Sep

21

McDonnell: Scholar…Governor…Both…Neither…?

September 21, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell is confronting a particularly tricky political opponent: himself. Twenty years ago, at the age of 34, McDonnell wrote an academic thesis titled “The Republican Party’s Vision for the Family: The Compelling Issues of the Decade.” Among other gender-based policy topics, his thesis opposed federal tax credits for child care expenditures, [...]

Feb

20

Is Bristol Palin Wiser Than Her Former Running Mate Mother?

February 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Embedded video from <a href=”http://www.cnn.com/video” mce_href=”http://www.cnn.com/video”>CNN Video</a>
In a recent Fox News interview , Bristol Palin, daughter of former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sara Palin, told viewers about her new life as an unwed teenage mother.
“Like, your whole priorities change after having a baby,” she said, holding her newborn son, Tripp, in her arms.  Palin argued [...]

Nov

19

The Role of Gender in the 2008 Presidential Election

November 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment

On Monday, November 17th, the William and Mary chapter of the American Constitution Society hosted Dr. Karen Beckwith, a prominent political scientist from Case Western Reserve University, for a discussion of the role of gender in determining the outcome of the 2008 presidential election.  Although data are only just becoming available, Dr. Beckwith presented nationwide [...]

Oct

21

Should Judges Decide Who Can Reproduce?

October 21, 2008 | 2 Comments

Last month, state Judge Charlie Baird of Travis County, Texas, decidedly took the matter of reproduction rights into his own hands. After sentencing a 20-year old Hispanic woman to 10 years of probation for child abuse, he ordered her, as a condition of probation, to not have any more kids. The woman, Felicia Salazar, who [...]

Jul

30

Defining a Person

July 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment

“Personhood” is defined as a fertilized egg, created at the moment of conception. Or at least it will be in Colorado, if voters pass Colorado’s Amendment 48 this November. The Amendment, which has completed the approval process for the fall ballot, reads in full (PDF): “As used in … the state Constitution, the terms ‘person’ [...]