November 2008 Archives

Here's your earworm: Guns N Roses, Sweet Child of Mine:

While I realize I normally feature a female artist in the earworm, I figure this vid has roughly the equivalent of big hair and eyeliner that'd be found at a slumber party. Enjoy!

I'm playing wounded this week. Took the kids bowling yesterday and ended up getting my left hand smashed between two balls. While I realize that has sexual undertones, you'll have to trust me when I say it less than pleasurable. On the bright side, when the need arises I can now flip folks a colorful bird.

The Carroll Daily Times Herald has the scoop on the Iowa woman who was a part of the recent sex scandal at the Iowa-Minnesota game at the Metrodome.

Lois K. Feldman, 38, of Carroll, and Ross M. Walsh, 26, of Linden, were ticketed for indecent conduct after they were reportedly caught engaging in sexual activity in a Metrodome men's restroom handicapped stall during the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers game with the Iowa Hawkeyes. More than a dozen people in the restroom were cheering Feldman and Walsh by the time authorities arrived, a University of Minnesota Police report says.

Feldman acknowledged drinking heavily before the game and says she doesn't remember being in the bathroom.

"I would never ever do that," Feldman said. "My kids are my life. I go to church every Sunday."

Yeah, you read that correctly. Because this is so out of character, the woman believes she was a victim -- that maybe her drink was spiked. It seems to me that if that were the case, the woman should have a toxicology report done. That should provide evidence if she was drugged.

I have to admit that my money is still on a combination of mid-life crisis, booze uninhibitor and attention from a younger man. Of course, I'm just cynical like that.

Those interested in writing and including the paranormal will want to check out Frightening Journeys. It's a blog that (I think) is written by either all women or a majority of women authors who discuss paranormal writing -- how to incorporate it into a book, how religious upbringing influences characters and more.

I highly recommend their post on religion as a character trait, favorite authors and the ways stories are formed.

Speaking of paranormal -- or, at least, speaking of letting older facilities transport you to earlier times: Click over to Iowa Grasslands for a tour of some of the buildings on the Iowa State University campus. Great photography and good commentary.

I also find it ... well ... difficult to be in very old buildings. On one hand I stand in awe of the buildings and all that they've endured and observed. On the other hand, they often make me sad, but I don't really understand why.

A place that seems to leave me especially emotional is St. Francis Xavier Basilica in Dyersville. For those who've not visited, the facility is simply amazing with all of its gothic styling. There are a myriad of stained glass windows that cast various shades of light throughout.

Another place that leaves me wistful and feeling out of sorts is House on the Rock in Wisconsin. The newer areas with all their collections don't bother me at all, but there is a big emotional pull in the main house, especially around the sunken living area.

Call for great soups! I love to cook in my crock pot. The best thing about it is that I can plan the day ahead, cook in the morning (while the house is still quiet), and then don't have to run around like a crazy woman in the evening as I try to decide what's for dinner. Yeah, it does take a little planning -- something that I'm not always good at -- but it is well worth it if I can enjoy a relaxing night.

So, if you are like me and on the lookout for good recipes, hop over to Food for All Seasons or Onion Tales.

Finally, if you are looking for something light, good and interesting to read this holiday weekend, click over to Sara Loves South Korea. It is the blog of a former Iowan who is now living in South Korea. She teaches English and loves anime.

A sample:

Most Koreans here wear face masks when they get sick to guard others from their illness. Since I was completely and obviously ill, I felt kind of bad and deserving of the dirty looks I would receive while blowing my nose or sneezing. Eh. I don't feel whole to blame for getting sick, seeing as most Koreans (including adults) never wash thier hands after going to the restrooms, spit all over the place, and insist on having every door and window in the building open, even though it is negative degrees outside. And I work with thier germy little kids. Should I be wholey to blame? I am going to go with NO!

So anyway, I did some things to cheer me up while there! I ate a really good hamburger at CRAZE BURGER. Sooo good! I had heard about the place online so I decided to go for it. The little restaurant was all filled up so I decided to get my order To-Go thinking that I could head up to the food court and eat it there. Well, I got to the food court and it was under construction so I had no other option besides eat the burger while sitting on a bench. Apparently Koreans don't eat on benches cause I was attracting lots of looks. Maybe the burger just looked delicious and they wanted one?

