Essential Estrogen

It has always been my belief that people come into your life not for specific periods of time, but for specific purposes -- some of which will not be realized until years after you and the person have parted ways. Life and its lessons are just that way.

Several years ago when I was having a particularly difficult time dealing with the death of our son, I picked up the phone and called a friend I hadn't spoken to in months. I just felt we needed each other in that moment. Sure enough, she was also having a difficult time. A very close friend of hers was battling breast cancer and the outlook was not good.

We spoke at length about life, death and the so very precious moments in between. I told her I could never understand why it always seemed to be the best people who had to go through the worst. (You never hear of Charles Manson contracting cancer or dealing with the death of a loved one.) She agreed with me and then explained it better than I could have:

"That's because the shits would never inspire us."

It is difficult to watch good people go through crappy situations, but there is a purpose. They inspire us.

All our love and prayers, Elizabeth. You are an inspiration and an excellent role model. We're happy to have you in the public arena and know you possess strength we haven't even seen yet.

Last night while driving I-80, I took advantage of the quiet (and forced myself to stay awake) by listening to conservative talk radio. I wish I could tell you which head was talking. I think it was Michael Reagan... at least I know another topic of conversation I listened to ("John Edwards must think his wife's cancer is a blessing") was hosted by Reagan but I cannot remember if what I want to discuss here was also Reagan or if I flipped the station. Oh well... it was definitely one of them.

I almost changed the channel after listening for a few moments because I thought it was a rerun. The topic of conversation was... of course... Hillary Clinton and Merle Haggard's song, "Let's Put a Woman in Charge." For most of us this song is... well... old news. It seems, however, that FOX news just picked up on it while covering Clinton's weekend fundraiser in Hollywood. In any event, the announcer picked up on that song and asked if listeners felt that song was true. "Is there anyone out there who is voting for Hillary Clinton just because she is a woman?" he asked. "Call in and let us know why you think a woman needs to be President."

He went on to add his thoughts on the Clinton campaign targeting women (and how the GOP should be very leery in placing Clinton against Giuliani because of his past 'indiscretions' with women). He also inferred the only reason someone would vote for Hillary was because of her gender since, according to the host, she had no other credentials.

While this discussion offered a great deal of blog fodder, I hadn't planned on writing about it. That changed this afternoon when I was once again in the car and once again tuned into conservative talk radio. This afternoon Rush Limbaugh launched into yet another castigation on feminism. According to Rush, we all know someone who had a boy and painted his room pink and gave him Barbie dolls to play with. We also all know someone who had a little girl, painted her room blue and give her G.I. Joe to play with. Also according to Rush, such people had been fooled into believing something which wasn't true. Basically, Rush launched his own 'nature' vs. 'nurture' argument without using those words and, according to Rush, nurture has nothing to do with how we interact and behave. Such differences, again according to Rush, are a part of us from the beginning.

While discussing the little boy in the pink room with the Barbies, Rush said the parents were shocked when the boy had the Barbies fight, "kill each other and play war." He added, "that is what boys do."

If that is the case (and, of course, Rush has never been mistaken... just ask him!) then I guess the other conservative talk show host now has his answer.

Why would anyone give preference to or vote for someone just because of their gender?

Well, according to Rush Limbaugh, it's because boys like to make things fight, kill each other and 'play war.' Those of us who wish to see an end to war then can play politico-eugenics and remove boys from the system.

Unfortunately, Rush gave no insights as to how the girls in the blue rooms behave with G.I. Joe. There's always tomorrow!

This post has been two days coming and, until today, I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to say.

Several years ago, three Iowa women met as a part of an online "mommy" group. While they didn't necessarily share the same political views and personal beliefs, they did have one key thing in common: a firm resolve that more women's voices, ideas and sensibilities were needed in public policy.

Two of the women had already experienced pregnancy loss and, unknown to us all at the time, another was about to join the horrible 'club.' These shared experiences - along with ungodly long email messages and marathon phone calls - formed a strong bond between the three. It is a bond which surpassed politics, parenting and religion. It didn't take long for the trio to discover that, in today's society, what they found is a very unique thing.

As we -- your three EE bloggers -- took stock of one another and our remarkable relationship, we did as women often do. We began to formulate a way to bring what we've found to others. Thus, this blog was born... but not without hesitation.

All three of us are women, but being a woman is not *all* we are. Many hats are required for our lives. As we planned to embark on this journey foremost in our minds was our commitment to our families. Next in line came our employees and our associations. Two of us were in positions, due to business, which made us extremely hesitant to 'go public' with our blog. The third, while also a business owner, wasn't nearly as concerned about that aspect as she was about her current political affiliations and commitments.

All of this brings us to the important announcement... EE will soon be two instead of three. We've known for several days one of our contributors -- our Western Iowa contributor -- might be relocating. While the relocation remains only a possibility, we regretfully accept her decision to no longer be a part of the blogging community. The rest of this post belongs to her alone. It is her story to tell.

I like to think I'm a strong woman. I like to think that I'm one of those women who, when confronted in the grocery store in front of the purple cabbage, will stand up for her beliefs. Matter of fact, a few weeks ago, I would have told you I was that kind of woman. Recent events have proved me wrong.

I knew I didn't want to 'out' myself as a blogger -- especially not a political blogger. I keep kids for a living and our family needs my income. I knew my daycare parents would not be forgiving of my interests in politics or whatnot. In most of their eyes there should be no 'whatnot' outside of our church congregation. "If you can't say it here in front of the eyes and ears of God, you best not be saying it."

As both Paige and Lynda have moved to become more public with their blogging, I've been holding them and EE back. I'm not ready and I'll never be ready. As the first sentence says, I didn't know until today exactly what I was going to do.

