"A Vision of Mutuality"

Wouldn't it be great if we lived in a world where all people respected and valued each other? In such a world, there would be no domination of one set of people over another. We'd all be seen as having equal value and potential. Do you believe that such a world is possible? Are all created equal but some are just more equal than others? This simply cannot be.

A long time ago, some very patriotic and wise men got together and came up with this:  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Do you recognize it? Yes, it's from the Declaration of Independence. Look back, it says "all men are created equal". Did they really mean that? All - men - ??

The Founding Fathers eventually framed a constitution that said slaves were 3/5th a person and women could not vote. So, it appears what they really meant to say was that ALL WHITE AND FREE MEN (who were landowners) are created equal. Since that time Blacks and women have had to fight to be treated equally by this Constitution. We've had to amend that Constitution several times and we've had to take issues to the Supreme Court to ensure that ALL are created and treated equally. And we aren't done yet!

Perhaps you've heard this quote, "Women's rights are human rights." It's from a speech given by Hillary Rodham Clinton in 1995. You can read the whole things here:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/hillaryclintonbeijingspeech.htm

That's over 20 years ago!  Are we closer to a world where all people respect and value each other? Or do we still have work to do? If you believe we may have come a long way baby, but, we still have work to do, you might just be a feminist.

There, I said it. A feminist. Do you want to be labeled a feminist? Some think it's a dirty word describing a man-hating woman who wishes she'd been born a man. Nothing could be further from the truth.
According to Bell Hooks, who is one of our most eminent feminist leaders, feminism is, "a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression." Anyone can be a feminist then. I am a feminist and I raised my three sons to be feminists. I'm proud they value equality for all. Feminism is for Everybody is the title of a book by Hooks published in 2000. Grab a copy. It's small, but, powerful.

I believe feminists need to be political. I believe ignoring politics is not an option. We need awareness of what's happening at every level in our political system. We cannot afford to ignore it. Not if we want to keep the rights we have. There are plenty who would love to see our political system return to the way it was when the Constitution was framed. 

 Are you interested? Are you willing to get involved? If you are new to political activism, start with Ballotpedia. It is a "nonprofit, nonpartisan collaborative encyclopedia designed to connect people to politics and elections at the local,state and federal level."  https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page

There is carefully researched information available on the site. According to wikipedia, Ballotpedia was "Founded in 2007, it covers American federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy." Everything is referenced and it is free of partisan opinion. 

Here are some things you can do to make a difference: write a letter-to-the editor, attend a town hall, go to a city council meeting, volunteer for a candidate or organization you support; you get the idea. Act. 

Join me and others who want to make this world a place where mutual respect is the norm and all people are considered to have inherent value. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has."   https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/margaretme100502.html

The First Hundred Days

I am thoroughly exhausted by the chaos that is Trump's presidency. He has gathered a cadre of people about him who all seem to have some connections to Russia and are willing to lie about it. In just 70+ days at least 3 have resigned or been fired. Now, we have a president who's campaign staff are under FBI investigation for their ties to Russia and possible collusion with Russia to influence the outcome of the November election. How on earth did we get here? Many pundits far wiser than I have been trying to figure it out. Some blame the victim of this Russian interference by saying Hillary Clinton was an awful candidate. Some blame the DNC and the head at the time, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Others blame the media for not doing their investigative duty and informing voters of the extent of Donald Trump's ties to Russia and his vast businesses that would present many opportunities for conflicts of interest.

I think there's plenty of blame to go around but let's now stop looking for someone to blame. Now is the time to figure out what to do with an amateur administration that doesn't know how to function effectively in DC or in world affairs. Not knowing is one thing. (No one expects them to know everything.) The most troubling aspect in my opinion is their willful ignorance. From my view, it looks like they don't even care to know. That's just sad.

We can only hope this administration begins to accept the extent of their ignorance and tries to remedy it by getting expert advice. Having a former media president with no experience in government advise Trump is no way to govern. The apprentice president needs experts in the room, not his children nor his in-laws. If we make it to day 100, it will be because wiser heads than his prevailed.

Action Required

It wasn't just President Obama's nightmare coming true. Most Americans were horrified to learn that Donald J Trump had won the necessary Electoral College votes to secure the presidency. President Obama had to eat his own words predicting that Trump would never be president of the United States. He had to be gracious and kind to the man who was anything but gracious and kind to him during his two terms in office. Most of us who had supported a different candidate went through the stages of grieving; many getting permanently stuck in the anger stage. Many of us finally reached the acceptance stage only to wake each morning to the reality of Trump's presidency and a new round of outrageous tweets, ridiculous surrogate statements, and bizarre Congressional committee hearings. We are only just 3 weeks into this presidency and yet nearly half of Americans polled would like to see him impeached. So, where do we go from here? As a long time Democrat, my plan is to resist most of President Trump's agenda. I don't support most of what he's proposed to do as president. I will support any Democrat in office who also opposes President Trump. I will work to encourage people to vote for Democrats who are running for office. If you share my sentiments, please find something you can do in this article on how to oppose President Trump and commit to taking action.
https://qz.com/846940/a-yale-history-professors-20-point-guide-to-defending-democracy-under-a-trump-presidency/

