OnLine With Zoe

A Dream of Possibilities

There has been a lot of conversation about party platforms.  What would YOU like on the platform??  Here are some fine ideas --- and imagine if the ticket was a Black Congresswoman and her VP is a Latina who has been a Labor Organizer.  Now that would be a fantastic dream.   

A Platform on Women's Rights
Since the beginning of what we call civilization, when men's dominance over women was firmly established until the present day, our history has been marred with oppression of and brutality to women. We deplore this system of male domination, known as patriarchy, in all its forms, both subtle and overt - from oppression, inequality, and discrimination to domestic violence, rape, trafficking and forced slavery. The change the world is crying for cannot occur unless women's voices are heard. Democracy cannot work without equality for women that provides equal participation and representation. It took an extraordinary and ongoing fight over 72 years for Women to win the right to vote. However, the Equal Rights Amendment has still not been ratified.

We also support, and call on others to support, the many existing and ongoing efforts for women:

a. We support the equal application of the Constitution to all citizens, and therefore call for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). We urge accelerated ratification by three or more of the remaining 15 states.

b. We call for equal representation of women in Congress instead of the current 16%.

c. We call for U.S. passage of CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, which was adopted in 1979 by the U.N. General Assembly and ratified by 173 countries. The U.S. is one of the very few countries, and the only industrialized nation, that have not ratified it.

d. The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission should actively investigate and prosecute sexual harassment complaints.

e. We support the inclusion of an equal number of women and men in peace talks and negotiations, not only because these efforts directly affect their lives and those of their husbands, children and families, but also because when women are involved, the negotiations are more successful.

Reproductive Rights
f. Women's rights must be protected and expanded to guarantee each woman's right as a full participant in society, free from sexual harassment, job discrimination or interference in the intensely personal choice about whether to have a child.

g. Women's right to control their bodies is non-negotiable.
h. We endorse women's right to use contraception and, when they choose, to have an abortion. This right cannot be limited to women's age or marital status.

i. We encourage women and men to prevent unwanted pregnancies. It is the inalienable right and duty of every woman to learn about her body and to be aware of the phases of her menstrual cycle, and it is the duty for every man to be aware of the functions and health of his and his partner's bodies.

Economic Equality
j. Since, nationally, women still earn only 70% of men's wages for equal jobs, We call for the introduction and passage of federal and state laws to achieve pay equity, and funding for the enforcement of such laws.

Violence and Oppression
k. Language is often used as a weapon by those with power, and women have traditionally borne the brunt of inflicted injuries. Freedom of speech is vital to democracy. However, we believe that this freedom should not be used to perpetuate oppression and abuse.

l. Rape, domestic violence and other violence to women are increasing nationwide. We must address the root cause of all violence even as we specifically address violence to women. We cannot allow this to continue and call for increased funding for programs to address it.

o. We have zero tolerance for the illegal international trafficking in humans

You should know that this is not a dream at all - Check out these magnificent women who are offering to serve the US.  And did you LOVE the platform - that is real too!  I know most of my readers are going to vote for the Democratic ticket - but I do hope all of us know about this historical ticket and just platform.  Imagine an all women-of-color ticket!   It is not TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE - it is true.  Its the Green Party.      

Who Really had a Pact?

This morning Mayor Carolyn Kirk, of Gloucester, MA, held a press conference (see below).  It was the basic, "It's not our fault," speech.  Teachers say it is the parents.  Parents say it is the teachers.  I can't imagine the brewing contempt these seventeen students must feel for all of these authorities to jam the channels of responsibility. 

The most extraordinary thing is the search to be certain it is or is not a pact.  Why is this the primary issue?  What on earth does the pact have to do with it?  And people keep talking about how did this happen.  Seriously?  I know how it happens.  They know how it happens.  I wish they all would read Self-Reliance by R.W. Emerson and have a conversation. 

You can watch the interview below.  You may not even be able to count how many times she called these teen mothers, children.  You would think she is talking about premenstrual, pre-puberty humans who cannot cross the street without supervision.  Oh, let me assure you, they know how to cross the street. 

What is interesting to me is who are these 17 souls that insisted on incarnating  in Gloucester and being raised by young adults who are infantilized themselves?  Now they had the pact.  They came in together.  Their story is the one I want to know.