I don't know if you have been following the horrible happenings of Kathy Sierra, but the situation she finds herself a part of is one of my own worst fears. I have feared letting people know who is on the other end of the keyboard because I've been afraid of pulling my family into a situation to which there are no easy answers or solutions. It hasn't just been the scorn of my local people that has me worried, but the terror of the entire world knowing me and my beliefs on a personal level. I'm not ready to share as much as I'd need to share in order to continue here. I am an will only become more ineffective as time goes by.

Without a doubt Lynda and Paige are my best friends. I wish them and EE nothing but the best. I worry about them as they continue here without me, but I know they move forward with their eyes wide open. When I consider all that could be I have to be honest with them and with myself: Ultimately, it just isn't worth it.

Fair warning: Those in search of legislation and/or politics will want to skip this post.

This Thursday I get to travel to ISU and do something I've wanted to do for a very, very long time. I get to see -- close-up and in-person mind you -- Frank Warren as he presents the lecture PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives.

Warren began the PostSecret blog nearly three years ago as a community art project. He has since received over 50,000 secrets on decorated postcards. (The only rules are that it must be true and that it hasn't been shared previously.) The cards are scanned and put on the blog.

The postcards have been featured in many artistic forms, including a music video and Warren's books. A portion of the proceeds benefit 1-800-SUICIDE. It is anticipated that Warren will be sharing some never before seen postcards at Thursday's event.

For those who have never visited the blog, you might be shocked by your reaction to it. The thought of listening in on people's secrets sounds like a hoot at first, but then you actually do it and realize the absolute pain of so many people who walk beside us each and every day... such baggage being carried around.

Some of the art posted there hits home for me and I'll post the text of those here. (I'm going to refrain from posting those that hit *really* close to home.)

"I told my ex girlfriend that I didn't care any more. That she might as well jump off a bridge. --- And she did."

"I'm more worried about aging than I am about dying."

"I hate parents who have normal children and the perfect simple life that I wanted too!"

For those who like hearing people's secrets, but need something a little more... lighthearted... I suggest a visit to Social Moth. Maybe it's because of the art investment or perhaps even the postage investment on PostSecret as compared to the non-committed secret sharing on Social Moth, but items on Social Moth tend to be more everyday, random and off the wall. For instance:

"i left my vibrator at the hotel. i didn't want to call them to see if they had it in the lost-and-found. i'm sure they wouldn't have put it there anyway. i guess it's gone for good. man, i miss it."

"my eight year old little brother told me the other day that when he grows up he's going to have 'penis hairs'"

"Yesterday, I threw a granola bar at a homeless man off the Interstate because I couldn't slow down. I thought he would be pissed because it came so close to hitting him; but instead, he looked up, smiled and gave me a thumbs up."

In many ways, technology has brought us all closer together. With a few clicks I can tell you exactly what the weather's like in Hong Kong and maybe even find a web cam of a downtown street. There is no denying that technology has connected the peoples of the world. There is also no denying that technology hasn't been nearly as kind to individuals.

It use to be that I'd chat with other people around me while I waited in line. These days, I'm just as likely to pull out my BlackBerry and check email. I use to have friends who'd apologize for getting busy and not calling. Now they send me a status update on Facebook or leave me a comment on MySpace. I even have some younger family members who insist Twitter is the only way one should communicate.

If this was one of those nationally-known blogging sites, this would be the place where I'd call for a tech-free day. It would be a day where we'd all agree not to blog, not to turn on the BlackBerry, not to boot up the computer and would give the time we'd normally spend at a keyboard/keypad to a local charity. Of course, this is not one of those big blogs. At best I could convince maybe 100 people to take part in such a technology boycott. Of course, it would take us an additional four hours behind the monitor to plan such an absence. There'd be auto-responders to create, "I'm out boycotting" graphics to make and post, not to mention all those 'scheduled' tasks just so nothing would actually be missed.

So... the national technological boycott isn't the answer either. Maybe, for tomorrow, I'll make a point of not checking the BlackBerry when I'm in line. Maybe I'll return to the days of idle chit-chat with a complete stranger. Who knows, one conversation may be able to change someone's outlook on the day.

As for the rest of you, I'll hopefully see a few faces at the ISU lecture.

Have you heard who is going to be headlining First Amendment Day (Note: PDF Document) at Iowa State University this year? First Lady of the Press H-E-L-E-N T-H-O-M-A-S!

Thomas, a former UPI journalist and current columnist for Hearst Newspapers, has covered every president since JFK. She is scheduled to speak on Thursday, April 19, at 8 p.m. in the Great Hall (ISU Memorial Union).

The festivities kick off that morning with an 8 a.m. freedom march from the Ames City Hall to Beardshear Hall on campus.The walk is followed by "Feast on the First Amendment," which includes debates, political cartoons, organization booths, music and food.

Other activities include panel discussions on both the future of talk radio (Friday, 1:30 p.m.) and "Journalists in Jeopardy" (Thursday, 2 p.m.); and a comedy and political satire show (Friday, 11 p.m.).

Here's the best part: All events are free and open to the general public. Get all the latest info by visiting the First Amendment Day web site.

“Every religion is true one way or another. It is true when understood metaphorically. But when it gets stuck in its own metaphors, interpreting them as facts, then you are in trouble.”
~ Joseph Campbell

I believe most Americans walk through life and give little thought to the separation of religion and state. Outside of immigrants, I doubt there are many living the U.S. now who have personal experience with a religious-based government or theocracy in general.

Roughly a year ago, however, members of a subcommittee in the Missouri House of Representatives passed a resolution which named Christianity the state's official 'majority' religion. It did not protect minority religions, but did "protect the majority's right to express religious beliefs."

The resolution, which passed and now stands as a part of Missouri's history, reads as follows (as printed in the St. Louis Post Dispatch):

While many groups expressed their displeasure and words of caution, the act against the U.S. Constitution was mostly swept under the rug since there was no call to action built into the resolution.

