May 2009 Archives

Take the Survey Now

Since Essential Estrogen began publishing more than two years ago, the women of Iowa have expressed their reasons and perceptions regarding involvement in politics.

The three things we've heard repeatedly are:

1) Time. Let's face it, women today are pulled in a million different directions at once. Each day they need to make choices as to what opportunities are the most valuable for them and will provide the largest return. For women with families at home, attending yet another meeting is also often accompanied by a sense of guilt.

2) A perception that politics is "too dirty" or "too corrupt" for any one person, or even a small group, to make a difference. Although women are masters at the types of skills most needed by political and advocacy groups, many who choose to volunteer are more apt to do so for an organization or charity that they deem to be "a worthy cause." In addition, women tend to believe that, once elected, politicians are just going to do whatever they want regardless of how constituents feel.

3) Understanding. Women are by no means ignorant of the various issues at play in our communities and nation, but they do report being hesitant to express their views for fear of being shouted down, called out or otherwise confronted by someone perceived as more knowledgeable.

From these discussions, and additional follow-ups with women stakeholders throughout the state, we've come up with an idea: Non-partisan informational meetings on political issues (aka, Politics 101). The primary motivation surrounding the meetings would be to educate women on the issues that are being discussed nationally and statewide, with the information provided by knowledgeable individuals on all sides of the particular subject.

So as not to overload, each meeting would be on an individual topic. A diverse panel would be available to present the various facets of the chosen issue, and the women in attendance would also have an opportunity to ask questions. For example, a meeting on the topic of health care could include an expert to explain the differences between delivery options like social insurance, socialized medicine and employer-based.

That's the basic idea, but we need to gather more information in order to make these educational opportunities a reality. Not only do we need to know which political issues should be selected, but we want to know if there are barriers to women being able to attend. When and where should we have these meetings? Should we offer child care for those attending? Are the women who want to attend limited by transportation options? Should we organize car pools, or choose a location on a public bus route?

To that end, a short 10-question survey has been developed. Please take a moment to complete the survey. It will remain active from today to the end of June.   

Iowa's two U.S. Senators -- Chuck Grassley, a Republican, and Tom Harkin, a Democrat -- are floating party line stances in their first two statements regarding Pres. Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court.

"A lifetime appointment requires a thorough vetting, and I expect Judge Sotomayor to receive fair and deliberative consideration," Grassley said in a statement released this morning. "The United States Senate has a responsibility to carefully review nominees to the Supreme Court. The Judiciary Committee should take time to ensure that the nominee will be true to the Constitution and apply the law, not personal politics, feelings or preferences. We need to ask tough questions to learn how this individual views the role of a Supreme Court justice. The last 25 years of Senate review of nominees has been entirely different than the first 200 years, and today the Senate can't just be a rubber stamp for President Obama's nominees."

Harkin, in contrast, immediately stated that Sotomayor was "extremely qualified" for the post.

"She has the intellect and experiences necessary to serve on our nation's highest Court," Harkin said in his prepared statement. "In addition to nearly 17 years on the federal bench -- having been appointed by both Presidents Bush and Clinton -- she has unique life experiences that I believe are critical to ensure that the Court truly embodies the diversity of our country and understands how the law impacts ordinary Americans.

"I am confident that Judge Sotomayor will be an important voice on our Court for the rule of law and constitional rights and values. She will ensure equality and give proper effect to our most important statutes, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, so our most vulnerable citizens receive the fullest protections of the law."

Sotomayor, who has served on the U.S. District Court and Federal Court of Appeals in New York, was labeled as an "inspiring woman" by President Obama during his announcement this morning. Democrats are quick to point out that she was nominated to the District Court by Pres. George H.W. Bush, but a bit more relucant to admit that the nomination was a compromise.

Obama is, however, holding true to his commitment to nominate someone -- thankfully a woman -- who has a compelling story and who can relate to individuals across the spectrum of nation.

Her parents came to New York from Puerto Rico during World War II. Her mother, a part of the Women's Army Corps, began the hard work of single motherhood when Sotomayor was nine and the family experienced the untimely death of her father, a factory worker with only a third grade education. His death came only months after Sotomayor had been diagnosed with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. Her mother worked six days a week to provide for Sotomayor and her borther, who is now a doctor.

During the announcement this morning, Sotomayor introduced her mother, Celina Sotomayor, as an "extraordinary person who is my life aspiration." 

