WOMEN,CHILDREN AND ADOPTION

I am a member of the "SISTERHOOD." One of millions of women banded together because we are women. I am a very different woman by the standards of where I live. I was in the U. S. Army. I also worked for the U. S. Postal Service as a letter carrier. I have done many jobs that were reserved for men. The logic behind all of this was that my dad said that I could do this. He also said that I should not let my sex hold me back and that I could be anything that I wanted.

As I listen to friends and family discuss things from the past, I am still stunned at how much has changed yet not much has changed. Women and children are still devalued in our society. I lived in Oklahoma in 1999. I remember reading about two different cases. One was about a child pornographer caught by the Postal Inspectors of Tulsa. He pleaded guilty in exchange for ten years in prison. The other case was about a black man from a magazine stand who sold a Penthouse magazine to an adult Tulsa police officer. They were willing to give this man ten years in prison. Is it me or does anyone else see the hypocrisy of this?

Another case is where a young woman is gang raped by a group of young male friends. They drugged her. They used all forms of sexual instrumentation on this girl. They even videotaped the entire scenerio. This case was initially dismissed because she had sex with a couple of them previously. It was later retried and those young men were put into prison. Thank God!

Throughout the years, my view of women has changed. I have become more radical in some respects and subdued in others. Sexism is still dominant out there. I had an experience with a postmaster that still ticks me off. I asked for a transfer to his post office. He jumped down my throat for using my sick leave to care for my sick children. I guess he never stayed at home to help his wife care for his children. He wouldn't listen to me explain that my children had to have their toncils and adenoids removed. I was lucky my postmaster was a little more understanding. Here's to you Dave Johnson, postmaster at Henrietta, Texas. KUDOS TO YOU MY MAN

If I am still facing these kind of issues now, I can't even imagine what my birthmother faced. A b mom friend of mine has faced humiliation and shame at the hands of her own family. They never let her forget that she got pregnant at a time where it was considered shameful. All of that irks me and its eggs me on to fight these injustices. As late as 1988, the Republican party was ignoring the rights of women. They dismissed questions about women's rights. They considered them as unimportant and did not warrant them with any attention.

There are groups out there trying to go back to that frame of mind. Another new friend of mine is working on becoming a preacher. More power to her. I asked her the question how do you feel when people say that women shouldn't be preaching God's word. Her reply was that a woman found Jesus three days after His death. After she found Him, she was the one who spread the word of His rising. I would proudly attend her church.

In our society today, we are moving rapidly towards extremism. We have the religious right telling us that we are all going to hell if we don't believe as they do. I we don't condemn the women's movement, homosexuality, and other immorals in our society we are all condemned to hell. I am disgusted by it. I have to remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees. I feel it is God's place to judge. I just have too much on my plate dealing with my own life and its issues to take up judging immorality. Most of the issues are just about dealing with life in our present time.

I think the birth parents out there deserve our respect, love and support. They beat themselves up daily. Why do we need to worsen that? They don't deserve the shame that our society puts them through. Even ol' Pat Robertson had sex with his wife before they married. He and others like him need to learn about compassion. They need to remember each case is different. Most cases don't deserve the condemnation that they receive. His form of extremism is causing more abortions and harm. What happened to "LOVE THY NEIGHBOR?" Why not research all sides to the story? At that point, ya'll might be taken a little more seriously.
When women and children are held to the same reverence as men, then we can move forward and heal as a society.

WE NEED TO CHANGE THE LAWS. OPEN THE SECRETS. HEAL THE WOUNDS. WRITE YOUR LEGISLATORS. LET OUR ENTIRE FAMILY HEAL.