Zion Ranch Community

Shortly after the bombing of Baghdad I heard the author, Amy Tan, speak about her home burning to the ground.  She drew corollaries between the decimation of her belongings, her house, her historical markers and the looting of the main museum in Baghdad.    She explained that there was conscious culpability in allowing all of the precious artifacts in the Baghdad museum to be stolen, destroyed and irreparably scattered in all directions.  Such dissolution of continuity permanently dissolves the footing of the inhabitants represented in the collection, maintenance and artifacts themselves.   Maybe all we saw was some hoodlum running down the street with an ancient ceramic pot, but it was actually the thread of a culture unraveling.  It was intentional and served a very specific purpose; erasing a nation’s ethos forever.

As Donald Rumsfeld told the world, this would be swift, effective and complete.  He used the terrible phrase, “shock and  awe.” 

Shock and awe, technically known as rapid dominance, is a military doctrine based on the use of overwhelming power, dominant battlefield awareness, dominant maneuvers, and spectacular displays of force to paralyze an adversary's perception of the battlefield and destroy its will to fight. (WIKI)

What is it that we believe, and behave as if, destruction can build?  Heal?  Solve?  It seems insane at its core.  But no matter the obvious insanity when examined, we continue to pollute, smash, break, disassemble, as if it results in claiming ownership.  And lets not forget to consider if the original booty is so defiled, no one wants it, including the marauders. 

It may seem like a leap but bear with me for a moment when I propose that this paradigm applies to a home, a neighborhood, a museum, a country AND a family.  The Texas DA simply dispatched authorities to go in and disassemble the FLDS family.  This had no resemblance to protection, healing, informing, saving or rescuing.  If the people who grew up in the FLDS community were ever afraid of the outside world, this confirmed all of their suspicions ~ that the public rips mothers from children, has no respect for community ethos and, in some insane drive for rapid dominance, dissolves everything in their path.

It would have been so much better, effective, long-lasting to be the absolute opposite ~ to come in with kindness, inquiry, inclusion, education, openness.  To be attractive not repulsive.  To enter with books and information and movies and patience and, through these unexpected gifts and services, build a wider world vision, not destroy the community the FLDS members love beyond common understanding but present the possibility of expansion beyond Zion Ranch walls.    

Jessop did what many faith leaders do, they fall in love with their own reflection in the eyes of their followers.  He was removed.  His community had lost their anchor.  It was the best time, the correct time to offer a wider world view; to be examined and adopted at a pace that did not cause greater harm but safety; did not destroy but build bridges to the people on the other side of the fence; did not shame but showed that many people have faith in many ways and many of which lead to love and loving families. 

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My Candidate ~ My Classroom

Do you have a quotation that serves your life, your entire life, like a sextant as you cross the sea?  And can you narrow it to one?  Oddly, I do.  Or not so oddly, if you know me well.  “We are all beings in a school for gods in which we learn in slow motion the consequences of thought,”  from Joy's Way by Dr. Brugh Joy.  Not only is this the North star on my world map but it reminds me that life is a classroom. 

The current presidential election has thrown me into a graduate course that is unexpected, extremely personal, truly difficult and really fascinates me.  What are the central lessons?  How can they be viewed, managed, and discussed while not taking a cheap shot, drawing a shallow conclusion or discarding them as too divisive?  My email inbox is filled with letters and articles that do just that and I want something more.

I know myself fairly well and fundamentally I am interested in American social justice; being a woman, feminism is the natural fit.  I am a student of Liberation Theology, so American social justice based on race has always been an obvious parallel.  All of which is true for the poor, immigrants seeking safety, mentally challenged, the imprisoned… all too many categories.  In fact, for me, that is the current US political lesson.  How can the marginalized stop competing, as if contestants in a pity pageant replete with winners and losers.  What is the trump card? Is my trump invalid for you?  Is your trump invalid for me? 

Two hundred kids eating gruel at the orphanage table, “I am hungrier.”  “I have been here longer.”  “I am older.”  “I am frail.”  “I am sick.”  They squabble amongst themselves.  Fights breakout in the dining hall and the end result is the headmaster,to end the chaos and punish, sends them all to bed.  Do I lobby for the girls?  Do I look for the ones most hungry?  Do I step in and try to line them up by some imaginary criteria based on a presumed understanding of how they got there?  This one was brought by car, this one by ship, this one crawled through extreme danger, this one escaped gunfire, this one had sex with one of the teachers, this one is blind, this one is insane.  None of those are decent ideas.  None of them.  The entire point of social justice was to get rid of the intoxicating power of the headmaster.  Mind you I did not say get rid of the headmaster, just the imbalance of power.  To be a true liberator you can't oppress one group to free another; nor oppress the headmaster. 