Just light and amazing insights into a distant culture. Sara goes beyond the travel magazines and lets me see and somewhat feel what it might be like to be there.

For those who have not already heard -- although I can't imagine that someone hasn't -- there have been terrorist attacks in Mumbai, an Indian city formerly known as Bombay.

The photo above shows some of the damage and is hosted along with several others on blogger Vinu's flickr account.

"Taken late night Nov 26 at Colaba. Arranged in the order I took the snaps as I visited this place - 15 mins after I heard the sound. 2 mins walking distance from my house."

If you are on twitter, you can follow vinu there as well. Another twitter feed that is sending out updates, often re-tweets from others on the ground, is mumbaifeed. Finally, you can search twitter for #mumbai to get more information -- although there is some discussion that the Indian government wants this outlet to stop.

Our prayers and thoughts.

Update: The reporting capabilities of twitter were not lost on the folks at Wired Magazine, who already have a story up, which contains links to more places with info.

No doubt two Hawkeye football fan families will be talking about the 2008 Minnesota-Iowa game for some time.

Two fans were caught having sex in a bathroom stall at the Metrodome during Saturday's game. A report from the police filings indicate a Metrodome security officer saw two people having sex in a handicapped stall after noticing two sets of feet with underwear dropped to the ground.

A group of 15 onlookers were both cheering and laughing at the spectacle before officers disrupted the ... ahem... superfluous activities. The couple was given misdemeanor citations.

But here's the most important detail:

The woman, 38, was turned over to her husband. The man, 26, was turned over to his girlfriend.

Illegal use of hands and offsides calls usually come with a five yard penalty. For these two, however, it likely came with an uncomfortable 300 mile drive home.

Update: WCCO, a CBS affiliate, is reporting that the "relations" took place in the men's bathroom. Also, that the woman involved may be charged for providing officers at the scene a false middle name -- although she got her first and last names correct.

A little bit of an unusual earworm this week -- Josh Groban and Sarah Brightman singing "There For Me"

I covered Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal when he visited Cedar Rapids yesterday. While at the event I met David Chung of Hawkeye GOP for the very first time. (Nice to meet you, David!) Of course, John Deeth was there -- and has a colorful report -- along with the usual journalistic folks -- James Lynch of the Gazette and Mike Glover from AP. The journalists passed the time by speculating on politics and comparing voice recorders.

One of the reporter folks I've been missing lately is Charlotte Eby. Where ya been, Charlotte?

There was a sad announcement this week. Cedar Rapids librarian John McGlothlen announced that he no longer has time to publish the Looking in at Iowa news referral blog. I will miss the nearly daily dose of items that had a link to the Hawkeye State.

While discussing Sarah Palin's rise to celebrity -- in lieu of her rise to vice president -- Michael Blood of the AP reports that Palin has been invited to, among other things, "a prayer breakfast in Cedar Rapids."

The Church of Jesus Christ blog took note of the musical at Northwestern College in Orange City that highlights six stories from the Bible's Old Testament. The musical is dubbed, rightly so, "Terror Texts."

Quick note to Heather, who laments how her Southern drawl keeps her an Iowa outsider. I've been in Iowa about 12 years now and I still have people asked "Where are you from?" They seem a little taken aback when I tell them Iowa. LOL!

Here's the funny thing: When we visit relatives in the southern states, they like to spend time telling me how much the kids and I "talk like a Yankee." I reckon that's just the way it is.

The Center for Responsive Politics has announced that Altoona freelance journalist Kristin Schaaf is the winner of Open Secret's second Citizen Journalism Contest. You can read her winning essay, "Did campaign contributions and lobbying by the financial sector contribute to the meltdown on Wall Street?" by visiting the link above.

Congratulations, Kristin!

News out of Nevada (the town, not the state) is that two elderly women pleaded guilty to extorting another elderly lady out of her entire life savings. The victim unfortunately died before the matter made its way through the court.

What were the women doing with all this money? Gambling at Prairie Meadows ($45,000) and Meskwaki ($1.5 million) casinos. Damn. You know I get angry when I lose $40 at the casino.

