Are Your Grandparents Special? Tell Us Why for National Grandparents Day!

Are your grandparents special? Tell us why!

    

Contact us at info@womenatliberty.com, @womenatliberty (Twitter) or Women History Makers-DC, MD, VA.

An American Debate: Beliefs vs. Rights

by Nona Ogunsula

The recent Chick-fil-A debate that was caused by CEO Dan Cathy's comments about traditional marriage was, for me, another example of how intolerant we are becoming as a nation! There will never be an end to discrimination if people do not learn the difference between beliefs and rights. In America, your right to believe whatever you want to believe is guaranteed by the American Constitution and specifically, the Bill of Rights. Remember those? 

The very First Amendment says, 

"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."  

These Rights along with the U.S. Constitution, are what make America a country where it is unlawful to restrict a person's, especially American Ciitizens', individual or inalienable rights without due process.  We must not forget the history from which these documents as well as the Declaration of Independence were born. It was an oppressive British government who was unduly influenced by government sanctioned religion. Unfortunately world history including Biblical history, is fraught with too many examples where people in power used religion to commit abuses and atrocities. Remember the Early Christians, The Crusades, The Spanish Inquisition, etc. (If not, a study of history is in order.)

So now, you have the right to believe whatever you want to believe about religion and issues like marriage, but you do not have a right to force your beliefs on others. Nor do you have a right to discriminate against others in employment, housing, public accommodations, etc. because they believe differently than you. 

The political climate in Washington DC is a reflection of the intolerance running rampant in our country and an inability of people to respectfully disagree on issues. For Christians, take note of Jesus' behavior in the temple. The only time he physically disagreed with anyone was when they were taking advantage of people in the name of God right in the House of Worship. (See John 2:12-23 or view movie clip below for a dramatic portrayal of the scripture.*) For those who are not Christians, you can't change people's behavior or beliefs by "bullying" them. Just take a look at the conflict in the Middle East! 

Lastly, we should stop asking the President of the United States to personally defend or endorse our own religious beliefs. That's not part of the President's job description. The President takes an Oath to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States". We might instead think about asking the President and Congress to grant full Congressional voting rights to places like Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico where citizens are taxed without full representation.  

As stated in the Voltaire's quote below, we will assuredly disagree on matters of religion and issues of social importance, however we must never control what people believe. Not in this free country! 

*Book of John

How Do You Feel About The New Universal Health Care Law?

By now you know that the new Health Care Law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. There has been so much tension and debate on both sides of this issue, and now conspiracy theories are beginning to be reported in the media about why Chief Justice John Roberts, who it seems was the deciding vote, may have voted the way he did.  But, the real question is, how will this law affect you and the average American?  If you want to get a quick (cliff notes) summary of the law,visit the Women History Makers-DC, MD & VA Facebook page and see yesterday's (6/28) posting. To get news directly from the horse's mouth, go to the White House's Blog. If you want to read the Court's entire decision, click here.

Here's my take: Seniors seem to be already benefiting from the law's prescription drug provision and covered wellness visits including mammograms, colonoscopies, and other preventive health screenings. Tiffany Lindquist, AARP Maryland Associate State Director, stated that “overall, AARP believes the new health care law vastly improves health care for older Americans”. College students should be happy because they are allowed to stay on their parents/guardians' policy until age 26. Also women will not be charged a premium because they require different health services than the services provided to men. Lastly, but not least, insurance companies can not refuse to cover you because you have a pre-existing condition. Carefirst (one of our sponsors) said in a statement that they were extremely pleased that the Court decided in favor of the Act. They also said that they "have implemented all provisions required in the law and now look forward to implementing the full extent of the law".

YOUR TURN: So what's you're opinion? Have you or do you know someone who has been positively or negatively impacted by the new Health Care Law? Leave a comment here or post a message on our Facebook page here. You can also email info@womenatliberty.com

Crowns For Mother's Days 2012

Here's a photo from Women History Makers-DC, MD & VA's Crowns (Hats) For Mother's Day 2012. It's not too late to add your photo.

Can you help us decide who had the most beautiful hat? To view the rest of the photos, go to: Crowns For Mother's Day 2012, and "LIKE" the picture of the most beautiful hat.  Also feel free to leave a comment under the photo.  The winner will receive a special gift from Waterford Crystal. Thanks in advance for your support!

Happy Mother's Day 2012

Happy Mother's Day to all moms & those who have played this role in someone's life! Unconditional love is priceless... 

**Women History Makers-DC, MD & VA is sponsoring "Crowns For Mother's Day"! We would love to see you in a "Crown" (Hat). Take a picture by yourself, or with family and friends and share it with us! One of those posting a picture will be selected to win a special gift from Waterford. http://ow.ly/aLIDZ

The Positive Use of Power...Katharine Jefferts Schori

"Power, as human beings exercise power, to me means the ability to change: the ability to change oneself, the ability to change one's community. And the positive use of power is transformation of self and community toward a higher ideal, toward a healed world."

--Katharine Jefferts Schori, 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States

Twice a month on Tuesdays, WOMEN AT LIBERTY provides a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. This week Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is featured. She is the first woman to be elected as the chief bishop or the highest leader of the Anglican Church in U.S. She was elected in 2006.

Bishop Jefferts Schori is responsible for initiating and developing policy for the Episcopal Church and speaks on behalf of the church regarding the policies, strategies, and programs of the church. Before her calling to the priesthood and subsequent ordination in 1994, she was an oceanographer. She has a B.S. in biology from Stanford University, an M.S. and Ph.D. in oceanography from Oregon State University, an M.Div. from Church Divinity School of the Pacific.

In today's video, Bishop Jefferts Schori talks about managing change within her church denomination, how she dealt with discrimination within the church, and the positive use of power. To view the Leadership Tuesdays' feature, click here. For more information on Leadership Tuesdays, see here.

Leadership Tuesdays: The Power of Acknowledgment...Kimberly Dillon

http://www.houseofmikko.com

"...Always acknowledge people. Really understand what their story is. And it doesn't matter who they are. Simply saying hello, and how are they doing and really knowing what's going on in people's lives is powerful."

--Kimberly Dillon, Founder of the House of Mikko

Twice a month on Tuesdays, WOMEN AT LIBERTY provides a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. This week, we are featuring Kimberly Dillon. She is an entrepreneur and the founder of the House of Mikko, a company that matches women who have similar characteristics and allows them to provides hair and beauty recommendations to each other. She founded the company to address the challenges that women, specifically women of color, face in finding the "right " beauty products that work for them. Although her company is less than a year old, she has been featured in TechCrunch and ReadWriteWeb, named by Huffington Post as one of 25 Female Tech Founders to watch, and is a member of Women 2.0. Kimberly has two undergraduate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from University of Michigan.

In this TEDxwomen video, Kimberly talks about the power of acknowledgment in our personal lives and in business. To view the Leadership Tuesdays' feature, click here. For more information on Leadership Tuesdays, see here.