Posted on 12/10/2001 5:12:09 AM PST by RooRoobird14
"Racism; political, social, or economic oppression; religious zealotry; ethnic animus; nationalism; old grievances and grudges passed down from generation to generation; dormant one minute, erupting the next. We kill each other, and the AIDS pandemic keeps expanding—tens of millions dead and dying—feeding on denial, inequity, and greed, human hope and misery; destroying families, crippling economies, transforming societies. Before September 11, most people in this country lived as if all that pain and suffering were occurring on another planet. But that was an illusion. It was all happening here.
Ask the woman living in inner-city America about terrorism, and she'll talk about the fear of drive-by shootings, the bloodshed, the many, many deaths. Ask the folks who work under siege in women's health clinics about the threats, the bombings, the fires, the murdered doctors and workers. Ask the people in Oklahoma City. Ask blacks about the terror of racial profiling—about the Amadou Diallo in their town. Ask yourself about the gendered violence that is so pervasive it's been normalized-about the fear and reality of being stalked, beaten, raped, murdered because we are female.
But on September 11, we were all attacked. Since then we have all lived with fear—not just some of us. Now everyone of us lives in that other world......
How we responded, not just a few white men in suits and uniforms. (ROTFLOL--the REAL enemy has been identified!!!) Missing so far from the public debate have been women's voices in significant numbers. Because there are still too few of us in the places and positions of power. Because terrorism and war are still considered men's business, as if our bodies are not used as battlegrounds; as if we have nothing to say, no knowledge, no wisdom—because that's how patriarchy plays. In the wake of the bloodshed and horror of September 11, in the midst of the anthrax threat, the alarmist reports, and the fear mongering, our beliefs are being challenged and tested; we are all struggling to find our way.
My way is to stand firm in my commitment to justice, to peace, and to my belief in the importance of affirming the principles of democracy. My way is to refuse to accept the notion that blind support of militarism and the suppression of dissent is the mark of patriotism. I won't be silenced. This can be a new day if we dare to make it so, by raising our voices, demanding our places at the table, pushing our leaders, and taking the lead ourselves. This can be a new day.
Agree with that. I want to start a FreeRepublic "FemiNazi" BUMP list.
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