No Girls Left Behind

Much discussion is taking place in how to best provide sound, quality education for young girls growing up around this world. While in the United States strides have been made in the past 25 years creating improved opportunities for education in topics traditionally taught more to boys, there are too many countries where education is denied, even against the law in some countries. In Afghanistan, the Taliban forbade girls from learning to read or write. In many improverished nations girls usually are kept to home and provided little or no formal education. Education is the key to liberation and true freedom. Girls must be provided the same rights to learn, to explore, to become all they can be and much more. Denying any education to young girls and women in other countries must be treated as a human rights abuse. If they could learn to read, they could read safety labels, food labels, instructions, protections from illnesses. Illiteracy is still rampant in many parts of the world. Being able to read would empower young women to work in higher-paying jobs. Many Hispanic immigrants who are here in the United States have little or no literacy training. If they could read and write, they could do better. Girls have dreams to be fulfilled--not all want to be mothers or stuck in the home for their lives--just as boys don't want to be. We can, and must, work to end illiteracy, to help people overcome the lack of these very important life skills. What you can do is if you know of people who cannot read to encourage them to contact the local school where they live so they can be connected in to community-based programs. There is one woman who recently won a nationally-televised contest, and admitted her own personal inability to read. There is no shame on this person--there is much we must do to eradicate this in our country. Please let's get girls worldwide into schools, and let's help them become the strong vibrant women leaders of tomorrow.

The Real Beauty of Women

Fashion models strut their stuff down runways every week somewhere in the world, demonstrating designers' latest inventions of clothing, jewelry, shoes, and handbags. The models look frail, almost skeletal--too thin and not realistic for the average woman's frame. The clothing for the most part is not practical for everyday use. Even copycat gowns called "knock-offs" won't be seen on most women because they don't get to go to expensive parties. Most women, if they wear cosmetics, wear what they can afford. For most of us, that is usually what we get from a drugstore or grocery store. But our beauty is something that cannot come from a fashion runway, a grocery store, a department store, or a drugstore. The authentic real beauty of a woman is her soul. It radiates when she is born--with squinty eyes, pudgy face, clinging close to her mommy; It radiates in the precocious little girl who plays, sings, explores, and whose eyes light up being alive. It radiates in the teenage girl first finding boys, being with her girl buddies, enjoying her newfound womanhood as she changes during puberty. It radiates as a young woman, finding her own independent identity, her likes, her choices, her own desires, her real loves, her hopes, her dreams, and grows into the woman she early on wants to be. It radiates in the woman who juggles raising children and keeping a career or in the woman who becomes scholarly in her educational pursuit yet remains single. It radiates middle-aged woman who watches her children graduate from high school, go on into the workforce or on to college; and it radiates in the same woman who embraces each of her grandchildren as they are born--the circle of life completely fulfilled for her. It radiates in the grandchildren who come screaminig "Grandma!." It radiates in the long-term, never-say-die sister friendships she has built up over many years. It radiates in the woman who retires from work but never from motherhood, always as active as she can be until such time she cannot be physically. And it radiates in the end, when God gently leads her by the hand home to Herself. And her beauty will radiate forever in the memories, stories, tears, and happy times she filled during her life. This tapestry of beauty did not require plastic surgery, mascara, eyeshadow, lipstick, foundation, little black dress, heels or hair done to the nines--because her beauty radiates because of the love that flooded forth from her soul to everyone. How do you radiate to others your inner beauty? Be genuine, simple, humble, humorous, sincere, honest, loving, dedicated, and true to yourselves. All those things radiate the real beauty of women.

Sister, What are YOU doing to fight to get Affordable Women's Health Care?

