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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSen. Bernie Sanders: United Against the War on Women.
The history of American democracy, to say the least, has been checkered. Our nation was founded at a time when people of African descent were held in bondage. After slavery was abolished, they were forced to endure legal discrimination for another 100 years.
When our country was formed, women were not just second-class citizens. They were third- or fourth-class citizens. Women couldn't vote or play a significant role in the political life of the nation. Women, in many cases, couldn't own property and were legally regarded as subservient in marriage. The educational and economic opportunities open to women were extremely limited. And, of course, women were unable to have control over their own bodies.
In the last 50 years, as the result of an enormous amount of effort on the part of the women's movement and its male allies, we as a nation have made significant progress in the fight for gender equality. Clearly, much, much more needs to be done, but few would deny that our country has come a very long way in this struggle. In Vermont, Governor Madeleine Kunin has given years of service to our state after becoming the state's first female governor in 1985. She is an inspiration to girls throughout Vermont and the country in allowing them to know that the opportunities they have are unlimited.
At rallies in Vermont and across the country this weekend, our message was clear. We are not going back. Not only are we not going to retreat on women's rights, we are going to expand them. We are going forward, not backward.
<SNIP>
Finally, let understand that when we stand together, we will always win. When men and women stand together for justice, we win. When black, white and Hispanic people stand together for justice, we win. When straight and gay people stand together for justice, we win. When young and old stand together for justice, we win. When working families stand together, we win.
Vermont is a national leader in the fight for a new health care system, for the transformation of our energy system, and in support of family farming and organic agriculture. We were the first state in the country to pass a civil union law and the first state to pass gay marriage legislation without a court order.
Now, we must continue and expand our efforts to be national leaders in the fight for gender equality.
I have seven beautiful grandchildren, four of whom are girls. Let us all work together in making sure that those four girls, and every girl in our state and country, has the same opportunity as anyone else to fulfill their dreams and live their lives without gender discrimination of any kind.
full article at link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-bernie-sanders/united-against-the-war-on_b_1464730.html
Hiraeth
(4,805 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)joshcryer
(62,276 posts)15 years prior. And has pretty much a lifetime experience with this sort of activism. It's tiresome when people throw out these canards.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)joshcryer
(62,276 posts)The he's not for women, immigration, racial issues tripe. You rightly noted that the article was from a few years ago which made me think someone would come along and regurgitate the latest media smears, so I was "talking out loud" I suppose about how this is not even new. 2012. 1998.
madokie
(51,076 posts)Yes I have. Am I going to go in search, No, but they're there if anyone wants to fact check me.
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)I was told yesterday that Bernie just "showed up on the scene in 2011" to support lgbt rights.
The disinfo is being peddled by the truckload on DU.
madokie
(51,076 posts)adding names to the ignore list. I like it much better this way. I'd rather not use that feather but sometimes one has to have some peace.
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Usually by the time I get my facts and links ready to post someone else already beat me to it.
madokie
(51,076 posts)I'd like to think that its not necessary but for peace of mind I find it well worth it. I thank the powers to be for including that feather
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)If he doesn't make it a priority in his campaign, you can't fault people for wondering if it's a priority.
His Wisconsin appearance last week would have been an awesome time to talk about reproductive rights. Either he didn't, or the speech I saw was clipped to focus on economics only.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)It gets tiring pointing out his record matches his rhetoric before & since.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Slightly bummed- but still hopeful.
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)We are not going back to the days when women could not have full access to birth control. Incredibly, here in the year 2012, that is exactly what the Blunt Amendment, which we defeated last month in the Senate, was all about. The Blunt Amendment would have allowed any employer who provided health insurance, or any insurance company, the right to deny coverage for contraception or any other kind of procedure if the employer had a "moral" objection to it. While I am glad that we defeated this horrendous amendment, it certainly was a sad day in our country when every Republican, save one, voted for it.
We are not going back to the days of wide-scale domestic violence, even if 31 Republican men in the Senate recently voted against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act because it expanded coverage to the gay community and Native Americans.
appalachiablue
(41,145 posts)madokie
(51,076 posts)as it is for me that I am standing for Bernie Sanders
JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)JonLP24
(29,322 posts)I don't have anything against the issues or focus on opposition -- everything from content between the link and the title is top notch just don't know a "war on woman" slogan won't backfire.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Are conservative votes more important than my right to autonomy? I don't think so.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)supporting woman's equality won't. I mean "war on woman" may be taken the wrong way but YMMV.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)But as long as we are going there. I think the anti capitalist thing and oligarchy are going to alienate a lot of people- and I agree with him on those. But some here are throwing around capitalist like it's known as a horrible thing- and I don't think it is with the average voter.
I hate to underestimate people, but you know- history.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)and words used -- I think it is important that the message is clear.
