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.      

An Iconic Event

There is a very interesting post on Feministing.com asking readers to vote on feminist icons.  And they ask the question, do we even want icons?   Do they serve a purpose in this vast ocean of information we swim through every day?  I sat and really thought about whose picture on the cover of a magazine would instantly relay to me that this is a feminist and a champion of feminism.  From Magdalene to Ginsberg, from Sappho to diFranco, from Gentileschi to Kahlo, Cleopatra to Maloney - I have hundreds in mind whose lives advanced gender equality whether they meant to or not. 

But today I think it is not icons we need but an iconic event.  We need to shift the expectation of inequality; the natural acceptance of less pay, less respect, injustice, poor education, diminishing reproductive freedom, sexism in all its forms.  We need to admit that it is both an impossibility and unreasonable request to put this all on a single human being or even a group of people.  Yes, it can begin with a small group of people but now we are tilting at a tipping point.   

Feminism has reached as far as it can on the shoulders of individuals and now we must, as a collective consciousness, call for all genders, in all its variations of expression, to offer our services to Mother Earth and manifest equality.  Our minds must hold full pictures of the world as we want it to be.  As we travel, work and simply live ~ we must posit equality in each step, each action, each intention. 

You may recall that Gandhi believed that the will of millions of Indians could not be permanently neutralized by 100,000 British soldiers.  His teachings are that when enough injustices had been made visible, imperialism would lose its strangle hold.  As the British oppression became increasing intolerable, Indians' belief shifted, they reclaimed their autonomy in their minds and, ultimately, the British walked out of India.

So let us all agree today ~ enough is enough.  I am going create a world of equality through my will, my mind, my intention.  Breeches will be instantly recognizable because they clash with my direct belief.  Lets start each day expecting justice, holding the intention by saying, "I am grateful that today there will be more justice in the world."      

This Man is Not in the NOW or the Know

If I recall, presidents are expected to know the price of a gallon of milk or gasoline.  They are voting on bills that influence the market.  For me health and reproductive justice are on the list as well.  Senator McCain can't even hold a conversation about bills he has voted on in regards to this subject.  The news shows are calling it an, "akward moment."  Akward?  Really?  Why invest in diminising the fact that McCain has no idea what is happening in 2008 for women or men ~ though he votes on bills that will shape the future.  (except Fair Pay, of course, he did not show up that day) 

And why is it being touted as a question about Viagra?  It is about birth control, reporductive justice, women's self-determination and priorities.  Earlier this week while stumping for McCain, Carly Fiorina said that women should be able to obtain birth control through their insurance.  He voted no.  Let's pull up a chair and see if McCain is teachable or if he takes a blue pill and lets Carly have it. 

Now ~ I am Distressed.

That horrible word ABORTION is in the news.  NO one is PRO-ABORTION.  I have had two and I am not PRO-abortion.  Both were extraordinarily difficult and rocked my soul.  But going through the process made me even more certain that each woman needs to have all options obtainable, must be able to consult with people of her own choosing and deserves compassion before, during and after her decision.

After 35 years of legal abortions and experiencing some of the years before, I really have come to accept that minds are made up.  Most people have really formed their opinion, that opinion has taken on meaning beyond their own lives and, somehow, adherence to that opinion demonstrates their morality.  Almost no one is actually arguing about the woman, the pregnancy, the circumstances.  They are arguing about their right to hold a moral decision that they hold as correct for all humanity.

The point being that in 1972, the US Supreme Court ruled that each woman has the right to choose how to exercise her conscience.  Some people are offended.  Some people take it for granted.  All people have opinions about it.  But lets state the one thing that is always true, an unwanted pregnancy is a terrible circumstance.  It can be a danger to one’s health; mental or physical. 

So what happened this last weekend that Barack Obama, Constitutional Law Professor, said publicly that he was in favor of permitting late term abortions only when the health of the mother was threatened, BUT THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH.