About 45 million Americans currently cannot afford any health care benefits. Let's use a guestimate that roughly 1/2 of those are women--who have young children to raise. How many of these women go year after year without routine mammograms, PAP smears, routine physical examinations, and ignore medical warning signs simply because they cannot afford even a visit to the local hospital's emergency room? Women are dying at a faster rate than ever before from heart disease, breast cancer is still the second cause of death for women, and lung cancer is claiming more non-smoking women than ever before. Too many working poor and homeless women cannot even be seen by a doctor as a charity case. In fact, emergency rooms are treating less impoverished people than ever before in the U.S.--they are near bankruptcy. Many people are being triaged, and most triaged for lesser illnesses are given referrals to doctors' offices, who tell them that they cannot be seen unless they pay the full amount. It was recently on a national news documentary show that the uninsured unfairly are charged the full amount and not given discounts, while those on health plans receive huge invoice discounts. Why are we going backward in this country? It's not just the women--men also--but for the sake of this--when the majority of poor are women and children, then it truly becomes a civil rights issue for women. Women who get paid shabbily and don't get medical care benefits while trying to support their children on what they make. The travesty here is that we are the richest country in the world that can pay for every spacewalk, every university, every road, every weapons system--but somehow social medicine cannot be created, funded, or maintained. If other dangerous illnesses spread, such as HIV and (hopefully not) Avian Flu, who will provide adequate treatment? If the U.S. Government invested in ensuring that every woman, man, and child had good medical checkups, immunizations, and preventative maintenance, many illnesses such as colon cancer, heart disease, breast cancer--may be stopped through early detection. Women who have to avoid the routine tests could obtain them without fear of inability to pay. What may cost a couple of hundred to a couple of thousand dollars in medical testing could avert paying millions of dollars for cancer therapies and emergency heart care. How many women have you encouraged to fight for her getting competent medical care? How many women have you encouraged to perform monthly breast self-examinations, or have regular heart checkups? How many women have you gotten after for their smoking cigarettes? Also--are you doing it yourselves? Another area is getting sound mental health care for women as well. We bear heavier burdens given the dangerous posture the world finds itself in. Trying to survive in this world with all its trauma, stresses, and pain will wear you down. Depression is treatable and needs to be treated when it occurs. It can do irreparable damage physically to you as well as impair your outlook on life. It too, can cause heart disease. Another area is dental care---poorly cared for teeth will cause major health problems. I had a friend who died from periodontal disease that infected her heart. Please today get after your girlfriends to act healthier, think healthier, and be healthier...You just may have saved their lives.

Women's Empowerment, Entitlement and Equality

The National Women's History Month is fast drawing to a close for this year. During this month hopefully you have explored the lives of courageous, strong, vibrant women who were visionaries ahead of their time. These many women stood in the face of gender discrimination, sexual bias, misogyny, knowing that it was wrong to treat females with less respect than males. They also believed in the dignity, class, character and spiritual beauty that each female possessed naturally in her soul. They refused to give up the fight for today's women's freedoms; they did not allow the old status quo of the "good old boys club" to forever define, shape, and govern the lives of women. They chose to break new ground in the "male-dominated" career fields; they fought to get equal education, equal sports opportunities for girls and young women; they blazed career paths that they went from being secretaries to being CEOs and corporate board members. They went from kitchens to being astronauts in space; They went from being women in the pews to becoming church clergy; They clarified that being feminine is not weak, or limiting, or helpless--they celebrated its's virtues, strengths, and goodness. They showed that females globally not only deserved free and equal civil rights--they demanded it. They made it quite clear that being female is an amazing gift of the Creator who made each of us. Become empowered--don't settle for less; don't believe you are incapable of contributing to this ongoing change of society. Don't become complacent by thinking that women's rights and freedoms have been reached--we still have many things to achieve, and new countries to blaze new trails for women's civil rights. Be aware of your entitlements--naturally bestowed on you by your Creator as a woman. You are entitled to respect, love, honor, dignity, class, character, respect, legal representation, equal footing, equal pay, higher education--and you should never settle for anything less. You deserve to be seen and not be treated as invisible; you deserve to have your opinion equally considered in the midst of any man as valuable; you deserve to be seen as talented, competent, and a main contributor. If our female predecessors can do it, so can't we--and so must we. The fight is far from over.

