I declare February Social Justice Month

February was a time when many issues floated to the surface, for me, and seemingly for our society. I wrote what I thought and what I could about issues that I believe mattered.

Luckily, there are many eloquent and intelligent bloggers who also write about important issues. I feel my neural synapses building every day. Even more fortunately, Jen and Mad created Just Post.

When I contacted them about selecting a post from February, they came up with a great idea: instead of choosing one and skipping the others, create this portal post that introduces the myriad of topics I covered. That way I don't clog and hog their list. :) Or try to pick favorites. ;)

So, following is a brief list of the Social Justice posts from February, with a short synopsis of each. I hope you caught these already---I got so many great comments and such wonderful discussion---but if you missed one, I hope you have the time to peruse it. If you have something to say, add it on. I'll be reading.

Thank you!

The crime and prison series

Are parents who aren't involved at the school criminals? Texas State Representative Smith (R-Baytown) says YES!---how obligated should parents be to participate in school? I explain my opinion about Texas state Rep. Wayne Smith's, R-Baytown, proposal that parents who miss a scheduled meeting with their child's teacher receive a Class C misdemeanor citation and a fine of up to $500.

Spain started a unique family prison where inmates live together as families, including the children. Should prisons and society support parent-child relationships between inmates and their children through family-friendly prisons and programs? See what I think in The Parenting Prison.

Imprisoned children: Has the war on terror gone too far? Learn about children and their families being detained in prisons right here in the USA, and the conditions that should shock you even more.


Money and society posts

How important is it that we tithe and donate our money to worthy and needy causes? I explore that responsibility and making decisions about how and where we spend money in Dirty little secrets about money: Frivolous versus conscious spending.

Is gentrification always in the best interests of the community and its residents? I share my concerns about it in my post about increasing the cost of living and decreasing the family-friendliness some developers seem to plan in my small town.

How skewed is the lens through which we view beauty? Puhleeze...Tyra Banks is NOT FAT! and Chandra Wilson knows what really matters.

SUPPORT MUSIC EDUCATION! We all should know how valuable it is for every single person. We all have something we can gain from music. My post about the Grammy's contains links to Neil Portnow's speech and links to a venue to support music education.

Politics

More matter, less art! In Can the US elect a black president? I request that we stop labeling by gender and color and start talking about the real issues.

The HPV and HPV vaccine series

Texas Gov Rick Perry buckles to Merck; Executive Order Requires Gardasil vaccine for all girls---in a much criticized move, Texas Gov Perry bypasses all available avenues of democracy and issues an executive order that all girls receive the HPV-vaccine prior to sixth grade.

I elaborated my opinion about the above order, and the growing pressure about the HPV-vaccine, as well as having medical choices removed from me in Think it's your body, your choice? Think again...

Cure cancer with a single shot?!? 1 in 4 infected?!? ACK ACK ACK! provides bullet list straight facts about HPV, the vaccines,a nd cervical cancer, as well as links to reputable sources of information. (Remember, I'll be doing a link list post about this next week to resources and other bloggers and opinions. There's still time to send me a link---March 9 is the deadline---and check back to see all the information. It's already a really awe-inspiring list.)

copyright 2007 Julie Pippert