On May 31, 2009 an anti-government, self-appointed moral crusader with a gun named Scott Roeder killed Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas. The Nation’s Jessica Valenti weighs in on the shit treatment of women in the U.S. three years later:
I wonder, if Dr. Tiller were alive today, what he would think about the unwavering attack against women’s reproductive freedom and bodily integrity—if he could ever of imagined that American women would still not just be fighting for the right to abortion but for birth control. Or that there would be a national debate on whether or not it’s appropriate to call a woman who wants contraception coverage a “prostitute.” I imagine that even for a man who had seen a lot of misogyny in his life, the current climate against women would be shocking.
Since Tiller’s murder, the legislative agenda against reproductive justice—and common-sense decency—has been staggering.
We’ve seen mandated ultrasound laws that not only put an undue financial burden on women seeking abortions but that also require patients to be penetrated against their wills in order to procure a legal medical procedure.
Last month, Arizona passed a handful of anti-choice legislation—including one that defines pregnancies as beginning two weeks before conception. In Ohio a fetus “testified” in favor of an anti-choice law. The useless piece of meat surrounding the testifying fetus—what some call “the woman”—was silent.
A bill proposed in Georgia didn’t want to just outlaw abortions—why aim so low?—but also would mandate that women who have miscarriages be investigated to make sure that there was “no human involvement whatsoever.” Women whose miscarriages were found to be suspect could face life in prison or even the death penalty.
Story here. Read to the end. It has a good closing paragraph.
Saskatchewanians should care. There are religious fanatics in this province who want the same kind of laws brought here. They have support — eight Sask Party MLAs attended their rally a couple weeks back. You can read about that in John Cameron’s cover story last issue.
(Back to vacay.)
Being the rabid prairie dog readers you all are, you’ve obviously already read Mason Pitzel’s review of the new Japandroids album, Celebration Rock. If not, 
Here’s a link to an article in yesterday’s 
Based in Toronto, but born in the small Ontario town of Lindsay, The Strumbellas are an alt-country/bluegrass band in the vein of Cuff the Duke, The Sadies and The Wilderness of Manitoba.
Sponsored by the Cathedral area hair salon The Room, this benefit concert is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2012. I’m not sure who’s been lined up to perform, but what the event typically involves is a quality line-up of local female performers. Proceeds from the benefit, which goes tomorrow night at Bushwakker (6 p.m., tickets $30, which includes a burger and a pint) go to the YWCA. For more information call 757-7025.
1 CONTRACT TALK The results of a vote by Saskatchewan nurses over whether to accept a new contract 
Wednesday, the Regina Red Sox start defence of their 2011 Western Major Baseball League crown with a home date against their rivals from down Highway #1 a bit the Moose Jaw Miller Express.
1 UNLIKE MOOSE JAW, WE GET THE WHOLE THING You may have heard by now, but Regina got 
Tuesday night, as part of its Concert Series, the Regina Folk Festival is presenting Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Old Man Luedecke (pictured at left).
Big news in the world of cycling today. At the start of the final stage of the 21-stage Gira d’Italia, Canadian cyclist Ryder Hesjedal (pictured) trailed Spanish cyclist Joaquim Rodriguez by 31 seconds. But as the cyclists raced through the 30 km course on the streets of Milan, Hesjedal managed to overtake Rodriguez, becoming the first 
Directed by Luc Besson, this biopic on legendary Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her husband Michael Aris was released in 2011. In April of 2012, of course, she made history when she and 42 of her National League for Democracy Party colleagues were elected to seats in Parliament.