Desperate Families

In every community across North America, growing numbers of families find themselves being denied access to support services. Social (or should they be called "unsociable") services funding is being slashed by federal, state and local governments, frequently justified as "cost-cutting measures." Yet, the numbers of laws giving more money to the wealthiest citizens are increasing. Homeless shelters are being closed in record numbers; food stamps eligibility is being strictly tightened; jobs are being moved in record numbers like never before. Affordable housing has evaporated. The wealthiest and the greediest are the ones getting blessed with asistance they don't deserve. People lose jobs faster than lightning striking, and when they cannot pay their bills, it is assumed it is their fault they cannot find work. When they go for lengthy periods of time without work their credit scores are affected adversely. So,when they apply for new jobs and credit checks are performed, they get denied jobs because they did not pay their bills on time. What was once a very strong, vibrant job economy now is anemic and weak. The U.S.Government is eager to move all manufacturing, administrative, information technology, financial, and security jobs out of the country, but by the legislative actions it has taken it truly could care less for the majority of the people. This includes both parties in each chamber of the U.S. Congress. The members will never be poor--they will never starve, go with out work, they have security and limos to drive them around. They have chartered flights; they have luxurious homes, and enjoy high-end life. They are for the most part disconnected to real Americans. They "talk" a good speech, but they truly are naive to real suffering. If they really cared cleanup for Hurricane Katrina would be further along; if they cared about protecting American families they would have stopped the flood of American jobs out of the nation; and if they truly believed in preserving U.S. homeland security they would have sealed the borders in faster time, prevented companies from outsourcing our private business data to non-American workers who work in jobs in other countries handling our everyday decisions. Frankly, they do not care for us--it's not loss personally for them. Families are desperate--they want good jobs, not substandard paying ones, or to have to work 2 to 3 jobs just to pay rent for a low-income apartment. They want financial protection, not to see corporations be blessed with not having to pay taxes, to get away with wiping out pensions, or to collect massive profits off the backs of sending outsourced jobs. They want good food on their tables, not to have to rely on food banks to feed them. Americans are not lazy, and they do any job if it available. They may not like it, but if it means keeping themselves and their families from homelessness, they will do it. It is wrong to give them to undeserving, unauthorized people. Why should American children have to suffer because the leadership refuses to support their own people first? It was believed that citizenship has its privileges. Our children need medical care, dental care, after-school jobs, etc. Adults want to see that their college education will not be wasted because companies don't want to pay them a fair wage. Why should veterans of our wars have to see their hospitals be closed, or elder Adults have Medicare benefits cut,while Congress votes themselves large pay increases each year? Family values mean we value the social family unit and must do everything to create a safety net for every American. Tax money is not given so it can be paid to the wealthiest only or every other country. Stand up and say no more--Family Values ARE true American values. No one should ever take that away--not now, not ever!

What are YOUR Dreams, Goals, and Ambitions?

When you were born, everyone had their dreams and thoughts and personal hopes what you would become as a woman--a mother, a wife, a good sister, a good daughter...and the like. But did you find that your own life experiences conflicted with all the desires others wished you would be? What if you did not want to be married, or did not want to have children; what if you chose to wait until you met the right man--after you finished your professional education? Were you trained socially that you would have to have a family in your 20s--never mind a personal career? The subliminal images and even direct social expectations still have young teenage girls wanting to please a boy rather than finishing their education, or focusing on the fashion rather than her dreams. What about the young woman who gave up her college studies to be a stay-at-home mom out of duty to her man, who leaves her with the children? Who is going to help her then? Do you know of too many women who have been mislead down the mommy track too soon and are unable to provide for themselves? We need to build a new coalition of women determined to get as many women through a 4-year college degree they can use in the real world. We need to make it clear that women need good careers, not minimum wage jobs, to provide for their children. We need to ensure that financial aid is adequate so a woman can complete her college education faster than the average 5 to 10 years it takes an adult to complete a single bachelor's degree in the U.S. We must provide help to young girls to see a healthier self-image as female, to motivate them in understanding they too have dreams, goals, and ambitions. Many women have pierced the glass ceiling in business--but more need to do it--it needs to be shattered. More churches need to ordain women as ministers and priests. If we are going to revolutionize the world we better bring change to the heart of our very daily events we attend--work, faith, and social groups. If women were provided many more models of strong, vibrant, creative women, such as Oprah, J.K. Rowling, the late Princess Diana, Queen Latifah, the late Rosa Parks, and the late Coretta Scott King, and many others--they would stand up and say that their goals, dreams and ambitions are not selfish but intimately connected to their personal womanhood. It is never wrong to be true to yourself--it is a lie when you say that you will set yours aside for someone else who won't do the same for you. You then become a model for other women, and your future children. Why can't you be a doctor, or a lawyer, a CEO, a minister, or priest or business owner, or maybe president of the United States? Dream big--Success is a great goal--fulfillment is an even greater goal and ambition. Don't give up on what your dreams are--they matter for you too. And they are ALL achievable--only YOU keeps you back.