On capitalism I actually prefer a mixed economy (Keynesian) rather than a free market, laissez-faire, "tickle-down" economy. I think most Americans agree with that approach but "income redistribution" turns into "class warfare". Think need to be clear on what it is we oppose but few people are fans of the oligarchy.
Based on this you have 54% that favor "income redistribution"
?w=610&h=497
http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/there-are-few-libertarians-but-many-americans-have-libertarian-views/
A thing like "war on woman" isn't specific to what they're referring to. Unfortunately those with anti-choice views are more likely to be a single-issue voter than one who is pro-choice so it is a little tricky how much on the forefront you'd want though it is important to 45% of voters. Then a situations with say a low-information voters hears "war on woman" around a co-worker or something where a partisan woman Republican (like a Laura Inghram) who Democrats have just about 55%-60% advantage -- I don't know what she would say but it would be like a confirmation bias.
I do think it is important to take stances on the issues and highlight the opponent's differences in a way that is clear. Saying "war" could distract from that. In any case, I found some polling though not clear if they asked "War on woman" just seems the poll asked if they believed there was a "wide-scale effort to limit women's reproductive choices"
https://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/8315-f.pdf
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Thing and when I hear people doing the political calculus it breaks my heart. It's just inexcusable.
We have better framing but few still speak out. We need to be speaking out really loudly against the government getting between women and their doctors.
As far as oligarchy goes though, I know loads of smart people who would think WTF? And who also think capitalism = opportunity. I think wed do better to refer to them as corporate tax cheats- and politicians as be bribed by corporate interests. Those things people get.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)hear people doing political calculus. "War on women" is a talking point, slogan and war is a metaphor. I actually didn't realize, didn't remember or didn't know it was used in the 2010 election (I thought it was just the midterm following Todd Akin) so not sure the effectiveness of it -- the majority of people that participate in Presidential elections favor rather than limiting the options for women's reproductive health. It probably was effective in the sense with this framing it gave the opportunity to mention these issues but then the Republicans -- the evil geniuses they are at framing -- came back with "empowering woman" and pushing contraceptives over-the-counter after the whole restricting it thing but it was bullshit for a variety of reason. One was they went so far to claim funding for it trampled over their religious beliefs which I think even went up to the Supreme Court. The also saying wanted easier access (whatever that meant) to OTC made it about what's best for corporate interests. I almost think that was the plan given that they want to privatize everything.
I'm just saying when it comes to talking points & slogans is I think it is important to be smart about it. On issues, policies, themselves, etc I think it is important to speak out loudly against the government when they're pushing bad policies.
On your second paragraph, economics & capitalism itself is so vast I have no idea as far as talking points & slogans so I know where to address. Oligarchies -- you can point to Ukraine's economy to see the mess they left behind (a lot of their politicians don't even live there). Many of them actually had nothing before they got started in Ukraine's politics. The term itself? It is probably better to use a definition or being specific or clear what the politicians are addressing.
The Capitalism = opportunity reminds me of the "casino economy". People (not most people) in favor of not taxing or regulating the wealthy to improve quality of life until they hit the jackpot lever and don't want the government to come after their money but instead leaves behind a cruel & desperate world. I credit David Simon for "casino economy".
David Simon: 'There are now two Americas. My country is a horror show'
I think we've perfected a lot of the tragedy and we're getting there faster than a lot of other places that may be a little more reasoned, but my dangerous idea kind of involves this fellow who got left by the wayside in the 20th century and seemed to be almost the butt end of the joke of the 20th century; a fellow named Karl Marx.
I'm not a Marxist in the sense that I don't think Marxism has a very specific clinical answer to what ails us economically. I think Marx was a much better diagnostician than he was a clinician. He was good at figuring out what was wrong or what could be wrong with capitalism if it wasn't attended to and much less credible when it comes to how you might solve that.
You know if you've read Capital or if you've got the Cliff Notes, you know that his imaginings of how classical Marxism of how his logic would work when applied kind of devolve into such nonsense as the withering away of the state and platitudes like that. But he was really sharp about what goes wrong when capital wins unequivocally, when it gets everything it asks for.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/08/david-simon-capitalism-marx-two-americas-wire
This article actually doesn't include the word "casino" but it was so excellent but he is specific and I'm on the same page he is. I ironically even felt the same he does about Karl Marx as he was so excellent at diagnosing the problem rather than solving it.
The "casino economy" comes toward the end of this speech (I was trying to find something post to read rather than the whole half-hour video)
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)was indeed an inspiration to girls throughout Vermont. Sanders made an excellent point there.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)pantsonfire
(1,306 posts)Hiraeth
(4,805 posts)Video : Noted Feminist #BellHooks Drops Support For Hillary Clinton http://amp.twimg.com/v/d6678121-8148-48f7-83a9-9bd1d2709898 #NYPrimary #PAprimary #CAPrimary