I'm going to close this week with a link to an article by Ashley on the SAFER blog. The title will give you enough of a hint to know if you want to go read: "What women's magazines could be." There is no trigger warning associated with Ashley's post, however, the magazine she links to does have one.

The Associated Press has suspended the use of any photos from the U.S. Department of Defense after learning that at least one of the images it received from the U.S. Army had a digitally altered background.

The photo in question was a mug shot of Gen. Ann Dunwoody and can be seen by visiting the BBC site. In the original photo, Dunwoody is posed in front of a white wall and family photos can be seen over the subject's right shoulder. In the altered version, a much "cleaned-up" Dunwoody appears in front of an American flag.

The military contends that although the photograph was altered, there was no intent to change the subject matter. Santiago Lyon, AP's director of photography, however, points to the news organization's "no tolerance policy" when it comes to removing or adding content to a photograph.

This is the second photo that the AP has banned from the military. In September a photo of Darris Dawson, a soldier who was killed in Iraq, was questioned because it appeared Dawson's face had been digitally altered. At the time of that incident, the military said the photo was released by accident, having been intended only for use at a memorial service.

Although switching the background of a photo to make a soldier appear to be in front of an American flag -- especially in such an obvious splice and dice -- wouldn't be considered a major discretion by most consumers of journalism, the AP is correct to take such a hard-line stance against it. The problem isn't with *this* photo, but with the overall belief by any government organization that it can release altered photos to the media and, hence, to the public.

A petition requesting the U.S. Supreme Court review the convictions and sentences of an Iowa woman in connection with five 1993 drug-related murders has been denied by the nation's highest court.

Angela Johnson, 41, from Forest City, was convicted by a federal jury on May 24, 2005 of 10 counts of murder in furtherance of a drug conspiracy and a continuing criminal enterprise. The jury handed down a death sentence on eight of the 10 counts, which involved the premeditated murder of two sisters, ages 6 and 10, the girls' mother as well as Johnson's former boyfriend. Johnson received a sentence of life in prison without parole for her role in the murder of a fifth victim, a federal witness. The individuals, who were murdered in the summer and fall of 1993, were buried in shallow graves in rural Cerro Gordo County.

During a 2004 trial, Dustin Honken, who was Johnson's boyfriend at the time of the crimes, was convicted of the same murders. He was sentenced to death on Oct. 11, 2005. An appeal is pending.

While attempting to derail a methamphetamine investigation, Johnson lured four of the victims to their death by posing as a lost sales person in need of a phone book. Through her efforts Honken, who would eventually pull the trigger and directly cause the deaths, was able to gain access to the victims' home. A forced confession from one of the victims was videotaped -- evidence Honken hoped would exonerate him in a drug charge -- then the victims were driven to the remote area and murdered.

A fifth and final victim, a former boyfriend, was lured to a remote area by Johnson where Honken laid in wait with a gun.

Johnson's death sentence marked the first time in more than 50 years that a female had received such punishment in federal court. Bonnie Brown Heady was sentenced to death in 1953 for the kidnapping and murder of a six-year-old boy in Missouri. A total of 49 women have been executed under state laws since 1900.

Twenty-eight issues were raised in Johnson's appeal. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed her convictions and the imposition of the death penalty. Her attorney then filed a petition for review by the high court. In a two-line order, the Supreme Court denied the petition Wednesday.

Johnson will have one year to file a petition for post-conviction relief, a form of constitutional challenge to her convictions and sentences. The U.S. Department of Justice will not schedule an execution date until Johnson has exhausted all such challenges.

That American feminism has triumphed -- even on the religious right

Since the Republican Party suffered widespread defeat on Election Day, the GOP faithful have been debating whether the party should move to the proverbial political center or embrace the conservativism of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. What has gone unnoticed is that support for Palin is a repudiation of the Bible.

Palin, while lauded as a draw for conservative evangelical voters, actually fits uneasily into the theological worldview of the Christian Right. To be sure, Palin's politics are a close, if not exact match for social conservatives. She is strongly against a woman's right to choose abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. She is against same-sex marriage and for an expansive reading of the Second Amendment. She is a perfect candidate -- so long as evangelicals are able to look past her gender.