Here is the quote - I have repeatedly said that I think it’s entirely appropriate for states to restrict or even prohibit late-term abortions as long as there is a strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother. Now, I don’t think that “mental distress” qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term. Otherwise, as long as there is such a medical exception in place, I think we can prohibit late-term abortions.

What does this mean?   Lets just put the abortion issue entirely off the table – it leaves me with a terrible conclusion, that MENTAL DISTRESS is not equal to physical.  Mental distress can not carry “real significant problems to the mother.” 

I just don’t know what to say – this really distresses me.

Binary is not Diversity

Last night I went to a meeting of smart, advanced, involved women.  The talk was Hillary.  All the talk was Hillary.  I love Hillary.  I wanted Hillary.  Hillary for President was my PLAN A.  I am still praying for Plan A.

The opposite of Plan A is not defeat.  The opposite of Plan A is not even a good question.  Opposite is 180 degrees and, if I can’t have Plan A, I will only concede ONE DEGREE – I want one degree less than Plan A.  My Plan B is one degree from Plan A.

My Plan B is for all 18 million who voted for Hillary and all the feminists who voted for Barack to join forces and insist that the new Democratic leadership~

1) Commit to gender and racial parity in all three branches of government.  That includes every contract, every appointment, every hire.  That includes the Cabinet, the Courts, all government agencies and contracts.  That includes all of the staff, interns, pages, people in service positions from the kitchen to the garden.  And how about insisting that the press corp also reflects diversity. 

2) In addition to gender and racial parity reflecting the population, every person in this changing of the guard is paid equally for each position. 

3) They support reproductive freedom including, but not limited to, choice.  That means the choice to end a pregnancy and the choice to prevent a pregnancy which does not present abstinence as a reliable vehicle for pregnancy prevention. 

My Plan B would change the landscape on all levels.  It would make seeing women and men of all colors common place in federal government.  Maybe then Rep. Pelosi won’t be asked if she has ever experienced sexism.  Isn’t there a word for the question that contains the answer?  Oh yeah, the person asking the question is an ASS.  Okay, a SEXIST ASS.   

If I can't have Plan A and Senator Obama commits to my PLAN B, I will consider that he is not sexist and consider taking his call.

Count me in. Count on me.

I know some women who love Hillary are talking about voting for McCain.  Some women I LOVE, who love Hillary, are talking about voting for McCain.  I just don't believe it.  All of us want the Democrats to control the Legislative Branch and influence the Judicial Branch.  All of us want reproductive autonomy, equal wages, the ERA and representation in our governing bodies across the nation.      

I believe with all my heart that progressive women and men will guard the advances we have made by swiftly and easily defeating John McCain.  In the mean time, I am thrilled to read, hear and feel feminists uniting, as I remember in 1982.  I agree; I want every vote counted.  Count me in.  Count on me.  It will be a landslide for progress.

Maybe this is not new, but it is all in one place and really easy to watch.  Please give it a click and know the facts; Senator John McCain has a ZERO PERCENT voting record with the issues that Planned Parenthood supports.  And please send this link forward.

Your Love is Showing

I sat here this AM, as I would guess many of you did, watching Senator Clinton give the speech that filled our hearts with love for the Women's Movement, our legacy, her work and OUR bright future as American Women.  Here are a couple of my favorite lines:

• “You can be so proud that from now on it will be …, unremarkable to think that a woman can be president of the United states and that is truly remarkable.”
• "If we can blast 50 women into space, we put a woman in the White House."
  "The glass ceiling got about 18 million cracks in it."   
• "Every moment looking back keeps us from moving forward"

To all of my older sisters, you paved this road.  Your unflappable requirement that humanity recognize gender equality made this moment happen.  To all of my younger sisters, you were at the reading of the will and now the legacy is yours; handle it with care, strength and the desire to make it spread to a point of being natural.  I am so proud today to be an American woman.