Sotomayor attended Princeton on a scholarship, and graduated from there at the top of her class. She was editor of the Yale Law School journal when she attended there, and later served as a prosecutor and commercial law litigator.

"Along the way she's faced down barriers, overcome the odds, lived out the American Dream that brought her parents here so long ago," Obama said during his announcement this morning. "And even as she has accomplished so much in her life, she has never forgotten where she began, never lost touch with the community that supported her. What Sonia will bring to the Court, then, is not only the knowledge and experience acquired over a brilliant legal career, but the wisdom accumulated from an inspiring life's journey."

Despite the breadth of that journey, Sotomayor said that she, as a child of the South Bronx neighborhood, still finds all of this a bit surreal.

"It is a daunting feeling to be here," she said during this morning's press conference. "Eleven years ago, during my confirmation process for appointment to the Second Circuit, I was given a private tour of the White House. It was an overwhelming experience for a kid from the South Bronx. Yet never in my wildest childhood imaginings did I ever envision this moment, let alone did I ever dream that I would live this moment."

Senate confirmation requires 60 affirmative votes. Since the Democrats currently have 59 seats, Sotomayor's confirmation is considered nearly a lock.

Iowans will bid farewell to another former female legislator on Saturday, May 23.

Elaine Szymoniak, who represented the Des Moines area for more than a decade as a state senator, died this week following a recent stroke. Memorial services will take place at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Des Moines.

Szymoniak, who was 88 at the time of her death, is the fourth former female legislator who has died in the past few months. Barb Finch, of Story County, died in a car accident in December 2008. Rosemary Thompson and Mary Lundby, both of Linn County, died in January -- Mary after a long battle with cancer and Rosemary after a sudden illness.

While serving as a Democrat in the legislature from 1988 to 2000 (when she chose to retire), Szymoniak was ranking member of the Human Resources Standing Committee. She also served on the education, ethics, state government and ways & means standing committees. Many of the bills that she authored and sponsored concerned education, family welfare or care of the elderly and disabled. Her focus was not a surprise since she was born (in Wisconsin) to deaf parents and had an older brother challenged with cerebral palsy.

She received her bachelor's degree in education and speech pathology from the University of Wisconsin. Before making her home in Iowa, she worked in public school systems in the states of Wisconsin, New York and Kansas. She also put her skills to use in the medical field, at one point working at Army Hospital Aural Rehabilitation Center in Oklahoma.

When she did come to Iowa, she spent three decades working with the state for the benefit of those with disabilities. She also enhanced her education by earning a master's degree from Iowa State University.  She served on the Des Moines City Council for 11 years, from 1978 to 1989, and then ran successfully for the Iowa Senate.

And, she did all of this while also raising five children of her own.  

In 1999 when Szymoniak was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame, she was described as "a woman who has done it all." She was a mother, a career woman, a volunteer and a public servant.

"She is a woman who has truly made a difference."

If you've ever wanted to be a fly on the wall when a mostly rural person ventures into a large city, then you're going to want to read an essay that recently published in the New York Times.

Written by children's author Sarah Shey, who also happens to be the daughter of an Iowa veterinarian, the piece is light enough to make for good reading and detailed enough to provoke thought.

...For the first time, I was living among people who spent most of their lives indoors -- in apartments, in offices, in gyms, in restaurants. I couldn't get over that.

A repairman introduced me to this notion of urban insularity when he connected my telephone just days after I moved into my first apartment, on West 115th Street. I offered him something to drink, just as my mother would have; my mother did not discriminate with the coffeepot: Veterinarians, hired hands, cattle buyers, cleaning women -- all drank coffee and ate toast at her table.

The repairman did a double take. "Where you from?" he asked. When I told him, his eyes betrayed what he was thinking: "You've got a lot to learn." Aloud, he said: "This ain't Iowa. Uh-uh-no. This is re-al-ity." He did not elaborate...

To this day, I can always count on my southern family -- many of whom reside in large cities like Dallas, Houston and Tulsa -- to question my move to Iowa. Never mind that the move took place more than a decade ago. For them, even the few who have ventured north for a visit, Iowa holds a distinct mystery.

"It must be wonderful when all that snow falls," my sister said with a distant gleam in her eye. Despite my attempts to inject harsh winter realities like snow plows and piles of brownish-black muck in parking lots, they still haven't quite gotten the message.

On my latest visit, my brother-in-law asked me if there were any horse-drawn carriages that could be ridden in the snow. Although it risked perpetrating the romantic myth that Iowans sip brandy whilst watching big snow flakes land on barren fields all winter, I had to admit that there were carriages that visited our town during annual Christmas in the Park celebrations.