But supporting Palin's vice-presidential bid -- and her possible ambitions for 2012 -- requires evangelical voters to overlook the "complementarian" conception of the roles of men and women that holds sway among Southern Baptists and other evangelicals. Based on their reading of Scripture, they believe that men and women have distinctly different roles assigned to them by God. Women, in this perspective, are divinely mandated to serve as wives, mothers and keepers of the home. They are not allowed to serve as pastors, and they are obliged to submit to their husband in their own homes and in public.

The power of the belief that women are not eligible to lead came crashing into religious living rooms in September when more than 100 Christian bookstores, run by the Southern Baptist Convention, refused to publicly display an edition of Gospel Today magazine that featured five female pastors on the cover. The magazine had to be withdrawn from public display, said a spokesman, because the story "clearly advocates a position contrary to our denomination's statement of faith." Christians could only get the magazine by asking for it from behind the counter, a la Penthouse or Playboy.

How could it be that a female in the White House was acceptable at the same time that females at the pulpit posed a problem?

Albert Mohler, president of the Baptist Convention, offered an answer on his blog: Scripture is vague on the question of whether women can have public responsibilities and besides, Palin has fulfilled her wifely and motherly duties, he argued.

"The New Testament clearly speaks to the complementary roles of men and women in the home and in the church," he wrote, "but not in roles of public responsibility. I believe that women as CEOs in the business world and as officials in government are no affront to Scripture. Then again, that presupposes that women -- and men -- have first fulfilled their responsibilities within the little commonwealth of the family."

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood argued that:

The Bible calls women to specific roles in the church and home, but does not prohibit them from exercising leadership in secular political fields. Rather, the Queen of Sheba is presented in 1 Kings 10:1-13 in a positive light in her interaction with King Solomon. Queen Esther offers an even better example of a woman who appropriately exerted influence for the good of her people without holding the highest position of national authority (Esther 2:17). In this light, we cannot categorically say that it was sinful for Queen Victoria to lead England as a single woman strictly because of her gender, nor can we condemn Governor Palin or any other woman for seeking the office of Vice President.

But, as any reader of the Bible knows, these are selective readings. Mohler and the council ignore politically inconvenient passages from the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy that make clear that men, not women, should rule.

"Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens." ~ Exodux 18:21

"Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you." ~Dueteronomy 1:13

In the the book of Timothy in the New Testament, a woman's path in life is outlined as follows:

"I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

The charitable Christian will leave aside the implications of this injunction for Palin's notorious $150,000 clothes shopping spree, and ask how biblical fundamentalists can accept Timothy's teachings and still celebrate a female politician skilled in forthright rhetoric.

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." ~ 1 Timothy 2:8-15

The answer is: Not very easily.

For those who believe that there is an all-encompassing plan by God as delivered in the Scripture, the complementarian view is fundamental. The belief in specific gender roles with men being in leadership positions over women cannot be separated from the order that the Bible says God created:

"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." ~ I Corinthians 11:3

Yet many evangelicals, excited by the worldview expressed by Palin, twist the otherwise inflexible words of the Bible to justify their political passion.

Not all have managed to make the leap.

"Those of us who seek a biblical reformation of the family and the defeat of feminism's vision for women look at the matter in a very different light," said Pennsylvania pastor William Einwechter, who wrote of the "Feminization of the Family" in 2005.

"Sarah Palin identifies herself with the anti-Christian philosophy of feminism. She uses feminist terminology, identifies with feminist political objectives, publicly praises liberal icons of the feminist movement, and has built her lifestyle around the feminist ideal of motherhood and careerism. ... She establishes the feminist principle that if a woman can do something, and she wants to do it, she ought to do it; there should be no constraints placed on her by her family, her church, or her society. She validates the feminist notion that it is fine for a mother to leave the care and training of her children in the hands of others while she seeks her own version of success in the world. Sarah Palin has brought to light the degree to which feminist ideology has triumphed in American culture and in the American church."

Even on the religious right.

Vatican cracks down on Georgia priest for supporting the ordination of women.

