Women's Rights And Voting This Election

Something sprung me into action today, folks. I'm usually not one to get too political, wishing to respect every person’s viewpoint, and, as always, I do, but something needs to be said, and more importantly: Something needs to be done. 


Today I was when I working at my yoga studio as a Zen Ambassador (front desk receptionist, but as a PR lady, I know how to spin things), one of our students had a pin on that I'll post below. It said, "We will do it again! Obama Biden" and had a picture of Rosie the Riveter on it. I happen to be supporting Obama in this election, and I have always supported Rosie the Riveter, so I commented that I loved her pin. 

With that, she said the pin was mine. Generous dame, she was. I was then commenting on how important it is to vote in general, thinking of the women who were killed, imprisoned, beaten and starved in order to get us the right. This is huge; so if there's anything you take from this, ladies, even if you disagree with my personal viewpoint, please vote! Just do it. Don't disrespect the women who came before us, it's a slap in the face to the trauma they endured to get us the right to waltz right up and mark up that ballot. DO IT!


So back to the story: we then spoke about the Lily Ledbetter Equal Pay Act and how absurd it is that someone could object to a law that would make our female citizens stand on equal ground with our male citizens. Then she said something to me that really shook me up and I'm paraphrasing here, I guarantee you whatever she said had much more power, but here goes:

"I'm 75 and I thought after we fought so hard in the 60s and 70s this battle was over. I never thought I'd have to fight again, but in the last year there has been some of the most sexist material and propaganda (speech, literature and laws) that I've seen in my whole life. We have to keep on fighting"

WOW. This was shocking to hear. In my gender communication class we spoke about the backlash that occurs after a minority group gains power: could we now be experiencing a backlash 30-40 years in the making?

Is this happening now because we allowed ourselves to forget? We allowed ourselves to stop fighting, thinking what we had was good enough? I, for one, am not satisfied with making significantly less than my male coworkers; but what have I honestly done to fight this besides being a good employee? Nothing. Working hard is not enough, we have to take to the streets and remind people that we are worthy of TRUE and LITERAL equal status when it comes to the dolla dollar bills (yallz) and all things.

I have wanted to fight for women's rights since high school and looked up some organizations once or twice, but put it off, declaring I was too busy. Well, no more. We cannot put off being equal citizens any longer. This is serious. When there is a candidate who will unabashedly denounce the right to equal pay for women, coverage on birth control, the right to choose, the Affordable Care Act, which requires insurance coverage for preventive services like mammograms& cancer screenings, and more, I cannot abide.

Some of these issues are the very reason women were able to rise up. Did you know there was a direct correlation between the advent and use of the birth control pill and women's prominence in the workplace? When we can control our reproductive system, we can control our professional lives. How can we support someone or something that wants to take this away? Because here’s the issue when it comes to someone being against a woman’s right to reproductive control: all the signs point to root of the desire being to take away power and clout from the female population. That’s a sizable issue in my book. The book of Lo.

We’re all entitled to our personal views on birth control. I personally am against abortion. I couldn’t do it except in an extreme situation. But I think that it is a choice every woman should have a right to make on her own, since the fetus is technically a part of her body until it comes out. It’s also about the fact a government that should not be able to control a person’s body. That is not their place.

Back to the cause of women’s rights: I stand by my usual tenants of love and peace. Of course everything will be done with love and with the hope to make a more loving, fair and peaceful planet. I have no anger in my soul, only a passion for justice, and a deep, unconditional love for people and for equal rights. Everyone should be able to start out on equal footing regardless of race, gender, religion or any other characteristic that we delude ourselves into thinking separates us.

Of course, it doesn't stop with women's rights. There are many other things to fight for. This includes, but is not limited to: Gay Rights, Minority Race Rights, taking care of the poor, Health Care, cleaning up our food, taking the chemicals out of household products, and so many other things that I truly believe will make a kinder country and make us more able to help other countries. If we heal the hurt within this nation's walls (holler to Hawaii and Alaska, also- we love you kids and we didn't forget about you just because you're not technically in our walls!), just think of the kind of help we can offer other Nations.

I think with the current state of the Nation, it starts with voting for candidates that support laws that produce compassionate results: whether it is the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act or anything else, just think about what a candidate saying yes or no to these laws says about them as a human being, and then think about whether or not you would want them ruling your country.

I hear people say, "bleeding heart liberals" a lot. But shouldn't our hearts be bleeding? I know I've been alive a relatively short period of time, but I know enough about the world to know it's in a state of disarray and has been for a while. There is enough pain and suffering going on right now that everyone I know is going through something no matter how tiny or how large. This goes beyond politics and into the need and outcry for more compassion in the world. I think the Democratic Party is doing a better job at this right now, but I am not saying that Democrats are infallible. In fact, I voted for a couple of Republicans (GASP!) based on their personal viewpoint and issues, so I am still open to everything and attached to nothing.

