Yes, I know it was stupid, but I wanted to see the President speak at one o'clock this afternoon about the Health Care Reform Bill, that came out of committee today. Looking back, it was well worth the damage to see him surrounded by those nurses and the nursing organizations that were represented.
President Obama introduced his announcement with a tribute to nurses and the hard work they do. All the phone calls and writing I did during the election were well worth the effort. He is a joy and the man with the plan. He's a steamroller baby.
Instead of flipping the TV off after the announcements, I decided to channel surf for a minute and that's when the brick hit me. Ran head on into the Sotomayor confirmation crucifixion attempt and it set me off.
1990, the year that the republicans figured they'd get a shoo in for another conservative nomination for the Supreme Court. They found a black conservative AND he had been head of the EEOC. Them damn liberals would have to pass him through. Yep, they had it all figured out.
Until, Anita Hill stepped forward and told her story. When he was the head of the EEOC, he sexually harassed her. The person that was the head of the EEOC, the agency that was supposed to see that discrimination and sexual harassment laws were enforced, sexually harassed one of his employees.
9to5, National Association of Working Women was the only grassroots women's groups that had a project that could provide real person stories to America through the media outlets. I ran The Job Problem Hotline. I built that project from an underfunded, ineffective, failing idea, into a major asset to working women and made us "the experts" on sexual harassment. By us, I mean the hotline and I ran it.
The media was in a frenzy and they were all at my door, which was great and made the information and resources we had readily available to women all over the country. It was a 800 phone line that was open, of course, from 9to5.
We had coverage before, but nothing like this. The hotline number was everywhere. Real women's stories, anonomously of course, were available from my office. We already had three operators, four including me. We had to add more lines and have the phone company also route calls to our other offices. There were times that there were 30 people on the lines and people were still getting busy signals.
I had sent out a memo, along with a copy of the hotline manual I had compiled, to all our offices. There were copies of the forms I wanted them to use and the protocol. Also, I asked that the calls be kept to less than 5 minutes each so we could try and help as many women as we could. Most people didn't like it and they kept calling me to find out techniques to use to wrap up the call.
There were women calling us, from their kitchens, whispering their stories so their husbands and/or kids wouldn't hear. Some of them had never told anyone before and their harassment and many times rape, had happened during WWII. Can you imagine never feeling safe to tell anyone about something so terrible?
The number of calls was overwhelming. Between taking calls, managing the line, giving interviews and assisting staff, I was overwhelmed. I was putting in 14 hour days and I hardly saw my children during the week. It was tearing me up. The pain went to bed with me every night and slept on my pillow.
After two months of this, I finally got a weeks vacation when our Associate Director (who I despised) wanted to have a serious talk about bullshit. The last thing I remembered was screaming "You longed necked, racist whore", before some of my co-workers hustled me out of there and took me home.
The whole story has many more facets and I'm not going to get into every one of them right now, I may at some time in the future.
I did have time to think, on my week of vacation and came back with a list of requests (demands) that I needed to have granted in order to continue. Needless to say, I got every one and the longed neck whore no longer had anything to do with my project.
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Comments: 77
I am honored to be connected to somebody who has spent so much time on something worthwhile.
You rock. I'd love to hear more of the story when you get around to it.
Thank you both, it's very complicated and many, many parts women.
Great story Sharon. I'm waiting for the day when I read his obit. Can't come soon enough for me. OXOX
I'd love to hear your stories. Even as a series, instead of one long post.
I've seen my share of discrimination and that was some story you told us Sharon.
Remember the cigarette ads, you've come a long way, baby? I always thought and - we have even longer to go.
Crucifixation - good term for what they were trying to do.
Thanks Muggs, smoochies back big boy.
Elizabeth, thank you so much. I'll tell more as I can. This won't be the last, believe me.
Honestly Rose and they're trying to call these confirmation hearings.
Did any of you see Al Franken and hear the question he asked about the old Perry Mason show? Hysterical.
You need to write the stories. I'm afraid if our young women today don't know how it was, they will not realize when it's happening to them. In this poor job market, people are afraid to speak out when they're being mistreated.
I am with Em Jay
I'm old enough to remember !
Heck my grandmother couldn't veen vote until she was a mother of 2
I know EM Jay. I have so many of these, this is one.
You da "man" dear.