Time to Even the Score in Congress

In the Declaration of Independence, the call was made that the then-newly liberated nation we now call the United States would have "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Today equal representation is something women have struggled to have. Did you know that only 21 women occupy current incumbent seats in the entire 535-seats of Congress today? That means that 514 seats are held by men. Men are wonderful, don't misunderstand me, but that roughly amounts to 5 percent representation of us women by women. Too many critical issues that affect us women are being decided by the opposite sex--people who don't know what it's like to live, be, survive, and grow up as female. They can look vicariously through their wives', or mothers', or female friends' eyes, but they will not experience it personally within their own skin. Corporations conduct nationwide talent searches for qualified, calibered people to work within high-level positions; why don't we start doing the same searching for female candidates to represent the majority of Americans who are female? No, we don't have to elect 250 women to make it egalitarian in nature; It is time that this country, which has millions of well-educated, talented and very brilliant women in business, who by sheer proof of their leadership skills, would make great political leaders for their political districts. The shaping of laws in this country would have a significant different outcome and appearance. Even how the United States' foreign policies would fare different, and our relations with the world improved. We might have less poverty in this country and worldwide. Tax money might be better spent on domestic issues of education, social services, family needs, health care, equal rights for all groups/races--the list goes on. It is also time we consider a woman to be elected as President--not as a token, but because of her abilities. Just because a person may wear pants, suit and tie, that is not a healthy guarantee that the country will be led competently better or that male leaders are superior. These stereotypes need to be broken. What will YOU do about it? Get involved--talk it up with your women friends, colleagues, and ask yourselves: Why have we waited so long, and what are we waiting for? Start making lists of women you feel possess strong leadership, mentoring, and business skills. The more we do this, the more we change our future. Then and only then will we have true life, authentic liberty, and our pursuit of happiness will be fulfilled.

Global Threat of HIV/AIDS Against Women

How much do you, a woman, really love yourself? How much do you really know about HIV and AIDS? How much do you talk it up with your girlfriends about safety? We always look out for each other to keep ourselves from physical, emotional, and spiritual harm. What about sexual harm? Sure, we walk with girlfriends to keep ourselves from being harmed; we fight against domestic violence. But did you know that millions of women are dying from HIV--a very preventable virus? Too many people, men and women, are carrying this virus and don't even know it. Women are carriers and don't realize it. Too many people worldwide--many millions--have become infected and keep on infecting. It is not a gay disease--it is an "everyone" disease. Don't be fooled into believing that using proper protection will stop the spread--it will slow it down, but it is not foolproof. Don't be lulled to believing that other sexual practices outside of normal sexual contact are safe--in fact--they are the worst, most dangerous and easiest transmission methods. If you have a partner--has he/she been tested? Do you know their results? Have you yourself been tested? If you have a new partner and want to be intimate--suggestion: both of you go get tested--get each other's confidential number--when results come back go together and view the OTHER's results. Too many people NEVER go back to get theirs out of fear, and in doing so, put innocent people at risk of becoming infected. Also, if they cannot verify their status in a satisfactorily (testing is the only way) manner, then you must protect yourself, just like not allowing yourself to be hit by a car. Keeping yourself out of harm's way is vital to your safety, your survival, your dignity, and above all, your self-esteem. Other people need you around to care for them--children, friends, family, co-workers. Please don't let impulse lead to needless exposure to an incurable, fatal virus. Take a local HIV/AIDS education class--learn for yourself. Many countries in Africa and Asia will lose 50 percent of their population to this dreaded virus. 9 Million children are now orphaned because their parents died from AIDS. Please get tested and don't leave such a sad legacy to your own children. They need you for years to come.

Have We Sold Away Women's Dignity?

Being a woman today is dangerous...and it's not laughable. Too many women (and their children) still around the world are in poverty, destitution, forced to live in squalor, denied jobs because of their gender, paid terribly less than men, and suffer unmentionable crimes against them. Too many young women report are forced into human slavery and trafficked as sex slaves worldwide. Many women still only get paid 71 cents on average to every man's full one dollar. Social pressures seem to ignore the advances that feminism fought dearly for. It seems that the world does not believe women are free, independent, beings and can decide for themselves how to use their bodies. It seems the male-led religions feel threatened that women can decide how to take care of their bodies. Women are still being told that they must submit to their husbands--but do the men follow suit to their wives the same way? Also, young women are drawn into dressing near nakedness, while young men don't nearly go as far. Also, too many women are told subconciously that being skeletal thin makes you attractive. And women much more than men are beaten down for being over some weight standard. But, what we really never hear is how we are truly beautiful as we are today, and not for some false ideal that will not bring us happiness, but more torture and pain. In short, women are beaten down in one way or another. Either we're too smart or too dumb or too fat or too skinny--but no one ever says--we are beautiful just as we are. Too many are told how to dress a certain way with certain colors to "mask" the supposed body flaws we have. Whatever happened to saying that that they weren't flaws at all-but the very things that show our real beauty as women!!! Whaever happened to saying that our human worth, our dignity, holding our heads high. By our agreeing with the fashion magazines' images we slander ourselves and insult our own inner beauty. Without us the world would be in worse shape. We will never look magazine-cover ready--but we will have a beautiful womanhood that can never be insulted--that of mothers, friends, confidants, sisters, buddies, committed, concerned family people. Instead of telling a woman she needs to lose weight to be loved and accepted--tell her to do it so she doesn't get diabetes or heart disease. Teach girls to admire themselves, and raise them early on to stand up for themselves--telling themselves there is not one thing wrong with how they look--it's time we took the truth to every person worldwide and say: "Enough insults, enough falsehoods about females, and we won't take it anymore" If you are a woman who has insulted herself for how she looks because you have given yourself into the marketers' view, then forgive yourself, start again, and love yourself for who you are right now. The next time someone, man or woman, tells you you look ugly, fat, not beautifull-tell them it is truly their problem and how dare they judge their own appearance better than your own? Also ask them what makes them an authority in this area. In addition, when you stop and admire who you are this very moment, you break the cycle of lies told about women--you celebrate dignity. So, go to the mirror, admire yourself, and thank God for your body--it's the one that got your through school, college, married and/or with a significant other; it also got you jobs; through it you made friends; with your body you have hands to hug and be hugged; you have feet that carry you all around the world; your eyes helped you see the beauty of life; your ears helped you hear the words of love from many; and your face attracted many amazing wonderful people from friends to lovers. So, don't be too hard on your body. It has and will serve you well.

