I wasn’t planning on writing about this topic; for the past week, in between time and other responsibilities, I have been working on a subject about dictators, specifically infamous dictators of the 20th century – that post will either be sent to the back of the burner or incorporated into this one. Or posted after the election. Let’s see what Muse gives me today.
Being an adult, or actually adulting at my age, is uncomfortable for me. I remember my twenties; I was on my own, newly married away from childish things, and perhaps as a youthful, energized, excited woman, the anxiety hadn’t kicked in yet; it was easier to get my footing. I started my thirties attending acting school and joining an acting group in Brooklyn that was a lot of fun. I loved those days. More than that, I love that I did that for myself.
Many years later, in a house in the suburbs, I have two grown children in their early twenties who are finding their footing. Getting here was no easy task for me. I had my own obstacles to jump over, went through many medical hurdles, dealt with anxiety issues, and dealt with hardships regarding matters of the heart, head, soul, and pocket just to get where I am standing today in one solid piece.
Consequently, I feel like I am in a vacuum encased in a vessel. I am suspended, watching everything around me. I am confused because all these images surrounding me distract me from what is essential to me or from what I was taught about the difference between what is right and wrong. And to add insult to injury, the images also have sound, so the noise is just as bothersome.
We were taught by our mothers, who most likely were taught by their mothers or Emily Post, not to speak among friends about these three subjects: Sex, Religion, and Politics. I think women especially were told that because they are uncomfortable subjects to talk about, especially for young housewives from the 19th and early 20th centuries. “SILENCE IS GOLDEN!” yada yada…
Therefore, as much as I want to respect the past ruling – a lot has happened in the last 100 years:
1920: The 19th Amendment was enforced; women were allowed to vote; not all women but white women were allowed to vote… (HOORAY?)
1928: Native Americans were considered citizens.
1940: Three percent of eligible African Americans in the South were registered to vote.
December 1,1955: Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, which launched the civil rights movement.
1963:The Equal Pay Act is signed into law, prohibiting sex-based wage discrimination.
1964: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was passed, prohibiting employment discrimination based on sex.
1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson charted the devious ways in which election officials deprived African-American citizens of the vote.
The voting rights bill passed in the U.S. Senate 77-19 vote,
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 333-85 on July 9.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 officially enforced the 15th Amendment.
June 30, 1966: Betty Friedan, author of 1963’s The Feminine Mystique, helps found the National Organization for Women (NOW)
1969: Voter turnout was good turnout in the South.
Mississippi voters increased from 6% in 1964 to 59 % in 1969.
By the end of 1965, the number of new voter registration voters increased among African Americans to 250,000.
June 23, 1972: President Richard Nixon signed Title IX of the Education Amendments into law. It states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. “
This is essential because, with the Civil Rights Act, many minorities were not given an equal education opportunity as white women and, therefore, were not educated on how to vote, where to vote, or even read.
January 22, 1973: In its landmark 7-2 Roe v. Wade decision, the U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects a woman’s legal right to an abortion. In June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling.
NOTEWORTHY MENTIONS
On July 7, 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor was sworn in by President Regan as the First Woman on the Supreme Court.
On June 18, 1983, Flying on the Space Shuttle Challenger, Sally Ride was the first American woman in space.
On July 12, 1984, Walter Mondale, Democratic presidential nominee, named U.S. Representative Geraldine Ferraro (N.Y.) his running mate, making her the first woman to run for vice president.
March 12, 1993- President Bill Clinton nominated Janet Reno as the first female attorney general.
January 23, 1997 – President Bill Clinton nominated Madeleine Albright as the first female secretary of state.
On September 13, 1994, Clinton signed the Violence Against Women Act
January 4,2004 Rep Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the house. In 2019, she reclaimed the title, becoming the first lawmaker.
July 26, 2016- Hillary Clinton is the first woman to receive a presidential nominee
January 20, 2021 Kamala Harris is sworn in as the first woman as Vice President.
Do you see what was accomplished as a nation? Did you see the mistakes throughout our historical timeline? Did you notice the iconoclast, the standouts such as Rosa Parks; why did she say no that day, and where did she find the strength? Who told Sally Ride that she could be an astronaut? Was it her mom or her dad? So, how do we discuss issues in our country if we are told not to talk about them? Society has done that purposely throughout history; men have set women as rivals for too long. Why? Because men know what we are capable of doing, For the love of God, our bodies make babies –We can endure childbirth and all the changes our bodies go through and feed that child; in addition, we can take care of a home and a family. Depending on our lot in life, we either plowed a field, ran a corporation, or were the first women to do something. This is all our choosing, depending on when and where we were born. We have supported ourselves or a family, and we married the love of life, either a man or woman. We have invented, self-taught, and self-sustained. We burned bras, rallied, and asked for the right to vote and the right to an education.
If it wasn’t for Rosa Parks, Susan B Anthony, Gloria Steinem, and Sojourner Truth, who paved crooked roads to help all women for generations for what was deserved. We owe a magnitude of gratitude to our past sisters; without their efforts and spirit, our rights, equality, and voice would have been threatened and unheard. Today, the rhetoric has changed to a side unrecognizable; men are advocating motherhood in commencement speeches. Therefore, make no mistakes; when women stop standing up for themselves or raising their voices, the patriarchs will get comfortable and will ask their wives to take on a role of servitude.
Women are tenacious and resilient. We are kind and persistent; if someone we love hurts, we hurt. That makes us empathetic to the point that we understand when something is wrong.
Even though it is taboo to speak about politics, I will still talk about uncomfortable topics because everything is wrong. And for an even punch, I am adding the topic of abortion because if I don’t say anything, I could not live with myself knowing that women are dying, not being treated, and turned away from hospitals because of miscarriages and stillbirths. Because of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on June 24, 2022, The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. This decision ended 50 years of federal protection for abortion rights and allowed states to create their abortion laws. Since then, many women are suffering and dying in states that have banned abortions.
Our democracy is being threatened.
For the last 9 years, we have heard the same lies and rhetoric from former president Donald Trump. In 2020, he ran for a second term and lost – I watched on HBO Max – “Stop The Steal.” I was reminded of the lunacy after the election and how he insisted that the election was stolen from him. How could he get professional lawyers and business people to drink his Kool-Aid and continue the farce without proof? I was also relieved that upstanding officials in power did the right thing, stood up to him, and voted or did their job accordingly or in due diligence, regardless of his threats.
Today, we decide the fate of our nation – so much is on the line. Our Democracy and Our Constitution must be protected.
Vote with your conscience, but understand that in 2016, when he was elected, he was younger, and his cabinet had many good professionals who understood the law and Constitution. 2017 and the 4 years that followed, there was a grizzly bear in the nursery, but he was on a leash – if Donald Trump is elected again, this time, he is still in the baby’s room without a leash.
Let’s consider regardless of the voting results on Wednesday, we must stand for everything else, especially women’s healthcare …. Let’s hope his rhetoric stops; let’s put an end to his megalomania and his xenophobia – let’s end his bullshit by… PLEASE VOTE TOO … AND…
Let’s get loud, let’s get loud.
Turn the music up, let’s do it
C’mon, people, let’s get loud, let’s get loud
Turn the music up to hear that sound
Let’s get loud, let’s get loud
Ain’t nobody gotta tell ya what you gotta do
Song and lyrics by Jennifer Lopez