Roy Bourgeois, a 69-year-old priest and a founder of School of the Americas Watch, participated in an Aug. 9 ceremony in Kentucky to ordain Janice Sevre-Duszynska, a member of a group called Roman Catholic Womenpriests. Both Bourgeois and Sevre-Duszynska face excommunication. The penalty, if carried out, is the most severe penalty under church law and would effectively cut off Bourgeois from receiving or administering sacraments.

Bougeois has stated that he intends to travel with a contingent of priests and a bishop to appeal the decision.

"Who are we as men to say to women that our call to the priesthood is valid, but yours is not?" Bourgeois said in a telephone interview. "As Catholics we profess that the invitation to priesthood comes from God, and I believe that we are hampering with the sacred when we say that women must be excluded from being priests. That invitation is from God."

If the Vatican will not reconsider the decision, the excommunication will become effective on Nov. 21 -- the same day that thousands will converge on Fort Benning, Ga. for the eighth annual vigil to close the School of the Americas. The priest plans to continue his work with SOA regardless of the decision.

Bourgeois is a Vietnam veterans and served as a missionary in Bolivia and El Salvador. On Nov. 16, 1989, six Jesuit priests, their co-worker and her teenage daughter were massacred in El Salvador. A U.S. Congressional Task Force reported that those responsible were trained at the Georgia military school. SOA seeks to close the school, which now operates under the name of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, and to change U.S. foreign policy in relation to Latin America.

The Roman Catholic Womenpriests issued the following response regarding the excommunication decree:

Roman Catholic Womenpriests reject the penalty of excommunication issued by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith on May 29, 2008 stating that the "women priests and the bishops who ordain them would be excommunicated latae sententiae." Roman Catholic Womenpriests are loyal members of the church who stand in the prophetic tradition of holy obedience to the Spirit's call to change an unjust law that discriminates against women. Our movement is receiving enthusiastic responses on the local, national and international level.

We will continue to serve our beloved church in a renewed priestly ministry that welcomes all to celebrate the sacraments in inclusive, Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered communities wherever we are called.

When the Linn County Supervisors finished their canvass and approved the vote total in Linn County only 14 votes separated Democratic incumbent Art Staed from Republican challenger Renee Schulte in the race for Iowa House District 37. State law allows a period of three days following the canvass for candidates and other interested parties to request a recount.

Because the vote totals were so close, Staed made his formal request Friday at roughly 4 p.m. Prior to that, however, Staed had indicated to Linn County Auditor Joel Miller that he intended to file the necessary paperwork to begin the recount process. Based on that intent, Adam Belz of the Cedar Rapids Gazette wrote a short article about the likely upcoming recount. If you visit the article, be sure to look at the comments.

Although I've repeatedly heard some Republicans in and around Linn County discuss how "the law doesn't have a written exception for years in which there is a flood" when it comes to some things, that isn't the same sentiment that's being expressed in this instance. In fact, it seems some commenting at the Gazette and elsewhere would rather usurp the law in relation to recounts because the county is in a financial bind because of the flooding.

While it is true that Staed will not have to pay for the recount because of the vote being so close, it is also true that any candidate in such a circumstance is well within the law to request one. If it were my race, I'd ask for one. I'd wager a guess if any one of the Gazette comment makers were a party directly involved, they'd be asking for one as well.

If, when the recount is complete, Schulte remains the largest vote-getter, we'll celebrate another woman joining the legislature. By that same token, if the recount reverses the canvass results, we'll celebrate a Linn County legislator returning to Des Moines with a little more clout and experience. Either way, we will celebrate the knowledge that every vote was counted and counted correctly.

According to Iowa law the county auditor has seven days from the date of canvass to begin the recount.

Prepare yourself for an estrogen double shot!

I'm so very pleased to announce that another eastern Iowa woman will soon be adding her voice to Essential Estrogen.

Renee Wilson is a mom to two grown children, a wife and a Republican. I have no doubt that her insights will add a new dimension to the site. I also hope our juxtaposition will provide an opportunity for readers to approach issues with new clarity. While we may not always agree on any one course of action, we can take time to consider the thought process that goes into making a suggestion or decision.

