One hundred and fifty years ago today, American women turned out to vote in the presidential election, exercising their right to have a say in their government by choosing either Democratic candidate Horace Greeley or Republican incumbent Ulysses S.
I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR! Nancy Pelosi is the embodiment of what Abigail Adams represented in the 18th century. Joan of Arc, Golda Meir, Mother Teresa, Heather Cox Richardson. Today American women represent more than half of college students and law school students.
The men have been making a muck of America. It’s past time for the women to take the helm of our ship of state.
All Ds, male and female, better roar on Tuesday. And sadly, women can fall into the same ruts as men a la Thatcher and that gal who got trussed by a lettuce. Also I make note of the many truly awful females who belong in the wing nut category and are running for office all over the place. Please just give me someone who understand the ideals of our Constitution, who understands the all means all, not just straight white people, who understands that a true Christian, or spiritual person, works to help those who are less fortunate in a multitude of ways, who understands that the rule of law applies to all, who is dedicated to public service and not greed and power. Well, I can dream.
Yep, residing in the UK at the moment I can testify that either sex can be a selfish, delusional political dork-head. I ask myself when evaluating candidates - who or what do they serve? And what is their source of inspiration? For the spirit within us all, if it is not asleep, must choose to serve something.. to create good or evil, to promote virtue instead of vice. These stirring words about the American history of women and black voting rights gave me chills. Humanities moral tide goes in and out but always seems a bit closer to the shore. Hoping tomorrow is a true sea change.
I enjoy the relief of a smile when I read some very apropos phrasing in the comments section... 'selfish, delusional political dork-head' is one of them. Thanks, Robin. 😄
Robin As an historian I can attest to far, far more male ‘selfish, delusional political dork-heads’ than female. Ruling should not be a test of testosterone.
Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth II—an awesome trio.
As a male Wordweaver, I can literally "attest" to the origin of such words. Roman men would hold their scrotum when "testifing." All such words come from the root word testes.
I might add that women should not get "hysterical" over these words that come from the white male dominant cultures of past. ("hyster" = uterus)
Which brings us to the modern discrimination against Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists and any other person taking oaths who don't buy the Buybull. I have on so many occasions refused to say "so help me god" and lined thru it on written oaths. A "religious test" has always been unconstitutional, but also ignored.
Keith, I think the point being made is that when we vote, we need to carefully avoid selfish delusional political dorkheads, regardless of gender. I agree that most of the dorkheads fitting that description are male, but there are some doozy female selfish delusional political dorkheads running for office right now. I happily vote for their male opponants when that happens. (Or if it is a dorkhead faceoff, withhold my vote entirely.)
Witch being the pejorative used in Europe and early colonies/states as a way of silencing women who were too outspoken or who chose to run their lives as they saw fit, and also to undermine healing women as men took over the practice of medicine, thoroughly screwing it up for a long while (that isn't quite over yet). The underlying spiritual beliefs have nothing to do with devil-worship or doing harm. But the term has been co-opted to apply to women that discomfit men, and then into the general lexicon to mean just the opposite of what it originally was. Let's please stop that. MTG and her ilk are unpleasant people, but they are not witches.
There also are "some doozy female selfish delusional political dorkheads" already in office. It doesn't take much to come up with a short list in both the House & the Senate.
The first Elizabeth is my favorite historical character, but not without fault although I attribute some of her m.o. to a female operating in a male world. As I have learned more about the second Elizabeth, I have started to respect her more. Right now I am reading The Legacy of Violence about the British Empire and nobody is coming off very well. I have just started the post WWII years and so I don't know what the author (a woman) will say about ERII. It is a hard book to read although rarely, I have laughed.....described a foreign secretary as being able to clear a room with flatulence...Bevin. I have started to read more about Victoria and am still ambivalent about her.
Michele I agree that Queen Elizabeth I & II are spot on, while Queen Victoria is less clear. She had a dreadful childhood and was well served by Albert, until his death. After that a grieving Victoria had some bizarre moments.
She did indeed. I have read about her childhood and that craziness. Albert had lots of good ideas. I do love the tales of Brown and I have forgotten his name at the moment, the Indian. It is also clear that the rest of the family couldn't wait to get rid of him after she passed. I recently read a book on British reform in the 19th century. The author couldn't stand Disraeli, but the Queen liked him. He sounded like a con to me while Gladstone came off as the better person. I also try to keep in mind that people are the product of their upbringing and times and try not to judge them by modern standards. The book I am reading now has nothing good to say about most Brits involved in empire including Lawrence of Arabia.
I've not read about Elizabeth I, but she certainly was operating in a male world, back then, and at her level of achievement.
I did learn a lot about Elizabeth II at the time of her departure, and I'm very impressed with her.
But I think one is likely at best to be ambivalent about most leaders. JFK, LBJ, O, and even FDR, although he did so much good, so there is less ambivalence.
I enjoy English history and am not so informed about US history, so this is one of the reasons I enjoy Heather so much and learn from her and the many poster. I read a recent bio of Eleanor Roosevelt and it made me into a fan of her, but saw a lot of his shortcomings.
Michele, do not despair. I am one of those “D’s” and will keep at preserving democracy until I draw my last breath. Since I am 73, that could be after I type this or 25 years from now. I roar AND I vote!
I am 79 and will do the same. I have voted already and my ballot is at the clerk's office ready to be counted. The older I get, the feistier I have become. I worked in a school where a certain amount of holding back was required, but am now retired.
My mother had a female cousin who lived to be 104, and passed a driving test with flying colors at 96. Alas, I only met Ruth Hornbein Kahn Stovroff once, when I was 8, but she voted and I'm sure she roared, and she was a big woman in Buffalo for probably around 80 years. (My mother would probably be alive at 99, had she not has the MS.) Anyway, I'm rooting for you to get those 25 years and may they be good!
