The Issue of the Week? Check Facebook.

Last night in a Sexperts meeting, the Planned Parenthood representative mentioned how influential the social media is on current events and politics. She said after a week of people posting on Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler etc. about Susan Komen pulling funding from Planned Parenthood, action was taken to calm people down. Not only were people discussing the funding, they were sending hate mail to the foundation as well as private donations to Planned Parenthood. The response the issue got was tremendous; and it was due, most likely, to how easy it is to tell people the latest issue through our media.

With this in mind, I find it interesting what is currently coming up on my news feed, "The War on Women" some are calling it. What it really is are the many different current events surrounding abortion, health coverage, and birth control. There has been a lot of press over The Catholic Church vs. covering women's prescriptions for contraceptives. However, it is more than simply one group of people (the Catholics) versus women. Recently Sandra Fluke, a law student from Georgetown, gave a very good perspective on the debate (Link: http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/sandra-fluke-georgetown-students-spend-3000-per-year-on-contraception/). She explained that when the majority of the campus is against not covering contraception, and when people such as her lesbian friend need it for important medical reasons, it is wrong to not allow the students to get the healthcare they need. She explains that it shouldn't be a matter of, 'What did you expect from a Catholic School?' because what she expects is being treated fairly and being respected for pursuing a good education. She was not vulgar in her speech, she was very polite and respectful, and she gave very good examples of women needing to speak out to be treated fairly.

What was the response? I know that Rush Limbaugh does not stand for all conservatives and their beliefs (thank goodness) but he responded by calling Fluke a slut, prostitute, and told all women who expected the taxpayers to 'pay them to have sex' to videotape themselves doing it to 'give back' to society.

I first read about each of these occurrences on current event blogs and news sites, but I find it very interesting that they have all now appeared on friends' facebooks. The new medium gives people a way to speak their beliefs, give opinions, and show their friends exactly what they think they need to know. (How many times have we seen 'sign this petition' posts?) I think this new technology offers us a very unique way to express ourselves and get important messages known. However, I don't think it should stop at simply clicking 'share'. Being well-versed in such important issues as preventative health care, as well as current legislation trying to decrease it is very important to be an informed citizen.

Do you think the social media aspect is overall beneficial to current events?