“When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”
~ Sinclair Lewis

A few months later and a few states down, a well-known woman running for the U.S. Senate (as well as serving in the House) in Florida was quoted in the Florida Baptist Witness as bringing a direct message from God. Katherine Harris stated it is God's will that we "have the faithful in government." She added that separating religion and government is "so wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers. And if we are the ones not actively involved in electing those godly men and women, we're going to have a nation of secular laws. That's not what our founding fathers intended and that's [sic] certainly isn't what God intended."

In that same interview Harris stated the principle of the separation of church and state is a "lie we have been told" to discourage religious people from running from office.

While the original articles dealing with Harris have been removed from the Orlando Sentinel site, you can still get information on this incident by visiting Raw Story and The Carpetbagger Report.

“Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.”
~ Steven Weinberg

Religion has been a motivator for both good and evil in society. Religion has often been a primary force behind the worst humanity has seen as well as a beam of light as humanity moves away from the worst.

It has been, and continues to be, at both ends of the spectrum.

For that reason alone -- the fact that religion can prompt the most profound dedication to others as well as bring about the most loathsome and atrocious acts against others -- religion must remain separate from any government which is to be of, by and for the people.

“The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world.”
~ Georgia Harkness

So, as firmly as I believe most Americans walk through life mostly unaware of their good fortunate when it comes to the separation of religion and government, I also believe the loss of that separation -- whether to the immediate benefit of your or my personal belief system -- would result in the long-term loss of our society, culture and nation.

“The problem with writing about religion is that you run the risk of offending sincerely religious people, and then they come after you with machetes.”
~ Dave Barry

I believe the Bush Administration has weakened (if not completely punctured) the thin wall separating church (religion) and state (government) in our country and, by doing so, has placed the very fabric of our nation at risk.

Key to this administration's transformation has been the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives program. Under this program, tax dollars collected from citizens like you an me, are funneled into religious philanthropic pursuits. How much of our tax money? No one knows for sure, including former FBCI Director Jim Towey.

In September 2003, the program was expanded (by $28 billion) to allow religious groups accepting taxpayer monies to proselytize and practice discriminatory hiring practices.

Much more information on FBCI can be found by visiting The Roundtable on Religion & Social Welfare Policy.

“But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.”
~ Thomas Jefferson

Not only does the First Amendment ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.") protect the government from undue influence of religion, but it protects religions as well as private decision-making from undue influence of government.

This is what many seem to be forgetting. The Constitution and our Founding Fathers didn't just protect government from religion, they protected religion from government. They did so as a result of their own personal experiences with both religion and government and from first-hand viewing of what happens when the two mix.

Blog Against Theocracy

I've started two other posts for the EE this morning, but just can't seem to get them finished. Like most the nation, I've been watching the goings on between the Rutgers basketball team and media personality Don Imus. Since I typically believe giving voice to such incidents does more to provide publicity for the person who made the stupid statement than it does for the cause, I had decided not to write anything.

That changed when I watched the Rutgers news conference this morning.

For those of you who missed it (and it continues as I type), here's a very brief summary: "The comments put a stain on what should have been a great moment for all of us, but more than that it is a symptom of a larger problem which attacks women, in general, in society."

There were two details out of this press conference which gave me pause. In order to fully understand what happened in my own head this morning, I need to explain that I'm the one who is typically hopping at the top of the stands and screaming, "That isn't right!" As has been evidenced right here in the EE posts and comments, many times I'm the one discovering offensive material when others see nothing wrong.

While I can point to Imus' own track record of questionable speech as well as being desensitized by media which doesn't often realize sexist and racist comments, the bottom line is that I did not stand up as I should have this time around. I didn't do my part and I'm sincerely sorry for that.

During the press conference Coach Vivian Stringer noted many people (like me) were prepared to wipe the comments aside because Imus is known for making such comments against professionals and politicians. She then turned her eyes toward the 10 young women to her left and said, "But these aren't professionals or politicians." She's right.

(Quick historical note here: Charlene Vivian Stringer holds the distinction of being the only coach in NCAA history to lead three different women's programs to the NCAA Final Four -- Rutgers University in 2000 and 2007, University of Iowa in 1993, and Cheyney University in 1982.)

I even want to take it a step further and say that we should be refusing to allow our media "professionals" to personally attack anyone on the basis of what they look like or what reproductive organs they possess. If members of the media want to attack Rosie O'Donnell, they should be smart enough and well-versed enough to do so without bringing Rosie's body shape into the discussion. If the media wants to attack Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, they should be attacking on the basis of something more than her breasts.

Another tangent - one that I wish I had more time to explore right now - is how I found the questions to the team members to be rather offensive. Several times it almost seemed as if those in the audience (the journalists and so-forth) wanted the young women on the basketball team to solve every ill in society.

"What programming should MSNBC use while Imus is on suspension?" asked one reporter. Another person asked what organizations should tell young people about the incident.

As much as anyone else, I'd love for us to discover one person so wise as to become an oracle for society. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way and to ask these 10 young women who are still working out the paths of their own lives to serve as an almighty moral compass for our nation is unfair (and perhaps sheds more light on the subject of sexism and racism in our country than we care to admit).

My final thought here is for Essence Carson and all the women of the Rutgers basketball team: I would be so thankful and proud if my daughters grew up to have your sense of self and were able to handle themselves so well under such extreme conditions. Our planet is a better place because all of you are in it. Chin up -- and congratulations.

While surfing the tubes of the Internets, I happened across the blog of Iowa Republican Party official Ted Sporer and a post about what he describes as a "window" to the "inside" of Elizabeth Edwards and a "view of the true soul of the Democrat." Well, with such a lead-in as that you can't blame me for reading on.