Dream it is, the republicans use the same verbiage as Dems…”our democracy is at stake, we will lose our country” blah blah. All the time doing their best to make democracy history in favor of autocracy. Progress can never be taken for granted. HST knew that “Socialism is the epithet they have hurled at every advance the people have made in the last 20 years.” Make that 100 years and you are right on target HST.
Whenever the S-word is used, the reply might be, "Socialism?? Oh! you mean Democracy! I can understand how you might get confused. It's actually Democracy you are speaking of."
Everone who believes our democracy is 'socialism' should immediately disenroll from Medicare, Social Security, and any other benefits whatsoever they receive from our national government, including use of highways, food, drug, and banking protections, etc. Watch them drown in a libertarian sea.
Jack, We, The People, paid into our Medicare and Social Security benefits. I worked for my entire life, from 18-60. Hardly “socialism”. I will fight like a mad dog to defend those benefits.
I decided long ago that a government predominantly of women was going to be an improvement. And I still think so, sort of. It was Michelle Bachmann that first made me stop and think some more. I think the most potentially dangerous person in Congress today is a woman - MTG. She, more than anyone I know of, is exhibit "A" of what the brain can become on a strict diet of Right wing extremism. So I guess that now I think gender cannot be a factor, as long as representation is roughly equal.
But representation is HARDLY “equal”, not even close, james. I agree about Bachman and MTG and all the others. But we can’t let that stop us from supporting progressive, intelligent women who give a damn about us! And encouraging them actively to participate. I adore AOC, for example….
I should amend my statement in light of the unequal representation. Yes I agree. I maintain though that there are plenty of woefully terrible candidates from both genders.
JR, RBG, Eleanor Roosevelt and Susan B. Anthony are all looking down at Earth rolling their eyes and shaking their heads in dismay…..but then, they see the rest of us! They are smiling and rejoicing that they left a REAL legacy!
Eleanor Roosevelt is a hero for me (I’m a teacher). Sadly, I’m seeng more and more Republican women who are competing to be as greedy, dishonest and corrupt as their male counterparts.
You said it. And quite eloquently. Thank you for expressing these ideals our leaders once aspired to. May we elect enough of them to lead us out of the dark.
In the last few days, I spoke with a couple of women who were uncomfortable about voting. I hope that I was supportive and encouraging enough, so that they will become active American citizens. They liked when I spoke of citizenship. That seemed touch on their eagerness to be respected as Americans. Afterward, I found an educational organization that may be helpful to all of us.
'Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate' The following is its explainer for FAIR AND FREE ELECTIONS.
'Elections are the essence of democracy. They allow people to select their political leaders and then to hold them accountable. But for elections to fulfill their critical function, they must be free and fair. Just holding an election is not enough: if some citizens are prevented from voting or the results are not counted properly, an election can’t be called “free and fair.”
'What is a free and fair election?'
'A free election is one in which all citizens are able to vote for the candidate of their choice, and a fair election is one in which all votes have equal power and are counted accurately. There are standards that governments need to meet before, during, and after an election to ensure that an election is free and fair.'
'The eight standards that follow define an ideal. Most countries meet them imperfectly, but the more standards that are met, the more accurately an election represents the will of the people.'
'One Person, One Vote'
'The phrase “one person, one vote” is often used as a shorthand for free and fair elections. The principle of “one person, one vote” means that every person has the ability to vote, and each vote has equal power. In the electoral system of the United States, this principle does not always hold in a literal sense. For instance, equal state representation in the US Senate means that individual votes in less populous states have more power in the Senate and electoral college than individual votes in more populous states. Watch the video One Person, One Vote: Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims to learn more about the concept of “one person, one vote” and the court cases that require states to follow this principle.'
'Before Voting'
'Citizens are able to register to vote'
'Governments can place some restrictions on who can register to vote based on age, residency, or citizenship status. However, for an election to be free and fair, governments cannot prevent eligible voters from registering or make it more difficult for some groups of people to register than others. For example, until the Voting Rights Act was passed in the United States in 1965, many Southern states required Black voters to take literacy tests in order to register to vote. [These tests were designed to be impossible to pass and to prevent Black people from voting, which means that the elections held in these states during this time period were not free and fair.'
'ASK YOURSELF:'
'What is the process to register to vote in my country, state, or region?'
'Are there restrictions on who can register to vote where I live?'
'Are these restrictions necessary and fair? Why or why not?'
'Note: If you live in the United States, you can use the resource vote.gov to look up voter registration in your state.'
'Voters have access to reliable information'
'Governments cannot prevent the media from covering certain candidates or political parties, and they also cannot intentionally spread misinformation. For example, in the 2020 presidential election in Burundi, President Nkurunziza ran for a third term. His government threatened or imprisoned journalists to prevent them from reporting on the candidates who ran against him. Even when governments do not intentionally share misinformation, it can spread online and through social media. Voters need access to reliable and unbiased information to freely make decisions about which candidate to support.'
'ASK YOURSELF:'
‘What, if any, challenges do I face in finding reliable and unbiased information about candidates and elections?’
'Do the internet and social media make it easier or more difficult to find quality information?'
'Citizens can run for office'
'Governments cannot attack or intimidate people who decide to run for office or create discriminatory rules about who is allowed to run. For example, in a 2019 city election in Moscow, Russia, opposition candidates—people who were running against the ruling party—were not allowed to place their names on the ballot. Voters cannot freely exercise their right to select their leaders if certain political parties or candidates are unfairly blocked from running for office.'
