Tag Archives: women

Feeling A Little Less Helpless

advocacy, politics, thinking out loud, ,

I met with the Jameson Babb, Chief of Staff for Senator Lashrecse Aird, my Virginia state Senator. I reached out to ask what, besides making phone calls or sending postcards, I might do to feel a little less helpless. I also had a couple ideas I wanted to share with him to see if they would be worth the time and energy.

It was one of the best meetings I have had for a long time. I had an informal agenda, and we covered most of my topics plus a lot more ground in 30 minutes. I left with immediate ideas for where to begin, including starting a women’s group ala The Liberal Women of Chesterfield, who were the powerhouse behind getting Abigail Spanberger, current candidate for Virginia governor, elected in the first place. Their mission statement is fiercely progressive:

LWCC strives to be a safe haven for liberal women and their allies to support, educate, and encourage one another to be actively involved in our government; and, furthermore, seeks to advance advocacy issues and
campaigns that align with our progressive values of inclusivity and equal rights for all people.

As I read it, I was reminded of an episode from Season 3 of The West Wing, when President Bartlett is running for his second term. Bruno Gianelli, the high paid consultant played powerfully by Ron Silver, designs ads that skirt campaign finance laws (this was 2001 so before Citizens United basically gutted them completely). Sam Seaborn pushes back because he thinks they should have a higher standard, the “we go high” philosophy of more contemporary times, and Bruno makes an impassioned speech about not apologizing for being liberal and progressive and believing that government can do good things for its people to improve their lives:

If you are interested in some of the other ideas that came out of my meeting and possibly connecting with other women, get in touch.

Meanwhile, I feel a little less helpless and a little more empowered. If you have a “friendly” state representative, I encourage you to reach out to them.

Largely Forgotten

art, history, , , ,

My husband and I found a few open days and drove up to the Shenandoah Valley. We poked through small towns, chasing LOVE signs, history and apple cider along with some peace and quiet.

In Fishers Hill, just south of Strasburg, Virginia, we happened upon a new historical marker commemorating The Creative Women of Fishers Hill: Bertha Von Hillern, Maria J. C. a’ Becket, and Emma Howard Wright. The Wikipedia entry for Wight mentions the Fishers Hill studio she shared with Von Hillern.

Largerly Forgotten

The Northern Virginia Daily published an extensive story about the women and the attempts of local historians to tells their stories.

It was the comment in the first line–largely forgotten–that struck me as the story of so many women, and some men as well, even those who achieve some level of prominence in their life times. Times and preferences and fashion change and without champions to keep them alive, artists fade into the timeline.

These kinds of local history projects are perfect for involving young people. There have been several stories of students submitting historical markers for approval. Virginia’s historical marker program is the oldest in the country and the site includes a searchable database. The Historical Marker Database is more extensive as its includes all sorts of markers.

What Really Matters

Education,

It’s been an interesting week for conversations about women in the United States.  Mitt Romney’s binders full of women quote during the debate became an instant meme.

Upon returning from a conference, a psychobiologist posted a snarky status to Facebook describing his disappointment with the large percentage of unattractive women he encountered and wondering where the supermodels were. His post quickly became public and the subject of outrage by women. The comment thread on the Drugmonkey blog that reposted the original remarks puts the state of Venus and Mars in the US in stark contrast.

How fortunate we are here in the United States to be able to have these kinds of conversations.  

In Pakistan on Tuesday (the same day as the binders quote), a 14-year-old was shot and severely wounded when the Taliban opened fire on the van in which she was riding with some schoolmates. Her crime? Blogging about her fears of the Taliban and her desire for education, something banned by the extremist group.  CNN commentator Frida Ghitis calls it “a brutally anti-woman ideology.”

In a world of constant conversation, the really important things can get drowned out.