...and we're back!

Good afternoon ladies!! Hope you all had a great break... I know we've been back for over a week, but I'm sure you would agree that it has been a bit stressful jumping back into the middle of the semester. The work is piling!

So, today on the subway I finished reading Their Eyes Were Watching God, a fictional narrative by Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston began to gain recognition during the Harlem Renaissance, and this book was the first significant feminist novel in Afro-American tradition. With that said, I leave you with a particularly beautiful quote that struck me while reading- it is the main character's response to a derogatory comment made by her husband:

"Naw, Ah ain't no young gal no mo' but den Ah ain't no old woman neither. Ah reckon Ah looks my age too. But Ah'm uh woman every inch of me, and Ah know it. Dat's uh whole lot more'n you kin say."

Cheers to that! I hope as young ladies we can all aspire to have the same attitude someday.


P.S. If you haven't already, read Hurston!

Uncommonly Lethal

Everyday, the news bring us stories of terrorists and suicide bombers, who all hold one thing in common; they are male. Today BBC news has reported a story; "Female Bomber Kills 6 in Iraq." Gender-biased as it may be, I have never really thought about women in the role of suicide bomber. Reading the article made me chilly, and it is disturbing to say the least. The anonymous martyr is the eighth woman in Iraq to do it, this year. One reason for the increase, is the ability, for women to more easily hide things under their clothes. You may not be as taken aback by this article as I was... but what do you think??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7304444.stm


**P.S. It has been my observation that almost no comments are being made to the posts!! This is a forum for young women to discuss! I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity and open the dialogue!!

Hmm...

As I am sure you are all aware, Eliot Spitzer resigned from his post as governor this afternoon. The reason for this was of course, the $80,000 tab that he racked up on prostitutes. While on the treadmill yesterday, I caught "Hot Topics" brought to us by none other than, the ladies of The View. During their discussion they brought up the significance of Spitzer's "apology" and presence of his wife at his side, through the press conferences. If any of you have seen clips of these, you'll notice the unmistakable sadness in her eyes. It's truly painful to witness. Whoopi and the girls talked about why they thought Mrs. Spitzer was standing by her husband. Perhaps she feels a sense of loyalty, wants to avoid her own media attention, she's being strong for her daughters... there are a million reasons why and we can only speculate. But what do you think? ...and would you be able to/ want to do the same??

Look who's in the news today....

MMC's own VIP alum.

Interesting comments that she made... let's discuss!

March 10

Ladies (and gentlemen?) today, March 10, is National Abortion Provider Appreciation Day. (Yes, I know it sounds made up, but according to Planned Parenthood, "March 10 is the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. David Gunn, the first abortion provider murdered. It is a day to remember and honor Dr. Gunn and others who put their lives on the line daily to make reproductive choice possible. Without abortion providers, there can be no "choice."")

Today we should remember Margaret Sanger who made so many advancements in the field of birth control. In fact, she started the American Birth Control League, which later became Planned Parenthood. She received lots of opposition during her time, but she held fast to her beliefs.

Thank you, Margaret Sanger, for being such an Uncommon Women and making the world what it is today.

Tragic

This came in an e-mail I got from NOW...

"Last month the Tri-City Herald in Washington State printed a letter from a 13-year-old girl that said,

"I think that having a woman president would be a bad idea for our country. Women are not meant to rule countries and be in charge."

In a country where sexism is so acceptable that a newspaper thought it was fine to print a letter saying women couldn't lead and a 13-year-old girl was taught that women aren't capable of being president, we are fortunate to have Hillary Clinton, a capable, smart, and confident woman demonstrating that women can lead.

She has gone further in her race for the White House than any other woman before her. Make no mistake, Hillary's way was paved by Victorial Woodhull, Margaret Chase Smith, Shirley Chisholm, Patricia Schroeder, Carol Moseley-Braun, and others. And now Hillary is paving the way for countless more women to run."

Click on the link that goes to the letter....it's pretty tragic that some people--little girls, especially, think that. This is what we are trying to change.

Rivalry

Very often I think about the close friends I have that are female; I'll be honest they are in small numbers. I have always credited that fact with just getting along better with males... sometimes brushing it off as a personality flaw. But I would be lying to say that I haven't observed the same "flaw" in other women... including within my small group of friends. So without rambling... I was reading this month's "HOT TOPIC" in Harper's Bazaar, that addressed this very issue! In fact, it confirmed that my observations in others of the same sex, are valid! The column is written by Philippa Gregory, the author of The Other Boleyn Girl. She blames our difficulties communicating with one another and sustaining relationships, on our innate tendency for rivalry. I try everyday to be a good friend whatever that may entail, to my girlfriends, but know I am not always successful. She includes humorous how-to tips on avoiding cattiness and being the best women we can be! I urge you all to pick up the March issue of Bazaar, and check it out!

P.S. What are your thoughts??