Until this election unfolded, I have been so hopeful about a woman commanding the Whitehouse, a democrat and am particularly glad it is Senator Hillary Clinton.  It was in keeping with my values concerning presidential electoral politics.  (I would prefer a pacifist but that is not an option in this venue)  Of course any liberal who reads the news knows the terrible contest raging between gender and race.  Someone is trying to line up those orphans.

So here is what I have come to learn.  Barack Obama cannot speak for every Black man.  Hillary Clinton cannot speak for every woman.  But, moreover, neither of them is speaking to end privilege, to liberate the poor, to liberate the human race, to liberate men and women.  Senator Obama may have given the great Black speech of the Century, but I require more ~ I want a great Liberator Speech.

I need someone to talk about the Supreme Court and the moral fabric of our country.  I need someone to talk about the colors of all people, all economic circumstances, all orientations, all religions, all of the oppressed.  Come out of your gender corner, come out of your race corner and speak to all marginalized Americans.   A few weeks ago I wrote that, in regards to Obama and Clinton, I wanted them both; now I am wondering if both of them is enough.  Today's lesson is that my dream candidate is someone who wants to get rid of the intoxicating power of the headmaster, not just defend and advance their personal marginalized group. 

Conflict and War

Guest Blogger, my loved, Buddhist friend, Diane Lee ~

Today is the fifth anniversary the US invasion of Iraq. While some would say this war is just, others deem it unjustified and based on lies. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a society that was brutally invaded and held under the grip of a huge super power struggles to for the survival of their culture. A culture with a rich spiritual tradition, steeped in the steadfast belief in non-violence and compassion. For almost sixty years the world powers have not interceded in this situation. The US continues to borrow money from this brutal opportunistic invader, China. The world will watch as the Olympic Games are hosted by China. And yet, this super power continues to blame a simple monk who hasn’t been home in almost fifty years, for Tibetan resistance. The people of Tibet have rights to preserve their traditions, culture and language that China continues to deny. If the violence continues the Dalai Lama has stated he will give up his seat as the political head of Tibet. This doesn’t sound like a man inspiring violent protests to me. It could be that viewed that the next generation of Tibetans seems to be losing their patience with non-violent ways. Or it could be true that China is staging the violence to justify their continued dominance over this precious jewel.

The world is still watching and doing nothing to help Tibet, while we continue to pour money into a Middle Eastern country that has a commodity that everyone wants (oil). I am struck by contrast of these two conflicts, and the world’s response to them. I still strive to make aspirations for the end to suffering for all beings, even the ones who I disagree with, including the ones who would harm me. Today, I am reminded of a story about His Holiness the Dalai Lama. At the end of a talk he gave, someone asked him, “Why didn’t you fight back against the Chinese”? The Dalai Lama looked down, swung his feet just a bit, and then looked back up with a gentle smile and responded, “Well, war is obsolete you know.” After a few moments, he face turned grave, as he said “Of course, the mind can rationalize fighting back…but the heart, the heart would never understand. Then you would be divided in yourself, the heart and the mind, and the war would be inside of you.”

Doing My Missionary Work

How could it be that I am still living in Orange County?  I am blue (not sad-blue) in the reddest part of California.  I live in the dreaded 46th.  Come on, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher is right of Bush.  That is crazy.  When I rented my house, I asked the landlord if he rented to Democrats and he said, "only one at a time,"  controlling the migration pattern.  One friend of mine says I am here doing missionary work though I do not wear a white shirt and ride a bike through the neighborhood.

Election years I take great delight in driving around with my political bumper stickers; Kucinich, Kerry/Edwards, Clinton/Gore ~ now its Hillary.  I used to worry about someone messing with my car but that only happened a few years ago when I had a Lakers flag on the rear window and someone wrote something very nasty on my car.  One time a man sped up in his BMW and I thought for sure I was gonna get the finger for my Kucinich sticker.  Instead the driver gave me a thumbs up!  I was shocked.