A Project for the Ladies...

Keeping in the spirit of National Women's History Month and International Women's Day (March 8th), I have a project for the women who read this blog. It is not complicated, but it will take some effort on your part. Celebrating women's lives and their achievements helps us to recognize those whose lives paved the way for our own liberty and freedom. (See my previous post, "The Measure of a Woman") This project is this: select the most influential woman you have ever known in your life. Put a collage of pictures, videos, write some essays, decorate it with flowers, and highlight in the project how HER example, HER model, HER existence, and HER womanhood had the greatest effect on your life's development. And it must be someone you know personally well (e.g., a teacher, a neighbor, a mentor, a long-time girl buddy). When you are done, give this created gift to her. Tell her why you made it, how she influenced your life, and what impact for the better she had on you in your own womanhood. We all have that 'one' heroine we think of often--who is yours? Please share with me (no full names, please) in your comments who she is and why. Let us build a tapestry of the unknown women in our lives who helped be who we are today. Without them, where would we be?

On the Perilous Road to America

In the past several months more media pieces surfaced about the long, dangerous, and often fatal journeys people have taken to come to the United States. Photographs show the dangerous journeys on tops, bottoms, and sides of freight trains. Hundreds, maybe thousands, die each year in the southernmost states of this nation. One state recorded its highest total of found dead illegal Hispanics by October, 2005--in the hundreds! That does not include other states, nor the ones not yet found. It seems that, correctly or incorrectly, the U.S. Government by not dealing with the border issues swiftly and decisively, has sent the wrong signal to those south of the border. The deperate poor see a green light to chance it, along with their families, putting them all at risk to come here. These people must cross rough deserts, with high heat, no food, no water, with lots of rattlesnakes and scorpions, and they face a greater gamble at being successful making it into this country than winning money on a slot machine. They live in horrid squalor; they lack the necessary immunizations from childhood diseases our government requires, especially for children to attend school. And when they get here, many of them have to shack up, 5 to 20 deep in apartments in many parts of the country. They lack knowledge of basic English, they don't know the rules and social expectations of American culture, and more than likely have limited job skills. When President Bush said they take the jobs no Americans don't want--he basically said they were third-class people who would do the dirtiest, dehumanizing work. Many of them when they work for people get stiffed of what they have earned and have complained they don't get even minimum wage. A guest worker program is not what this country needs--what this country needs is to stop the flood of people into this country for the time being. It needs to decide that, if it wants a guest worker program, then make the people prove they can pay their way to support themselves here first. But before establishing such a program--see to it that Americans get first dibs at the jobs, so they are not being shortchanged the chance to have paying jobs to keep themselves out of unemployment and homelessness, which both have grown by leaps and bounds. If the U.S. Government cannot ensure safer means for people to travel to live in this country from Latin America, then it has a duty to protect them from making the journey--so doesn't the Government of Mexico. These people have suffered so much in their own countries--please don't add any more to their misery. And if you think it's not a problem, go read how the governors of the four border states enacted emergency legislation to seal and patrol their borders. Too many hospitals have been forced into bankruptcy due to the high costs of paying for the medical care for all the illegal Hispanic immigrants who were hurt during the journeys. They should not even be doing this!!! Today, please send a copy of this post to your Congressional delegation and ask them: Mr./Ms. Congressperson, can you go to sleep tonight in peace knowing this is occurring every hour of the day, all day?? And ask yourself the same question as well. This situation affects all of us and there is no excuse for it happening. Not one.

