We all Deserve Dignity....

As a human being with decent morals, good manners, a friendly demeanor, and
an all around decent way of treating all people, I deserve to be treated respectfully.  Even when a person is rude or just all around nasty, like that man who verbally attacked me on Election Day, I do my best to "handle" them in a respectful manner.  I can't help but wonder what all this "profiling"  is about.

What happened to the gratitude of our grandparents, or great grandparents?  My grandfather imigrated here from Poland as well as my grandmother.  My grandfather lost his mother not long after they fled to this country and as a 9 year old child alone on the streets of Detroit/Hamtramck was taken in by a Catholic orphanage.  He was well educated and taken care of, he became the head of maintenance at the Mound Rd. Chrysler Engine plant, as well as worked to create the UAW(my grandfather was born in 1908), and became the Chief Union Steward for his plant. 

He built his own big(in the standard of the day) brick house with the help of his multi-ethic friends.  He was never a man that believed color or creed made the person...only their character, he believed this was the greatest Country in the world...a place where a poor lost orphan child amidst the "Great Depression", could grow up to be a prosperous person, fight for what you believe in and make a change in this great nation, and all people of character were equal.  I'm glad he died when I was 6 years old.  I loved him more than I even knew how...and so did everyone whose life he touched.  When he died they had to close down one of the largest roads in Detroit because there were over 500 cars trying to find parking to get to the Funeral Home and church.  He inspired people and challenged them to be better, he raised his two daughters (one born in 1937, and my mother 1944) to strive for the best, telling them they could do anything a man could do and more, he sent them both to college, and my Aunt and Mother are both Master Degreed in double majors.  My Aunt, Latin and Art History and my Mother,  French and European History....both with undergrads in Education and my Mother double majored in her undergrad so she had Business as well.  My grandfather helped my mother with the creation of the Union in her District (teacher's), by getting the support of the UAW and their presence at their creation as well as their striking for implementation. 

You see, the Union is not the Devil... it was created, in the case of the UAW in Detroit, for safety standards, fair wage and hours, because these men were being worked sometimes 22 hours with no safety standards and not being compensated for their full hours worked.  And, when a man that was on his 20th hour got his finger caught in the line and ripped from his hand, he was docked for the line shut down, and time missed.  In the case of the Teachers, men were being paid double what their female counterparts were being paid and in most cases, like my mother, the women had higher education.  Also, women had to wear skirts and heels and could not wear slacks, they were constantly harassed, they would lose their job if they had to be out to deliver a child, AND the Administration was dictating the ciriculum, not the educators.  Administrators were educated in business and finance they had no education background.  So, students weren't receiving the benefit of an education dictated by educators that knew what was inherently important to obtaining the best and most comprehensive education possible.  Now you understand why I'm glad he's gone... for the state of this Country today would have killed his beautiful spirit.
 
There are still Unions out there that still work for their people, there are still people of character, but the possibility of coming from nothing and attaining success is increasingly harder to find.  I know for me, there hasn't been any opportunities...with a rich resume full of important and skillful knowledge, I can't get hired at a gas station as a cashier.  I also find that I become a doorman if I hold a door for someone instead of letting it smash them in the face.  No thank you's, no attempt to take the door themselves, in fact I've had men walk in behind someone I'm holding the door for....like I said, a doorman.

We are better than this aren't we?  I think we are.  What do you think?

Politics Mean Nothing When the People and Pets You Love are Gone...

Zion: 11/00-11/12

In the last week, I've been accosted by people that look at me and make up their minds as to who I am, what I believe, and what kind of person that makes me... in regards to the election.  I am a proud voter, there are people dying for that ability as we speak.  I however, lost my best friend of 12 years the Friday before the election and picked up his remains on the day of the election(after voting).  I will say, it took the wind out of my sails and I flatly walked into my voting location and cast my ballot without the excitement I always feel when I vote.  That feeling that I am a part of change and shouting my beliefs across the country... I felt nothing this time.

