My name is Catherine Morgan, I'm a writer, nurse, mother, and founder of "The Political Voices of Women". This is a blog dedicated to inform and educate the voting public through articles, ideas, and links. It's also a way of giving myself a voice, rather than just sitting back and watching politics and my opinion go by.
--- I am now also at the Care2 Election Blog.
This is from a post by Erin at Queen of Spain and BlogHer. There is much more to her post, and I encourage you to go back and read the whole thing. This particular part of her post is about a Mother’s Day project that I was honored to be asked to participate in, along with other BlogHer contributing editors.
My mother’s political influence has always been one of support for my beliefs and has turned into a dual education on policy and issues. Her political world has been expanded by mine, but I am reminded at how very different our 18th birthdays were-and how far we’ve come.
As part of ACORN’s‘I Remember Mama Voting’ project BlogHers and others are weighing in this Mother’s Day.
Contributing Editor Kim Pearson writes, “But the most important political lessons were about my African legacy. She showed me South Africa, told me about apartheid, and said, ‘Always remember, we will never be free until South Africa is free.’ She introduced me to real Africans, made sure I read about the new countries emerging, and about their efforts to press their cause at the United Nations. All of this while we tracked each success and failure of the civil rights struggle, and talked about whether black women had any business getting involved in feminism.”
Contributing Editor Suzanne Reisman says, “My mom is not as involved in political causes as I am, but my family has always been Democrats surrounded by a Republican community. I just always knew that Republicans were not for us, although when I was older, I remember overhearing my father telling our neighbor a bizarre joke about my mom voting for Ronald Reagan because she thought Jimmy Carter had bad legs. I was utterly horrified at the thought. How could my mom vote for a Republican?!?! Fortunately, when I asked her about it, she had no idea what I was talking about, but it was my first exposure to the stereotypical notion that women don’t vote on the issues, but rather on a candidate’s attractiveness. I thought that was the dumbest thing any woman could do, and swore I would follow my mom’s example and always vote for the candidate who would help ‘the people.’ Thanks, Mom!”
Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan writes, “I remember the first political discussion I ever had with my mother. We had been in a waiting room with many magazines, and I was too young to read any of them, but I did notice covers with horribly graphic photos of men at war. It happened to be towards the end of the Vietnam War, and I asked my mother, ‘Why is there war?’ She told me that people don’t want to be at war, the leaders of the countries make the wars. That was when I realized women were not in positions of political power. Then I said, ‘We should make women the leaders of all the countries in the world, and then there would never be any wars.’ My mother told me that sounded like a good idea, but it probably would never happen. My response was, ‘Then those men leaders who want a war, should fight it themselves.’ I didn’t understand then, and I still don’t understand today, how war solves any problems, neither does my mother.”
Rontun writes, “No, I don’t have any photographic evidence to prove that Satan’s inferno suddenly has been transformed into a winter wonderland, nor am I meaning to suggest that the threat of global warming has abated. But it’s evident to me that there has been a climate shift of cosmic proportions.
Let me explain. My mother, an octogenarian who’s voted Republican her entire life except in 1960 when she elected to support JFK because he shared her Roman Catholic faith, revealed to me on the telephone yesterday that she’s voting in Kentucky’s upcoming primary for Barack Obama!
This is no minor transformation, and it began as a direct consequence of the Bush administration’s war policies combined with the emergence in power of the evangelical community.”
L.K. Campbell says, “One of the biggest political arguments that I remember between Mama and Daddy happened during the 1972 presidential campaign. Daddy never voted for a Republican. If our German shepherd dog ran against the Republican incumbent, Lady would’ve gotten Daddy’s vote.
When he announced his intention to vote for George McGovern, Mama couldn’t believe it. Even though she was a registered Democrat, she was way too conservative to vote for McGovern.
‘You mean to tell me that you’re going to vote for that hippie-loving radical?’ she asked.”
Did you hear the news about the Ricin scare in Las Vegas? What is up with that? Why did it take two weeks before anyone even noticed? Isn’t it kinda scary how easy it was for this guy to be hospitalized since February 14th, before anyone found out he had been exposed (and possibly could have exposed others) to Ricin?
A person who inhales even the tiniest bit of ricin (the aforementioned 500 microgram lethal dose translates to an amount roughly the size of the head of a pin) will suffer severe respiratory symptoms followed by pulmonary edema, low blood pressure and possibly death.
Ingesting the chemical produces a different set of dire symptoms, which include vomiting, bloody diarrhea, hallucinations, seizures and… you guessed it… death.