Ida man! Kinda like Ida Lupino but not.
Yeah , that's the ticket:-)
This country, not just women, should revere the ground you walk on. I'm always impressed by someone that tries to right grievous wrongs, and I have a hunch besides this incident, you've done a passle of that.
Thank you so much Ron. You know I saw Judge Sotomayor sitting in that room today, surrounded by all those hostiles. She handled herself so beautifully. It did bring back 1990 though. Thanks for always being there hun.
Sharon I was here but I am soooo tired I will bookmark this and come back when my head is clear.
Bravo Sharon! Your experiences are exactly what the younger generation needs to hear. Plus, Judge Sotomayor is a strong, intelligent, deliberate/thoughtful person. My ex father-in-law served as a reference for her when she was nominated to the Court of Appeals and a friend of mine has regularly argued in front of Judge Sotomayor for the past 5 or so years. Both have wonderful things to say about her, both as a person and as a judge. I, personally, cannot wait until she is confirmed!
What I'm finding both funny and sad is that even the senators and congressfolk (male and female) who support her are showing their unintentional and kindly-meant bias.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/07/pride-and-prejudice
"In her brief statement today, Sotomayor’s public delivery suggests she has a prosecutor’s mettle and a judge’s bullshit detector. Reports from her courtroom indicate that she can leave even seasoned litigators a little weak in the knees with her questioning. This is a woman who is not only making her third trip through a confirmation hearing, but one who once donned a bulletproof vest to accompany law-enforcement on a raid of a gang warehouse—and that was when she was in private practice. She doesn't need the Democrats' patronizing defense. And if Sessions and company decided to treat her like a man, she’d probably kick their asses."
Strong Health Blessings being sent your way.
Wilka
If you talk to women of my generation, who were the first to really enter the "male dominated" job markets like police work, construction, law, etc...you'll hear a batch of stories about sexual abuse and psycological slams...where they took it on the chin, and kept working through the harrassment.
Blessed be, girl, for the work you did then, and for the stances you take now--to shine a light on the wrongs folks do to others.
Wilka
I'm very proud of what I did and what our group of women did in sisterhood with other women across the country. We made the men let us in. We fought, demo'd, sued. I know all about what has gone on with women in non-trad. That's how I started out. Helping them.
I was a "hot" commodity back them because of my unique background and skills developed on the fly helping my sisters.
Blessings.
And I swear, if I hear one more of them say "I'm not a feminist" proudly, I'm going to hurt someone.
Forget I had 3 kids to support as a single mother.
We have come a long way ! And we can go further.
Only a pig harasses women !
I'm sorry Vivian, I wish that never happened to you.
but being poor working and a woman back then .
I couldn't even imagine 100 years ago.
I threw the keys in the bitches face and asked her if she was screwing him. Not that I am proud of losing my temper like that.
He was fired months later when the state came through and caught him abuse a patient.
As long as we keep our voices heard and let the younger generations know that it is never acceptable we are making ground. My last 'bout with it caused me to quit a high paying job in my small community and tell the bastard his wife would be the first to hear my story! I applaud you for all of the blood sweat and tears you have put into lifting women up and shining the light on hatred and abuse!
LaB - Hi baby! I will, as the healing continues honey. It took it's toll, deeply. I'm just about there and as I write about it and really name the situation (if not the names of the players) I'm hoping to give a view into how I did it.
Slowly attitudes change, the men on the side lines, who egged on the their pals learn it isn't accepted any longer to be sexiest pigs, the men or women who discriminated against others for whatever reason are learning we won't stand by and allow it any longer and women learn how to deal with wounded male egos and how to climb up the corporate ladder with brains instead nice legs ...thanks to people like you, who have the knowledge and will power to carry on...to brake through the boundaries...to help get the word out...to use your knowledge and life story to remind us and spur us on. I applaud every woman who stuck it out in a "man's" career..who worked hard to open up the way for others...I agree that the younger generation of boys and girls need to be shown/taught that life hasn't always been so fair for females or blacks or native americans..the list gos on and on...and still we fight for equality in the gay community...so perhaps the younger generation is getting their lesson...
From what I could stomach of the confirmation hearings...she's got nerves of steel and knows how to meditate through long winded stuffy A holes who like to hear themselves talk... : - )
Katherine - I am so proud of her. What an excellent role model she is. I'm inspired by her.
