This old girl lived through the days of sexual discrimination when it was hard to get a decent job simply because I am a woman. I went through a lot of years struggling for what is fair and the ability to able to support my family and watched other women struggle for what was right and equitable as well. Most of us didn't enjoy the luxury of burning our bras, they were too expensive to replace, but we did learn to be strong.
We gained a lot of ground in those days, mostly because working class women stood up and decided they were not going to take it anymore. Many of us could not take off work to march or attend fancy seminars on the rights of women, but we made sure we voted and we voted Democrat.
Even with all that was accomplished these past forty plus years, today I watch my own daughter and other young women fighting some of the same battles. But, in all these years never once did I think I would live to see the day that any Democratic woman would throw away all we've worked for or turn their backs on the hard won rights of their own daughters and grand daughters. It makes me embarrassed for my party and my gender.
I never imagined some Democratic women today would be so willing or so gullible to allow themselves to be used and abused by the Republican Party. No one could have told me that there would be any Democratic woman today who would be willing to throw away our hard won pro-choice rights by voting for John McCain. No one. I would have called them a liar and a fool as it would have been unthinkable.
Who are these women that are now willing to throw our freedom of choice in the most personal decision a woman can make away? Why would these women support a man who does not support equal pay for women? What Democratic woman today would endorse another eight years of Republican failure which has harmed our family's economic future or endorse a man whose policies would lead us into even more senseless war?
Never did I ever imagine that even one Democratic woman would vote for a man whose own proposals to cut VA expenses would exclude 'non-combat related' benefits for any PTSD or other emotional problems suffered by the 15% of female military combat troops who have been raped. Who are these Democratic women that would turn their backs on a sister trying to recover from the trauma of rape?
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).