History of Feminism

It can get very tiresome, this 'hashing over the basics.' Yet, failure to do so creates a vacuum and nature abhors vacuums. Consider the New Deal and the War on Poverty. These worked because FDR and LBJ both knew how to message them.

In a world of integrity, we could count on third parties, such as the media, giving feminism, populism, environmentalism and so on a fair reporting. Unfortunately, we do not live in a world of integrity. We live in a world of Limbaugh and a host of other mouthpieces that make lots of money singing the corporate propaganda tune. It was a certain failed Austrian artist who said, "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."

Moneyed interests fight patiently, consistently and inexorably for that additional few pennies in profit; they take a little bites out of morality, justice, mercy, kindness and common sense in a thousand different places. It never stops, because the disease of greed never stops.

Do you get tired of it? So do I! But here's a story. I received a political polling telephone call the other evening and it was sponsored by a super PAC promoting Cory Gardner in his Senate race against Udall. As the lady asked her questions, I elaborated my answers. When the question came, "Do you want heating costs for homes to go up $X because of Udall's vote on increased environmental regulations?" I told the woman that was 'Koch brothers bullshit,' and went on to tell her there have already been over 300 fracking spills here in Colorado. I also told her that Cory Gardner is my representative and he sponsored a bill which the Republican controlled House passed in December of 2013 that passes the risk of financial liability for cleanup of toxic spills directly onto taxpayers while allowing the corporations who make the spills to 'self-regulate' and determine their own financial liability, if any. The bill actually says 'if any!'

I went on to explain to her that we need to look at what these people DO, not what they SAY, and always ask the question, "How will this law, policy, regulation, deregulation, whatever, actually HELP the American people. Because that's the real test between a politician and a statesman/woman, isn't it? The stateswoman thinks about future generations, and the politician about the next election.

The result, she began talking to me and I believe in this next election, she may vote more thoughtfully.

So was it worth it? I don't know. How much is one extra vote on the side of good worth? Right now, women make something like $0.76 per dollar men earn. Right now, women are in danger of a bunch of old white guys dictating whether they can or cannot use contraceptives and whether they will have abortion services available if needed. Already, the right-wing Supreme Court has chipped away at their reproductive rights. Two ex governors from Colorado have done a propaganda commercial together about how good fracking is for Colorado, when the real truth is that fracking is mostly good for increasing profits for big oil companies. What we get is flammable water if they are not careful, and the oil & gas industry fights tooth and nail with big money against any regulation any time. Always.

So, yeah, I get tired of educating people, but since I know the consequences of not doing it, I simply sigh and begin the education process yet again. Since I have a counseling background and do professional development coursework for career development professionals, I will tell you what I tell them: You have chosen a field that can sometimes be thankless, and will always be challenging. But you must remember that you have to always try. Never give up, because something you say or do can literally make the difference between life or death for another human being. Never forget that you turn lives around with your words.