Principles of NOW Brought to Light

Sent to
Lindsey Horvath
Melinda Tremaglio
Yvonne Golub
Shelly Mandell
And the NOW Grievance Committee

I hope this is the last time that I email to this particular grouping of women as we came together over a most unfortunate circumstance.  The NOW Grievance process may look egalitarian on paper, but in practice is has nothing to do with feminism or matriarchy. 

Frankly, so many extenuating circumstances whirled around this event that it was best to simply draw it down, dim the light and shut the door.  I believe it is really not the responsibility of neighboring chapters to defend the 6 priorities of NOW; it should have come from the National office.  For me, the right thing to do was for the NOW PAC to have made a strong statement last October regarding mixed messages about any high visibility member/leader being seen on a stage with Gov Palin.  In the absence of that intelligence, four very smart women felt compelled to do it for themselves.

It should have remained between them and Ms. Mandell and a non-biased trio of feminists, whose job is supposed to be holding a safe space for a working resolution to organically rise.  As the weeks poured forth, it became murky, crowded and loaded with people pushing in where they do not belong.  Each of us heard terrible gossip that so-in-so was driving this and we were puppets.  Let me be very clear, anyone one who thinks we were puppets, certainly does not know us at all.  At all.

So today I hear that the National Board is all up in arms about a press conference we held today.  Let the hens cluck, they are the ones who formed the PAC, endorsed Barack Obama, would not take a stand on Governor Palin and tried endlessly to insert themselves in the grievance and interfere in the mediation process. 

This press conference did what no one else would do; take a definitive stand on the six principles of NOW
1. stopping violence against women
2. promoting diversity & ending racism 
3. advancing reproductive freedom
4. winning lesbian rights 
5. achieving constitutional equality
6. ensuring economic justice

Back off you meddlers, be silent you gossipers, take note you grievers, be humbled you revenge seekers.  Today 5 women, who really have only one thing in common, came together to speak of their love for NOW. 
Show some respect.

Comments

[Melissa Darnell]

Bravo.