'ASK YOURSELF:'
'What restrictions are there in my country, state, or region on who can run for office?
‘Why do I think these restrictions are in place?
'Are these restrictions necessary and fair? Why or why not?''
To finish reading this Explainer of Free and Fair Elections see the link below. 'Facing History and Ourselves' is an excellent source for lessons in civics.
"Politicians spiel" is only part of the problem. It's a challenge to inform oneself thoroughly, especially on regional and local races, when the media are so unreliable in so many places and the more money you have, the more "free" speech you get.
Citizen’s United is the greatest threat to our democracy and takes free and fair out of every election. Campaign Finance reform should be at the top of the list of issues ( there are so many) that need to be addressed if our democracy is to survive and thrive!
It disgusts me that nine people, no different from you and me, have the power to make decisions for 330 MILLION of us, The People. More and more, I believe we should stop lifetime appointments of ANY judges. How Obama caved to the bs that Merrick Garland could not be vetted for the Court, is just beyond me…..sad emoji. AND we should expand the court to 13, to represent all the Federal Court districts. ASAP.
Fern you are the BEST! Thank you for this--I’m going to share it with my Metro St. Louis League of Women Voters: brilliant summary of what we all must know 🇺🇸☮️💙
Oh my goodness, Fern—I really am not that smart to answer your thoughtful questions except to offer my opinions 🙄. I’ve lived in Missouri since November 1976 (after St. Louis husband and I finished our service in the USAF) and hubby returned to finish his undergrad education at UM Columbia, MO. In those days, this state was more Democratic, but has evolved into a political nightmare. So if you want my thoughts on the United States as a whole, I’m hopeful.
Linda, Those were some of my questions. I am sorry that I wasn't clear. The questions represented my uneasiness about where we are in America -- not a list for anyone to answer but intended to elicit the thoughts of other subscribers. Did the software cut you off as you were about to list some of your opinions concerning our situation? I apologize for not being clearer concerning my motivation. Salud, Linda.
Gee, I was in the process of answering this and stopped to fix dinner—everything I did went away. I’m thankful I didn’t bore you any further than what I started 😉!
Through the information I’ve been hearing in my women’s club, I was very surprised to learn that in smaller counties it’s very hard to get registered to register voters. But Texas, you know! Dumped registered voters without notifying them too. And mail in ballots rejected too. If you don’t have computer access you might not ever know your ballot was rejected.
A woman at my school says she doesn’t vote because she’s not political. I told her you’re political you’ve just given up your power. She loves to take over our children programs. Maybe this week when she’s running rough shod over our Veterans Day program I’ll suggest she go tell a veteran how she doesn’t vote. Let’s see their reaction to “I’m not political!”
My sister claims to “not be political “ but posted an awful photo of Obama with a Hitler mustache on her FB page a few years ago (“the kids thought it was funny”), agreed with her husband that Sandy Hook was a false flag operation (she’s been an educator her entire adult life. WTH?), and has spouted Tucker Carlson talking points about Covid, vaccines, pandemic shutdowns, and transgender rights.
No, we are not having any holiday dinners together...probably ever again.
Michele, I am very impressed with how clear, structured and informative 'Facing History and Ourselves' website is. Their Explainer, which I started is excellent. I hope subscribers go for the whole nine yards.
Thanks for the heads up. I will be looking into this one. Right now my head is going to take in a few pages of The Legacy of Violence about the British Empire and then find my pillow. I am making note of the site right this minute too, so that I don't forget.
It is no tragedy that people are uniformed about the details of the government's forms and functions as they apply to citizens, but the common failure of both. Perhaps, it has gotten worse in the USA. What hasn't? Maybe, it's a farce or a 'comedy of errors'? Ok, perhaps, it's a tragedy as well.
I will forward this link to our County Voter Registration office. Thank you. I created a document 'Democracy is Hard Work' to pass out to the doubters who approached our registration table saying, why bother?" Hoping the registration office will use it when they canvas our high schools on the next round.
David, my maternal grandmother graduated Summa Cum Laude and was elected Phi Beta Kappa eleven years before she could vote. Thank heavens for the incredibly strong and intelligent women who came before us and who had the “fire in the belly” to persist. That fire will accompany my daughters and me when we vote this Tuesday!!!!
I like the sentiment behind what you have just written, Keith Wheelock, BUT...
We are all equal.
[That includes children, who may not have attained the physical and mental maturity required for the exercise of citizenship, yet may already be far wiser than most adults. It includes the mentally handicapped and underlies their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of what brings happiness, if not necessarily enjoyment of all the rights of citizenship.]
But the big "BUT" has nothing to do with gender, nothing to do with what the ultra-patriarchal John Knox called "the monstrous regiment of women"...
It has to do with the monstrous skewing of two principles present in every one of us, regardless of gender, the masculine and the feminine.
The monstrous, unrelenting tyranny of the masculine principle over the feminine cripples human beings and human societies... makes our minds like birds with one wing.
We need to bring balance to our hearts and minds, balance between qualities masculine and feminine, balance between a power which, untrammeled, can destroy the world, and that power -- the feminine -- which ensures survival.
It is the deep need of Life that is bringing the citizens of Iran, women joined by men, together to take a stand, risking their lives against the forces of Death.
Americans, this -- beyond party, prejudice or any lesser allegiance -- is what your vote is really about: the triumph of Life.
Thank you Mr. Burnett. 100% agreement here! Humankind does indeed need both the male and female principles to be in balance for a healthy culture and society.
"The meaning of a man's life is to support the feminine." (Bert Hellinger)
At the time he said this, everybody believed he thought women should be in the kitchen and give birth to children, so he wisely avoided to say anything about the meaning of life of women. Since I have taken his words to my heart, I have proposed: A meaning of a woman's life is to support new life.