Sporer links to a single news article from the Associated Press. As you might have guessed, I have a couple of problems with the article in question.

1. The article twice uses the phrase "rabid, rabid Republican" with quotations, but never attributes the phrase to anyone. (Did an audience member say it? Did Edwards say it? Did the journalist think it?)
2. Likewise, in the sixth paragraph, the author provides us with the word "slummy" in quotations and in relation to the neighbor's property. Once again this statement is not directly attributed to anyone. (It, like the other above, is loosely linked to Edwards - i.e., "Edwards views..")
3. There is no overall context. The reader has absolutely no idea where these remarks were made or to whom they were made. The photo on the page shows Edwards at a Town Hall meeting in Davenport on April 4, but the slugline on the article is dated today.

On the surface, it might seem that Sporer wants to bridge the great political divide and find some common ground away from all the bickering. Appearances can be deceiving. Sporer, arguably one of the most outspoken and controversial partisan pundits in the state of Iowa, has not pulled up his roots and remains firmly in character.

Sporer uses this article, with all of its journalistic flaws, as some sort of twisted defense for his own extreme partisan views. Further, he pushes those reading his post to "internalize" the conflict and use it as self-compass of approval for their own divisive politics.

It comes as no great surprise to anyone who hasn't been living in a cave for the past 100 years that American politics can be nasty. But to have a person who has himself used ugly politics to benefit his chosen party, point to a journalist's lack-luster and questionable job on the spouse of a Democratic presidential hopeful as proof of political nastiness against him and his noble ideals is the height of irony... and just flat out hysterical.

Cry me a river, Ted.

If your loved one was terminally ill, who would you want making the decision of when (and if) life-saving measures are discontinued? Most of us, I believe, would want our loved one to make such decisions for his or herself. If that loved one could not make such decisions; however, who should?

Tomorrow in Texas, a mother will head into court in a final attempt to keep her terminally ill 17-month-old son on life support. If a judge refuses to hear her case and/or rules against her, hospital staff will remove his ventilator.

A 1999 Texas law signed by then Governor George W. Bush allows a hospital to make decisions in "medically futile" cases. Just over two years ago, the law faced its first battle and it withstood, allowing a Houston hospital to end the life of an infant boy, Sun Hudson, against his mother's wishes.

One of the co-drafters of the law as well as the 2003 expansion (to include decisions against the wishes of parents of minors) was the National Right to Life Committee. According to one of the attorneys who co-drafted this legislation, witnesses who testified in support of the bill included representatives of NRL, Texas Right To Life and the Hemlock Society.

Although I fail to find enough humor in the turn of events to label them as ironic, Texas Right to Life and other primarily pro-life groups are working against the law they once supported. Matter-of-fact, according to the BBC, Texas Right to Life has been involved in more than 24 such cases in the last 18 months.

If there was ever a case to be made for government staying out of people's private lives, especially in the realm of healthcare decisions, this is it. Our government should never be allowed to force a family to flip the switch or not to flip the switch. I would also go as far as to say the government has absolutely no business making an inquiry as to the existence of a switch.

In 1995 I was pregnant with my second child when the world, at least as I knew it to be, ended. My child, a son, was terminally ill. Due to several severe neural tube defects including anencephally, there was no chance of survival. My initial response was to call the doctor a liar and run from doctor to doctor in search of a different diagnosis. Surely all of this could be fixed if I could just find the right doctor, right?

There are some things which cannot be fixed and, I soon learned, this was one of them. A few short weeks after learning my child would die due to his conditions, insult was added to injury. Not only would my child die, it was suspected he'd never make it to term. This was due to both his existing defects and an over-abundance of amniotic fluid.

After everything was discussed and all the possible outcomes weighed, my husband and I decided to end the pregnancy. If our son was to die pre-term, it was likely my body would not automatically move into labor and there were significant risks to both our reproductive future and my health. We already understood we would live without this child. Could we justify the risk of our then two-year-old daughter living without her mother?

Once our family made its decision, I expected the process to move quickly. That was not the case and -- due to many events I will not detail here -- it was several weeks later before I walked into a doctor's office to begin the process of turning off life support. What I didn't know at that moment was that our son had died and infection had already begun. (As a side note, those of you who have argued that D and X procedures (aka the non-medical term of partial birth abortion) for medical reasons are non-existent because you've never known a woman who had one. Well, I've just ruined future use of that statistic for you.)

Four years prior to our son's death, I sat in a hospital and watched my mother in her final few hours of life. Knowing she had fought a difficult battle with cancer and that she did not want any medical intervention when her body began to shut down, our family agreed to let her go.

Turning off of life support (whether that life support is a mechanical ventilator or a woman's womb) is something which should never be regulated by government. The choice belongs with the family.

My prayers will be with the mother as she goes before a judge tomorrow. Her son - just like all of us - is going to die. Her family - just like all of our families - doesn't need the government adding insult to injury.

Sunday, April 15

• Tancredo Meet & Greet - Marshalltown Best Western (3303 S. Center Street), 2 to 4 p.m.