Then, in my email inbox, from a friend this arrived ~ Your Whiteness is Showing; Open Letter to White Women Threatening to Not Support Obama.  by Tim Wise.  Here is the opening,

This is an open letter to those white women who, despite their proclamations of progressivism, and supposedly because of their commitment to feminism, are threatening to withhold support from Barack Obama in November. You know who you are.

First, for those of you threatening to actually vote for John McCain and to oppose Senator Obama, or to stay home in November and thereby increase the likelihood of McCain winning and Obama losing (despite the fact that the latter's policy platform is virtually identical to Clinton's while the former's clearly is not), all the while claiming to be standing up for women...
MORE....

My response

I am white.  I am fat.  I am almost 60.  I am a Democrat.  I am a Feminist.
None of these words are a negative.
My whiteness, my fat, my age, my party, my feminism is showing.
As well as my conscience.

To say my whiteness is showing, as if whiteness is a pejorative is not right.  I am not ashamed of my race.  It is simply a fact  -  like my height or shoe size.  It is behavior which is subject to scrutiny and, even then, labels serve no purpose but to dramatize and routinize difference with no bridges. 

I love color.  I love aging.  I love. 
That is all that matters.
I hope one day, people will say, “Your love is showing.”   

They are Women, not Angels, and They are Us.

Right now Iron Jawed Angels is on TV.  I am watching it again, though it makes my blood boil.  Patrick Dempsey hitting on Hillary Swank (music goes to I Won't Fear Anymore) glamorizes and trivializes women seeking citizenship, equality under the law and full representation.  To watch Doris Stevens, author of Jailed for Freedom putting on her lipstick to flirt and Lucy Burns sparring with Alice Paul over a hat doesn't seem right.  At the end, Alice Paul standing in front of the National Women's Party Building as if "everyone lived happily ever after," is too much.  To me it seems a bit more like Enchanted than the fight for the Nineteenth Amendment and gender equality. 

When I speak at college and university classes, I tend to rant about the movie.  I am met with disapproval.  They think I am carrying on for no reason; they tell me at least its a movie about women's rights with Angelica Houston, Hillary Swank and Patrick Dempsey on HBO.  But the intoxicating elixir of this movie and this movement is the false notion that equality is trite (I saw my brother pee in the snow), one hundred years old and Mission Accomplished. 

Proving my point that the movement is still on this year is that the Supreme Court upheld Goodyear v. Ledbetter, the Senate not passing the Fair Pay Act, the national apathy to the sexism all over the Democratic presidential race (hold on one second, Sweetie) and the outrageous awarding of an honorary degree in Humane Letters by Washington University on the leader of the anti-women, pro capital punishment, end marital rape laws; Mrs. Phyllis Schlafly herself.   

But one scene in the movie I can tell you knocks me out every time is watching Alice Paul listen to the whispers radiating from the desk of Susan B. Anthony.  Lucy Burns asks what does she hear?  "Just do it!" she says.  These women are not just characters in a movie.  We know these women.  They march next to us today.  They are working for our rights, our protection, our advancement today.  We are still running this movie.  We are the stars of this movie.  Lets not drink the kool aid that we have all the rights we need and just go shopping as President Bush advised.  President Wilson said that he believed that women should be patient and that, if allowed, they would not vote anyway.  We need to wake up!  that was 1918 and there is still a lot to do.

Toe-to-Toe ~ She's a Contender

In 1982 I was on a dais with several of the first ladies who were in Springfield, Illinois to support the ERA.  I was 34.  I was thrilled beyond beyond.  At that time I don't recall any conversation about women running for president and actually winning.  The women who ran then were breaking the barriers by piercing the atmosphere.  In the 1964 primaries Republican Margaret Chase Smith got over 83,000 votes and Democrat Shirley Chisholm got over 400,000 votes.  A few more women ran before 1982; Charlene Mitchell, Ellen McCormack and Barbara Jordan. 