Peter By birth and/or gender some people are ‘more equal’ than others. This was reflected in Disraeli’s Two Nations back in the 1850s, the history of discrimination in America and elsewhere, and the educational gap that separates groups. I was fortunate, in 1933, to be born a white male in the United States in a family where my dad had—and-kept—a good job. That clearly gave me a head start in the human race.
Peter, I agree that it’s so important to recognize the masculine and feminine in all of us, and the gross imbalance represented in leadership positions currently. Unfortunately, for a woman to attain leadership in our society, it often requires her to emulate men. To access the masculine in her personality. What I sense we desperately need is more women who embrace their femininity, their protective and maternal instincts, in order to truly advocate for what is best for society. Despite her tough demeanor, I actually think that this is part of the key to Nancy’s success.
Ok listening to Keb while I write... In the process of learning the language to express support for LGBTQ and trans kids in our schools, might it be that the Hellinger quote also means supporting the masculine and feminine in each of us? The term gender spectrum appears in some of the research, the idea that along with biology, each of us occupies a unique place on that continuum. Learning as I go...
Living in India when Mother Theresa died was so interesting. She was not well liked, of course, by the Calcutta, now Kolkata, communists. They were angry because she fished people out of gutters, got them well enough to become Christian, and then let them die. She was a heavy duty Christian missionary in a Hindu/Muslim country.
Thank you for that penetrating🕯observation Elizabeth. Not to mention systemic poverty, a sharply stratified Caste system with complex city-country divisions which has created virology issues in the past & in the on-going pandemic to name a few. Thank you Hugh below.
Only one minor correction: mostly it is white men who are still making a muck of America, with a few female and a few men of color, exceptions, working to join them.
Michele, I do gag every time I force myself to listen to them. Kari Lake is particularly horrendous....with her good All American looks and delivery. She is a complete asshole. OMG.
I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR! Nancy Pelosi is the embodiment of what Abigail Adams represented in the 18th century. Joan of Arc, Golda Meir, Mother Teresa, Heather Cox Richardson. Today American women represent more than half of college students and law school students.
The men have been making a muck of America. It’s past time for the women to take the helm of our ship of state.
All Ds, male and female, better roar on Tuesday. And sadly, women can fall into the same ruts as men a la Thatcher and that gal who got trussed by a lettuce. Also I make note of the many truly awful females who belong in the wing nut category and are running for office all over the place. Please just give me someone who understand the ideals of our Constitution, who understands the all means all, not just straight white people, who understands that a true Christian, or spiritual person, works to help those who are less fortunate in a multitude of ways, who understands that the rule of law applies to all, who is dedicated to public service and not greed and power. Well, I can dream.
Yep, residing in the UK at the moment I can testify that either sex can be a selfish, delusional political dork-head. I ask myself when evaluating candidates - who or what do they serve? And what is their source of inspiration? For the spirit within us all, if it is not asleep, must choose to serve something.. to create good or evil, to promote virtue instead of vice. These stirring words about the American history of women and black voting rights gave me chills. Humanities moral tide goes in and out but always seems a bit closer to the shore. Hoping tomorrow is a true sea change.
I enjoy the relief of a smile when I read some very apropos phrasing in the comments section... 'selfish, delusional political dork-head' is one of them. Thanks, Robin. 😄
Agree. One of the many benefits of comments from other lands is a fresh crop of adjectives to liven up our language.
Robin As an historian I can attest to far, far more male ‘selfish, delusional political dork-heads’ than female. Ruling should not be a test of testosterone.
Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth II—an awesome trio.
As a male Wordweaver, I can literally "attest" to the origin of such words. Roman men would hold their scrotum when "testifing." All such words come from the root word testes.
I might add that women should not get "hysterical" over these words that come from the white male dominant cultures of past. ("hyster" = uterus)
Rob Hmmm Does the word ‘scrod’ have a more devious meaning than simply young haddock or cod—as in “I’ve been scrod?”
Past pluperfect participle of 'screw'.
As a Bostonian, that's particularly funny! (Somehow I think it originated here, but I could be wrong.)
Well, the Romans didn't have a Bible, so they had to find something infinitely precious to guard them from lying.
Which brings us to the modern discrimination against Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists and any other person taking oaths who don't buy the Buybull. I have on so many occasions refused to say "so help me god" and lined thru it on written oaths. A "religious test" has always been unconstitutional, but also ignored.
Keith, I think the point being made is that when we vote, we need to carefully avoid selfish delusional political dorkheads, regardless of gender. I agree that most of the dorkheads fitting that description are male, but there are some doozy female selfish delusional political dorkheads running for office right now. I happily vote for their male opponants when that happens. (Or if it is a dorkhead faceoff, withhold my vote entirely.)
Annie I agree that dorkheads are not only of male gender. I contend, however, that Marjorie Taylor Greene and her ilk are witches, not women.
Witch being the pejorative used in Europe and early colonies/states as a way of silencing women who were too outspoken or who chose to run their lives as they saw fit, and also to undermine healing women as men took over the practice of medicine, thoroughly screwing it up for a long while (that isn't quite over yet). The underlying spiritual beliefs have nothing to do with devil-worship or doing harm. But the term has been co-opted to apply to women that discomfit men, and then into the general lexicon to mean just the opposite of what it originally was. Let's please stop that. MTG and her ilk are unpleasant people, but they are not witches.
Amen, Keith.
There also are "some doozy female selfish delusional political dorkheads" already in office. It doesn't take much to come up with a short list in both the House & the Senate.