Yesterday I was knee-deep in a pretty bad day.  I couldn't find a movie to see so I set out to the two closest shopping centers; Fashion Island and South Coast Plaza.  With my Hillary 2008 rhinestone pin on my Eileen Fisher vest, I took off for an adventure shopping.   Who knew what would happen if there was no car with a bumper sticker, just me and a campaign pin. 

I started at Bloomingdales; cosmetics, purses, plus sizes and without exception, each clerk ~ seriously EACH AND EVERY sales women told me, "I love your pin, she is going to win, you know!"    Wow, that was a surprise.  I took off for Nordy's to spend my Christmas gift cards.  The three sales women there all lined up at the counter and started taking about Hillary and how much they love her.  They voted for her.  They know she is going to win.  Last stop, Macys. 

The woman who helped me told me how much she loves Oprah.  She never missed a show (oh oh, is the Obama talk about to happen?)  As I was arranging my purchase, she called over the other two women working the department.  "Look how gorgeous the woman's pin is," she said and they proceeded to carry on and on about how much they love Hillary.  I just got overwhelmed and welled up.  The working women, its the working women who know, who want Hillary in the White House. 

It was a great day in the OC.  My missionary work may not be so solitary after all. 

Will WE March Together Again?

From my point of view, this last week has been an unraveling of feminist fabric in America.  The new F-Word is faction.  I have not felt this alone in the movement since June, 1982 when the ERA deadline passed and banded women disbanded to never coalesce in that form again. 
Much like my unusual high school experience of traveling within many cliques, I am in touch with many women in the movement who work in different avenues.  My Outlook inbox has been flooded this week with the most disturbing asks, messages, hoaxes, essays, photos, lists.  Late last Thursday, I wrote to several women and told them that I cannot deal with this presidential primary along color lines, to take my name off their distribution lists until the primary is over and realize that we are all blue (dems – which in each case was true)

Since I began studying the lives of Coretta Scott King, Betty Shabazz, Winnie Mandela and reading bell hooks, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou and watching Oprah, I felt fairly confident that we were making some progress about racism in the Women’s Movement.  And yet this week, I have never seen such racial lines drawn.  And what is this incredible sexism about Hillary Rodham being just more of the Clinton years?  Can a woman stand on her own education, qualifications and experience?  Or is this 1950 – when people are imposing a husband’s legacy on his wife – like the plumber’s wife, fireman’s wife or professor’s wife?  What do people want from her?  If she divorced her husband – if she kept her name – if she had no children…  I thought all that crap went out with June Cleaver. 

How have I been fooled to believe that sexism is something hidden, something that will be gutted through the courts and Congress, something so integrated in our lives that is barely shows, something practiced by antiquated employers who are being exposed in slow motion?  And have I been fooled into thinking that one crude man says, “nappy-headed hoes’” and righteous people stand to be counted?  And have I been fooled to believe that if a woman goes to college, works in hedge funds, manages a self-reliant life; she will be respected?  When, all the while, polite society bickers about the level of insult (if at all) occurs when a member of the media says that a 27 year old woman campaigning for her mother is a whore – “pimped by her mother.”  Senator Obama, you have two daughters ~ would you please speak up on this!!!  I am truly sickened by it.  I am losing my footing as the reasonable, ethical road narrows.   

Lets sum up here ~ feminists have been working to put a woman the White House and to remove racism from our lives.  No one could have foreseen that a woman would be running against an African American man in the Democratic Party.  But what I find unfathomable is that this historic combination is bringing out the worst of the very people who worked so hard to make it happen.  I only hope that when the Primary is over, we can get on with the holy work of social justice – and that we can do it together.   

I Inhaled

As many of my readers know ~ I inhaled back in the 60's.  I danced to Hullabaloo and sat right up close to see Laugh-In every week- VERRRY INTERESTING!  I went to Mardi Gras and rode a Honda Scrambler and wore a yellow mini-dress when I got married.  I wanted Women and Blacks and all minorities to have full equality.  I was sure it was going to happen, as Gandhi said, fall like a ripe apple from a tree.

Ok, 40 years is a long wait.  I suppose.  But you know ~ I'll take it.  Tonight, as I watched the Dems debate, I felt young, maybe even stoned, because a Black or a woman will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.  You can bet your bippy.

