I’ve been mulling over this post for weeks. There are things that have to be said that border so many issues it is almost impossible to write about them without getting lost in tangents. I love tangents but they are slippery and can sidetrack as well as illuminate through example.
I know I am not exactly the best representative of someone my age in all things, but I am certainly not terribly, terribly atypical. I am over 50, and I was born at the height of the baby boom — in the year the post WWII baby boom reached its peak number of births– 1957.
But broad generalizations have always honked me off. I fully support more women in all levels of government. But I will never cast a vote for someone simply because of her sex. I will always vote for the most feminist candidate. That path will lead most quickly to an environment that will promote and maintain appropriate levels of representation in political bodies.
So I am warning the powers that be that in their wild and wonky and far too early political assessments that you cannot count on my vote for any person in 2016, and furthermore, it is only 2013!
If you are interested in the political voices of women beyond who we supposedly can be propaganized into supporting, it might behoove you to understand the following principles that every woman I know supports independent from any and all party affiliation or allegiance.
What Women Want Politicos to Know
- Donna Reed was an actress who played fictional roles. Remember what Groucho Marx said about her, “An yes, I knew her before she was a virgin.” I have never been like Donna Reed nor have any of my matriline.
- Call me a soccer mom, a tiger mom, a helicopter mom, or a mommy blogger, it does not matter, but if I have kids, I want them, and all their friends and school mates, to have clean water to drink, clean air to breath, access to natural resources that have not been depleted, and the ability to pursue a life’s work that is rewarding both financially and personally because of access to optimal healthcare as well as much education as they wish to pursue. If your policies screw with the ability of my kids or grandkids to reach these goals, I will rip your corporate asses to shreds.
- I am fed up with only having 3/4 of what a man would make from my work to spend and save for building a good life for my family.
- If I move myself and my family to another state because of a job opportunity, I don’t give a damn about States Rights, I care about the Rights of Peoples, I want the same rights and opportunities and safe-guards for myself and for my family no matter where I might have to be because of work.
- My money is the same as anyone else’s money and I want the same opportunities and treatment as any other person, including corporate “persons.” If my funds are taken immediately from my account when I make a payment, I should have equally rapid access to transfers into my accounts. My money that I allow my bank to use should be just as valuable as funds they allow me to use and interest rates should be comparable. Multiple sets of rules for different “types” of people are immoral.
- I am happy when people succeed. The rewards of success should not be so great that your success creates failure for my family. This holds true for example for drugs someone in my family might need to live. In this case I am far more concerned with fair trade than with free trade. My right to make a living should not be encumbered by your practices in making a living. The right to totally unencumbered capitalistic ventures is guaranteed no where in our constitution. Each person does have inalienable rights however. Remember that.
- No sane mother raises her children to kill another mothers’ children. You need to work harder for peace than you do for war.
If you address these issues explicitly, back them up with facts. I am not gullible. Humans would have died out long ago if women were not active in the communities in which their families interact. The world has a global information network these days and women are tired of bogus governance. You may be watching and monitoring everything we do, but we are also watching what you do.