The first Elizabeth is my favorite historical character, but not without fault although I attribute some of her m.o. to a female operating in a male world. As I have learned more about the second Elizabeth, I have started to respect her more. Right now I am reading The Legacy of Violence about the British Empire and nobody is coming off very well. I have just started the post WWII years and so I don't know what the author (a woman) will say about ERII. It is a hard book to read although rarely, I have laughed.....described a foreign secretary as being able to clear a room with flatulence...Bevin. I have started to read more about Victoria and am still ambivalent about her.
Michele I agree that Queen Elizabeth I & II are spot on, while Queen Victoria is less clear. She had a dreadful childhood and was well served by Albert, until his death. After that a grieving Victoria had some bizarre moments.
She did indeed. I have read about her childhood and that craziness. Albert had lots of good ideas. I do love the tales of Brown and I have forgotten his name at the moment, the Indian. It is also clear that the rest of the family couldn't wait to get rid of him after she passed. I recently read a book on British reform in the 19th century. The author couldn't stand Disraeli, but the Queen liked him. He sounded like a con to me while Gladstone came off as the better person. I also try to keep in mind that people are the product of their upbringing and times and try not to judge them by modern standards. The book I am reading now has nothing good to say about most Brits involved in empire including Lawrence of Arabia.
I've not read about Elizabeth I, but she certainly was operating in a male world, back then, and at her level of achievement.
I did learn a lot about Elizabeth II at the time of her departure, and I'm very impressed with her.
But I think one is likely at best to be ambivalent about most leaders. JFK, LBJ, O, and even FDR, although he did so much good, so there is less ambivalence.
I enjoy English history and am not so informed about US history, so this is one of the reasons I enjoy Heather so much and learn from her and the many poster. I read a recent bio of Eleanor Roosevelt and it made me into a fan of her, but saw a lot of his shortcomings.
Michele, do not despair. I am one of those “D’s” and will keep at preserving democracy until I draw my last breath. Since I am 73, that could be after I type this or 25 years from now. I roar AND I vote!
Older than you, roar is quieter but still should scare the greedy bastards
Roar on Jeri💪💪
I still roar, Jeri, I just have a hard time getting out of the chair
I am 79 and will do the same. I have voted already and my ballot is at the clerk's office ready to be counted. The older I get, the feistier I have become. I worked in a school where a certain amount of holding back was required, but am now retired.
You go Gyrl!
My mother had a female cousin who lived to be 104, and passed a driving test with flying colors at 96. Alas, I only met Ruth Hornbein Kahn Stovroff once, when I was 8, but she voted and I'm sure she roared, and she was a big woman in Buffalo for probably around 80 years. (My mother would probably be alive at 99, had she not has the MS.) Anyway, I'm rooting for you to get those 25 years and may they be good!
trussed by a lettuce!!
Couldn't help myself. We have a friend who is one of the world's greatest punners and I live with a punner, so....
Dream it is, the republicans use the same verbiage as Dems…”our democracy is at stake, we will lose our country” blah blah. All the time doing their best to make democracy history in favor of autocracy. Progress can never be taken for granted. HST knew that “Socialism is the epithet they have hurled at every advance the people have made in the last 20 years.” Make that 100 years and you are right on target HST.
Whenever the S-word is used, the reply might be, "Socialism?? Oh! you mean Democracy! I can understand how you might get confused. It's actually Democracy you are speaking of."
Everone who believes our democracy is 'socialism' should immediately disenroll from Medicare, Social Security, and any other benefits whatsoever they receive from our national government, including use of highways, food, drug, and banking protections, etc. Watch them drown in a libertarian sea.
Jack, We, The People, paid into our Medicare and Social Security benefits. I worked for my entire life, from 18-60. Hardly “socialism”. I will fight like a mad dog to defend those benefits.
You may have too ... because that is how those working to take away those benefits already fight! Politics are on its way to becomng a dog fight.
🤣👏👏👏
Lauren Boebert is a woman. Marjorie Taylor Green is a woman. Elise Stefanik is a woman. Kari Lake is a woman. Kristi Noem…
I decided long ago that a government predominantly of women was going to be an improvement. And I still think so, sort of. It was Michelle Bachmann that first made me stop and think some more. I think the most potentially dangerous person in Congress today is a woman - MTG. She, more than anyone I know of, is exhibit "A" of what the brain can become on a strict diet of Right wing extremism. So I guess that now I think gender cannot be a factor, as long as representation is roughly equal.
But representation is HARDLY “equal”, not even close, james. I agree about Bachman and MTG and all the others. But we can’t let that stop us from supporting progressive, intelligent women who give a damn about us! And encouraging them actively to participate. I adore AOC, for example….
I should amend my statement in light of the unequal representation. Yes I agree. I maintain though that there are plenty of woefully terrible candidates from both genders.
JR, RBG, Eleanor Roosevelt and Susan B. Anthony are all looking down at Earth rolling their eyes and shaking their heads in dismay…..but then, they see the rest of us! They are smiling and rejoicing that they left a REAL legacy!
Eleanor Roosevelt is a hero for me (I’m a teacher). Sadly, I’m seeng more and more Republican women who are competing to be as greedy, dishonest and corrupt as their male counterparts.
Quite the array of exactly the type of women who should never be in power.
Not really. They actually are puppets.
JR Might Boehart, Greene, and Stefanik be female biological freaks with testosterone?
Please people, don't forget Kari Lake is a TV tested propaganda machine.
They are call girls. Every one of them that you mention….
Always will be a few that choose that “calling”. Lonely at best.
🗽
You said it. And quite eloquently. Thank you for expressing these ideals our leaders once aspired to. May we elect enough of them to lead us out of the dark.