Celebrate Life!

This week this writer celebrates her birthday. Many lament turning another year older; others lie about their age, while others joyfully celebrate. This author chooses the last of these options. I recently was talking to a young woman who was one day before turning 30...she was mourning reaching this milestone year. I shared with her she should be grateful about reaching this achievement. The world is a very dangerous place--with wars everywhere, poverty growing by leaps and bounds, with the spread of dangerous illnesses such as AIDS and Avian Flu, she needed to be amazed that she reached the 30 year mark unscathed. This author herself has had her share of illness that nearly took her life. Each day is a new day to grow, to begin a new chapter of your life, to share, to breathe, to walk, to talk, to see, to hear, to taste, to feel, and to learn. During a down time in my life, someone asked me to point out 5 positive things that happened today. So, I said the usual 'I don't know.' He then queried me if i ate today--he reminded me that millions die each year from malnutrition; he then queried me if I breathed today, if I walked today, if I talked today, so on and so on. You get the idea. I took for granted very important positive things that can be snatched away faster than the blink of an eye. The greatest one of these is being alive in this body--moving all the joints, using them, and being able to think. Someone gave this suggestion that we all do all we possibly can physically before we are unable to do so and it is lost forever. There are two types of people: Survivors and Thrivers. I have a new combined category -- we are SurThrivors--we both survive the things that happen to us yet we consciously choose to thrive even in the midst of personal or worldly adversity. This is truly the stuff we are made of. We can be hearty people in face of negativity, and we can plod along the journey of life, knowing that pratfalls, difficulties, and failures will occur. Since I was little I have maintained that life is like a bouquet of roses and there are times we will be pricked by the thorns on the stems--it's unavoidable. Today encourage another to read this post; tell another how you cherish and love them; write someone who is a difficult person to get along with an e-card giving encouragement and love; Do whatever you can before they are gone. Celebrate your own life by celebrating everyone's diverse wonderful beautiful life. Do at least one act of kindness each day to someone. You and that other person will be blessed by doing so.

Ah! To Have a Real Luxury in America--A Good Paying Job

Americans are being kept in the dark about the realities of how outsourcing coupled with illegal immigration have wiped out many millions of American jobs. The wealthiest are seeing us not as valuable assets to a company--we are seen as liabilities and they want "low-cost" solutions. These solutions are in reality sending every conceivable type of job that can be done on a computer to another country where dirt-low wages are paid, thus they reap huge profits. The wealthiest also depend on the dirt-paid illegal immigrant like a drug addict needing a cheap fix. But, when it comes to Americans, who live here, raise families here, want to have the best for their children, and to have good medical care for themselves or their children--forget it.... And when it comes to providing medical benefits--that's a joke. Americans don't get a straight answer--only answers like "the illegal immigrants do the jobs that no Americans want to do." Doesn't that sound a bit like discrimination ringing clear again? And doesn't that sound like we Americans don't want to work, or don't like to work? Hardly! Too many people -- American citizens born here -- would crave to have these jobs. And what about all the financial, computer, administrative jobs--the ones that require people to have a college education? Now they cannot find good work--the jobs are being done by people in other countries--we are too expensive. Well, guess what? we can boycott buying or using your products -- we can avoid recommending your company to people. Outsourcing is not how life has to be. We need to use the power of the pen and the ballot, not to forget the strength of boycotting to resolve this ignorance. Also, why aren't we standing up to say that we want our factories returned to our homeland? What happens, just suppose, that if we have all our products made in another country, and hostility breaks out between our country and theirs? How would we get our products then? If we talk and claim being committed to "Homeland Security" then bring the companies, factories, and jobs back home--protect our people first--they pay the taxes, live here, raise their children, they vote, and want a strong American homeland. We are NOT cheap labor, nor are we some wealthy person's convenience--we ARE the real hard-working, deserving Americans and we do not want our country sold out based on greed. Call and write your Congressional delegation and demand change be made--our real liberty and freedom are at stake!