Interesting historical note: ricin was used in the nasty, Soviet-spy-style murder of Bulgarian journalist Georgi Markov in 1978. The attacker struck Markov with an umbrella that had been hacked to inject a pellet of ricin beneath his skin.
So, back to the Las Vegas hotel incident. The man who had been staying in the room where the ricin was found was hospitalized with respiratory symptoms on February 14th, but made no mention (perhaps for obvious reasons) of having been exposed to the poison. It’s still unclear what or who was the intended target of the chemical. Authorities suspect that some sort of sinister action was planned, although there’s no evidence that it was terrorism-related. The man remains in critical condition.
Ricin is supposed to be one of the most toxic substances on the planet. Derived from the processing of castor beans, a pinhead of the lethal substance can kill a person.
A spokesman for the F.B.I. says the incident does not appear to be terror related, although authorities acknowledge there is no “legal or proper reason for any ordinary person to possess ricin.”
So far, this is turning out to be a real mystery. And even though they are saying it had nothing to do with terrorism, I imagine it must be terrifying to the people potentially exposed to this stuff.
Ever looked under the bed in your hotel room? My partner always takes a look before we check out, but I’m not courageous enough - I don’t want to know what else is under there.
A man found more than he expected this morning in his Las Vegas hotel room when he found a small bag of castor beans and Ricin, a deadly poison.
This Ricin scare raises several questions…How easy is it for someone to make this stuff? Can any crazy, psycho-nut, killer, make Ricin? Or does it take a sophisticated, scientifically inclined, psycho-nut? And, if he didn’t make it himself…How easy is it to buy this stuff? I’m sure we will be learning more in the days to come.
So…What do you think about this story? Does it make you worry? Do you have a sick curiosity over the mystery of it all? A little of both? Have you heard anything new on this?
There is an interesting dialog on the issue of Pro-Life, going on at BlogHer. Shannon has written a post titled Why I’m Pro-Life (there are already over 50 comments).
I wasn’t always pro-life.
In the early ’90’s, I was a card-carrying, sign-waving, Clinton-campaigning pro-choicer. I held to the notion that a fetus couldn’t fully be life, since it was dependent entirely on another for its existence. And I believed the notion that abortion is unfortunate, but it wasn’t any of the government’s business.
I wish I could point you to a specific point on my journey where my views shifted entirely. There was no dramatic morning where I woke up suddenly pro-life. My thoughts on the subject have meandered down many roads before winding up where they are today. I’ve been asked to tell you why I believe the way I do. — read full post at BlogHer
This is how I feel about the subject…
I’m pro-choice. And one of the things that makes me the most confused about the pro-life movement is - Their lack of outrage over the destruction of human embryos. Most people who are pro-life, are against embryonic stem cell research. But, every year 350,000 embryos are just thrown out with the trash at fertility clinics, because they can not be used for research. They can’t be used for research, because the pro-life movement considers them “life”…but yet they allow this “life” to be tossed out in the trash. It seems hypocritical to me. Why is this “life” only worth saving under certain circumstances? It’s like a mother who would want to donate a child’s organs to help save someone…Why can’t the parents of these embryos decide whether or not they are used for research?
The other issue that is confusing to me, is the lack of desire to help these children once they are born. The republican/conservative movement, is against funding for single mothers, family planning, WIC, Medicare, Medicaid, housing, education, and other programs…And when these programs are cut or eliminated (as they have been with the Bush administration), this leaves more and more children hungry, homeless, unhealthy, and uneducated. How is this justified? Shouldn’t the life of the unborn child be protected even after it is born? It seems to me this “life” should be even more important after it is born…this child now “knows” it’s alive, and it “feels” hungry, and it “suffers” without healthcare, and it “shivers” in the cold. Where is the outrage over this???
BlogHer’s Election 2008 coverage was created in response to the terrific enthusiasm this community demonstrated while developing our non-partisan 2008 Voter Manifesto, twelve policy questions American women have about health care, Iraq, the economy and the environment.
Frankly, however, our political team is confused by the response of presidential candidates to BlogHer, and to some other organizations and blogs by women. For the past six months, BlogHer has invited seven leading presidential candidates — Democratic and Republican, we’re non-partisan — to participate with BlogHer’s influential, passionate community of now 7.6 million techno-savvy women, who write and read thousands of influential blogs. While our editors, Morra Aarons-Mele and Mary Katharine Ham have made in-roads with the campaigns and we do have another year until Election Day, at this point we’ve been told no, both in words and in actions, as have some other women’s blogs and political groups.