Totally in sync with your words. I say, go ahead and dream! If we keep pointing ourselves towards the dream we will get ever closer to its reality.
heart
In the last few days, I spoke with a couple of women who were uncomfortable about voting. I hope that I was supportive and encouraging enough, so that they will become active American citizens. They liked when I spoke of citizenship. That seemed touch on their eagerness to be respected as Americans. Afterward, I found an educational organization that may be helpful to all of us.
'Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate' The following is its explainer for FAIR AND FREE ELECTIONS.
'Elections are the essence of democracy. They allow people to select their political leaders and then to hold them accountable. But for elections to fulfill their critical function, they must be free and fair. Just holding an election is not enough: if some citizens are prevented from voting or the results are not counted properly, an election can’t be called “free and fair.”
'What is a free and fair election?'
'A free election is one in which all citizens are able to vote for the candidate of their choice, and a fair election is one in which all votes have equal power and are counted accurately. There are standards that governments need to meet before, during, and after an election to ensure that an election is free and fair.'
'The eight standards that follow define an ideal. Most countries meet them imperfectly, but the more standards that are met, the more accurately an election represents the will of the people.'
'One Person, One Vote'
'The phrase “one person, one vote” is often used as a shorthand for free and fair elections. The principle of “one person, one vote” means that every person has the ability to vote, and each vote has equal power. In the electoral system of the United States, this principle does not always hold in a literal sense. For instance, equal state representation in the US Senate means that individual votes in less populous states have more power in the Senate and electoral college than individual votes in more populous states. Watch the video One Person, One Vote: Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims to learn more about the concept of “one person, one vote” and the court cases that require states to follow this principle.'
'Before Voting'
'Citizens are able to register to vote'
'Governments can place some restrictions on who can register to vote based on age, residency, or citizenship status. However, for an election to be free and fair, governments cannot prevent eligible voters from registering or make it more difficult for some groups of people to register than others. For example, until the Voting Rights Act was passed in the United States in 1965, many Southern states required Black voters to take literacy tests in order to register to vote. [These tests were designed to be impossible to pass and to prevent Black people from voting, which means that the elections held in these states during this time period were not free and fair.'
'ASK YOURSELF:'
'What is the process to register to vote in my country, state, or region?'
'Are there restrictions on who can register to vote where I live?'
'Are these restrictions necessary and fair? Why or why not?'
'Note: If you live in the United States, you can use the resource vote.gov to look up voter registration in your state.'
'Voters have access to reliable information'
'Governments cannot prevent the media from covering certain candidates or political parties, and they also cannot intentionally spread misinformation. For example, in the 2020 presidential election in Burundi, President Nkurunziza ran for a third term. His government threatened or imprisoned journalists to prevent them from reporting on the candidates who ran against him. Even when governments do not intentionally share misinformation, it can spread online and through social media. Voters need access to reliable and unbiased information to freely make decisions about which candidate to support.'
'ASK YOURSELF:'
‘What, if any, challenges do I face in finding reliable and unbiased information about candidates and elections?’
'Do the internet and social media make it easier or more difficult to find quality information?'
'Citizens can run for office'
'Governments cannot attack or intimidate people who decide to run for office or create discriminatory rules about who is allowed to run. For example, in a 2019 city election in Moscow, Russia, opposition candidates—people who were running against the ruling party—were not allowed to place their names on the ballot. Voters cannot freely exercise their right to select their leaders if certain political parties or candidates are unfairly blocked from running for office.'
'ASK YOURSELF:'
'What restrictions are there in my country, state, or region on who can run for office?
‘Why do I think these restrictions are in place?
'Are these restrictions necessary and fair? Why or why not?''
To finish reading this Explainer of Free and Fair Elections see the link below. 'Facing History and Ourselves' is an excellent source for lessons in civics.
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/free-fair-elections
Really interesting and informative. People need to be thorough on who they are voting for and not just go with politicians spiel.
"Politicians spiel" is only part of the problem. It's a challenge to inform oneself thoroughly, especially on regional and local races, when the media are so unreliable in so many places and the more money you have, the more "free" speech you get.
“Politicians spiel” is what Citizens United has given us.
Citizen’s United is the greatest threat to our democracy and takes free and fair out of every election. Campaign Finance reform should be at the top of the list of issues ( there are so many) that need to be addressed if our democracy is to survive and thrive!
Agreed. The Rs worked for years to overturn Roe v Wade and we need to work hard to overturn Citizens United-no matter how long it takes to do it.
"Thanks" Leonard Leo! S/
Citizens United was decided in 2010 in a 5-4 decision; Kennedy, joined Roberts, Scalia, Alito and Thomas,
It disgusts me that nine people, no different from you and me, have the power to make decisions for 330 MILLION of us, The People. More and more, I believe we should stop lifetime appointments of ANY judges. How Obama caved to the bs that Merrick Garland could not be vetted for the Court, is just beyond me…..sad emoji. AND we should expand the court to 13, to represent all the Federal Court districts. ASAP.
(And let's not forget that the Federalist Society is funded by dark money-ergo the courts have been utterly corrupted by it.)
Fern you are the BEST! Thank you for this--I’m going to share it with my Metro St. Louis League of Women Voters: brilliant summary of what we all must know 🇺🇸☮️💙
Hello, Linda. I have the following questions:
1. Will the democrats vote in overwhelming numbers? (Do African Americans
and young voters favoring the democrats show up?)
2. Do Independents show up? More favoring which side?
3. Are the results with or without marked meddling?
4. What is the level of political violence and how is it handled?
5. The DOJ, what does it do in the next six months? How do other potential
cases against Trump proceed or not? How does the Supreme Court affect
the challenges to Democracy?