Twenty six years later and a woman has won enough state primaries to get 300 electoral votes in November and be the next president of the United States.  Seems like that would be the finish line for a woman to be Commander in Chief.  How could it not be the natural outcome?  But who could have imagined her inter-party opponent would be the first man of color to get this close too?  And once again minorities are splintering, claiming victimhood victories, comparing wait times and boasting self-worthiness.  None of these activities even hint of unity, strength, compassion or defeating the opponent.  Sojourner Truth would not be the least bit surprised, "The rich rob the poor and the poor rob one another." 

One of the contenders has won enough big states to get the required 300 electoral votes in November and the other has more delegates as of May 15.  If it was two white guys, they would be "duking" it out all the way to the convention hall.  It might be an extension of our national passion for kumite.  Oddly (or is it predictably and I was just not paying attention?) the media and some high profile politicians are calling for the lady to bow out.  Maybe they don't want to see her kick some ass - maybe it offends their sensibilities - maybe they just can't see their projection of a woman in the fight with anyone, on any score, in any competition.  (We love you Billie Jean!) 

Every time you hear someone ask the woman to drop out - I hope you will consider the nature of the request.  It is an extension of wanting women to refrain from the sport, the competition, the ring.  Taking that request seriously is tantamount to never really standing toe-to-toe with the competitor.

(Hey - if you like my blog - please vote )

All Mothers Day

I really know nothing about being a mother.  I have lots of opinions of what is right and wrong about it which is my foolproof compass for being certain I know nothing about it.  But I am obsessing about the hatched tiny birds in the eaves under the front gutter.  Two couples are grazing the backyard (very tasty) and feeding their noisy newbies; all on view from my library window.  These couples escort Spring and announce tomato planting time every year, as they nest in my very trendy condos.

I know holding babies is more fun than expected and letting go (from the point of view of the escapee) is very painful.  Today thousands of people stood in line to order eggs Benedict with mimosas and florists are losing their profits on gas for their delivery trucks.  Its Mother’s Day and Hallmark, chocolatiers and jewelers will be sad to see it go.  This morning TCM played Mildred Pierce and tonight housewives will be desperate. 

The only mothering I really have any claim to is giving my all to the American Women’s Movement.  Admittedly it is a shared pregnancy and we don’t know yet when the birth will be complete ~ we do know it’s a girl!  Stanton knew all about mothering and Anthony had her insights about the demands of children.  Do you think they would have ever guessed that in 2008 we would still be preggers, maybe on oxygen; some days it feeling like we need life support? 

Today there are hundreds of thousands of women in America who get it; that until a woman in the leader of the country, Commander in Chief, the job will not be done.  They are making phone calls, walking districts, holding fundraisers, driving voters to the polls: Mothers, Everyone.  Chances are strong that their daughters may not really understand the urgency, the importance, the relevance in their lives.  If they have not yet come to feel the impact of the failure of the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in the Senate, had an unwanted pregnancy, been a single mother with a couple of kids; they may think all this ranting and raving by their moms seems, at best nostalgic and at worst artifice.  Chances are most are not disturbed that “The Cult of True Womanhood,” is alive and well, demonstrated  this week by Washington University awarding an Honorary Degree on Mrs. Phyllis Schlafly.   

The contractions of this birth of American Women as full citizens are exhausting and require hope.  I think Hillary Clinton gets it.  I am deeply worried that Barack Obama doesn’t.  He tells us about his grandmother, mother, wife and daughters but publically gives Hillary Clinton the finger.  That offends me.  He is not a vocal champion of equality for women.  I have never heard him speak about economic or reproductive justice for women.  Women of Color make 69 cents on the dollar compared to men.  They need fair pay, equal rights under the law, representation in government and the courts most.

Who are these people who are telling Senator Clinton to concede?  They do not understand the tenacity of mothers-to-be.  We see the possibilities and know that, even if this current contraction is not the last in breaking the marble ceiling, it will not end the pregnancy.  I do not want to scrape the Clinton 2008 sticker off my car because it is for all women : Women of Color and White.  Pay all women 100% and all families will benefit.   Now there’s a Mother’s Day present.