Monday, April 16

• Brownback Meet & Greet - Divine Treasures Catholic Bookstore in Des Moines (5701 Hickman Road), 11 a.m.
• Brownback Meet & Greet - Beck's Sports Brewery in Waterloo (3295 University Ave.), 2:30 p.m.
• Brownback Meet & Greet - Jitter's Coffee in Mason City (100 S Federal Ave.), 4 p.m.
• Iowa Future Farmers of American State Leadership Conference BBQ - Iowa State Center on the ISU campus in Ames (Campus Map, intersection of Lincoln & Elwood), 6:30 p.m., Sen. Sam Brownback special guest
• Edwards for President Community Action Meeting - Cedar Rapids headquarters (118 3rd Ave SE, Suite 430); 7 p.m.; view the new headquarters and plan first phase of campaign

Tuesday, April 17

• "Inconvenient Truth" Showing & Discussion - Kirkwood Main Cedar Rapids Campus (6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW), 234 Cedar Hall, 6-9 p.m., sponsored by Kirkwood Democrats

Wednesday, April 18

• Obama for America Organizational Meeting - Jane Boyd Community House in Cedar Rapids (943 14th Avenue SE), 6 p.m., join potential supporters and volunteers to discuss campaign efforts in Linn County

Thursday, April 19

• Give 'Em Hell Harry Dinner - Boulders Conference Center in Denison (1215 Donna Reed Rd), 6 p.m., sponsored by the 5th District Democratic Central Committee, Gov. Bill Richardson is special guest, $45 per person

Friday, April 20

• Richardson Foreign Policy Speech - Central College's Cox-Snow Recital Hall in Pella (812 University), 10 a.m.
• Gilmore at GOP Headquarters - 621 E 9th Street, Des Moines, noon
• Romney Meet & Greet - Holiday Inn in Coralville (1220 1st Ave), noon
• Richardson Meet & Greet - Witwer Senior Center in Cedar Rapids (305 2nd Ave SE), 12:30 p.m.
• Richardson Speech on Darfur & International Peace Missions - University of Northern Iowa's Davis Hall in Cedar Falls (1227 W 27th Street), 3 p.m.
• Polk County Democrats Spring Dinner - The Walnut Center on the State Fairgrounds in Des Moines (3000 E Grand Ave), 5:30 p.m., Rep. Leonard Boswell, Gov. Bill Richardson, Sen. Joe Biden, former Rep. Rick Nolan (for Dodd); $25
• Jackson County Republican Dinner - Jackson County Fairgrounds in Maquoketa, 5 p.m., Jim Gilmore is special guest
• Richardson at Ball Game - Iowa Cubs vs. Albuquerque Isotopes Game (PDF Map to Principal Park)

Saturday, April 21

• Gilmore Meet & Greet - Steeplegate Inn in Davenport (100 W. 76th St.), 9 a.m.
• Iowa Federation of Republican Women - Downtown Holiday Inn in Davenport (5202 N Brady St.), 1:30 p.m., Jim Gilmore is special guest
• Rally for America - McAninch Maintenance Facility in Des Moines (4001 Delaware Ave), 3 to 5 p.m., Sen. Hillary Clinton stumping for Rep. Leonard Boswell ($100-$50-$25-$10 suggested donation)
• ICAN Event -- Foxboro Center in Johnston, 4 p.m., Sen. Barack Obama is special guest
• Iowa Sportsmen's Federation Annual Banquet - Diamond Jacks Restaurant in Des Moines (Iowa State Fairgrounds), 5:30 p.m., Jim Gilmore is special guest

Sunday, April 22

• Earth Day Rally - Pentacrest in Iowa City, doors open at 11:45 a.m., Sen. Barack Obama is special guest, part of a series of Earth Day events across the state

While my good friend never intended this email to become part of our blog, I think it should be. It was emailed to me yesterday late afternoon and has not been edited in any way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did (and pray that Lyn doesn't break my neck).

-----

So, I was among several thousand people who flocked to see former President James Earl Carter today in Iowa City. While the numbers in general were pleasing to organizers of the various events, the extreme diversity was the most appealing.

“Look at them,” gasped one redhead while she fingered an identification card on the lanyard about her neck. “I had no idea so many young people would show up.”

I quietly scanned the snaking rows of people as we waited to enter the inner sanctum of the Carter book signing. Men and women from adolescence to elder filled the room. A woman with a British accent chatted with her friend to my left… an elderly man leaned heavily on his walker to my right. College students, of course, refused to let this time in line be of waste as they spoke on cellular phones and zapped off text messages. Near the door a small group of young Asian men had a female friend take a photo of them while they held up their copies of Carter’s “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.”

The sheer joy they shared about the book led me to observe the treatment of other copies. Most of the women in line held it in a two-arm bear hug against their breasts while they chatted with others in line. Most men either read the book or have it leisurely in one hand, dangling at their side. One very young girl took her mother’s three books, stacked them up on the floor and then used them as a makeshift seat. There were several campaign staffers in line… at least there were several young adults wearing an overabundance of candidate chum in line. None of them appear to have books.

Once the security man by the door finished his “no pictures, no cozy chats, no bags” rules of this engagement, handbags, backpacks and messenger bags littered the floor, effectively turning the lobby into a thief’s wet dream. Too many secret service, local law enforcement and university security ran around for anyone to truly be able to take advantage of this opportunities this posed.

We hustled through the first set of double doors and were greeted by eight additional security people, four on each side. Considering how much the scene resembled 50s line dancing, I let out a laugh. Laughter was out of place and, as such, not a good choice.

A fellow in a dark suit who had a ringlet-looking wire around his ear took a fancy to the (absolutely to die for) Hilfiger sweater I had draped across my arm. Under the pretense of checking it for contraband and/or weapons, he left his Secret Service cooties on every blessed thread. Following its full violation, it was returned and I was allowed to step through another set of doors – laughter and all. This set opened into a fairly large room with several rows of uncomfortable looking plastic chairs, a large projection screen at front center, and a architectural marvel of more books off to the front right.

The doors were manned by boys I swear escaped from the local high school. Yes, they had identification cards clipped to their collars and they were wearing suits, but I seriously doubt if they arrived on this planet within 20 years of Carter’s first inaugural address. They were kind enough to give me an orange ticket and to ignore my inquiry about a golden one. (Or perhaps they were too young for even the Wonka reference?)

Although I felt I’d arrived very early for the book signing, there were already more than 200 people in the room. Most were sitting quietly in the chairs since every so often a female voice boomed how we should only be up if our ticket number had been called, if we were leaving them or if we were purchasing a book. Although I’m quite sure it wasn’t planned the whole scene… well, except for the dark plum carpeting… could have been out of that “1984” Mac turned Obama commercial.

