Who Are These Women?

This old girl lived through the days of sexual discrimination when it was hard to get a decent job simply because I am a woman. I went through a lot of years struggling for what is fair and the ability to able to support my family and watched other women struggle for what was right and equitable as well. Most of us didn't enjoy the luxury of burning our bras, they were too expensive to replace, but we did learn to be strong.

We gained a lot of ground in those days, mostly because working class women stood up and decided they were not going to take it anymore. Many of us could not take off work to march or attend fancy seminars on the rights of women, but we made sure we voted and we voted Democrat. 

Even with all that was accomplished these past forty plus years, today I watch my own daughter and other young women fighting some of the same battles. But, in all these years never once did I think I would live to see the day that any Democratic woman would throw away all we've worked for or turn their backs on the hard won rights of their own daughters and grand daughters. It makes me embarrassed for my party and my gender.

I never imagined some Democratic women today would be so willing or so gullible to allow themselves to be used and abused by the Republican Party. No one could have told me that there would be any Democratic woman today who would be willing to throw away our hard won pro-choice rights by voting for John McCain.  No one.  I would have called them a liar and a fool as it would have been unthinkable.

Who are these women that are now willing to throw our freedom of choice in the most personal decision a woman can make away?  Why would these women support a man who does not support equal pay for women?  What Democratic woman today would endorse another eight years of Republican failure which has harmed our family's economic future or endorse a man whose policies would lead us into even more senseless war?

Never did I ever imagine that even one Democratic woman would vote for a man whose own proposals to cut VA expenses would exclude 'non-combat related' benefits for any PTSD or other emotional problems suffered by the 15% of female military combat troops who have been raped. Who are these Democratic women that would turn their backs on a sister trying to recover from the trauma of rape?

Why are these women willing to throw away all our advances, progress that took us years to build, simply because their candidate did not win? Who are they that they cannot hear the snickering and jokes coming from the Republican Party about how they will be used by McCain to win this election? Are these women so wrapped up in their own emotions and games they cannot see beyond their own disappointment or are they simply enjoying all the pandering by McCain supporters? Who are they to not appreciate what was won through years of fighting the same mindset McCain offers us now?

Are they too young to have been involved in the years of struggle it took to get us to this point in time and just don't understand the loss they wish to bring about? If not young, were they so rich the years of discrimination and no legal choice in our most private matters did not affect their own outcomes so they can't see the importance of rights to women less fortunate today?

Did they actively fight for pro-choice rights or have they simply inherited a right of choice they don't truly appreciate? Does it bother them all women in America may lose this right because a few Democratic women care more about themselves and their own political grievances towards their own party?

Is being on t.v. or attending a cocktail pity party hosted by the Republican Party more important than the future of choice? Since when do strong women put a politician before country or the universal needs of women? Why are they whining about being robbed yet are willing to rob our daughters and grand daughters of rights we fought so long and hard for?

Who are these women?

I hate the thought of burning a good bra. A good bra is like a good man, hard to find one that fits properly and is comfortable as well. Bras today are even more expensive than forty years ago and, of course, all women love our high dollar Victoria Secrets. Rather than burning a good bra, female Democrats should just mail an old, faded, worn out, worthless bra to John McCain's headquarters to let him know there are Democratic woman who will not roll over or be used by his campaign. The note should simply read "Strong women don't whine and they certainly do not give away hard earned rights. Strong women do not take comfort from the enemy nor do they take their eye off the ball. Neither are they willing to be used."