We want the same things men consider their entitlement: freedom, safety, respect, fair pay, control of our own bodies and lives, affordable health care, sufficient pure water, air, and food, and so forth. We want peace. We want support from our government. We want fair treatment.
This is what all people want! Regardless of gender, race, able-ness, lifestyles, we all want the same things men expect...fair treatment and respect!
For more than 70 years I have researched women's situation in male-dominated cultures.
"Women in colonial America held more rights than their descendants do today. Before 1776, women practiced every type of profession and craft--representing themselves in court, sitting on juries, and voting. But after the American Revolution male leaders withheld rights of citizenship from more than half of America's citizens. Women could no longer vote or control their own property. They were forced out of most wage-earning occupations except nursing and teaching where they were paid less than men in those occupations. Modeling American laws on English Common Law robbed married women of legal rights. Thus, American men enjoyed freedom and equality while denying American women these precious rights. Women and fair-minded men have never stopped fighting to regain them. Nor have all yet been restored!" (De Hon, Jackie, Prisms: Refracting Light of Women's Lives, Xlibris, 2009)
Women fought for slaves' freedom and along the way they realized they had no more rights than slaves, so they added the fight for women's rights to their agenda. When male leaders gave only-themselves full citizenship rights, women protested. Women worked from 1776 to 1920 to gain our rightful vote. Along the way we helped freed slaves gain the right to vote. Well the male-dominated Congress only extended the vote to freed MALE slaves. Indirectly this harmed all women because in order to give only male slaves the vote, Congress inserted the word "he" into the constitution for the first time. Before this "men" could have been interpreted as "humans" as that was a universal-human-word at the time. Women realized they'd have to get their own amendment to regain their full citizen rights.
Alice Paul wrote the Equal Rights Amendment in 1921. It was introduced into every Congress until it finally passed in 1972. Trying to keep women from regaining their rights, Congress placed a time limit on passage. When the brief allowed time was up, we lacked 3 states' ratification. Over the past several years we have fought to remove the time limit. Three states are waiting to ratify it as soon as Congress acts. You can help--urge your elected officials to vote for this vital bill!
In every new democracy in the world, the U.S. requires women be included in their constitutions while our own constitution does not. Can you say "Hypocrisy!"
Women have been waiting since 1776 to be treated as full citizens of our nation. We gave birth to every single person in the world. How can our children withhold this essential right from their mothers?
Enter a misogynist presidential candidate who brags about touching women intimately against their will. A racist who denigrates those who are not the same color and ethnicity as he. A bigot who says hateful things about others. A gazillionaire who is used to saying whatever he wants to say and forcing those who work for him to agree that "he speaks the truth." An opportunist who files bankruptcy frequently and refuses to pay his contractors.
Who wouldn't be fearful?
He breaks our laws. He colludes with our enemies for his individual gain. He has gathered Wall Street executives and other billionaires--who stand against our good, practical laws--to run our institutions...and perhaps to destroy them.
We must be ever watchful if we are to save our democratic republic, we must stand against dictator rule. Remember Hitler was legally elected and all that he did--at first--was legal. Hitler took over the media; Don ridicules, lies, and bypasses the media.
Fighting for our rights is imperative!
Last weekend I marched in Austin with more than 40,000 like-minded people of all shapes, sizes, genders, races, ethnicities, colors, lifestyles, and "able"nesses We had come to march for many reasons, but they all boil down to being treated equally and with respect.
Entire families marched for equal rights for all as we practiced our right to peacefully demonstrate.
Later I read some people's comments:
Shannyn Allan wrote, "Democracy is a marathon, not a sprint. Nobody gets a participation trophy for showing up once every four years, casting a vote...We have a place, and a duty to keep casting our votes for the world we want, every single day.
And David Anthony Martinez wrote, "I march because the road to freedom, justice, and equality is a long road that has been walked by many others before me. It is my duty as an educated citizen to keep the road clear and lit up for those who will come after me. Equality is not given it is won! Get your marching shoes on...we have lots of work to do!"
Wherever I went I met people who believed that we must assert our rights if we are to keep them. This was a beautiful group of people--beautiful in body, mind, and spirit.
As we work to fulfill the promise of our founders to create a nation of, by, and for The People, I remember The People's chants. The one that stands out in my mind is "LOVE TRUMPS HATE!"
I suggest that public officials should take note of the numbers who marched. We MUST NOT re-elect officials who do not do the will of The People and show respect for ALL of their constituents.