The Unconstrained Podcast

What happens to poor women of color when abortion is a political football. This podcast is a reading of an article that ran in The New York Times on January 22, 2011, the 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade.

Goodbye, cursive! Last week a friend with young children in the public schools said ''Did you know they're not teaching cursive in school anymore? How are my kids going to sign their names?'' We scratched our heads--we didn't know. A few days after this, when my husband was going through boxes of his family's photos, documents and artifacts, he found a small leather book that had belonged to his great-grandfather. Its aging, delicate pages were filled with poems and wishes to be remembered, all in cursive styles from days gone by. Listen to these poems and heartfelt demonstrations of friendship read aloud. You can also visit http://madamaambi.blogspot.com to see cursive styles from the late 1800's.

The second and final half of the Supreme Court's landmark decision finding that the right of privacy applies to a woman's right to abortion.

On the eve of the 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, I realized that I had never read the full, original decision. In this podcast, I read aloud the opinion of the Court, which inquires into, ''and in this opinion place some emphasis upon, medical and medical-legal history and what that history reveals about man's attitude toward the abortion procedure over the centuries.'' Justice Blackmun discusses ''Ancient Attitudes, The Hippocratic Oath, The common law, The English statutory law, The American law, The position of the American Medical Association, and The position of the American Public Health Association.'' I discovered many fascinating insights into the underpinnings of the current abortion battles still raging in 2011. Part Two to follow in the next day or so.

Jennifer Pozner comes out swinging as she takes aim at the ''Reality TV'' industry and its ever-growing universe of so-called ''harmless'' shows in her book REALITY BITES BACK: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV, published by Seal Press. Pozner uncovers sexism, racism, classism, stereotyping, violence against women, phony psychological help and what really drives the content of TV we passively consume for entertainment. This is an important book, fun to read, and what Library Journal has determined ''an essential read.'' Pozner's research and analysis are mind-blowing, but you really have to hear Jennifer Pozner in person to understand the passion and knife-sharp wit she brings to her work.

A singable little song especially for Election Day.

Gloria Feldt, former CEO of Planned Parenthood and now a stumper/speaker/social-media activist and teacher, says ''You've Come a Long Way, Maybe.'' In the prologue to her new book No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power, she signs on to Ellen Goodman's grade of ''Incomplete'' for the revolution.

Patty Sherman says that she ''escaped'' her abusive marriage in 2000. In June of this year, 2010, she passed the ninth anniversary of her freedom, healing process and the recovery of her self. Patty speaks out to educate the public because she knows that it's hard, if not impossible, to understand how it happens and how hard it is to leave an abusive marriage unless you have either lived through it or you have done intentional research about the pathologies that drive husbands to control and berate their wives.In this interview we discuss how it's possible for an educated and skilled woman to fear her husband, to lose her confidence or the right to discuss dysfunctional dynamics in their marriage and to develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In hindsight, Patty has come to understand some of the warning signs of the cycle of abuse and the traps victims can fall into, such as believing that ''I had let it happen to me.'' Through therapy and self-education, she now knows she didn't deserve the abuse she received. Patty hopes that by speaking out she can help other victims realize that there is nothing they did to bring abuse upon themselves, nothing they can do to mollify a husband's need to control them, keeping them fearful and dehumanized, why it's hard to leave and how it's possible to get help.

NOTE: It has now been over 1 year since the three hikers were imprisoned. Today is 9/11/10, when Iran was to have released Sarah due to her medical needs. The latest news is that this will not happen, as her ''legal'' case has not been resolved. It's fair to say that whatever comes out of Iran may or may not be reliable or truthful, but one thing is true: Sarah, Josh & Shane are still in prison.The following is description from when it was ten and a half months ago.Ten and a half months ago, Iran imprisoned three Americans for allegedly crossing from Kurdistan Iraq into Iran illegally. Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer & Josh Fattal are students of the world, voices of global consciousness, travelers, writers & activists. You can help get Sarah, Shane & Josh out of prison by listening to this interview & passing it on to your social networks.

This is a voice collage of short readings from Beyond God the Father: Toward a Philosophy of Women's Liberation, written by Mary Daly, published in 1973 by Beacon Press, Boston.