And lets go for the full technicolor stereophonic dream ~ that ~ all in one swell-foop, both these gifted leaders will be in charge.  And that's the truth!

I want them both and more

I think there in something intrinsically wrong with this single focused identification of the commander in chief only  – when there are many, many talented people who are called to lead.  Instead of elevating Hillary and struggling to hold down others, I have been using this current unfolding as an opportunity to really examine the process.  How ridiculous that we choose a single winner and discard the others as if they are losers.  It is not something we would tolerate in a first grade classroom or choosing the dodge ball team.

In my heart, I am voting for the team of Clinton/Obama.  I believe that after 8 years as VP – Obama would be positively the potential realized that will transform the world.  But the thing I am most certain of today is that to have a Black person and a female person BOTH brought to office is the one integral, informed and wise choice.  I cannot think of either / or ~ not if I actually value diversity. 

I was listening to Dolores Huerta on the radio today – and she said that Clinton represents Latinos better.  That is fucked up – a Latino represents Latinos better!  I read a letter from Toni Morrison endorsing Obama.  I am not going to choose.  I will not be making any appointment with King Solomon.  I want a Cabinet that includes John Edward's heart as Secretary of Labor and Dennis Kucinich's soul as the founding Secretary of Peace.  I want that Cabinet to represent the colors, religions, genders of the electorate. 

This process is flawed when we are asked to admire one and disparage the other when all are spectacular people who collectively represent the best of us.  I like all of the Democrats that stood on that stage for the debates last Fall.  I like all the Kennedys.  It is not ok to eviscerate one, elevate the other and then, after the primary is over, to say, "Oh never mind."  If we are going to talk about inclusion, talk about opposing divisiveness, endorse diversity ~ lets start today. 

Where were you born?

A week ago I attended a NOW event, the Women of Color and Allies Summit.  It was interesting though I was mostly focused on membership and facilitating a World Café Conversation.  The next day at lunch, a woman told me she had learned something interesting at the WOCA Summit ~ that asking someone where they are from ~ is racist.  Surviving my torrent of questions, she went on to explain that the question comes from a place of privilege.  No matter how I asked, she was unrelenting.

It has been a week and I am still turning it over in my head.  I have no idea who told her that idea, but I believe it is representative of the very root of racism ~ making curiosity, questions, difference, inquiry ~ taboo or even insulting.  How will I ever bridge the separation if I cannot ask how we are both different and alike?  How will we all get along if we cannot say – Wow, that is new to me, that is different than me, tell me all about it. 

We are all Harijan, as Gandhi named the “untouchables,” we are all children of god.  Laura Nyro said that she was a child of the universe.  I want to say – yes you have an accent, you look different and would you tell me about it.  The second note, in that symphony of humanity, is for the question to be returned and then I get to say where I am from.  I believe it is only racist if there is an implication that I may ask and you may not.  My particular etiquette believes that if I ask, I am simultaneously offering and expecting to be asked and to answer.  Is it not the conversation that we might have in common?  Is it not the curiosity we might have in common.  To me, it seems arrogant to say asking is rude. 

In the World Café I posed this set of questions to begin a positive conversation ~
CAN I BE YOUR SISTER?
     I am a different color than you.
     I am a different religion than you.
     I am not your age or your size.
     I was born in a different country.
     My orientation and gender identity is different than yours.
     Can I be your sister – your family?
     Can we put it all aside and be sisters?

I believe we cannot just put it aside.  We have to ask and our question has to be received.  Years ago, at a family style restaurant, a mother and son sat across from me, the boy asked his mother, while pointing at me, “Why does she have such a big head?”  The mother was so upset, instantly teaching her son that innocent inquiry is wrong. 

I disagree and I want to know all about you.
     Why do you wear a headscarf?
     What holidays do you celebrate?
     Why do you go to prayers on Saturday?
     Do you believe in god?
     Why are you in a wheelchair?
     When do you believe life begins?
     Hey, where were you born?

If the conversation partner feels they can ask right back – the real listening begins.  Racism and elitism asks while making it crystal clear – don’t ask back – I am too privileged to be asked.  Asking from true inquiry as an invitation to meet, as Buber speaks of, is an innocent and kind beginning.