The Resistance

According to a magnificent article  by Liel Leibovitz in Tablet Magazine we have three obligatory tasks ahead of us if we are to survive. You can read the article here: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/217831/what-to-do-about-trump

I'm going to share the three points here. First, "The first, and most obvious, is this: Treat every poisoned word as a promise. When a bigoted blusterer tells you he intends to force members of a religious minority to register with the authorities—much like those friends and family of Siegfried’s who stayed behind were forced to do before their horizon grew darker—believe him. Don’t try to be clever. Don’t lean on political intricacies or legislative minutia or historical precedents for comfort. Don’t write it off as propaganda, or explain it away as just an empty proclamation meant simply to pave the path to power. Take the haters at their word, and assume the worst is imminent."

The second follows:  " Don’t waste any time, then, trying to understand: Then as now, many were amused by the demagogue and moved by his vile vision."

Finally, "Refuse to accept what’s going on as the new normal. Not now, not ever. " The point here is exactly like what the poet Maya Angelo said, "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." 

He has shown us and the Republican Party led by Paul Ryan has shown us. Let's get our act together and fight them every step of the way. 

We can throw them out of the White House and both houses of Congress if we can stop our infighting and act as a united party. I hope Democrats have the wherewithal to do it. Time will tell. 

Updated: Democrats and a very few Republicans will be the salvation of our democracy. When folks try to get you to vote against a Democrat because he/she isn't currently voting the way they want, check Ballotpedia for that member of Congress' voting record. Most likely they vote with Democrats the majority of the time. If that person were defeated in the primary and lost to a Republican in the general election, do you really think the Republican would vote with the Democrats the majority of the time? Folks who tell you to vote against an established Democrat, especially in areas the are Republican strongholds, may have a hidden agenda. Consider if they are trying to strengthen the Democratic Party or trying to blow it up. 

Love vs Hate

I wrote this last year before the election. Sadly, somehow, America chose hate and fear. Will we survive? Yes!! We will resist this charlatan every step of the way. Need help?  Go here:  theoppofile.com or find a local group of individuals who are also committed to Resistance.


Hate builds walls. It destroys and leads to violence and death. Hate sets people apart and creates fear. Hate divides and labels people.

Love builds bridges. Love brings peace and joy. Love unifies people and creates trust. Love brings compassion and serenity.

One candidate trades in hate. He labels people to create distrust and fear. He promotes violence and promises walls and policies to keep people separate.

My candidate talks about love. She wants to unify America. She promotes community and kindness. Her voice is raised for ALL AMERICANS. I trust her. She has my support. Which will you choose? #ChooseLove

Bernie's Revolution

By definition revolution is:   "an overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed." http://www.dictionary.com/browse/revolution

The term can also mean: "a radical and pervasive change in society and the social structure, especially one made suddenly and often accompanied by violence."

Some of Bernie Sanders' followers seem to be of the second persuasion. But, is that what Sanders himself is seeking? Just yesterday, he continued his call for revolution at a rally in San Jose, CA. 
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_29909443/san-jose-bernie-sanders-continues-call-political-revolution

Careful review of his message will show that he is not talking about the second type of revolution. Yes, he is unhappy with the status quo within the Democratic Party. And no doubt he will have some influence at the DNC National Convention in July.

In the meantime, Sanders' best efforts need to be directed at taking down Donald Trump and helping turn the Senate Blue by electing Democrats to some of the seats currently held by Republicans.

Rather than view the DNC, the Democratic Party, and Hillary Clinton as the enemy, Sanders and his supporters must focus on defeating Republicans if their revolution is ever to have a chance of changing anything they so disparage about the current political system.

#ImWithHer

I'm a 67 year old woman, wife, mother, and grandmother. I came of age in the 60's. At that time young women were mostly looking to get married and raise a family. Young women who wanted a career were mostly tracked into nursing, teaching, or secretarial work. Before The Pill, women were often derailed in their career goals by their biology. At that time women were subject to and trained to be submissive to their husbands. Many were told who to vote for by their husbands. If they worked outside the home, they were still expected to accomplish all or most of the household tasks.

It was a time of transition. I got married in 1970. Because I had access to birth control, I could finish my education, start my career, and plan the birth of my first child. My husband was a traditional man but he learned to adapt to the changes and together we have helped raise his four children and the three we had together.

I am supporting Hillary Clinton this time because I believe she will be good for America. I have looked at her past actions and her current policy proposals. I like her emphasis on early childhood education and paid family medical leave. I like that she got the children's health program passed. Her plan to make college affordable seems to me more reasonable than free college.

I trust her judgment and respect her diplomatic expertise. Hillary Clinton is no war monger but she isn't a pushover either. She has experience at the statesman level and is the best qualified candidate to ever run for president. That's why she has my vote. And my husband's!