Freedom from Religious Domination

In the past several years more legal issues have swirled around the "morality" of one law or another in either the courts or in the Congress. More energy and effort has been spent focusing on reinventing the laws to support a very strong influential evangelical Christian population. Too many laws exclude many non-Christians. Missouri has passed a resolution claiming that the nation was founded as a "Christian nation." This writer, who is non-Christian, has had evangelical Christians tell her that she can be her religion as long as she remembers that this country "is based on the teachings and truths of Jesus Christ." Not only was I offended, I was appalled that this even happened to me. Let's be honest: Yes, this country was founded based on religious liberty, but too often there are too many who believe they have to have an "in-your-face" approach to convert you to their beliefs, and I, for one, don't approve, nor do I want to be coerced or told I have to believe in your religion to be a good American citizen. Yes I do respect other's beliefs, but I want my rights, privileges and desires to express my personal faith to be equally honored and respected. Perhaps the constitutional amendment separating church from state needs to be clarified and reworded. Yes it is your right to believe in God, but it is also the rights of people to NOT believe in a divine creator or belong to an organized religion. The government has a solemn duty to uphold this, and if it cannot, then the Amendment needs to be made crystal clear in its wording that all persons are protected in their beliefs. I personally do not care how you believe--but for you to say the typical "I'm right-you're wrong" mentality and push into the law not only is arrogant but is insensitive to the minorities who do not share your enthusiasm. It is also frightening that this attitude is used to discriminate, cause hatred, and creates a less-free society in the United States. I am not an atheist, but who is to say that someone who is, has less concern and compassion for people or somehow would not be a law-abiding citizen. If the law clearly has a specific religious denomination's teaching in it, does that law violate the civil rights of those who do not believe their religion? Some things to think about.

American Nightmare

In the past several weeks debate has raged about a foreign company taking charge of major U.S. ports' operations. There was so much fury that the deal fell through through so much public pressure. Also, there was criticism about the $202 Billion trade deficit between the China and the U.S. Yet, there is a clearcut denial that for nearly 1/2 of the U.S. population there is a denial of good paying jobs sufficient to support a family with one job. Many jobs now pay 10 percent less than they did 10 years ago. Many people have to work 2 to 3 full-time jobs each just to have an affordable home. Too many children are too poor to afford a 4-year college degree. Nearly 20 million American jobs have been outsourced to other countries. Too many people in this country will never experience any such "American Dream". Instead, they have been handed the American Nightmare--poor-paying jobs, no medical benefits, little or no affordable college that could be finished in 5 years or less. Once again, there is an emerging caste system where the wealthiest enjoy the political freedoms, the educations, the careers, while too many live in rags around the nation. Who does this country's government really support? We can throw billions of dollars to Iraq--but we cannot even put the same amount into helping the neediest people here. Neither political party shows real concern for the people--they only do it to make themselves look worthy enough for reelection. Democracy has failed the poorest here. Too many wealthy people have been elected to Congress and are insulated from poverty in their personal lives. They will not go home tonight and worry which bill to pay, what to eat, where to get food, how to get further assistance, etc. They won't have to worry about being without medical benefits. Too much talk, very little action--that is the hallmark of this Congress. If the Congress put as much money into the citizenry as they do for Iraqis, we would have little or no poverty. Isn't our tax dollars really supposed to help our own people? When will Congress really care about keeping companies here, helping individuals get the jobs instead of giving them all away to other countries? When will they get off their gold pedestals to give a damn about the "real" Americans who vote for them, who have bills to pay, who have to feed, clothe, educate, and protect their children? Too many children are living in squalor in America. Our Congress are too hell-bent on fighting elsewhere and has forgotten to fight for us here. Actions speak louder than their words: We are not important to them. It's time to vote in a brand-new Congress of individuals who are not complacent, who put the home front first, who will ensure that we have plenty of jobs here, that tax dollars paid by Americans stay in America, and will help all children pay for college in a timely manner not with loans but with grants as investments for the future. The recent hurricanes have proven the Congress does not really care for the poor. It's time that we use the ballot to clean house and install people who will care. What was once the "land of the free" is now the land of the oppressed and the home of the poor. This should not be, not now, ever. So, what are you going to do about it? Ignoring it, saying it is not your problem, will eventually hurt you and your family. It's time to stop the outsourcing before homelessness becomes the ultimate way of life here. Our elected officials should not only be those who are filthy rich--they must be from the poor as well. Our government is short-sided, biased toward the poor, and has forgotten us. It's time for a new change, a revival of the American spirit, and a rebirth of true American values. It is time to relearn the values that started this country in the first place. So, what are you going to do about it?

And the Award Goes To......