Since my sister has her heart set on such an excursion, I've little doubt that one of these winters they are going to trek to Iowa. I can only hope that they are fortunate enough to miss a real snow storm, otherwise I'll never hear the end of it. Then again, such an experience might quickly dispel the romantic myth.

On Thursday morning, May 14, I looked forward to a full day of conference calls with members of the Iowa congressional delegation. I also looked forward to running a few personal/family errands in between the calls. I was on my way home from one such errand on the west side of Cedar Rapids, when the day that I'd planned drastically changed.

I was traveling in the far right lane of 1st Ave SW, a four-lane roadway with a center turn lane, and headed toward downtown when I saw two traffic cones blocking my lane. There had been no warning that the lane was going to close -- no signs, no lighted arrows pointing motorists to the adjacent lane.

I turned on my blinker, but couldn't merge because of traffic. So, I stopped and began to wait for traffic to clear.

The next thing I felt was my vehicle being hit from behind. It was not just tapped by another car, mind you, it was hit hard. The various things littering my dashboard -- pens, a book, phone charger -- were sent flying and my sun roof was knocked open.

I sat in the vehicle rather stunned for a few beats. It was all a little confusing and disorienting at first. The first thing I noticed when I began to take stock of the immediate area was a city crew working just across the street. I know it was a crew from the city because the truck had the city logo on the door. I thought they would soon cross the road to check on me and the other driver. Instead, I watched as they began to load up their equipment and prepared to leave.

I found my purse in the passenger floorboard and located my mobile phone. My first call was to emergency dispatch. When I explained what had happened -- that there had been a car accident -- the woman asked my condition and then asked the condition of the other driver. I exited my vehicle while remaining on the line with 911 to see if there were any injuries in the other car. When the other driver and her passenger assured me they were alright, emergency dispatch routed a police officer to the scene and the call ended.

The entire call with the dispatcher took maybe 2-3 minutes, but the city crew I had seen across the street was gone by the time it ended.

The officer arrived shortly after that and took our licenses and insurance cards. Before I left, I was given forms to complete for the city and state and a sheet of paper with the other driver's information. At that point I told the responding officer about the city crew that had been working across the street at the time of the accident and about their speedy departure following the crash. His response was a "you've got to be kidding" type of shrug and head shaking.

When I checked with insurance I also made a point of telling them about the city crew, the lack of notice to motorists regarding the lane closing, and my dismay. At the emergency room I repeated the information there.

During the past few days, as I've described what happened to friends, their mouths fall open. They say, "I saw that!" Then they proceed to tell me about several places along 1st Avenue that had cones placed around what appeared to be fresh paint on road markings. The lane closures, they tell me, came with no prior warnings to motorists, and that they also came close to being involved in traffic accidents at those sites.

From my own legal and insurance standpoint, I've been told that all of this matters very little. I stopped for the cones and was struck from behind by another motorist. As such, the other motorist is at fault. Still, it seems to me that if I and the other motorist had been given warning about the lane closure, we would have had an opportunity to avoid the accident.

I've included all of this in my written report to IDOT and the City of Cedar Rapids. I also attempted to phone IDOT to find out what laws or policies govern signage of lane closures, and if such policies vary depending on which agency (state, local municipality, etc.) initiates the lane closure or if the road itself and its existing speed limits dictate how lane closures are handled. The person that I was referred to is out of the office for several days, so I've not received an answer.

As most of the world is already aware, Shawn Johnson earned the coveted mirror ball trophy on this season of Dancing with the Stars. Congratulations to both Shawn and her partner Mark Ballas. It was a well deserved victory.

For those who aren't addicted to the show, here's my favorite of Shawn's dances from the season -- the freestyle:

No doubt Shawn was already admired by many for her athletic ability and work ethic. We now also stand in awe of her willingness to step outside of her comfort zone.

Win or lose, Shawn, we're always proud to have such a strong and inspirational young woman to represent Iowa.

When Anna Jarvis founded Mother's Day in 1912, she never intended the day to be anything more than a series of small, personal celebrations. It was a day for each individual family to come together and honor the mothers that have blessed their lives. 

Jarvis, who had only two years before buried her own mother, then spent her life and her fortune trying to keep the focus of the second Sunday in May pure to her original vision: A day of sentiment spoken and shown from the heart. I think we all would agree that on this day of mass-produced greeting cards and television ads for flower bouquets, Jarvis was not entirely successful in her quest.

