Women Win Rights

Women of America have influenced women worldwide. They have fought for and won their rights even when they did not have a vote. 

One of those women goes all the way back to before the Declaration of Independence, but her voice can be heard in that document. Her name was Mercy Otis Warren and she was a leading pamphleteer. It was her writings along with Samuel Adams and others including Thomas Paine that inspired the colonists. Her pamphlets took a backseat to no one's.

Abigail Adams was another woman who made her opinions known, not only through her husband John. She once wrote a letter to John that became public and turned into a broadside. She didn't get her way on the matter of women's rights and abolishing slavery but she made sure people knew where she stood. She was a strong influence on John Adams throughout her life. 

Fast forward to the middle of the next century and Harriet Beatrice Stowe fights for the abolishment of slavery. Besides her novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" she gave public speeches alongside other leading abolitionists like Fredrick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison.

Advance along America's timeline past the Civil War and Carrie Nation leads the temperance movement eventually to the passing of the 18th Amendment. Move a short distance farther along that same timeline and Pauline Sabin leads the charge to repeal the 18th.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott at the same time were fighting for women's right to vote. They too were successful. And when they were, they helped push Pauline Sabin's fight over the finish line, repealing the 18th Amendment.

The Civil Rights movement had many female heroes. There was Elizabeth Eckford who people think led the "Little Rock Nine" into school in 1957. Actually she was trying to “sneak” in another door and the press saw her. Either way, She was following in the footsteps of Rosa Parks. 

Fannie Lou Hamer led the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party's fight to be delegates to the 1964 Democratic National Party Convention. When the DNC offered the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party two “at-large” non-voting seats, they refused. In 1968 Fanni Lou was a delegate to the DNC Convention.

Betty Friedan championed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) but didn't have wide appeal. First Lady Betty Ford did have wide appeal. They faced off against a formidable foe in Phyllis Schlafly. The ERA fell short of ratification by three states.

Phyllis Schlafly didn't stop there; she went on to be a crusader for the war on drugs and against LGBTQ rights. In her fight against LGBTQ rights also had the widely known entertainer, Anita Bryant as an ally. 

The war on drugs was slowly dying from lack of support. And as far as LGBTQ rights it can be said that Ellen DeGeneres coming out on her sitcom did much to move the needle for broad support of the LGBTQ community. 

When Ellen came out she was joined by a steady stream of LGBTQ actors. I remember how shocked I was to learn the actor who played the "ladies man" "Neal Caffrey" on "White Collar" was gay. 

He wasn't the only "beloved" "ladies man" character to shock television audiences. There was "Barney Stinson" played by "Doogie Howser" grown up, Neil Patrick Harris. 

Elliot Page has completed transitioning and is still working.

In our Judiciary there have already been two towering female champions, Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. O'Connor cast the deciding vote in favor of affirmative action in college admissions and in "Casey" she affirmed the case that had previously affirmed “Roe”. 

Ginsburg began her SCOTUS career affirming a woman's right to attend VMI, (Virginia Military Institute). She expanded activist access to the Supreme Court in Friends of the Earth v. Laidlaw Environmental Services. And disability rights to include mental illness in Olmstead v. L.C.

Now the Court has four women sitting on it. And three of them make a three vote minority, courtesy of Mitch McConnell and The Donald. Before the fourth woman joined the Court, it had already overturned Roe. Now women don't have Roe, they have Dobbs. It has already shown promise of being an influencing factor in how women will vote in the 2022 midterm elections. 

Body autonomy is a fancy way of saying a woman has a right to say what she allows to happen to her own body. It means it's her right to decide whether to be pregnant. It will also be why the 2022 midterm election will be decided by the women of American and the men who love them. 

Women of America have influenced women worldwide. They have fought for and won their rights even when they did not have a vote.  One of those women goes all the way back to before the Declaration of Independence, but her voice can be heard in that document. Her name was Mercy Otis Warren and she was a leading pamphleteer. It was her writings along with Samuel Adams and others including Thomas Paine that inspired the colonists. Her pamphlets took a backseat to no one's. Abigail Adams was another woman who made her opinions known, not only through her husband John. She once wrote a letter to John that became public and turned into a broadside. She didn't get her way on the matter of women's rights and abolishing slavery but she made sure people knew where she stood. She was a strong influence on John Adams throughout her life.  Fast forward to the middle of the next century and Harriet Beatrice Stowe fights for the abolishment of slavery. Besides her novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin" she gave public speeches alongside other leading abolitionists like Fredrick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. Advance along America's timeline past the Civil War and Carrie Nation leads the temperance movement eventually to the passing of the 18th Amendment. Move a short distance farther along that same timeline and Pauline Sabin leads the charge to repeal the 18th. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott at the same time were fighting for women's right to vote. They too were successful. And when they were, they helped push Pauline Sabin's fight over the finish line, repealing the 18th Amendment. The Civil Rights movement had many female heroes. There was Elizabeth Eckford who people think led the "Little Rock Nine" into school in 1957. Actually she was trying to “sneak” in another door and the press saw her. Either way, She was following in the footsteps of Rosa Parks.  Fannie Lou Hamer led the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party's fight to be delegates to the 1964 Democratic National Party Convention. When the DNC offered the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party two “at-large” non-voting seats, they refused. In 1968 Fanni Lou was a delegate to the DNC Convention. Betty Friedan championed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) but didn't have wide appeal. First Lady Betty Ford did have wide appeal. They faced off against a formidable foe in Phyllis Schlafly. The ERA fell short of ratification by three states. Phyllis Schlafly didn't stop there; she went on to be a crusader for the war on drugs and against LGBTQ rights. In her fight against LGBTQ rights also had the widely known entertainer, Anita Bryant as an ally.  The war on drugs was slowly dying from lack of support. And as far as LGBTQ rights it can be said that Ellen DeGeneres coming out on her sitcom did much to move the needle for broad support of the LGBTQ community.  When Ellen came out she was joined by a steady stream of LGBTQ actors. I remember how shocked I was to learn the actor who played the "ladies man" "Neal Caffrey" on "White Collar" was gay.  He wasn't the only "beloved" "ladies man" character to shock television audiences. There was "Barney Stinson" played by "Doogie Howser" grown up, Neil Patrick Harris.  Elliot Page has completed transitioning and is still working. In our Judiciary there have already been two towering female champions, Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. O'Connor cast the deciding vote in favor of affirmative action in college admissions and in "Casey" she affirmed the case that had previously affirmed “Roe”.  Ginsburg began her SCOTUS career affirming a woman's right to attend VMI, (Virginia Military Institute). She expanded activist access to the Supreme Court in Friends of the Earth v. Laidlaw Environmental Services. And disability rights to include mental illness in Olmstead v. L.C. Now the Court has four women sitting on it. And three of them make a three vote minority, courtesy of Mitch McConnell and The Donald. Before the fourth woman joined the Court, it had already overturned Roe. Now women don't have Roe, they have Dobbs. It has already shown promise of being an influencing factor in how women will vote in the 2022 midterm elections.  Body autonomy is a fancy way of saying a woman has a right to say what she allows to happen to her own body. It means it's her right to decide whether to be pregnant. It will also be why the 2022 midterm election will be decided by the women of American and the men who love them.