Essays related to civic service
|
|
What You're Saying -
Service
|
|
Written by Chris
|
|
Saturday, 14 February 2009 22:49 |
|
Information submitted by reader Chris V.
I hope you will pass on information about the said interviews to your fellow-travelers (or fellow bloggers). Thank you.
|
|
Last Updated on Sunday, 15 February 2009 14:43 |
|
|
A memoir of devotion to appropriate representation of women |
 |
 |
 |
|
What You're Saying -
Service
|
|
Written by Alma Sanford, J.D.
|
|
Saturday, 03 January 2009 00:46 |
[Note from 51 Percent: this memoir-like essay resulted from correspondence regarding the good work of the National Women's History Museum; text used by permission of the author]
I would be extremely pleased to have my name used with anything in connection with the National Women's History Museum. I began receiving their mail many years ago and try to give a little donation every year to help make the museum become a reality. Since I am no longer working, it isn't much but if everyone donates, it will make a tremendous difference.
I have been a strong supporter of women's rights as long as I can remember, although I grew up on a farm and went to a rural school in Kentucky where I learned nothing about women's history. My family (including ten children) didn't own a television until I was age 15. Sometime around age 35 I was lucky enough to discover Betty Friedan's "Feminine Mystique" and that was all I needed to send me on a quest for knowledge about women's rights, including reading women's history. As a result, I decided to finish my college degree and go to law school and try to help change the horrid conditions for women and girls. I arrived at law school at the age of 39.
I joined the National Organization for Women in 1973 and have maintained a membership until this year when my displeasure with the organization's leadership endorsing a man for President of the United States caused me to fail to renew. I am very discouraged at the lack of leadership on women's issues. As you know, we have made only 'baby steps' at reaching parity with males in our country. I am turning 70 in April thus, I have had many years to join others to lobby and picket but I find it discouraging that there is so little progress.
I attended women's studies classes at Wichita State University in Kansas from 1976-1979. It was only the second university in the nation to open a WS department. I went on from Wichita State to the University of Kansas Law School, graduating in 1982 and practiced law in Wichita until 1995.
Family events led to me coming to Nashville in 2001. In the meantime, I lived in Falls Church, VA and worked in the Gore 2000 campaign. I was with the DNC team that went to Florida to count votes in December 2000 and as a result, I became a passionate advocate for voting integrity.
From my concerns about the theft of Al Gore's election in Florida in 2000 (and John Kerry's stolen election in 2004), I joined Common Cause of Tennessee in 2004 and was involved for four years with a dozen other committed citizen lobbyists who succeeded in (early 2008) passing a bill to assure paper ballots in our state.
My passion is working to educate all people about women's history. On August 26th each year I am usually involved somewhere in a public event to help keep the "herstory" alive. Since Tennessee was the 36th and last state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment, we do get some good "p.r." here in Nashville. I often give as a gift, copies of "The Perfect 36" by Yellin & Sherman (ISBN: 0-916078-48-5) which was published in Oakridge, TN on the 75th anniversary of the 19th amendment. As an elected Hillary Clinton delegate from Tennessee's 5th Congressional District, I celebrated on August 26, 2008 in Denver with Hillary and others from WomenCount.
In my retirement, I helped found a P.A.C. to raise money to elect pro-choice women to local and state offices in Tennessee and we are still struggling to continue. We continue to be a very backward state and are even losing ground! We do have the Tennessee Economic Council on Women and they are the only 'hope' for Tennessee women and girls.
I remain broken-hearted about the manner in which the Democratic Party broke their rules and went outside all bounds of ethical and legal behavior to deny Hillary the party's nomination for President. I am a proud member of the HRC 300 club (the delegates who signed the petititon to assure Hillary's name was placed in nomination.)
Please carry on the important work that Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony started. We are a long way from the finish line to reach equality in America and I am getting old and tired from the long fight. We need young people to keep working to end the misogyny and make equality a reality in the United States! |
|
|
|
|
|
Subscribe to RSS Feed
