Wonder Woman, fetal remains, Planned Parenthood, Kimbell exhibit

Wonder Woman

First, I read that the comics’ rare solo-lead action female, Wonder Woman, is debuting in a superhero film and is now a worldwide emblem of female empowerment for the U.N. (“The U.N. sees it: Why we need Wonder Woman’s help today,” Sara Pintilie column, Wednesday)

I read on to an examination of the state of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for girls and women in our real world today that speaks eloquently to the struggles of my six decades of life as a woman working in three male-dominated fields.

Women of my generation have always gone to the restroom and lunch to fume over discrimination and harassment, knowing our issues wouldn’t be taken seriously by male-dominated administrations.

We’ve always taken for granted this fight is ours and our gender’s alone. Complaints about discrimination, or even violation, are always subject to disbelief, or worse, further abuse.

But I see a shift in the climate I’ve always known, that women speaking out engenders more women, and men, speaking out. And so I am.

Bravo, Star-Telegram! Welcome, Sara Pintilie, and put up your Mary Poppins umbrella.

Fetal remains

The Texas Department of State Health Services is proposing rules requiring that fetal remains at any state of gestation be interred or cremated.

It is estimated that 15-20 percent of pregnancies (often in the first trimester) result in miscarriage. This can occur in the home, at work or at a physician’s office.

Requiring women, already grappling with the physical and emotional impact of such an outcome, to salvage the tissue and turn it over to the appropriate authorities for cremation or burial is a senseless, expensive and unfunded mandate.

Planned Parenthood

The Oct. 17 article about Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood (“Despite Abbott’s pledges, state has not blocked Planned Parenthood money”) is a clear demonstration of how important it is for Planned Parenthood to continue to provide healthcare services to those in Medicaid.

Texas should be providing more, not less, healthcare for low-income and under-served families seeking quality healthcare services that help them access birth control and life-saving health screenings including cervical cancer screenings and HIV tests.

I am glad to live in a community where there are four different Planned Parenthood health centers available to provide care to people who need it.

Kimbell exhibit

Kudos to the Kimbell Art Museum and its deputy director , George Shackelford, for the outstanding assembly and presentation of Monet — The Early Years, which opened Oct. 16.

The two-year effort of research, arrangements for loans of paintings from nine countries and more than 24 U.S. collectors, amassing 56 works of art, the essay and lecture contributions of eminent outside scholars, photography and text for an excellent book on the collection are all spectacular and memorable.

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Wonder Woman, fetal remains, Planned Parenthood, Kimbell exhibit."