Carissa Wyant

Carissa Wyant is a former MintPress columnist specializing in faith, race and social justice issues. She has been published in the Huffington Post, Patch.com, American City Business Journals and various local publications around the American Midwest.

Women Ignorant About Reproduction: Study

The research found women share a host of common misconceptions about ovulation, conception and other factors that impact their fertility.

Carissa Wyant
By Carissa Wyant
baby and mother

A new study from Yale University indicates that women in the U.S. are in the dark about their own reproductive health. "It was surprising to me that between 40 and 60 percent of [respondents] had complete misconceptions about basic concepts relating to their own biology," study researcher Dr. Lubna Pal, an associate professor of obstetrics,

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Fight To Fly: Women Aviators Soar In WWII, Overcome Discrimination

“I wanted to fly up there with the birds. I just felt like I needed to be up there.”

Carissa Wyant
By Carissa Wyant
These four female pilots leaving their ship at the four engine school at Lockbourne are members of a group of WASPS who have been trained to ferry the B-17 Flying Fortresses. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Before 18-year-old Alyce Stevens Rohrer had learned to drive, she knew how to fly. This made her perfect to serve in the Women Airforce Service Pilots during the World War II era. Better known as WASP, this paramilitary aviation organization was formed to free male pilots for combat roles, thus employing qualified female pilots to ferry aircraft

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VA Failing To Serve Women Veterans

As women are increasingly playing a more significant role in the military, the VA needs to adequately provide treatment and care for female veterans.

Carissa Wyant
By Carissa Wyant

“The U.S. military is not prepared to care for women warriors returning from combat,” a female veteran shared with me during one of my classes. This bright 26-year-old young woman served in Afghanistan and is now pursuing her bachelor’s degree hoping to eventually study law. She has been having some issues stemming from her time in the military

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US Facing Crucible Of Rising Income Inequality

Yellen is not the first, but is one among a growing chorus who believe that income inequality is a growing detriment to the future of humanity.

Carissa Wyant
By Carissa Wyant
042413_UnevenRecoveryOccupy_4x3

Last week, Janet Yellen, the nominee to replace Ben Bernanke as chair of the Federal Reserve, highlighted the rising trend of income inequality and the threat it poses to the economy during her Senate confirmation hearing. “This is a very serious problem, it’s not a new problem, it’s a problem that really goes back to the 1980s, in which we have

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Drinking Is Devastating Women At Alarming Rates

Well-educated White women have some of the highest rates of alcoholism. What’s going on?

Carissa Wyant
By Carissa Wyant

In her recent book ”Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol,” award-winning writer Ann Dowsett Johnson tells of her struggle with alcoholism: “I became an award-winning magazine writer, got married and had a son. I created my own opportunities. My husband and I separated when our son was 5, but we continued to share all

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Personhood For Dogs? Rethinking Animal Rights

We live in a world that neglects the most fundamental rights — and sometimes even basic decency — to animals.

Carissa Wyant
By Carissa Wyant

Cecilia, my family's St. Bernard, passed away last week. She was a sweet, kind and gentle animal, and had been with us since she was a puppy. She suddenly became very ill and was taken to the one and only veterinarian’s office in the small Minnesota city where my family lives. After a few tests she was sent home, as the vet wasn’t sure what the

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Muslim, Jewish Religious Leaders Offer Hope for Peace

In spite of the deeply entrenched Israel-Palestine conflict, religious leaders from both sides are working to bridge the divide.

Carissa Wyant
By Carissa Wyant
the Israeli West Bank wall

“The very word ‘peace’ has become negatively charged for many people,” observed Rabbi Amy Eilberg at a recent public lecture at Hamline University that brought together a rabbi and a qadi -- an Islamic judge -- from Israel to highlight peacemaking efforts on the part of religious leaders in Israel. I brought a group of students in one of my world

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