I took my ticket and flopped into a chair to wait my turn. The couple in front of me was obviously in the midst of some science experiment as to how many germs can be passed from one mouth to another mouth in a limited time frame, so I (regretfully) averted my eyes and began a conversation with the single woman in the row behind me.

This was a conversation many Iowa women will recognize: “So, what do you think of Hillary?” I audibly moaned before mumbling something about having a fetish for projectors and moving toward the one in the center aisle, displaying the lucky ticket holders. If your number was on the screen, you were now eligible to stand in line number two.

The line worked its way from the back of the large room, around to the left and through another set of doors. I kept my orange ticket at the ready since we’d been warned someone would be checking it. Sadly, no one ever did and I began to wonder if I could have cut in front of someone else… or how many people had already cut in front of me.

The hallway we stood in for the next few minutes had large picture windows along the right side. They were covered with miniblinds which not only spoiled the whole antique and dark wood feel of the area, but left me with nearly uncontrollable urges to open them or at least bend a few so I could peek out at the world. In a completely masochist move, the line crept pass a tinkling fountain of a nude woman dancing with fish. (And, yes, in between bathroom urges, it did remind me that I need to finish the dancing post for Iowa Voters.)

Everyone in line had been warned repeatedly about not using cameras including camera cellular phones. Of course, someone had to try it. He was quickly busted and unceremoniously removed from the line without getting his books signed. The fool. There was no way we’d been close enough for him to have gotten a good photo anyway.

Pres. Carter sat at a long folding table while at least six young women stood around him. The first young woman took my book as I opened it to the page I wanted him to sign. She passed my book to another young woman who positioned it on the table. A third young woman waited for Carter to finish signing the book in front of him before sliding mine into his pen range.

To his credit, Carter paused long enough to look into my eyes and smile. He looked happy but really tired… kind of like I imagine myself looking after a long day of satisfying gardening. Not nearly as happy as I could be after a long day of satisfying sex mind you, but joyful with accomplishment nonetheless. It was roughly this moment that I realized I had somehow made a three point connection between Carter and sex and decided to stop thinking.

“You were my first, you know,” I told the former president. Although I knew exactly where this line was going, I still blushed.

“I was?” he asked and tilted his head in the same puzzling fashion my 7-year-old uses when she’s enjoying something.

“Yes. Your campaign with Reagan was the first Presidential campaign I can remember. I was, of course, rooting for you.”

He smiled at this and in any other circumstance, I would have continued the story. This, however, was not a circumstance, it was an industrial conveyor belt. Finished signing my book, Carter smiled again, thanked me for my grade school support and scooted it to the young woman on his right. She gave me a “you better shut up now or there’s gonna be big trouble” look. (I know this look well since I’ve often tossed it at my 4-year-old.) She obviously meant business and… well… she had my book.

“Thank you, Mr. President.”

“Thank you for coming.”

No longer considered the property of a potential troublemaker, my book was handed to another young woman who closed it, turned it to the correct angle (my reading position) and handed it back to me. I was free to wander the building in search of my handbag.

Although finding the bag with all of its contents intact was a gratifying experience, I still felt saddened. The quick exchange was not enough for me and I guessed it was not enough for most of those going through the cattle line. I knew I had the opportunity of the private reception and knew I’d be able to finish the story I’d started with the former President. I knew… at least for two or three minutes he and I would share words about what it was like when our worlds intersected so many years ago.

Being on the inside of this political box is still new enough for me that I feel guilty about my good fortune. While I know I’ve worked hard for my place in the private meetings, I’m not foolish enough to think others have not worked just as hard and are only getting four seconds in a cattle line. What’s worse, I know many in the private meetings have done nothing to deserve a spot there. They have no life intersection to exchange. They have no stories of how many doors they’ve knocked for the particular candidate or dignitary. They are there because at some point people in the party circles decided you can’t have an event without so-and-so … or more aptly without so-and-so’s checkbook. They waste the air at such events and take up space which belongs to someone who’d really care about attending.

As I said, being on the inside of this political box is still new to me. I don’t plan to write anything for EE about the book signing or the upcoming private affair. Most folks, I think, would find them either boring or pretentious… maybe both. I know you’re interested so I’m slaving away on this miniature keyboard for you. Yes I’m having a lovely white mocha and nibbling at a piece of Tarimasu while doing so, but it’s still work you know. Just wanted to set the stage for you. Wish you were here.

I spent most of Saturday in my garden and most of Sunday at a 2nd District meeting as we worked toward the upcoming off-year workshops. Due to that, there was little time for the traditional EE weekend link reports.

Current ear worm: Damien Rice, 9 Crimes -- for your listening and viewing pleasure:

Nice post on First Draft regarding a Times-Picayune article. The article and post discuss a study finding New Orleans *not* below-sea-level.

"Contrary to popular perceptions, half of New Orleans is at or above sea level," according to the study by Tulane and Xavier universities' Center for Bioenvironmental Research.

It appears Mitt Romney has mailed out 700,000 DVDs which include commercials, background information, and interviews to Iowans. In addition, the campaign plans to place another 200,000 pieces in the mail next week.

While I was stuck in a meeting, fellow bloggers John Deeth and Gark were out having a great time at the Barack Obama Earth Day celebration in Iowa City. Click over for their excellent coverage.

Also, one of my favorite Iowa bloggers over at Century of the Common Iowan gives a first-hand account of his dip into a GOP event with Tom Tancredo. It's great to see so many left-leaning bloggers heading out to visit the Republican candidate events. It has been my observation that the existing conservative bloggers in our state don't really offer expanded coverage of events as they should.

