We Should Have This National Conversation For and About Women, Equality and Our Nation

I proposed/asked this earlier tonight out on Facebonkers:

Can you imagine how different, how likely radically different our country would be, our legislation, our laws, if 50 percent of our government legislators were women?

Honestly, we should have this conversation. A national conversation.

I'd love to hear it, first of all, and then I'd like to hear it at least locally and then go nationally.

On the issues of health care and child care and schools and, heck, war and our war machine?

And then there's equal pay for equal work, along with really an untold list of what would be different and changed.

Can you imagine how different even the legislative conversations would be, let alone the results of their legislation

I'm no fool on this. I don't for a minute think we'd hit some Nirvana.

I just think we would be a radically different society and nation. Our government would be radically different and so, our nation would, as well.

Scotland is ahead of us on this. They even have an organized group, pushing for 50% of their representatives to be female.

Women 50:50

There are more  people out there in the world, proposing this idea, this framework and working on and for and toward it than I knew, before today. Here's another example.

Can We Create Planet 50-50 by 2030? 

The UN is in on it, too.

Get involved: Step It Up for gender equality: 

About Step It Up

Think about it.

How insane is it that we're still so horribly unequal, that there is still so much gross inequality, not just in the world but here in the US in the 21st Century? We agreed the part about "All men...created equal" meant men and women long ago, I think most of us agree.

Imagine.

I'd love to hear at least one show, one full hour out on KCUR, maybe on Steve Kraske's show.

It would be perfect for that station, him and his program.

Quote of the Day

Fantastic point from Maureen Dowd.

Republican women?

Why?

Happy International Women's Day, 2013

 

"The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights." --Gloria Steinem

 

Link: International Women's Day 2013

March for Women, Saturday, March 28

On April 28, there will be marches in every state capitol and many other large cities. This is a response to: --The Blunt Amendment in the US Congress; --The all-male panel convened to advise the US Congress on matters of contraception; --The lack of female representatives in state and national legislatures; --The forced vaginal ultrasound bills in state legislatures; --The fetal personhood bills in state legislatures; --The increasing difficulty and expense of acquiring contraception, sometimes as a result of legislation designed for that effect; --Rush Limbaugh's attacks on Sandra Fluke; --The continuing absence of any identifiable abortion service provider in 88% of American counties; --The continuing discrepancy in pay for work done by women; --And much more.

The march is endorsed by · A is For·Advocates for Youth ·Americans United For Separation of Church and State·Catholics for Choice · Center for Inquiry · Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) · Code Pink - Women for Peace · Coffee Party USA·Feminist Peace Network · iHollaback · Katrina vanden Heuvel (Editor & Publisher, "The Nation" Magazine) · 9to5 | Change the Workplace, Change the World· National Equal Rights Amendment Alliance · National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health · National League of Latin American Citizens · National Organization for Women ·Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice· This Slut Votes. Your support is appreciated. For support--to show it--and/or if you'd like T shirts and bumper stickers, go to http://unitewomen.org/unite/unitewomen-shop/.

Happy International Women's Day!

International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements. The first national Women's Day was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. Links: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Day

One more group Republicans are pushing away

The Republicans add yet one more group to their long list of people who shouldn't belong to the group and who, of course, shouldn't vote for or with them. Up to now it's been Blacks, Hispanics and gays, now they add women. Well, women who are for their own rights and reproductive rights, anyway. God bless their pointy little heads. Links: http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/02/virginia_ultrasound_law_women_who_want_an_abortion_will_be_forcibly_penetrated_for_no_medical_reason.html; http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/how-the-gop-went-back-to-the-1950s-in-just-one-day.php

Fascinating article on "The Case for Girls"

There is a terrific article in Fast Company magazine this month showing there is a really awful preference for male babies in the world (link below): "It may not be surprising that there's a lingering preference for baby boys over baby girls worldwide. What's alarming, however, is that this global inclination is manifesting more strongly than ever." It's not just unfortunate but for a society, in can be dangerously lopsided. It's not healthy for the growth of a nation. More than that, it goes against nature in other ways, too: "In the 21st century, there's a compelling case for girls as the equal--and in some cases, optimal--gender for roles in leadership, innovation, and economic growth. Women excel in education, the most crucial factor in tomorrow's workforce; we are 56% of undergraduates in the U.S. and approaching parity in China and India. Our socialization is geared toward the right stuff for the changing requirements of success in the 21st century: Women are likely to have a more balanced, empathetic leadership style, better communication skills, a knack for fostering innovation through collaboration." Anyway, as I said, fascinating. You may want to look into it: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/161/branding-for-girls-advertising-for-women

Quote of the day

"Real men--and women--ride motorcycles." 

--me

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Sure, I'm ripping off Bowie, like so many people have, in an effort to point out how we're in the midst of some great changes but, hey, I like the song and David Bowie, both. Sue me.

But really, when you look around the nation and the world, don't you think we're all in the middle of some great, fairly radical change and changes? I know I do.

The one that hits me biggest is the whole Democratic Party candidates for this year's Presidential election. A white woman almost came out the winner. And if that isn't enough, her biggest competition was a black man. Who did win.

Wow.

We all need to soak that in. That's pretty revolutionary for this country.

Sure, it's way overdue but, still, dem's some pretty big differences from the past.

Usually, it's been like the Republican Party still is--just a passel (an even dozen this year) of old, rich, white men.

No more.

A Hispanic--Bill Richardson--Hillary and Barack were part of the top 4 candidates.

People of color and women around the world are more coming into their own power.

Increible'.

But it's more than that.

Oil is around $4.00 a gallon here in the States.

The United States' dollar is nearly worthless. It's becoming an "also ran" in world monetary denominations. (It will stay there if we don't change things here in the States, financially and fiscally.)

Smaller countries, because of all that new petro-wealth. are becoming powers to be reckoned with.

The old, more traditional power positions of the world seem to be falling--most notably, the United States.

The Middle East playing far too large a role in world politics, again, because of the role oil plays in the world, and due to that high price of oil.

Our climate seems to be changing--something we can't too much control--but something we can react to and change, because, it seems, we have to.

Food prices.

The food supply itself.

Health care here and 'round the world and it's availability.

So many things.

And I don't think it's just because I'm into my 2nd century (barely!) and paying more attention. I've watched politics and power since at least high school.

No, I think a great deal is changing.

Some things we can see. Some, no doubt, we cannot. Some, for some of us, we're fighting, ignoring or denying. Some of the change is actually for good. Some, not so.

But it's change. Oh, yeah. And there seems to be quite a lot of it.

And we all hope we come out okay on the other side.

Right?