What Was She Thinking?

Last week I told my daughter to keep her schedule clear for today. I was so excited and looked forward to today with anticipation. Why? I'm getting to that, so hang on.

First I'd like to say that I have not always been interested in my community, my city, my state. I was not born in Oklahoma and for 9 of the almost 11 years I have lived here, I had been in denial. I became an Oklahomian the moment I stepped of the airplane in the middle of the night in Lawton's Airport. The almost 100 degree heat at midnight greeted me with the greediness of a thirsty child, pulling at me, claiming my heart for Oklahoma.

My daughter was 5 then. She started her school career in Germany, where my ex-husband was stationed at the time. From first grade, until present, she has attended Lawton Public Schools, has excelled musically and academically, and loves this community just as much as I do.

So! It was exciting for not only myself, but my daughter as well, when I told her we were going to go to to my university to listen to a panel of accomplished women talk about women's suffrage and honor its 90th anniversary, and since I knew some of the panel members, I knew I could expect an empowering hour or two.

I have worked fervently within the last years to not only improve my home and family, but also my community by starting and running The Compass Watchers, a Neighborhood Watch Program. As my daughter has been an inspiration for me to consistly improve in health (never mind the almost dying thing), attitude, and in Life, I often try to think of ways I can also inspire her. Sharing an event like this was going to be super cool! Or so I had hoped...

We arrived just before the event was scheduled to start. As we rode to the second floor on the elevator, I noticed Representative Ann Coody and introduced myself to her. She was so gracious and my first impression was that she was a pretty cordial person for being a State Legislator. That opinion stood for about a total of thirty minutes, and those were the thirty minutes leading up to her speech.

Please understand that I am not the kind of person who speaks rudely to people or about people, and that is not my intention now, even after the fiber of who I am has been horrified with the astounding verbiage I subjucted myself to this afternoon. I really do try to remember that we all are just doing the best that we can, and I know better than anyone that I have much to learn about the political world, but I know when I hear the truth spoken.

During her speech, Rep. Coody hit what I will call her soap box a few times but never managed to stand upright on it. She literally read women's names off of a list, telling what their titles are. Which is wonderful, I guess. YAY for the woman in leadership...She talked incessantly about her 39 years as an educator, and threw in a few moral boosting comments for the military families. Besides boring, I really cannot recall much more than that about the time she was standing up there talking. Well, that and making it sound as if it is a very hard job to do, and you damn well better want to fork over some cash if you plan to win an election. Hmm. Note to Self: Money = Power = Political Election Won. End Note.

Here's where the snowball starts.

There was to be a short Q & A after the representative was finished speaking. When she basically said, and believe me, I will be listening to this recording I have again, but when she made it clear her opinion was that women were to stay at home and raise their families when they are younger, and after they get older, THEN they can think about running for office. Yes, life experience will help you in the position, but looky here--my daughter and several younger women were in that forum today. I felt as if this woman sitting before us was no woman at all, but a man in fancy clothes and make-up, and from 1927. I have not met a woman in years that would be so shamefully assumptive in the midst of anyone, let alone such strong young women with amazing potential to change the world.

On down the hill it goes....getting pretty big and fast now...

A question was asked of Representative Coody. It was about a controversial law passed requiring women to have an ultrasound before they can have an abortion. I will spare you all the drawn out details and sum the representative's answer up quickly. Remind you -- i am just paraphrasing, but it is NOT out of context-- "Because I am a Christian," she said, "I listen to what my God tells me to do and not the constituants want."

Um
Um
Um
OUCH
that snowball hurt like hell!

Did I unknowingly walk into one of my worst nightmares?
Since when is THAT supposed to happen?

The simple answer is this: IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!

With Representatives like Ann Coody in office "fighting" the way for all women to have equal pay, rights, and equality in general, we are taking steps backward in the progress countless of other women sacrificed so much for.

I am disillusioned with politics tonight. The myth that women are unequal keeps popping it's ugly little head up again and again and sometimes it is wearing the mask of someone you had expected to be an ally.

Seperation of Church and State. It's there in the Constitution...she should not be making laws based upon a Christian foundation, and especially if it is against what the voters want.

All in all, I left what was supposed to be an informative and empowering session with women of like minds, angry, and righteously so.

You took an oath Representative Coody. You took an oath to represent your constituants. You are supposed to be their voice up there in the Capital you worked so hard to get to. Now do your job and leave your own personal doctrine out of it. If you cannot fulfill your promise to the people, than the time has come for you to step down and give one of us people with less life experience a chance to help undo what you and others like you have done.