“There are lions in the jungle,” the boy said. He had cropped hair, protruding ears, and wry smile. He looked eight, nine maybe, and wore a yellow shirt and a pair of bright orange crocs.
“Leones?” I ask. Lions.
“Si, senor, leones. Hay muchos.” There are many, he says.
San Francisco Review of Books: Interview: Alexander Sanger says “firm determinati…: This is the final article of my discussion with Alexander Sanger. The first , second , and third pieces are available on-line. Story …
San Francisco Review of Books: Interview: Alexander Sanger explains how his grand…: This is the third of four articles spanning my discussion with Alexander Sanger. The first and second pieces are available on-line. …
San Francisco Review of Books: Opinion: Margaret Sanger — Humanitarian, Republic…: Margaret Sanger: Humanitarian, Republican, American Hero Commentary by Joseph Ford Cotto Few people seem to attract the level of derisi…
Interview: Alexander Sanger says “efforts to shut down Planned Parenthood” threaten “women’s health at large”, explains why:
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The Global Gag Rule is like a cartoon character, no sooner squashed by a falling boulder than it emerges from under the rock that fell on it and goes on its un-merry way, leaving destruction in its path. It was instituted by Ronald Reagan in 1984, overturned by Bill Clinton, reinstated by George W. Bush, overturned by Barack Obama and now has been reinstated by Donald Trump.
When I was in college in 1966, a dear friend who I had not seen in a year told me she was pregnant and needed an abortion. She was desperate-and broke. Abortion was illegal. I asked around and got the name of a physician in Washington, D.C., called him, made the arrangements and raised the money for my friend. The doctor turned out to be professional and everything went as smoothly as it could given the circumstances, but I decided that I would do everything I could to ensure no other woman went through what my friend endured. In a way, the experience awakened my social conscience.
I’m in a Planned Parenthood health center. Men are in the waiting room, as well as women and infants. Primary care, including dermatology, urology, and pediatric care, are offered to all comers. But that is not all. In one adjacent building, there is a cooking class and an adjacent café where the teen (and some adult) budding cooks sell their culinary creations to the public. In another building, teens are learning to cut and style hair; next door teens are measuring customers for made-to-order clothes; and in yet another space, teens are rehearsing a play about responsible decision making and warning against illegal abortion. Nearby are the classrooms of a primary school for the orphan children of the neighborhood. A steam bath in another building has a steady stream of customers from the community.