If you're anything like me, you're already scratching your head about all the dandelions in your yard. If so, head over to Cathy Haustein's blog for some warm fuzzies about the little fuzzies.

Sam over at Blog for Iowa has replicated Chase Martyn's recent email for the rest of the blogging community.

The Center for Independent Media is initiating a new program in Iowa and, as a part of that, has set up a free day-long training session for bloggers on Saturday, April 28, in Des Moines. Those interested in taking part (Patrick... Cathy... Paige... Beckham... and the usual suspects: you know I'm looking at you) should email Chase to RSVP.

The Register's venerable David Yepsen has a column about the differences between the events hosted by the two parties.

We’ve known for months Republicans were hurting because of their association with President Bush and an unpopular war in Iraq and Democrats were energized by their successes in teh [sic] 2006 elections.

KL is back and has a quick post linking to a USA today piece on Chris Dodd. The piece right before that was a wrap up of many of the recent happenings.

Speaking of folks coming back... Gordon Fischer has some new posts over at Iowa True Blue. This past week he took at look at the polls and announced the GOP is "losing independent voters faster than a pack of wild, rabid dogs chasing a blind, three legged cat." Okay, I don't really approve of the imagery, but the post is quite good.

Jerry at Iowa Voters has a post discussing recent voting machine legislation. It seems Iowa is moving to phase out the touch-screen voting machines, but the new legislation allows local county auditors to drop more money on the 'interim' fix of printers. More info can be found both at Jerry's blog and at Iowans for Voting Integrity.

I realize I normally end the wrap-up with something to make readers smile. This hasn't been a smile-type week for me. So, in lieu of the humorous, I give you the absurd. It seems some don't know/want to know the difference between Eugenics and abortion.

Every April 22 since 1982, a flag honoring Girl Scout leaders has flown over the Capital in Washington, D.C. While most of the news stories of yesterday revolved around Earth Day celebrations, this year the flag flew once again for the Girl Scouts.

The Brownie troop I lead is a part of Girl Scouts of the Mississippi Valley (which in May will merge into a new council, Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois). At this moment, our area serves 15 counties in Iowa and Illinois and nearly 12,000 girls ages five to 17. Girl Scouts requires a certain adult to girl ratio depending on age of the girls. On average, this is one adult for every 10 girls. This means that within this 15 county area, over 1,100 women volunteer to work with troops.

The national organization lists 928,000 adult members who primarily work as volunteers and 2.7 million girls. That's a whole lotta cookies!

Throughout my life I've heard people - especially the southern women with which I grew up - talk about the traits which indicate trustworthiness. For instance, one of my sisters told me to "never trust a man who doesn't mind walking into the store and buying feminine hygiene products."

A rather ... ahem... 'free-living' uncle of mine says we should never "trust a woman who has an edible name." This, of course, stems from one of his wives named Candi.

There are a million of these out there, but I'm about to give you the be-all, end-all of trustworthiness rules:

Never trust a person who doesn't volunteer.

A person who volunteers gives of herself, her time, her energy, her skills and her feelings. She gives not only to her chosen charity, but to her entire community.

People who volunteer are fulfilled in a way career and home cannot accomplish; feel more self-assured; discover hidden strengths and talents; and grow social awareness for situations outside of their own. There are a multitude of benefits associated with volunteering.

And while I won't dictate what you should be doing in relation to volunteering in your own community, I will take this moment as a leader to pitch the Girl Scout Law. If everyone would try to live their lives based on the principles of this law, we'd have a better place to live.

The Girl Scout Law

I will do my best to be
     honest and fair,
     friendly and helpful,
     considerate and caring,
     courageous and strong, and
     responsible for what I say and do,
and to
     respect myself and others,
     respect authority,
     use resources wisely,
     make the world a better place, and
     be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Thanks to everyone who goes that extra mile for our communities. Thanks to those who pick up trash in the local park. Thanks to those who help little old ladies cross the street. Thanks to those who knock doors, phone bank, attend meetings, sell candy bars or cookies, or plan events. Most of all, thanks to all of those who walk through life and try to make a difference in the lives of those they encounter along the way.

Hope my fellow GS leaders took time over the weekend to pat themselves on the back. Now, back to work, you need a craft for this week's meeting.

I remember holding his hand, rough and strong, as we left Sunday services that morning. I always held his hand because I always wanted to be close enough to hear everything he had to say... not to mention everything that was said to him.

The early afternoon was sweet with rain and ripening honeysuckle vines when we passed through the heavy double-doors. I stopped to let my lungs enjoy the early summer banquet and he stopped too. We both took long, deep breaths and then exchanged big grins like a secret.

We only had a moment before other members of the congregation began to spill out onto the front sidewalk and into the gardens. Most of the women hurried off down the road or hopped into vehicles. Sunday lunch wouldn't cook itself. Some of the adolescent boys walked a few steps behind their fathers, but most pushed and poked at each other before running around the south side of the building.

This morning the men, most of them elders and deacons, were in a huff. The pastor had given his intent to leave our congregation which left us in need of a pastor. Their eyes shifted as they spoke, no one willing to say exactly what he felt in his heart about the situation... at least not until the unofficial spokesmen said their piece. Mr. Hinkle, the town postmaster pulled on his mustache as he began to speak. He was followed by a banker, a police officer and the man who owned the feed store.

I wasn't really listening to what they had to say. Every so often one of the men would steal a glance at me. It was uncomfortable and unnerving. I gripped his hand a little tighter and inched closer to his leg.

Someone suggested the elders should take turns giving the sermons until a new pastor could be found and soon I was forgotten as the men jockeyed for position in the 'holier than thou' parade. Names were being placed onto a list which one of men copied onto the back of his church program. After a few minutes it seemed as if the men had hit a wall and I thought they might need some help.

"I bet the Widow Woman Barlow would give a fine sermon," I said.