Long before Jarvis sought not only to honor her own mother, but to set aside time for families to honor theirs, the tug of war about motherhood had long begun. All aspects of society, from the political to the commercial, has had a vested interest in motherhood as an institution and an event. Given that, there is little wonder that Jarvis's simple idea was quickly over-powered.

In 1847, sixty-five years before Jarvis began her quest, Dr. James Simpson was the first physician to women in labor chloroform to ease their pain. The following year Boston doctor Walter Channing used ether for a similar purpose. A whirlwind of protest began from the religious community, which believed that the contractions that associated labor were part of God's curse upon women and should not be eased. Others argued that the pain of childbirth was required in order for a mother to love her child.

When women began to mail information to one another on how to prevent pregnancy -- and, it is worth mentioning here that many women were dying young due in large part to the stress of childbirth -- such mailings were quickly labeled as "obscene" materials that should not be delivered or received. Because society did recognize, at least after it was confronted with evidence, that women were dying in childbirth and from the stress of one pregnancy following another, birth control clinics were eventually opened. Even then, however, the only women that were supposed to be served were those for whom pregnancy and/or childbirth was considered physically dangerous or especially risky.

I'm not sure if there was ever a point in history in which motherhood wasn't the co-opted property of people outside of its immediate sphere. From its being painted a sacred to it being portrayed as confinement, I agree with Jarvis that there should be a small slice of life away from the controversies. There should be a moment that we are free to just be moms without the worry of what another group or another person will necessarily think that means or represents.

I would not entrust the care of my children to Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher. That being said, however, my hesitations do not extend to all plumbers, or even to want-to-be plumbers.

It is sad to think that even today there are some people who feel comfortable painting an entire segment of the population based on stereotypes and misinformation. Good and bad can be found in all segments of the population. Society should be well past the point of group-based discrimination.

To show the point I'm trying to make:

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual Republican. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual black. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual Christians. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual Japanese. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual Europeans. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual liberals. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual Catholic priests. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual Girl Scouts. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual bloggers. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual hunters. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual brunette. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

"I've had some friends that are actually homosexual fat. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

So, why wouldn't I entrust my children to Samuel's care? I have no desire to hear my 6-year-old son using the word "horny."

UPDATE -- A little bird just whispered in my ear that Robinson will be a special speaker at the monthly meeting of Connections tomorrow (Tuesday) evening in Iowa City. More information is available on the Connections Website. From the Connections site I learned that Ed and Lynn Fallon (I'M for Iowa) are coordinating Robinson's visit to the state. If you visit the events calendar on their site, you'll find additional public events in pretty much every section of the state. For those in eastern Iowa, there are events scheduled in Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Clinton and Davenport.

Now I'm feeling a little foolish for not already being aware of the schedule. My guess is that it was announced while I was stuck in bed with a cold.

------

H. Alexander Robinson, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, is in the process of visiting four cities in Iowa. Before leaving the beltway, however, he set pen to paper to discuss the trip and what he hopes to accomplish while here.

As I head off to the Hawkeye state, I am reminded of the Iowa's historic role as a bellwether for justice and equality. From the rights of women and African Americans to the recent decision by the state's Supreme Court to extend marriage rights to lesbian and gay couples, Iowa leads.

I am eager to visit the people who launched the successful campaign of our nation's first African American President. Though less that 3% of Iowa's population is African American, the Black communities in Des Moines, Davenport and Waterloo continue to play an important and critical role in setting the tone for issues of justice and civil rights.

Yet on the issue of full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, too many African Americans depart from their core support of justice. Today's issues are arguably the same as those featured in Cora Unashamed, written by Langston Hughes--a gay man--and set in Iowa. Issues of abortion, young love, materialism, racism, death, and destiny intermingle in one charged novel. So much has changed since that 1930s story, and yet certain prejudices pass through all perceptions of time. When I read of the emotional isolation and open, inflammatory bigotry felt by Cora in a town where her and mother are the only African Americans, I am reminded of the despair felt by too many African American young people because they are bullied and rejected by family and church.

But this is not 1930s.  There are clear signs of hope, and Iowa is at their center. While I am there I hope to listen and to learn.

...

Visit the NBJC site to read all of his remarks. Unfortunately, I've no clue if and when any public appearances might take place. If you are aware of any, please leave a comment below.