Renee and I both agree on the overall mission of this site: Women are essential to society. We both believe that women, especially those who become politically active, benefit the communities they choose to serve. We believe that good citizens are active individuals who not only care enough to discuss the topics of the day, but put actions behind their words.

Above all else, we have learned that our similarities far outweigh our differences.

Welcome to the table, Renee! I can't wait to see what dish you serve first.

There was nothing usual about the Metro Area Veterans Council inviting Ottumwa opthalmologist Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks to keynote their annual Veterans Day service in Cedar Rapids. Miller-Meeks, a Republican who recently lost her bid to become Iowa's first female member of Congress, is a veteran and spouse of a veteran. As the woman spoke of honor, commitment and the quest of veterans to remain relevant, however, the political undertones were unmistakable.

"Your actions have consequences, and your words have meaning," Miller-Meeks said during her keynote address. "For those of you in this room who are worried that Veterans Day and the honor and commitment and sacrifice that you've made is losing its popularity and you will be forgotten, I'm imploring you to become relevant again.

Miller-Meeks went on to tell veterans and their spouses that they can play a significant role in welcoming home the men and women who are now returning from war and by serving as s support system for the families who await their soldier's return.

"So, for those of you who think you may become irrelevant, I am telling you that your time for leadership has not passed," she said. "Your time for leadership is now. It is not the person who has the rank that is the leader. It is the person who emerges from whatever circumstance to bring the solution, to forward the issue, to speak for those who cannot speak. Your time for leadership is now."

The call for a second wave of service end with Miller-Meeks stating that "it is not always the victory who is well-remembered in history, sometimes it is those who have been vanquished."

Following the event, many in the audience came up to speak with Miller-Meeks and show their support for her congressional run and her continued service in Iowa's 2nd District. She has not publicly indicated if she will again venture into politics, but, if she takes her own advice, it's quite certain that she will remain relevant.

The clip below is an audio file featuring a musical selection from the service performed by the New Horizons Band and narrated by Cary J. Hahn, a journalist and Navy veteran.

Today -- just like every day -- my gratitude is to the many men and women who have served for me, my family and our country.

Some days it's just difficult to get going without a little warm fuzzy. So, here's your warm fuzzy:

Now that we've all had our Yo-Yo fix, let's get out there and do what has to be done.

(A big tip of my bonnet goes to Connie Schultz of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.)

Lucy Burns, shown in the photograph to the right, was the suffragist who served the most jail time for standing up for a woman's right to vote.

This photograph of Burns, shot in November 1917, was likely taken at a workhouse in Occoquan, Virginia. It was while serving time in that facility that Burns, and other women arrested while picketing the White House, were tortured. And, it is quite likely that their torture, brutal and cruel as it was, led the passage of the 19th Amendment three years later in 1920.

On the 14th day of November that year, 33 women -- all of them returning to the facility for being re-arrested while picketing the White House and demanding women be able to vote -- were attacked by 44 workhouse guards, acting under the orders of W.H. Whittaker, the facility superintendent. The women were raised into the air and thrown onto concrete floors. A piece of wood, taken from the handle of one woman's protest sign, was jabbed between a woman's eyes. Their heads were forced into walls and against steel bed frames.

Burns' arms were twisted into a painful position and her wrists handcuffed to the bars of her cell. This is after she had been beaten. This is while her own blood flowed under and through her clothing. And, she was left in that position for the entire night.

Burns and another woman, Alice Paul, were the founders of the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, which became in 1917 the National Woman's Party. The two women were dissatisfied with the National American Woman Suffrage Association (led by Carrie Chapman Catt) and believed that in order to bring about change, women would need to stir the pot more publicly. They favored picketing and often resorted to militant tactics while doing so. (For instance, hanging Pres. Woodrow Wilson in effigy and burning copies of his speeches. Needless to say the men in power at that time -- a time of war -- didn't appreciate the ladies.)

Within days of the women being beaten behind the jail walls, a court-ordered hearing exposed the atrocity. A judge ruled that the women weren't guilty of any crime, but had been exercising their Constitutional right to protest. Although it would be three additional years before women won the right to vote, there is little doubt that it was due, in large part, to these women and the thousands of others who stood up for what they knew to be right.

Ladies, go vote.