Nancy Pelosi, Feminism & Bullying

"Becoming the first woman speaker will send a message to young girls and women across the country that anything is possible for them, that women can achieve power, wield power and breathe the air at that altitude. As the first woman speaker of the House, I will work to make certain that I will not be the last" (Speaker of the House Pelosi makes History).

It is a great day in the world of feminists and a great day in the her-story of America! One of my most recent entries was back on Nov. 7th, 2006 when Democrats won control of the House of Congress...I mentioned Nancy Pelosi then, and today, a little less than two months later, she's making me proud to be a woman!

It's no secret that I consider myself a feminist, not a "femi-natzi," or a burn-my-bra, men are crap feminist, but a feminist none the less. Regardless of my new found romantic relationship, I will always consider myself a feminist--because as Gloira Steinham once put it," feminism is the radical notion that women are poeple too." Duh!

One thing I've learned in the last few weeks of my relationship, and the last few years of my life, is that being a feminist doesn't mean being a man-hater or a lesbian or a woman who never loves or marries a man. A feminist can love and adore her man, and men in general, and be kind and considerate of him, as long as she knows he'll do the same for her.

At 23, I've learned to be more quiet about my feminism, and not so in-your-face about it, because truth be known, yes, I'm still a feminist at heart! I was raised by an amazing mother and grandmother who made sure I knew that I, as a woman, could do anything I wanted and more. While I personally no longer desire a career in politics, today, other women who do, are one step closer to it.

"This is an historic moment — for the Congress, and for the women of America. It is a moment for which we have waited more than 200 years. Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights" (Speaker of the House).

It's been 87 years this year since women got the vote (in 1920), and while I still don't see a woman President in my country's near future, at least we've got a woman in line for it. In all seriousness, the Speaker of the House is 3rd in line for the Presidency after the Vice-President and Secretary of State. While I by no means wish any ill on anyone in my country's
administration, I still think it's downright wonderful that the we (the United States) finally have a female Speaker of the House! Although I think the U.S. will see a black President before we see a female President, the fact that this country elected a woman to be Speaker of the House, is very encouraging! I'm proud to a woman, and proud to be an American, and today, I'm especially proud to be both!

I just hope Ms. Pelosi does a good job and handles her new responsibilities well. I hope she continues to make America, and American women, proud! Congratulations! Here's the link to the article I obtained these quotes from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16449288/.

Anyway, I was watching TV tonight and on the E! Channel there was this special about Online Nightmares...one of them was online bullying...I was watching these kids who were just cut up and down both at school and online. It really made me grateful for many reasons: a) that I'm not a kid anymore, nor a teenager, wouldn't want to be in this day and age, and b) that when I was made fun of by ruthless, heartless idiots when I was a kid, I could at least go home and escape it. During sixth grade, I was absolutely mortified every day of my life by my class mates, I was called everything under the sun and none of which was pretty. I was made fun of by the very same kids year after year K-6 grade and then even on into 7th and 8th grade. I was made fun of a little bit in High School, but most of it had subsided by then. Anyhow, the point is I was made fun of a lot growing up, and while it was literally hell going through that, at least when school was out and the day was over, I could go home to my loving household and escape it. Now there's the World Wide Web, and MySpace and chatrooms and all of that... there's no escaping it for these kids. They're bullied at school, and then online...to think that I would've had to have dealt with all that crap all day long, every day at school, and then come home and log on to my computer and deal with it some more...that would've made it much, much worse. I also didn't really worry about school shootings (that's another topic for another day, do not get me started right now), but man...when I think of all of the shit that kids today (and kids of tomorrow) have to deal with, without the coping skills of an adult, it makes me not want any. Well, I do want one, eventually, really I do, but man, I'll be one fiercely protective mama!!! Anyhow, there's not only online bullying, but those sick sexual predators, all over the place online...man, that's just sick. I mean that's the definition of SICK. They need to take those people, lock them up in pure isolation and throw away the key. My point is, watching this special made me glad I don't spend too much time on the Internet and made me very glad I did a background check on Colin and every other man I've dated whom I met online (which is pretty much all of them). It's a freakin' scary world out there...and especially scary on the World Wide Web. However, if you're cautious and careful and use your brain, and most importantly, listen to your instincts (they'll always tell you the true and right thing), than it's okay. I can't badmouth the Internet a lot, because to be honest, it's one my life lines! I couldn't and wouldn't want to, live without it. The Internet is how I've met a lot of my friends and also how I met Colin. So it's a good thing, or it can be. On the way home from California, I played a song for Colin called "Don't Laugh At Me," and he liked it. He's not a fan of country music, but that song is a great song, it's one of the reasons I listen to country music and it's one my favorite songs of all time. It's a song about how we're all different and unique, but how we're also ultimately the same. It touched Colin because he was made fun of a lot as a kid too, we both were; we have a lot of the same life experiences him and I. The song is wonderful...and something that I've lived firsthand:

I'm a little boy with glasses The one they call the geek A little girl who never smiles' Cause I've got braces on my teeth And I know how it feels To cry myself to sleep I'm that kid on every playground Who's always chosen last A single teenage mother Tryin' to overcome my past You don't have to be my friend But is it too much to ask Don't laugh at me Don't call me names Don't get your pleasure from my pain In God's eyes we're all the same Someday we'll all have perfect wings Don't laugh at me I'm fat, I'm thin, I'm short, I'm tall I'm deaf, I'm blind, hey, aren't we all Don't laugh at me Don't call me names Don't get your pleasure from my pain In God's eyes we're all the same Someday we'll all have perfect wingsDon't laugh at me. ("Don't Laugh At Me"--Mark Wills)

So, as I was saying, Colin and I have a lot of the same life experiences...most of mine have been in Nevada and California and a lot of those included a hospital, but still, we have a lot in common and really understand each other. Although we've only been together for six weeks, we're very comfortable and compassionate with each other and we know each other really well. It's amazing how we clicked! I'm so happy! But, what makes it so happy and so great is to know that it's not always been like this for either one of us. We're kindered souls, we've been through a lot in our short 23 and 27 years...our parents are divorced (and not happily), we've both battled for our lives (literally) and both been made fun of a lot. We're both different and unique, and that's why we're so good together. We're right for each other.

Oh, by the way, meeting his cousins yesterday, went off flawlessly just as I expected. Kylie (the oldest cousin) said that mom (Jerri), Ryan and Grandma Bobbi had nice things to say about me. I hope so! It's so important to win over the family, but luckily for both Colin and I, that doesn't take much at all! Anyway, it was great meeting his cousins and just like him, they're really nice and sweet! I'm a lucky girl!

Okay, enough about him...my train of thought astounds me sometimes! Anyway, it's 9:30pm and I want to shower before it gets too later. But, I'll write again soon, so far, I've written four days in a row, I'm going to try and make it 5...we'll see! Oh, Happy Birthday Ben, my friend Nancy's son! He's 10 today! Happy Birthday buddy! Hope you had a great one!

Thank you Lord for everything, God Bless!

In Light N' Love,
-Sarah Liz :)