Health Is Death, Winston
So when Whoopie Goldberg and Rosie O'Donnell and Linda Ronstadt face public disapproval for their political statements, it's a "chilling" descent into "fascism".
So what is this?
Curves International, America’s fastest-growing fitness franchise, is devoted to women’s health. But its founder’s financial support of women and teen clinics that either denounce abortion or decline to discuss it has triggered a membership cancellation drive among pro-choice members who say his stance is not healthy for women.
So many angles on this story.
In Santa Cruz, as in other parts of Northern California, the fallout stems largely from a San Francisco Chronicle article last month by columnist Ruth Rosen who linked Curves founder Gary Heavin with militant anti-choice groups.
Although a lengthy correction was printed May 12 distancing Heavin from the radical anti-abortion movement, some members continued to say that news of his financial support of pro-life organizations that are supported verbally by Operation Save America, a radical anti-abortion group, is reason enough to rescind their memberships.
"This is a women’s-health-centered gym, the whole point being health and well-being," said Bonnie Friedman. "They’re a corporation whose founder is taking those profits and funding groups that are antithetical to women’s health. I almost feel set up."
Friedman said she’s received no reply to a certified letter she sent to Janna Malizia, the owner of four local Curves.
At least 10 local women have confirmed with the Sentinel that they either resigned their membership or tried to get out of their contract in the last month.
Chilling effect!
What these maroons don't realize - and what the story doesn't tell - is that Curves is a franchise operation; resigning your membership only hurts your local franchisee, not the corporation.
The most troubling part, of course, is the continued, concerted attempt to make "Abortion" a synonym for "health". Read the detractors' comments, above - to them, it's as if exercise and abortion are equal partners in the health of a woman.
Posted by Mitch at
July 29, 2004 08:00 AM
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Voting with your dollars is a capitalistic form of Democracy. Arguably, it has at least as much impact on society as the occasional trip to the ballot box.
It is not fascist in either case (although violent actions demonstrating your point of view may vary between coercive and terroristic).
To take the Linda Ronstadt issue as an example:
The patrons of the Aladdin had a right to leave the performance and had a right to request a refund. The owner had a right to accept or decline refunding their money.
Whether for business or personal reasons, the owner of the Aladdin had a right to cancel Linda Ronstadt's contract. He did have the responsibility to hold to any cancellation terms of that contract. If the contract didn't have cancellation terms or clauses, he has some civil liability to Ronstadt - unless she broke the contract by her actions. That's for courts to decide.
Anyone objecting to the cancellation of her contract has the right not to go to the Aladdin. They also have the right to vocally discourage anyone else from going there.
That's democracy in action.
None of the fans would have the right to cause actual damage to the Aladdin or Ronstadt. None of those objecting to the owner's actions have the right to cause actual damage to the Aladdin or the owner. (Actual damage, not damage to reputation that results from truthful statements)
Fascism would be the city shutting down the club for letting Ronstadt perform OR for stopping Ronstadt from performing.
Posted by: Jason Goray at July 29, 2004 09:50 AMSpeaking of polarization, of course the very topic of abortion is polarization defined, but look at the language of these women - insisting that abortion be viewed only as a women's health issue, and claiming that being pro-life is anti-women's health. I'm not expecting people to hug and give each other flowers over this issue, but when one side hijacks the argument in this manner it's obvious that they have their fingers in their ears when it comes to other viewpoints.
And I've seen on an e-mail list I frequent exactly what this language does: it makes (pro-choice) women angry. At pro-lifers.
So both sides are angry: one at the other for rationalizing infanticide, and the other at the one for...um..."being anti-women's health."
Ohhhh...kay.
My point? What's the point of debate, is my point. As long as they're determined to hijack the discussion in this manner, they can't be reasoned with, because in order to discuss things with them you must first twist your way through these premises...and the whole time you're doing that, they're screaming at you that you're irrational and you hate them and you're not listening to them. They're fucking crazy.
The time for debate with these people is over. They must simply be defeated.
Posted by: Brian Jones at July 29, 2004 11:16 AM