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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Ok now that I've done the smart thing I have read all the other letters (d'oh), I am surprised to discover that I went right for the pink.
I read Salon every day and happily consider myself a feminist. I finally decided to investigate the Broadsheet section, 3 weeks after it opened.
I think it'll find its way and develop into a fine source for women's news. The only thing I'd like to change would be the pink.
It appears I'm not alone - that there are many others who actually find the pink as gross and yukky and just not cheeky enough -
So now what I'm really wondering is, why hasn't it been changed? Is there some consoritium of stern Salon Executives who are solemnly shaking their heads: "No, no, we can't have this. Next they'll be demanding bacon in their gruel! The pink must stay! Let them wail and beat their tiny fists, IT SHALL REMAIN PINK!"
How can a loyal Salon reader trust the editors are listening - if they won't respond to something as obvious as this.
Is this the new "mothers who think?" God help us.
email I received today:
Dear Jennifer Merk,
In our ongoing effort to provide great service to our guests, Target consistently ensures that prescriptions for the emergency contraceptive Plan B are filled. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 also requires us to accommodate our team members� sincerely held religious beliefs.
In the rare event that a pharmacist�s beliefs conflict with filling a guest�s prescription for the emergency contraceptive Plan B, our policy requires our pharmacists to take responsibility for ensuring that the guest�s prescription is filled in a timely and respectful manner, either by another Target pharmacist or a different pharmacy.
- The emergency contraceptive Plan B is the only medication for which this policy applies.
- Under no circumstances can the pharmacist prevent the prescription from being filled, make discourteous or judgmental remarks, or discuss his or her religious beliefs with the guest.
Target abides by all state and local laws and, in the event that other laws conflict with our policy, we follow the law.
We're surprised and disappointed by Planned Parenthood�s negative campaign. We�ve been talking with Planned Parenthood to clarify our policy and reinforce our commitment to ensuring that our guests� prescriptions for the emergency contraceptive Plan B are filled. Our policy is similar to that of many other retailers and follows the recommendations of the American Pharmacists Association. That�s why it�s unclear why Target is being singled out.
We�re committed to meeting the needs of our female guests and will continue to deliver upon that commitment.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Hanson
Target Executive Offices
[THREAD ID:1-17GZCG]
About time? Way past time-- it's about thirty years out of date.
This self-indulgent mess reeks of discredited, second-wave, dworkinist, men-are-crap feminism, of the kind that did so much damage to relations between the sexes, tore the country apart, and and allowed its takeover by the Nixon-Reagan-Bush machine and the Far Right.
Enlightened people, particularly younger women, have long since rejected this kind of one sided, the-world-hates-me-because-I'm-superior crap. To see it reappearing on a website I once respected is very discouraging. We're in a war here, folks; there's no time for you-wouldn't-understand-it's-all-about-meism.
Those of us who are in the trenches, fighting for real change, have all we can do to overcome the alienating influence of abortion on demand and a gay marriage initiative right before a major election. Dividing the progressive society, alienating men and sane women and giving ammunition to Far Right media just gives us more to struggle against. What are we suppposed to say: "Ignore the crazies, vote for us anyway?"
To answer one of your questions: No, Maureen Dowd isn't necessary and never has been. Neither is this column, which takes up (apparently otherwise unemployable) personnel and financial resources better put to more political and serious lifestyle reporting. (Yes, sometimes it is about me, but you'd never know it from Salon's fem and gay heavy lifestyle content.) I'm one of your subscribers. I deserve better, and so do all the others.
Eric Fralick
Thanks for the new column. Delightful.
I'm not a subscriber, but a frequent visitor. I've always admired Salon's intelligent, engaging writing and knack for hitting the right tone. I can only wonder what happened here. "Broadsheet" is stomach-churningly bad. I'm a woman - that means I'm supposed to be fascinated by "celeb dish" and Katie Holmes? The suggestion is patronizing and insulting. To make matters worse, the writing is terrible - lukewarm rehashes of news stories that weren't interesting to begin with. There is nothing to suggest an intelligent woman got anywhere near this stinker at any stage of its misbegotten development. Please, end it now and salvage the last remaining shreds of your credibility.
Broadsheet is a frustrating mix of serious entries on issues of serious concern and of annoying celebrity talk. The first are related to women, but are not only for women- as long as we treat things such as honor killings as women's rissues rather than human issues, they will keep happening. The second field of coverage is perfectly fine for those who are interested, but I resent the two being placed together. They are not equivalent and should not be treated as such.
The post on honor killings is a perfect example - it is immediately followed by a post on a guy with a Paris Hilton display on his front lawn. What a lack of respect for Fatima. She deserved better from her family, and from Salon.
Dear Editors,
I just want to say thank you for finally adding a woman's voice to Salon. When my husband subscribed to Salon over 2 years ago, I could hardly stand to read it because of the male-centrism. In fact, the Salon subscription was one of our taboo political topics, one of those in a marriage that hit the "piss-off" point in 0.2 seconds; in short, I couldn't stand it. Suffice to say that since the leadership of the editorial staff has changed, I can't live without Salon. It's not that it's now about women, but it acknowledges women--something the former Salon didn't ever do. I am also pleased to see more pieces by Rebecca Traister. I am currently working on a book on learning disabilities, and I have found a number of times I can quote her as I cover gender and education and political ideas. Thanks for the change. It was desperately needed and incredibly appreciated.
Rebecca
P.S. I love Broadsheet, but do you think you could also expand this to have some regular features that expand on the articles such as pay/equity issues and things of that nature. Not enough news organizations focus on this. (See Newsweek for blatant examples.) I trust your coverage, and I would be happy to provide the sources for work like this.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
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