Update [2008-10-6 12:12:48 by betson08]: I had originally thought that we could do a snarky fundraiser in Sarah Palin's name for a furnace for the Pretty Bird Woman House. However, I then thought that it might be nice to honor Joe Biden's family instead, since he was the author of the Violence Against Women Act. So many Kossacks liked the second option better that I have changed this officially to an honor the Biden family fundraiser.....
Yesterday, Clammyc's diary If not for Biden, she (and many other women) may be dead, about the Violence Against Women Act, and a wrenching case of domestic violence from the 1970s, (oh Rescue Rangers...) gave me an idea.
Lets buy the women's shelter Pretty Bird Woman House a new furnace in honor of the Biden family's recent loss.
Many people here have been enraged by Sarah Palin's policy to have Alaskan women to buy their own rape kits, her opposition to abortion even in case of rape or incest, and John McCain's pathetic record on women's issues
Our ticket could not be more different by contrast. As clammyc noted yesterday, Joe Biden was the author of the Violence Against Women Act, which provides funding for shelters like (and including) Pretty Bird Woman House. But you might not also know that Barack Obama has promised to make Native American issues a priority, even having a White House-level advisor.
Since Joe Biden lost his mother-in-law this weekend, lets honor his family and thank him for his authorship of the Violence Against Women Act by buying a furnace for a women's shelter in his name.
Why Pretty Bird Woman House? As many of you know, last year this community was almost single-handedly (we had Street Prophets and LiveJournal help) responsible for buying a new house for the shelter, which is located on the South Dakota side of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. It was a pretty amazing effort.
We took action after being enraged by an Amnesty International report that documented appalling rates of sexual violence against American Indian and Native Alaskan women and highlighted the plight of the shelter. Kossacks later contributed money and items as housewarming gifts, as well as money for a new coat of paint for the house, which a church group put on this summer.
The only big ticket item the shelter still needs is a new furnace, which will run about $5,000 (we've already got $440 of that), and this is only because the shelter's board didn't notice that the furnace was in poor condition when it purchased the house. Since winters in South Dakota can get to 20 below, pretty soon they're going to really notice how poorly the furnace is working.
So, what do you say? Can you ChipIn something in the Biden family's name? Even $5 is great, since we have so many people in this community. I'll have the shelter send an acknowledgement to Senator Biden when it's all over.
I'm also hoping Keith or Rachel will pick up on this too....
And any one else who wants to continue the chain of diaries on this, or who has ideas on how to publicize this effort in Sarah's name, let me know...
Let me know what you think.
NOTE: The poll still reflects the content of the original diary. I've now decided that we'll honor the Biden family.