6.. How do the majority of Americans, the administration, social media and the
free-press respond if the Republicans take both the House and Senate as
well as many of the election deniers elected to positions in local, states and
federal government?
What are your thoughts, Linda?
Oh my goodness, Fern—I really am not that smart to answer your thoughtful questions except to offer my opinions 🙄. I’ve lived in Missouri since November 1976 (after St. Louis husband and I finished our service in the USAF) and hubby returned to finish his undergrad education at UM Columbia, MO. In those days, this state was more Democratic, but has evolved into a political nightmare. So if you want my thoughts on the United States as a whole, I’m hopeful.
1. I have hope that Democrats and
Linda, Those were some of my questions. I am sorry that I wasn't clear. The questions represented my uneasiness about where we are in America -- not a list for anyone to answer but intended to elicit the thoughts of other subscribers. Did the software cut you off as you were about to list some of your opinions concerning our situation? I apologize for not being clearer concerning my motivation. Salud, Linda.
Gee, I was in the process of answering this and stopped to fix dinner—everything I did went away. I’m thankful I didn’t bore you any further than what I started 😉!
Through the information I’ve been hearing in my women’s club, I was very surprised to learn that in smaller counties it’s very hard to get registered to register voters. But Texas, you know! Dumped registered voters without notifying them too. And mail in ballots rejected too. If you don’t have computer access you might not ever know your ballot was rejected.
A woman at my school says she doesn’t vote because she’s not political. I told her you’re political you’ve just given up your power. She loves to take over our children programs. Maybe this week when she’s running rough shod over our Veterans Day program I’ll suggest she go tell a veteran how she doesn’t vote. Let’s see their reaction to “I’m not political!”
My sister claims to “not be political “ but posted an awful photo of Obama with a Hitler mustache on her FB page a few years ago (“the kids thought it was funny”), agreed with her husband that Sandy Hook was a false flag operation (she’s been an educator her entire adult life. WTH?), and has spouted Tucker Carlson talking points about Covid, vaccines, pandemic shutdowns, and transgender rights.
No, we are not having any holiday dinners together...probably ever again.
Thanks for posting this, Fern.
Michele, I am very impressed with how clear, structured and informative 'Facing History and Ourselves' website is. Their Explainer, which I started is excellent. I hope subscribers go for the whole nine yards.
Thanks for the heads up. I will be looking into this one. Right now my head is going to take in a few pages of The Legacy of Violence about the British Empire and then find my pillow. I am making note of the site right this minute too, so that I don't forget.
Sleep well. We need every hour possible to rest, refresh and carry on.
Thank you, you as well.
thanks, Fern. I'm going to take a look at this one.
👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋
The tragedy is, that you should even have to consider this.
It is no tragedy that people are uniformed about the details of the government's forms and functions as they apply to citizens, but the common failure of both. Perhaps, it has gotten worse in the USA. What hasn't? Maybe, it's a farce or a 'comedy of errors'? Ok, perhaps, it's a tragedy as well.
Excellent guidance, Fern!
I will forward this link to our County Voter Registration office. Thank you. I created a document 'Democracy is Hard Work' to pass out to the doubters who approached our registration table saying, why bother?" Hoping the registration office will use it when they canvas our high schools on the next round.
Thanks, as always, Fern! Clarity! Democracy!
Wow. The "Facing History and Ourselves" website is a treasure. I book marked it and signed up as a "Life Long Learner".
'Facing History & Ourselves'.
Thanks Fern for the resource. Added it to my follow.
Good to see you, Fred. Souls, minds and hands together as we persevere.
Corrected
Nancy Pelosi has been an amazing Speaker--in her 80s, no less! We are lucky to have her.
In other matters, my maternal grandmother, Mildred Hornbein Wiesman, earned her PhD five years before she got the vote.
David, my maternal grandmother graduated Summa Cum Laude and was elected Phi Beta Kappa eleven years before she could vote. Thank heavens for the incredibly strong and intelligent women who came before us and who had the “fire in the belly” to persist. That fire will accompany my daughters and me when we vote this Tuesday!!!!
I like the sentiment behind what you have just written, Keith Wheelock, BUT...
We are all equal.
[That includes children, who may not have attained the physical and mental maturity required for the exercise of citizenship, yet may already be far wiser than most adults. It includes the mentally handicapped and underlies their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of what brings happiness, if not necessarily enjoyment of all the rights of citizenship.]
But the big "BUT" has nothing to do with gender, nothing to do with what the ultra-patriarchal John Knox called "the monstrous regiment of women"...
It has to do with the monstrous skewing of two principles present in every one of us, regardless of gender, the masculine and the feminine.
The monstrous, unrelenting tyranny of the masculine principle over the feminine cripples human beings and human societies... makes our minds like birds with one wing.
We need to bring balance to our hearts and minds, balance between qualities masculine and feminine, balance between a power which, untrammeled, can destroy the world, and that power -- the feminine -- which ensures survival.
It is the deep need of Life that is bringing the citizens of Iran, women joined by men, together to take a stand, risking their lives against the forces of Death.
Americans, this -- beyond party, prejudice or any lesser allegiance -- is what your vote is really about: the triumph of Life.
Thank you Mr. Burnett. 100% agreement here! Humankind does indeed need both the male and female principles to be in balance for a healthy culture and society.
"The meaning of a man's life is to support the feminine." (Bert Hellinger)
At the time he said this, everybody believed he thought women should be in the kitchen and give birth to children, so he wisely avoided to say anything about the meaning of life of women. Since I have taken his words to my heart, I have proposed: A meaning of a woman's life is to support new life.