Back to the point: I’m not thrilled with everything Obama does--in a perfect world we wouldn't need parties, we would just do what's right. But as far as doing what's best for a majority of Americans (AND HELLO: WOMEN ARE A MAJORITY- 50.8% according to the 2011 USA Quick Facts from the Census Bureau) I think that at this juncture, he is doing a much better job. It is just unthinkable to me that as a sensible human being you'd allow yourself to vote for someone who would purposely take away basic rights from your daughter, wife, sister, friend or lover.

Think about it. 

                                                              Here’s the Pin:

Love,

Lolo

The Catcher in the Rye

There's so much going on in my life right now and so many life lessons coming at me all at once, I am having a hard time deciding which one to process first and write down for the eyes of all the web to see. So I decided, when in doubt, do nothing. At least until later tonight...and instead, I have chosen to share a quote with you from my Favorite book of all time: The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger:

"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be."
- J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Ch. 22

Sometimes I really think that is all I want too. Just to be there to save people from falling and help back on their feet. I wish you could get paid to do that. Maybe you can?

More to come.

Love,

Lo

Love Your Enemies

I feel the big G.O.D. has been sending a lot of excellent lessons into my life disguised as challenging people. And while I truly appreciate the opportunity to expand my soul’s spiritual knowledge to such a high degree, mustering love in a situation when a person seems to be purposely acting annoying or cruel can be hard, but I know it is ultimately rewarding. Therefore, I’ve been pondering the best way to find the love in the eyes of people who seem to be completely alien, but who I know, in reality, are just an extension of my soul and every soul on this planet.

Obviously this type of love is amongst the hardest to access. It can also be the most rewarding, because your love can inspire the same in the soul of the person you are challenged by. Therefore increasing the level of understanding, positivity, and elevated thought in the world. While it is difficult, it is something I have worked toward and managed to maintain several times in my life, so I know I can do it again.

One person I’m working toward this with now is my downstairs, stage Mom, neighbor who keeps coming up and knocking on my door because she thinks I’m walking too loudly, amongst other seemingly ridiculous complaints. While when she yells like a manic psycho (which, I shouldn’t even be saying, because I’m trying to increase the love, but I’m human so I need to get in a little jab before I heal the wound), I’m tempted to start calling her names and classify her as bad, I know, deep down, that this will not get me anywhere. The only way to counteract her feelings of anger, possible hate and frustration are with feelings and actions of understanding, peace and support.

Dealing with this type of person is good because it tests one’s love for humanity: once the initial annoyance or desire to hate is trumped by compassion and love for these difficult people, you are much more able to love all people in your life. If you can muster compassion and empathy for someone who seems to be intentionally making your life harder, just think of how well we can love those who work to make our lives better.

So a good method to find your way to love is to remember that we are only reflections of one another. When we have problems with another human being, regardless of severity, it is worthy to ask what it reflects in us that we detest a part of another human so much. Why is what they are doing so upsetting? Is it because we are truly doing something wrong? What is going on in their life that they felt the need to act that way and how can I be more compassionate? Etc.

 Rarely do we question our reactions to the people in our lives; even as mature adults, it is fairly common to be ego-centric, so it is much easier to simply qualify other's actions negatively. However, sometimes if we simply examine ourselves we realize that the problem we held with that person was merely in our reaction, not their action.

Another thought to contemplate is the fact that you’ve probably made a person feel the way they are making you feel now at some point or another in your life. So you can either think back to that time when you may have done so, or engage in perspective taking to ponder why they might be acting the way they are. You could even ask them what is going on in their life and how you may have provoked them to act this way. Either way, once you recall or imagine it is easier not to hate, as you either have been, or could one day be in their shoes.

And if you are really having trouble seeing from their point of view, just remember that calling someone mean doesn’t make them nicer and sending someone hate doesn’t get you love. It is merely wasted energy. And since love breeds love, it is better to put that out there.

Here are my views. Take em or leave em. I’m still working out the details, but this is the outline. Feel free to express whatever tips you may have for me and my downstairs neighbs/any and all people like this in your life. Leave questions, too. Let’s make this a dialogue.

I leave you with this quote by Dr. Brian Weiss:

“I think that at the highest level all souls are connected. It is our illusion or grand delusion that we are individuated, or separate.”

^That explains it nicely, I think.

Love,

LO