to give her baby lunch in the bathroom.

Margaret Naas said her daughter Katie wanted to eat shortly after she’d ordered. She said she pulled half of her halter top down to feed the baby.

Soon, the manager (a woman) cited other customer complaints and offered her use of the restroom to feed her child.

A lactation consultant from the nearby WIC, Tammy Pray, who contacted the media regarding this situation, told The News-Dispatch,

That’s disgusting! Who would want to feed their children in a bathroom?

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[read the full article...]

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You Want Me to Feed My Baby Where?!

by Cate Nelson on August 14, 2009 · 8 comments

Breastfeeding in public is legal.

Not only that, it should not be compared to other natural functions of the body, like urination, defecation, or even–recently heard by yours truly–decomposition. Because poop isn’t food, despite what your dog might think. Breastmilk is.

Unfortunately, many people are still ignorant of this fact and continue to whine about mamas feeding their children in public. So I thought I’d share a few counterpoints, just for the anti-breastfeeding-in-public crowd.

Starting with this:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/8KMLRmeia8k&hl=en&fs=1&]

See, it’s not so much about a woman’s right to breastfeed in public or her supposed “need” to expose herself. It should also be viewed as the child’s right to eat.

Here are a couple of common points I like to make about breastfeeding in public:

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