And there’s more — what really confuses us is that:
Instead of the presidential candidates, BlogHer has been offered an opportunity to interview two candidate spouses, Ann Romney and Michelle Obama (more in our action timeline below) Just this week, two presidential campaigns (Senators Clinton and Obama) started marketing new Web sites devoted exclusively to women, even specifically to moms. These are the very women who populate BlogHer’s conferences, visit our sites and write the blogs in our ad network. In fact, if they’re trying to reach moms, the majority of BlogHer’s 1,100 BlogHer Ad Network members are mothers, and most blog about that parenting experience! (More detail, including their recruiting letters to women and moms in our action timeline below.)
So our question is, do we want to be marketed to by presidential campaigns or spoken with? And by whom? We think that if they want to get our votes, candidates themselves should answer our questions in the Voter Manifesto. But only if that’s the course this community supports. So — could you please lead us in the right direction by answering these questions and asking your readers to help us too by posting this poll on your blog? We’ll take all our votes and our voices on this poll right to the presidential campaigns.
Why No Healthcare Questions at GOP Debate? — by Catherine Morgan
There were exactly “zero” questions on healthcare at the CNN/YouTube Republican Debate. I find it very disappointing that there were three questions on guns and the IRA, a few on religion, and even one on sports teams…But, squeezing in a healthcare question wasn’t possible? Very disappointing.
Obviously, this is an issue that is not at all important to the Republicans. As a nurse, a mother, and a compassionate member of society…I find the lack of interest in our country’s healthcare crisis by these candidates appalling. There is no way that I will vote for any candidate that does not recognize the seriousness of this problem, or who does not at least have some desire to rectify it. Personally, I believe there are many Republicans that are “compassionately” conservative enough to agree with me.
Just in case you are sick of the debates, but still want to be able to hold your own at the water cooler today…Here is your recap of the CNN/YouTube Republican Debate. Listen to the issues that are of interest to you, and feel free to skip the rest…I wish I could have done that.
Interestingly, there were exactly “zero” questions on healthcare. Maybe they could have considered having one less gun question, and address the issue of healthcare? Nope. Very disappointing. Obviously, this is an issue that is not at all important to the Republicans. As a nurse, a mother, and a compassionate member of society…I find the lack of interest in our country’s healthcare crisis by these candidates appalling.
There is no way that I will vote for any candidate that does not recognize the seriousness of this problem, or who does not at least have some desire to rectify it. Personally, I believe there are many Republicans that are “compassionately” conservative enough to agree with me.
**AS OF TODAY, DECEMBER 6TH…I WILL BE UPDATING THIS LIST HERE (I’ve managed to have three lists, keeping them all up to date is becoming too time consuming). SO, FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE LIST GO HERE. Thanks.
Answering the question…Where are all the women political bloggers? I decided to take some time today and surf the Internet for as many women blogging on politics that I could find. The refreshing thing about women political bloggers is their diversity. Now, in no particular order, here are over 100 women political bloggers and blogs.
UPDATE: We now have over 250 275 women bloggers on this list. Thanks to everyone sending me links, keep them coming.
We know that women slightly outnumber men online. But at least anecdotally, it seems as if more men are on the political blogs, writing specifically about politics, reading about politics and putting in their two cents in the comments sections. Did you notice how many more men compared to women submitted videos for the Democratic YouTube debate in July? The pool of videos for the upcoming Republican YouTube debate is similarly stocked with more men.
Women In Media & News, a media analysis, education and advocacy group, works to increase women’s presence and power in the public debate. WIMN’s POWER Sources Project provides journalists with a diverse network of female experts.
List is now in alphabetical order. If you would like something added to your link, or you would like your blog added to this list…just say so in comments. Thanks.
I made my very first YouTube video for the 10 Questions project. I hope you will take a minute to go over and vote for my video…There is no registration required (you don’t even have to give you email address), just click on the green thumbs-up link.
If for some reason the link does not work…just go to “10questions.com” and search “catherinemarie66″ - My daughter did a video too, they will both be together on the above link.
Morra is asking everyone to participate in the 10Questions Project. You can either make and submit your own video question, or just go over to the site and vote on your favorite questions. This is a great way for “we the people” to really get involved with this campaign.
Even though I’m camera shy, my daughter was brave enough to ask a video question…and now I decided to make one too. I’ll let you know when we post them…probably later today or tomorrow.
A year from now, Americans will go to the polls to elect the next president of the United States. While Democrats hope to ride a wave of to hegemonic control of the White House and Congress for the first time since 1994, the Democratic presidential nominee should hold off measuring the drapes in the Oval Office.