In the first few months of each year, awards shows celebrate the achievements on television the people who made an amazing contribution to music, arts, film, and their behind-the-scenes technologies that put it all together. Picture (no pun intended) your life as a full-length film. Who, in your life, would you vote for? Who would you thank if your life won the awards? There are many, many actors and actresses who played a major or minor role, from parents to teachers to friends to mentors to children. The list is long--yet, they need to be recognized. They made you, the real star, successful through their supporting roles. They also sing the song of your life--its' beautiful tapestry, its legacy, its story. They set the stage for your debut in life; they prepared you for your leading role--that of your life--which is by no means a comedy--but a delightful many-act play that is completely yours. Accept your award by taking a moment now before they die--write those who you can a note thanking them each for how they made a significant difference in the success of your life. It is never too late to do it. Gratitude is the greatest award of love we can bestow on those who loved us, believed in us, participated in the Movie of our lives,and cared enough in its final editing. They made sure the bad clips hit the cutting floor and were forgotten. They looked beyond the failures, flubs, miscues, and kept saying "Action"--so we could redo the scene again, each time more polished, each time a little more perfected. They sang our praises in their hearts, and their positivity uplifted us time and again. Let's give a round of applause for all of those that gave all they had for us. We would not be the people we are today without them. And we all know that is very true.

What are You Doing on the Sidelines?

Everyone recalls the aftermath of the 2000 Presidential Election in the United States. It was contentious, controversial, and challenged in the judicial system. We all know the outcome--but that is not the focus of this writer. Do you know about the first free election that occurred in South Africa after the end of Apartheid? Both elections have contrasts--that U.S. election had many who could have cared less about exercising their privilege to vote. But in South Africa, people who never voted before stood in lines for 3 days!!! They did not take this precious gift for granted. But for many Americans, they could not be bothered. That is a tragedy!!! If we want real change, then we must use that power of the vote--many say it won't change the status quo, but how would they know if they don't try? We kid ourselves by saying "it's not my problem", "my vote is only one", etc. But your vote may be the ONE that changes history. Your vote is YOUR personal voice put into official action. Still around the world almost 2 Billion people (an uneducated guestimate) do not enjoy this voting right. Working for good change requires voting. Even if your party does not win, the votes send a crystal clear message to the winner that YOU and YOUR Group cannot be ignored over the time of the time in office. Only you can exercise your privileges.... Don't abscond it,waste it or scorn it! Instead, use it and celebrate this as being a true patriot of your Country!!! If you are new, read my previous post titled "Priorities and Patriotism." The next time you don't vote and the government is a problem for you--remember then you cannot complain--you voted them in by NOT voting for who YOU wanted. Like it is said, "You made your bed, now you get to sleep in it!" Do the Right Thing--Go Vote--not for you, but for your friends and children. They will thank you.

Feminism is not a dirty F-Word

What a word! The word feminism invokes excitement, challenge, issues, women stuff, equality, civil and human rights. It has both aroused conciousness and yet raised eyebrows. For this writer, the word is not a negative or a means to attack the male gender. It embraces the spirit, ambiance, beauty, equality, fairness, dignity, parity due every female--past, present and in the future. It declares that we are not just a kaleidescope of pretty faces but a treasure trove of beautiful minds and hearts. We say the word to mean that we want females everywhere to be protected, respected, educated, honored, treasured, loved, and admired for being the wonderful person they each are. We also are saying that we do not wish to be maltreated, harmed, hurt, maimed, raped, murdered, or denied rights that men take for granted. We do not want to be earning less than a man doing the same job; we do not want to be denied safe access to all forms of medical care. While in the United States great strides have been made for liberty for females in many arenas (and yes there is still a ways to go), many of our sisters outside in other countries long for every crumb of these freedoms. We must maintain the vigilance of the light of liberty for our global sisters--hold the feminism torch high like Lady Liberty hoists hers in New York Harbor-- reminding us that everyday too many women live without the basic rights to drive, have a job, own a home, have a career, be an individual, and still suffer horrid persecution, live in squalor and endure horrible unspeakable crimes. Feminism means that we join together--not just women alone-but caring men as well--to clearly and firmly hold that females are truly equal to males--not in words alone, but through concrete and resolute action. We also hold that we want our justified footing, our place, our space, and our own means to celebrate Womanhood and be free from harrassment, violence, fear, crime, attack, and discrimination. We can also encourage young women to embrace healthier images of being female, teaching them that they were made good by the Creator, that being female is nothing wrong, and that they are here to make a difference in the lives of others as well. Working to strengthen laws to curb domestic violence, providing safe, affordable housing to single mothers with children, providing child care to help women while they finish high school and/or college, are some ways to help women out of the trap of poverty. Feminism is not a bra-burning issue--it is civil-rights-building issue.....for every woman--for you and for me.