When did the Honourable Judge Sotomayor ever claim to be smarter than White men?
I also heard what she said, and that wasn't what I got from her statement at all.
However, for those who wish to twist the truth, you might easily take her statement and see it that way; I got her though, and maybe that is because I am both an African American and a female.
YES! There are, and I am certain there were, instances where Judge Sotomayor's lifelong experience as a Latina would make her far better qualified to speak to, and understand certain circumstances than would an Anglo. The reverse may also be true: an Anglo, through their life experiences would be far better qualified to speak to certain circumstances than a Latina would. Either way, it does not make one any smarter than the other; it merely makes one more experienced in particular areas of life than another.
The bricklayer may very well have stronger and steadier hands due to his/her profession, but that doesn't mean he's getting anywhere near me with a scalpel, even if his IQ is 25 points higher than that surgeon over there. We're talking life's experience(s) here.
Well, after what I did see of the hearings, I am confident that President Obama chose the right person for the job. Sotomayor's opponents tried to shake her, came at her with everything they had; she rolled with the punches, kept her cool, and came out of it smelling like a sweet, sweeeet rose.
As much as I know that you respect and honour the Constitution, Colonel, you should be happy with her commitment to objectively interpret the law of the land, rather than engage in politics. Colonel, surely you saw that in her.
When a person makes those statements and similar ones for ten years I tend to believe that she believes that, not what she says in the confirmation hearings. Her sympathy for any minority, acording to her statements would affect her personal ''intrepretation'' of the law. That is wrong. The law sees no distinction among the races. The law must stand on its own without ''understanding'' where they person or situation comes from.
All of that makes her a bad choice but I'm afraid we are stuck with her.
That would not suprise me at all. As far as I am concerned every poly sci professor should be fired and the subject dropped in all colleges. This nation was not set up for professional politicians and they have done this country a lot more harm than good. Our elected officials from the President on down are supposed to come from our midst.. In other words people like us who work at various professions. None are supposed to be professional politicians because they have no idea what is going on in the working world.
I give up with you.
Do you think maybe a Latina woman should break up the old boys club? Don't you think it's about time?
I obviously have little or no knowledge of the USA situation vis a vis sexual discrimination.
BUT, I know you are a wonderful woman.
We may think there isn't but there is and I fear that it will always be that way. Some people are just selfish and like to cause trouble for others. Sad but true.
Great post.
Didn't Al Sharpton find a female to accuse the people who were supposed to protect her from rape of raping her? Anita Hill was the pawn in the Thomas case and the hearings proved it. That's why he got nominated in an overwhelming democratic congress. Sharon, Ideological blindness is why your world view always seems to agree with the kook fringe. Keep up the good work. You guys and your loud voice is a tremendous help in sinking Obama's poll numbers. We couldn't do it without you!
Don't you recall stating that now that President Obama had become President, you were going to be fair, respect and support him as the President?
But then you speak of "a tremendoud help in sinking Obama's poll numbers." What's up with that, Jeff?
It would seem to be logical -- in the face of what this country is undergoing, and is yet to face -- that we all would want President Obama and his economic plan to succeed.
I'm not so sure that you understand Anita Hill, Jeff. Above all else the woman was (is?) a Republican, and in the face of that, I guarantee you that she had to be her own woman, and a mighty powerful force. She was . . .nope, it's too much to go into, but suffice to say that she was in between a rock and a hard place, because she was an African American Republican female. The take home message is,
whether I or the African American community liked Anita Hill or not, one thing she was NOT, was a pawn.
What a story.
I keep saying it. Please write a book, and all you have to do is compile your articles here and edit a bit. America needs to hear this, on a scale way beyond this "Gather" thing, which was a good idea from one of my favorite cities (Boston), but which has sadly gone to the dogs.
Neeta I'll do that hun.
And I am proud to say that my very own congresswoman, the Honorable Lois Capps, RN, was behind our prez when you first tuned in.
Watched McLaughlin Group today and their consensus, for what it's worth, is that "the wise Latino woman" is a sure-win; evidently the Republicans are waiting for bigger fish to fry. She fits the bill for rounding out the supreme court and that their "no" votes are better left for somebody that does not. Whatever. All I want, is a candidate that can do the job properly.
Oh and thanks Lance.