Women's Equality Day, 2010

The President has seen fit to remember and reminds us all that on Aug. 26, 1920 a long struggle finally bore fruit with the completion of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution - granting women the right to vote.
He acknowleges that while we celebrate this achievement, he recognizes there is a lot still to do. I like the words used - " Standing on the shoulders of these trailblazers, we pay tribute to the brave women who dot the pages of our history books, and to those who have quietly broken barriers in our workplaces, communities, and society."
While we have, for the first time in history, three women on the high court, others areas of our society lag behind and fail to adequately represent more than half of our population.
ONE OF THE REASONS I WRITE THIS IS TO HELP US REMEMBER AND NOT TAKE OUR PROGRESS FOR GRANTED, BUT ALSO TO REALIZE WE HAVE WORK TO DO YET!


http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/08/26/presidential-proclamation-womens-equality-day-2010

WHO IS GOOD ENOUGH?

In an editorial linked below, Wm. M. King reminds us of how elusive our freedom can be. Frederick Douglass reminded his listeners that even though the Constitution had been ratified in 1788, we were no closer as a nation in 1852 to making true the enterprise that “all men are created equal.”
That of course also included women. It took many more years to accomplish these goals and yet we forget the long time and much effort that it required. So when another situation of discrimination comes along we need the reminders of the past to help us deal with the present.
As we hear of hatred in the news pertaining to new religious and national prejudice, we must all remember we are inheritors of our freedoms and therefore we can only be humbly grateful for them and be willing to be generous with what we did not earn.

http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-2887-the-myth-of-a-post-racial-america.html

ANGELINA GRIMKE’S CONCERN

‘Sisters in Christ I feel an interest in you, and often has the secret prayer arisen on your behalf, Lord "open thou their eyes that they may see wondrous things out of thy Law"—It is then, because I do feel and do pray for you, . . .’
She was appealing to the better natures of southern women in the midst of a culture that more or less accepted slavery in her “APPEAL TO THE CHRISTIAN WOMEN OF THE SOUTH” a personal crusade she was waging in 1836. She joined her voice with her sister Sarah’s in a courageous effort.

http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/abolitn/abesaegat.html

VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965

On this day, 45 years ago, this passed into law. It was the culmination of years of struggle to enact the right to vote, for former slaves, first granted in the 15th Amendment in 1870.
Local and state authorities had used many ways to prevent or delay former slaves from voting. Law suits had not worked to open up the process and encourage voter registration. Following the murders surrounding the Selma to Montgomery March in Alabama, Congress found the will to overcome the opposition and bring this issue to become law. It took 95 years!

Our whole nation is better for having more of us involved in the voting process!

http://www.justice.gov/crt/voting/intro/intro_b.php

WOMEN AND LEISURE TIME IN EARLY 1800’S

Those who lived in cities and towns might work a 10 hour day for 6 days a week. Then at home there was a full complement of household chores including cleaning, cooking, shopping for food, and making and repairing clothing. Sunday was the only relief in long hours of work, and that had its own requirements for those in God fearing households. Along with attending worship, there were people who were sick or in need in other ways to visit. Those in authority in the communities knew there was little likelihood of crime. Women had no time to be independent or worry about their rights.

Lizzie Stanton and other suffragists had a hard time ahead of them to convince most women that things could be different.

RULE THE AIR

I usually resist marketing ploys, but there is an ad out there that impresses me, not for the product but the young women’s presence. It is for a prominent cell phone carrier. The message it carries puts forth the idea that these young women want to excel at what they do, and that is always a good idea. I cannot quote, but it begins with the idea that Air has no prejudice; it doesn’t care about your age, sex or color. Then it gets better by talking about how their words can be powerful if they are wise, infectious if they are worthy, and can lead an army that will follow. WHAT A THING FOR YOUNG WOMEN TO ASPIRE TO!
Words can be very powerful, especially if they are precise. I pray that is an idea we could regain!

http://phones.verizonwireless.com/ruletheair/#/landing