I'd been hammered on consistently by people, some even as to go as far as looking me up and down, when I refused to discuss my vote at my mother's place of business, and told that "You liberals need to go find yourselves another country to live in!!".  I realized that other than a knee jerk reaction to slap this man in the face for speaking to me that way, I didn't care.  All that mattered is that I lost the most precious loving gift I have ever been given...and I would never again be able to rub my face in his belly fur, or kiss his little face.  This brought up my decade of loss.  My father, my aunt, my cousin/sister, my sister, my niece, my grandmother, my son, and my best friend and constant companion of twelve years.  No... my sister, niece, and son are not dead, but they are gone and I've suffered the loss.  Mourning the death of our relationship and love, the ability to see them, touch them, hold them, laugh with them.  

These things have made me realize that the most important things in life are what you recieve from those you love, the wonderful traits of kindness, gentleness, unconditional love, patience, and more...and when they are gone, you take those loving gifts given without pretense or condition and you carry them into the world and give them back.  

On NPR yesterday I heard a Republican politician say that new wave feminism shouldn't exist anymore because we are holding a majority in politics now.  Instinctually, as I felt with that man, I wanted to scream...instead I laughed. I laughed because I realized how blind people are, how uninformed and selfish.  That the majority of politics and the "society" I'm surrounded with currently are so immersed in themselves and their agendas, they don't and can't see the bigger picture.  The bigger picture being that women aren't safe in any respect, that the need for feminism is as important now as ever.  Our wages aren't equal to our male counterparts and anyone that would like to argue that, do your research.  I don't mean go to FOX News, I mean really research put the time in to find out the truth that you would if it concerned your paycheck and then we can dialog.  Because, I have done my research and I've also lived it most of my adult life.  Also, women's health issues are again... and yes, I will continue to repeat myself on this, are up for legislation.  Do you see any bills for employers having the right to decide whether or not to provide coverage for a vasectomy, or cutting funding for prostate screenings and the like?  No, you don't.

But, in light of all of this loss and my aching heart, I'm not angry.  I'm determined.  I will use the gifts given to me by those I was fortunate to be loved by... especially my Zion, because he was truly the embodiment of all I aspire to be; kind, gentle, loving, unconditionally understanding, loyal, giving, and empathetic with a completely unjudgmental and peaceful knowingness that as humans, we are capable of attrocities and capable of justifying them as well.  So, with those beautiful gifts, I will approach, I will stand, I will continue to push forward, to educate people in an empathetic, peaceful, and understanding way...and not feed ignorance with anger.  I will try dilligently, to stand unjudgementally nose to nose with those who don't care, because they believe it doesn't affect them and explain calmly and with care how and why it does.

Do I believe I will fail, fall on my face, get angry?  Of course, I'm not lucky enough to be Zion... but, I will continue to try, brush myself off, find my peace, and walk on with this mission, my ambission, and the gifts of those who left before me. 

Our Duty to Ourselves and Our Brothers and Sisters

Tomorrow represents one of the greatest responsibilities we have as people of this nation.  Is also a privilege we have that other countries of the world do not have.  As a woman, I know that it is a precarious thing for me... people will tell you that when the Constitution says man it's just symantics and women are also included, do not fall for that tired lie.  When it comes to government and law, there is no such thing as symantics.  Women are not covered by the Constitution, we have State by State legislation.  If we were covered under the Constitution they could not legislate our bodies, our insurance coverage, etc.  You don't ever hear discussions about not covering vasectomies, or cutting out prostate exams.  So ladies and the men who love them, remember WE have to work together to make a change in this country.  I'm tired of the status quo, that's just not good enough, we've been asleep at the wheel to long and let our liberties slip out of our hands.  We are now a nation that can ask, "Let me see your papers"!  Is that what we want?  I know that if we vote and if we shout with a UNITED voice, "We want jobs, equal pay for equal work, fair and impartial immigration laws, and a MIDDLE CLASS"!!! Government will have no choice but to listen. 
Let your voices be heard.... I'm a 47%-er and I Matter!!!