Lurlisa e-mailed us this week to ask that question? She noted that Ava and C.I. had given praise to Norman Solomon who "they call out when he needs it, and, boy, does he need it most of the time. But I've never seen an award for doing something great except for 'Truest statement' each week. Am I missing it?"
No, she wasn't. So this week we start the Shirleys. Named after the late, great Shirley Chisholm. So ahead of her time, she's still ripped off today by pasty-faced White-boy dee jays who think they can steal her campaign slogan ("Unbought and Unbossed") and pass it off as their 'clever' idea. Feminist, activist, politician. The first Black woman elected to the US Congress. A pioneer, a trail blazer.
When we hand out a Shirley, it'll go to someone who somehow managed to demonstrate Chisholm's fighting spirit.
The first Shirley we're handing out goes to Feminist Wire Daily for this item:
A provision in the proposed economic stimulus package that would expand family planning coverage under Medicaid has drawn harsh criticism from Republicans and may be removed from the proposed stimulus package as early as today. President Barack Obama has reportedly told congressional Democrats to remove the provision and may offer this move as a concession to congressional Republicans in meetings today.
The current version of the stimulus package (see PDF) would no longer require states to obtain federal permission to offer family planning services and contraceptives under Medicaid.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi defended the inclusion of the family planning provision this weekend (see video) and said that, ultimately, "the family planning services reduce cost." Democrats argue that the provision is an investment that would save money long term and that it could create health care jobs and bolster state programs, according to .
Most feminist and woman based organizations, such as NARAL and NOW, gladly played silent on the cave or, worse, rushed to excuse it. No one, it appeared, would treat it as a serious cave and something that will harm women. That Feminist Wire Daily did treat it like news in such a climate of silence warrants a Shirley. Shirley Chisholm was never afraid to call it like it was and she refused to be silenced.