Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Wait...what?

Earlier today I was working on the twitter site for WomenNC. As I scrolled through the recent posts from those we follow, I found an interesting article from Jezebel, titled "The Time Michele Bachmann Thought She'd Been Kidnapped By Lesbians." My first thought was "Wait...what?", and of course I clicked on the link to read the article. The article discusses Ms. Bachmann's encounter with two women, a lesbian and an ex-nun, in the bathroom. Bachmann states that these two women tried to kidnap her, while these women state that they only wanted to discuss issues further with the then senator. The state declined to press charges.

Although most people who read this article are probably thinking a lot of the same thoughts I was, I think I also took a different approach to the article. Not only to I believe that this is ridiculous and that the state made the right choice in not pressing charges, but I also believe that it is absurd that Bachmann went to these lengths and claimings. We should be about Women's EMPOWERMENT, not putting one another down. We should be about supporting one another and providing a better life for current and future generations. We should discuss issues intelligently, just as these two women tried to do with Michele Bachmann. And so be it if the women talking to her were lesiban, heterosexual, bisexual, ex-nun, Christian, Muslim, agnostic, purple, black, white...it doesn't matter. And it shouldn't matter. They weren't trying to kidnap anyone. They were trying to have a conversation about issues concerning them. And what's so wrong with that?

It's instances like this that set us, women, back. If we all worked together to create a great life for one another, so many great things could be achieved. Fortunately, we're making progress in many ways. But to think that we could all unite and do great things would be amazing. We could ratify CEDAW in the United States, we could help women internationally, we could help our neighbors...the possibilities are endless. Let's stand together and make these dreams a reality.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Pins

My bookbag for school is covered in pins, ribbons, and little trinkets that I've collected during my college career. Many of these pins are for organizations on campus that I support or am involved in, or are special because a friend or family member gave them to me. At this point, my bookbag is covered. I probably have twenty plus pins, and people are constantly commenting on my pins or asking me about them. I'm actually really excited about being back on campus so that everyone sees my bookbag again along with all of my new pins!

This past week, Devi, Beth, and I attended the WILPF conference in Chapel Hill. During our lunch break, Devi and I took the time to walk through the many tables set up by various organizations. At this time, I found some really great pins to add to my collection. I put these new pins on my bookbag, many of which discuss peace and women. One of my favorite pins from the day states "The rising of the women is the rising of us all," which was a pin made for International Women's Day.

When I first received this pin, I put it on my shirt and didn't really pay much attention. However, later that day when I returned home, I took that pin off of my shirt and stopped to really read it. After a great day of learning at WILPF, it was really nice to sit back and think about the rise of women. We, as women, can truly make a difference. We, as WomenNC, can truly make a difference. We, as Americans, can truly make a difference. By ratifying CEDAW, Women are able to rise above our current standing and empower one another.

Although many college students have pins on their bookbags and are passionate about a variety of subjects, I feel that many students don't take a lot of time to consider what their pins are really saying. Many just place the pin on their bag and move along. But the small quotes and pictures on these pins really do speak volumes.

Something as small and simple as a pin on a bookbag can really get the word out. Pay attention to the little things.