Hi everyone. After the success of 100200+ Women Blogging on Politics, I decided to start a blog that would highlight these women, as well as encourage more to jump into the discussion.
I hope you will check it out, and let me know what you think. Thanks.
Last week I started a list of women who blog about politics, at that time the list was just under 100. I asked for others to send me links so I could add to the list, and am happy to announce that we are now at…OVER 200!
I never thought I would get such a huge response for simply putting together a list of great women bloggers, but it’s been a wonderful surprise. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this list, and please continue to send me links to other women blogging about politics…you can add them to the comments here.
If you didn’t see this interview, and want to know what all the fuss is about…
But, if you can’t stand to watch the AC (and who could blame you), you can find the written transcript here.
Until now, I hadn’t seen the interview of Ann Coulter and her hateful remarks towards Jews in our country, but it didn’t surprise me at all when I heard about it. And as much as I can’t stand giving this woman any additional attention, I feel it is important for her hateful words to be heard, and for “true” Christians to voice their decent.
When Bin Laden twists Muslim beliefs to justify hate and terrorism, we call on clerics to denounce it. Yes, I did just compare Coulter to Bin Laden. Anyway, the same policy needs to be applied to “coulter hate speech”, it can not be tolerated…Leaders of the Christian church (and Christians) need to publicly denounce Coulter’s bigotry, and reject her claims of speaking for all Christians.
She says that she is invited to speak at “mega” Christian churches (implying that “mega” amounts of Christians believe in her bigotry), if this is true…I am ashamed. As a Christian myself, I am appalled and sickened by Coulter’s assumptions that “all” Christians subscribe to her bigotry.
Coulter says several times that Christianity is easier than Judaism, because Judaism has “laws and rules”…WHAT??? It seems she is under some kind of impression that if you are a Christian, you can be a sinner and get a “free pass”, because everyone knows Jesus has forgivin the sins of Christians.What the *blankedy blank* is going on in her head?
In this transcript, when Coulter uses the word “we”, she is talking about “all” Christians. If you don’t believe me, listen or read it for yourself at the top of this post.
DEUTSCH: “Let’s wipe Israel off the earth.” I mean, what, no Jews?
COULTER: No, we think — we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say.
DEUTSCH: Wow, you didn’t really say that, did you?
COULTER: Yes. That is what Christianity is. We believe the Old Testament, but ours is more like Federal Express. You have to obey laws. We know we’re all sinners — (read full transcript here)
Who died and made Ann Coulter the voice of all Christians?????????
AC should not be allowed to spread her hate in any church…She may have free speech in the media, but she doesn’t have a constitutional right to spread hate to children and families while they are attending church. If she is currently being given this opportunity, it should be stopped immediately.
Read a great post and comments on this topic, by contributing editor, Mata at BlogHer.
What Is A Political Blogger? — by Catherine Morgan
I was doing a little blog surfing and came across a post at MyDD “What is a political blogger?” There are people that seem to think not all women blogging about politics can be considered political bloggers, I disagree. This is my response. What do you think?
What is a political blogger? I’m not sure we really need to “define” it, so much as we need to understand it. Political blogs are proof that many people want more than just the “main-stream” media to inform them of political topics and opinions. And the same holds true for readers of political blogs, many want more than a one sided, 24/7 view of politics. Women bloggers are offering diversity to their readers (who are potential voters), and that’s a good thing.
Women are a huge voting block, and in 2008 they will be voting on issues that are important to them, and many of these issues aren’t being sufficiently addressed in the same way they are on blogs authored by women. For this reason “all” political blogs are relevant, and there isn’t a right or wrong way to blog about politics.
If a “mommy blogger” blogs even just a few times a month on a political issue relevant to her readers, then she is reaching “voters”. For the most part, what we now know as “traditional” political blogging, has in many cases been a “mirror” of what is being reported in the “main-stream” media (although still better because it at least allows readers to comment with their opinions). But, this leaves a huge “political blogging” gap that is being filled by women, women with diverse ideas on both blogging and politics.
Women “will” be a force to reckon with in the next election, and blogging will be a defining part in that. With that in mind, I (with the help of many other bloggers) compiled a list of over 100 women (almost 200), that are blogging about politics. These women are blogging in their own “unique” styles, and reaching many voters.
So, (as far as I’m concerned) there is no way to “define” what a political blogger is, because a po
My mother’s political influence has always been one of support for my beliefs and has turned into a dual education on policy and issues. Her political world has been expanded by mine, but I am reminded at how very different our 18th birthdays were-and how far we’ve come.