Thank's for your comment Peter Burnett
Peter By birth and/or gender some people are ‘more equal’ than others. This was reflected in Disraeli’s Two Nations back in the 1850s, the history of discrimination in America and elsewhere, and the educational gap that separates groups. I was fortunate, in 1933, to be born a white male in the United States in a family where my dad had—and-kept—a good job. That clearly gave me a head start in the human race.
I agree to much of what you say but men can be disadvantaged by the same .
Peter, I agree that it’s so important to recognize the masculine and feminine in all of us, and the gross imbalance represented in leadership positions currently. Unfortunately, for a woman to attain leadership in our society, it often requires her to emulate men. To access the masculine in her personality. What I sense we desperately need is more women who embrace their femininity, their protective and maternal instincts, in order to truly advocate for what is best for society. Despite her tough demeanor, I actually think that this is part of the key to Nancy’s success.
I like your take on this and my sentiments exactly. Thanks for posting.
Here’s a catchy tune to bolster this sentiment
https://youtu.be/FciQeRGYFlw
Carla, you made my day! I reposted the song on fb. It was delicious! Thank you….
Ok listening to Keb while I write... In the process of learning the language to express support for LGBTQ and trans kids in our schools, might it be that the Hellinger quote also means supporting the masculine and feminine in each of us? The term gender spectrum appears in some of the research, the idea that along with biology, each of us occupies a unique place on that continuum. Learning as I go...
Carla Childress - "Here’s a catchy tune to bolster this sentiment"
𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲
[Verse 1: Keb' Mo']
Way back when
In the beginning of time
Man made the fire then the wheel
Went from a horse to an automobile
He said, “the world is mine”
He took the oceans and the sky
He set the borders, built the walls
He won't stop ’til he owns it all
And here we are
Standing on the brink of disaster
Enough is enough is enough is enough
I know the answer
[Chorus: Keb' Mo' & Roseanne Cash]
Put a woman in charge
(Put a woman in charge)
Put the women in charge
(Put the women in charge)
Put a woman in charge
(Put a woman in charge)
Put the women in charge
(Put the women in charge)
[Verse 2: Keb' Mo' & Roseanne Cash]
The time has come
We've got to turn this world around (World around)
Call the mothers
Call the daughters (Call the daughters)
We need the sisters of mercy now
She'll be a hero
Not a fool
She’s got the power
To change the rules
She's got something (Something)
That men don't have (Yes we have)
She is kind and she understands
[Bridge 1: Keb' Mo', Rosanne Cash, Both]
So let the ladies
Do what they were born to do (Ahh-ahh)
Raise the vibration
And make a better place for me and you (Ooh-ooh)
[Chorus: Keb' Mo' and Rosanne Cash]
Put a woman in charge
Put a woman in charge
Put the women in charge
Put the women in charge
Put a woman in charge
Put a woman in charge
Put the women in charge
Put the women in charge
[Bridge 2: Rosanne Cash, Keb' Mo', Barack Obama]
Hallelujah
(Hallelujah)
Hallelujah
We're gonna feel the magic
When the girls take over (Take over)
It's gonna be fantastic
(We need more women in charge)
[Outro: Keb' Mo', Rosanne Cash]
Put a woman in charge (Put a woman in charge)
Put the women in charge (Put the woman in charge)
(Put a woman in charge)
(Put the woman in charge, Put the women in charge)
Put a woman in charge
Put a woman in charge (Put a woman in charge)
Put the women in charge
Put the women in charge (Put the woman in charge)
Time to put a woman in charge
Put a woman in charge (Put a woman in charge)
Put the women in charge (Put the woman in charge, that's right, come on yeah)
Put a woman in charge
Put a woman in charge (Put a woman in charge)
Put the women in charge
Put the women in charge (Put the woman in charge)
It's about time to put a woman in charge
Let a woman in charge (Put a woman in charge)
Come on y'all, let’s put the woman in charge
(Put a woman in charge, put the women in charge)
Put a women in charge
Put the women in charge (Put the woman in charge, put a woman in charge)
Put the woman in charge
Put the woman in charge (Put the woman in charge, come on somebody)
Put a women in charge
Put a women in charge (Put a woman in charge)
Put the woman in charge
Put the woman in charge (Yeah, yeah, put a woman in charge)
👍🏼
Love it! Shared it with my friends!
... Mother Teresa, Heather Cox Richardson ...
Mother Teresa is actually quite a controversial figure.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/mother-teresa-saint
Living in India when Mother Theresa died was so interesting. She was not well liked, of course, by the Calcutta, now Kolkata, communists. They were angry because she fished people out of gutters, got them well enough to become Christian, and then let them die. She was a heavy duty Christian missionary in a Hindu/Muslim country.
Thank you for that penetrating🕯observation Elizabeth. Not to mention systemic poverty, a sharply stratified Caste system with complex city-country divisions which has created virology issues in the past & in the on-going pandemic to name a few. Thank you Hugh below.
🗽
Saving souls for a non-existent god.
And she was a woman.
Bryan And of course Heather!
Especially Heather.
Only one minor correction: mostly it is white men who are still making a muck of America, with a few female and a few men of color, exceptions, working to join them.
Too many women in my opinion. I look at the women running as Rs in Oregon and at Machine Gun Betsy and i want to gag.
Michele, I do gag every time I force myself to listen to them. Kari Lake is particularly horrendous....with her good All American looks and delivery. She is a complete asshole. OMG.
She is the face of our modern Goebbels, way cuter and well spoken. Just as black hearted
Jeri, I thought Stephen The Nazi Miller had that role. I guess they have enough room in their so-called party for TWO Goebbels….omg.
Not to speak of the fact that she is completely unqualified for the position she seeks.
Why on earth would anyone want their state run by a journalist?