I swear, you could have sneezed and knocked the lot of them over like dominoes. They just stood and stared. A bird flew over us and screamed but no one turned to watch it fly away or to see what had it upset. From the way they were staring at me, I began to wonder if I'd done something to screw up the natural order of the universe and cause all the birds to scream and fly away.

"Young lady," a grey-haired man with a full beard began, "this is a conversation and decision for the men in this church. I'd strongly suggest you learn to keep your place."

I'm pretty sure the man had more to say. At least his mouth opened as if there were more words on their way up. They didn't make it and I was pulled over in front of my father as his voice rolled like thunder around us.

"Now see here!" my father began. "I understand most of you don't allow your sons, much less your daughters to partake in our discussions. Having met some of your sons I do understand your decision. You would do well to remember that this is my daughter and she adds importance to everything she does."

There was more, but I don't remember it exactly. I know from the looks on the mens faces and the redness of their cheeks that my father gave them something which rubbed them the wrong way. The scary part was that, although my father was defending me and my right to be in the group at his side, I couldn't tell anything from his expression.

Once he had his say, Dad spun me around and up onto his side. He was walking fast and kept his head down. I just knew I was going to GET IT when we got home. My stomach began to hurt and I wanted to cry.

When we got to the pickup, Dad took me around and stood me on the open tailgate so we could look at each other eye-to-eye.

"If there is one thing I want you to always remember it is that you never let anyone tell you to sit down and shut up," he told me. "Don't ever bite your tongue because you think somebody else thinks you should."

This blogswarm is in support of the rights of women to participate fully in all aspects of our society without fear of harassment, intimidation, sexual harassment, online stalking, slander, predation or violence of any type.

My contribution to the effort is to share the true story of my father and how he let me know in no uncertain terms that I am important and my voice is important. In addition to blogging in the blogswarm today, I encourage everyone to speak with someone and let that someone know just how important he/she is. You could very well say something that person will carry throughout his/her life.

By the way, Widow Woman Barlow did give a fine sermon that summer.

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out the Take Back The Blog! Blogswarm. There were some great posts including Tales of Taromeet, Yellow Peril (New Zealand), Uppity Rib, This Is Not My Country, Single Dad v1.0, Majikthise and, of course, Blue Gal.

On a personal note, Sharon of Life of Scraps made me simultaneously beam with pride and well up with tears when I read her note about my blogswarm post. Some of us create beautiful quilts. Others write prose. Still others scrapbook. I don't think what we do is nearly as important as the doing.

Take a moment to check out the mother's day project at ThreadingWater. What a cool idea!

The headline at Iowa Voters says it all: Paper Trail Passes! Touchscreens To Be Terminated!

Century of the Common Iowan has a first-hand account of the last day of the state legislature's session.

You might have noticed that fellow Iowa blogger John Deeth is requesting the rest of the community to help him pick a hat he could wear so that people would know when he was acting in his journalistic role.

Since one never knows when another role can come along, requiring yet another outlay of cash for a new hat, we'd like to recommend that John invest in a very cool belt buckle which displays a scrolling, lighted message he can program. Slip it on a headband or mount it on a baseball cap and program in the specific duty. Viola!

Ben Fornell of the Cedar Rapids Gazette has coverage of the Linn County Obama headquarters opening and visit by Michelle Obama.

Red Hog has a post about George Tenet's new book, "At the Center of the Storm," which is set to be released in the morning.

The International Association of Athletics Federation has a nice wrap-up of the Drake Relays.

Sen. John McCain held his third blogger conference call from Iowa. Reports are available from brainster and Fausta's Blog.

Daddy Blog has video footage of Ronald Smith (Children Need BOTH Parents, Inc.) in Iowa.

Buster at InMuscatine sort-of live-blogged the April 26 Ignite IT Conference in Ames.

Our deepest condolences to the family of Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA), the first African American woman to head the House Committee on Administration. She lost her battle with cancer. Her funeral is set for Monday.

Frank Russo at California Progress Report has an excellent write-up about her many accomplishments.

Iowans will soon know quite a bit more about a graduate of the Writer's Workshop at the University of Iowa.

Emory University has waited 20 years to unseal its collection of 274 letters exchanged between author (Mary) Flannery O'Connor and longtime friend Elizabeth "Betty" Hester. Although a portion of the letters were published as part of a book in 1979, Hester provided them in full to Emory in 1987 on the condition that they remain sealed for two decades. On May 12 the first full viewing of the entire and unabridged collection will take place.

"The writer, in order best to use the talents he has been given, has to write at his own intellectual level. For him to do anything else is to bury his talents. This doesn't mean that, within his limitations, he shouldn't try to reach as many people as possible, but it does mean that he must not lower his standards to do so." ~Flannery O'Connor

According to the Associated Press, Hester and O'Connor began corresponding in 1955. At that time Hestor approached the author as an admirer of her work. The two developed a lasting friendship which continued until O'Connor's death in 1964.

It is anticipated the letters will provide fans and scholars a look into O'Connor's views on religion, society and other timely topics, Emory Vice-President and O'Connor scholar Rosemary Magee told the AP.

O'Connor was a Georgia native and lived much of her life in Milledgeville, Ga., on her family's farm. She graduated from Georgia State College for Women -- now Georgia College & State University -- before receiving a master's degree from the Writer's Workshop. She was mentored by Paul Engle, the director of the program.

Her work includes the novels Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away. The first was began in Iowa shortly after she finished her degree. The later came after she had begun to suffer from lupus and was a semi-invalid, living at home with her mother. She also produced numerous short stories, including A Good Man Is Hard to Find.

A reader passed along the following Pittsburgh obituary with a note: "Sounds like you would have loved Alice."

It's quite shocking how well our readers already know us! Nonetheless, it is so true. We would have adored Alice and forced her to go on long shopping trips and use he