We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal

On the 4th of July I thought what better time than to reprint this...

Seneca Falls Declaration, 1848

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that which they have hitherto occupied, but one to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to such a course.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they were accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled.

The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise.

He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice.

He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men--both natives and foreigners.

Having deprived her of this first right of a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides.

He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead.

He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns.

He has made her, morally, an irresponsible being, as she can commit many crimes with impunity, provided they be done in the presence of her husband. In the covenant of marriage, she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he becoming to all intents and purposes, her master--the law giving him power to deprive her of her liberty, and to administer chastisement.

He has so framed the laws of divorce, as to what shall be the proper causes, and in case of separation, to whom the guardianship of the children shall be given, as to be wholly regardless of the happiness of women--the law, in all cases, going upon a false supposition of the supremacy of man, and giving all power into his hands.

After depriving her of all rights as a married woman, if single, and the owner of property, he has taxed her to support a government which recognizes her only when her property can be made profitable to it.

He has monopolized nearly all the profitable employments, and from those she is permitted to follow, she receives but a scanty remuneration. He closes against her all the avenues to wealth and distinction which he considers most honorable to himself. As a teacher of theology, medicine, or law, she is not known.

He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough education, all colleges being closed against her.

He allows her in Church, as well as State, but a subordinate position, claiming Apostolic authority for her exclusion from the ministry, and, with some exceptions, from any public participation in the affairs of the Church.

He has created a false public sentiment by giving to the world a different code of morals for men and women, by which moral delinquencies which exclude women from society, are not only tolerated, but deemed of little account in man.

He has usurped the prerogative of Jehovah himself, claiming it as his right to assign for her a sphere of action, when that belongs to her conscience and to her God.

He has endeavored, in every way that he could, to destroy her confidence in her own powers, to lessen her self-respect, and to make her willing to lead a dependent and abject life.

Now, in view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half the people of this country, their social and religious degradation--in view of the unjust laws above mentioned, and because women do feel themselves aggrieved, oppressed, and fraudulently deprived of their most sacred rights, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of the United States.

In entering upon the great work before us, we anticipate no small amount of misconception, misrepresentation, and ridicule; but we shall use every instrumentality within our power to effect our object. We shall employ agents, circulate tracts, petition the State and National legislatures, and endeavor to enlist the pulpit and the press in our behalf. We hope this Convention will be followed by a series of Conventions embracing every part of the country.

Source: E.C. Stanton, S.B. Anthony and M.J. Gage, eds., History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 1 (1887), 70.

What women deserve

Ya! Sonya!

Check this out!

Infantilizing women....a global issue

Took this picture in the metro station at Montparnasse in Paris, France. I was a little shocked at how balant it is. Then I noticed the same Evian ad all over Paris and even on a guy walking around one day. I teach my students about advertising and its use of women as objects. We talk about how often women are depicted as sexualized infants...this should prove my point!

Do It Anyway

The lives and activisms that Courtney Martin shares in Do It Anyway are inspiring in many ways...but mostly in the belief that activism comes in many forms and at many levels. Inspiring stories of making change in 'your own backyard' Check it out! A good read.

"A War on Women" is an understatement

I am starting to feel insane. I think I am going mad. What the WHAT?! Is this moment, I’ve heard so often referred to when people say ‘it has to get a lot worse before the masses wake up and take action’? Is this it? Is this ‘the worse’ some were waiting for? Are we finally ready to collectively take to the streets?

On the one hand my activist soul is deeply moved and nourished by the women of Egypt who were in the streets creating their country’s revolution and then yesterday returned to the streets to make sure that world hears that they will settle for nothing less than being an integral part of designing where their nation goes next. I’m thrilled by the thousands of activists who are in the streets in Wisconsin fighting attempts to take away collective bargaining and the gutting of unions (and yet as I write this reports are in that the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a bill stripping nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers[1]). And I was moved by the speech that Rep. Jackie Speier gave about her own abortion experience, making the political personal as her colleagues in Congress attempt to de-fund, limit, and criminalize abortion in this nation.

But day after day I’m flooded with updates, blogs, reports, articles…to say it is like a train wreck you can’t turn away from is an understatement.

Iowa, North Dakota, and Georgia are all pushing bills referred to as “Personhood legislation” that attempt to criminalize abortion and various birth control methods. In Iowa’s case their bills would do two things…1) the state would be mandated to recognize and protect “life” from the moment of conception (House File 153) and 2) would expand state law to allow reasonable force (including deadly force) for the protect of an individual or third party. Criminal defense attorneys have argued that take together these bills allow for the legal and justifiable killing of abortion providers.[2]

Georgia has a bill proposed (by Rep Bobby Franklin who is also responsible to trying to make rape and domestic violence ‘victims’ into accusers last year) that would make both miscarriages and abortion criminal and illegal…even carrying charges of a felony with a penalty of life in prison or death.[3]

Ohio is having zygotes testify in favor of their House proposed bill, the “Heartbeat Bill” which would outlaw abortion as soon as a fetal heart beat is audible.[4]
20 states are currently putting up bills to outlaw abortion after 20 weeks (Nebraska has already passed such a bill based on an argument of ‘fetal pain’ which has never been proven and completely negates the woman’s experience)

New York Times reporter, James C. McKinley, reported on the brutal gang rape of an 11-year old girl in Texas by writing “They said she dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s. She would hang out with teenage boys at a playground, some said.”[5] As if any of these things justify or excuse rape…EVER, for any woman, of any age!

And the Congressional bill getting a lot of air time but is not explained fully is HR.1 that the U.S. House has already passed and goes to the Senate for a vote next week. This bill would eliminate Title X funding for health care providers that also provide abortion services (even though Title X funds are strictly separated from abortion services and goes solely to contraceptive care and education). The bill also prevents any abortion provider from receiving Title X funds in the future. And while much of the nation is talking about the impact on Planned Parenthood, who is named specifically in the bill, an important fact to note, by the way, is that many reproductive health centers also receive Title X funding and will be devastated by the passage of this bill…and don’t have the ‘household name’ for fundraising the Planned Parenthood does. This will absolutely devastate access for women nationwide! Especially poor, young, and rural women.

Other cuts included in HR.1 are teen pregnancy prevention grants, maternal and child health block grants, substance abuse treatment programs, job training programs, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition programs, AND a variety of housing programs, educational programs, and workforce preparedness programs[6]

And unfortunately I could keep going with my list…and I haven’t even begun to mention international issues (despite yesterday’s 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day). What strikes me particularly hard is that these attacks are not even attempted to be covert or veiled. Oh no…these are BLATANT attacks on women. Even the New York Times posted an article declaring that the Republicans are waging a WAR on women…hardly a radical feminist source of information.

So are we ready? Will we take to the streets? Will we take stand? Raise our voices? Legislators left the state of Wisconsin in protest to the attacks on labor issues….do we have legislators willing and ready to do the same for women’s rights? What will you do? What is your action? If not now, when? What more has to be lost before we finally stand collectively and say NO MORE?!

Actions to take right now:

• Click HERE to sign the petition to tell the New York Times to Apologize for Blaming a Child for Her Gang Rape
• Get educated and take action...See NOW's overview of the impacts of HR.1
• Click HERE to find out how to contact your Congressional Representative
• Join the campaign, "I Stand with Planned Parenthood" but also remember your local, and especially feminist women's health centers...in Northern California, for example, Women's Health Specialists
• Speak Out! Share this information with friends, family, colleagues...anyone!

I never tire of the famous Margaret Mead quote...and it seems ever so relevant now...

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

___________________________________________
[1] NPR, March 9,2011
[2] Reported in Right Wing Watch, Feb 24, 2011 and The Iowa Independent
[3] Mother Jones, Feb 23, 2011
[4] The Nation, March 7, 2011
[5] NY Times, “Vicious Assault Shakes Texas Town” March 8, 2011
[6] See NOW.org overview of cuts in HR.1

Open Letter to Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif.

Dear Rep. Speier
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for sharing your story Friday (2/18/11) and in doing so, standing up for women every where who make the decision to terminate a pregnancy for a wide array of personal reasons. Sometimes sharing our most personal stories are the scariest but most powerful. I tell my students to speak up even when their voices shake. Thank you for giving them a role model to look up to. And thank you for taking on a battle that impacts women lives in the most profound ways.

With the embattled culture we have surrounding reproductive rights in this country it is no wonder that there are rampant mis-conceptions about abortion and the women who have them. I believe that the mystery around abortion and politics that have ensued are the result of a targeted campaign by anti-choice extremists and politicians who wish to convolute the issues and remove women from the debate. We so often talk about abortion in this nation with a failing to recognize that behind every abortion is a woman making the best decision she believes she can at the time. When we remove her from the discussion we create an debate that is impersonal and hypothetical. We lose any compassion or recognition of women themselves at the very heart of the issue. Abortion is neither something one believes in or not, it is a reality in the nature of who we are. Women have had abortions since the beginning of human time, and will continue to have them until the end of human time. We have abortions for as diverse of reasons as we ourselves are diverse. Not all women choose abortion and not all women find that they have a choice. To deny women accessible and safe abortion, is to deny women dignity and self-determination. A fact, given your story, I am sure you are aware.

Often those who represent us hear only from us when we complain. I wanted to take a moment publicly to thank you. So thank you...thank you for standing up and speaking out and for doing so even though it may put you into a firestorm of anti-choice harassment. Know that many support you.

Sincerely,
Megan Seely

P.S. Readers...Often we are motivated to contact representatives when something is wrong, when we want to protest. I encourage this! But I also think that it is important to let representatives know when we like something that they have done. Especially, when their actions have likely made them the target of harassment. So on this note, I encourage you to thank Rep. Speier and recognize the incredibly brave act she did in speaking out. To contact Rep. Jackie Speier, click here.

For all those who believe in equality...a powerful new film

Miss-Representation
Click here for the trailer

"Writer/Director Jennifer Siebel Newsom brings together some of America’s most influential women in politics, news, and entertainment to give us an inside look at the media’s message. Miss Representation explores women’s under-representation in positions of power by challenging the limited and often disparaging portrayal of women in the media. As one of the most persuasive and pervasive forces in our culture, media is educating yet another generation that women’s primary value lies in their youth, beauty and sexuality—not in their capacity as leaders. Through the riveting perspectives of youth and the critical analysis of top scholars, Miss Representation will change the way you see media."
From the website

Book recommendation

"...decades of experience have taught us that gaining reproductive rights is not a simple answer to the bigger problem of ensuring reproductive justice for all women." Started reading a new book this morning...In Our Control by Laura Eldridge. Only a chapter or so in but already want to recommend!