Well behaved women rarely make history . . .

On Saturday, I was throwing my best friend since 3rd grade a bridal shower and I missed Hillary's speech. On my ride back from the airport this morning Ralph quoted her opening line and together we both got emotional thinking that her race is over. I wanted to read the speech for myself, and this afternoon I had a moment alone in the office and I went straight away to read the speech she gave to suspend her campaign.

It is beautiful speech and while several parts brought tears to my eyes, I wept when I read the following: 

Well, this isn’t exactly the party I’d planned, but I sure like the company . . .

. . . This election is a turning point election and it is critical that we all understand what our choice really is. Will we go forward together or will we stall and slip backwards. Think how much progress we have already made. When we first started, people everywhere asked the same questions: 

Could a woman really serve as Commander-in-Chief? Well, I think we answered that one. 

And could an African American really be our President? Senator Obama has answered that one. 

Together Senator Obama and I achieved milestones essential to our progress as a nation, part of our perpetual duty to form a more perfect union. 

Now, on a personal note – when I was asked what it means to be a woman running for President, I always gave the same answer: that I was proud to be running as a woman but I was running because I thought I’d be the best President. But I am a woman, and like millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out there, often unconscious. 

I want to build an America that respects and embraces the potential of every last one of us. 

I ran as a daughter who benefited from opportunities my mother never dreamed of. I ran as a mother who worries about my daughter’s future and a mother who wants to lead all children to brighter tomorrows. To build that future I see, we must make sure that women and men alike understand the struggles of their grandmothers and mothers, and that women enjoy equal opportunities, equal pay, and equal respect. Let us resolve and work toward achieving some very simple propositions: There are no acceptable limits and there are no acceptable prejudices in the twenty-first century. 

You can be so proud that, from now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories, unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the President of the United States. And that is truly remarkable. 

To those who are disappointed that we couldn’t go all the way – especially the young people who put so much into this campaign – it would break my heart if, in falling short of my goal, I in any way discouraged any of you from pursuing yours. Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. When you stumble, keep faith. When you’re knocked down, get right back up. And never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on. 

As we gather here today in this historic magnificent building, the 50th woman to leave this Earth is orbiting overhead. If we can blast 50 women into space, we will someday launch a woman into the White House. 

Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America.

(Emphasis added)

You can read the full speech here. 

"Who would have imagined, in other words, that they would exploit these tragic deaths [9/11 deaths] to seek to undermine our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, indeed the very foundations of the same "freedom" that allegedly inspired the terrorists in the first place?  And finally, who would have imagined that our vaunted "liberal media" and nonpartisan political establishment would cheer them along the way, failing to ask the difficult questions and attacking the patriotism and even sanity of those with the courage and foresight to do so?"  - Eric Alterman, "9/11 America Attacked Twice"

"A generation of American women has been born and has grown to adulthood since [Roe v. Wade], never needing to know what the stakes were, how the battle was fought, who paid the price, and how we won. But now they do need to know. Because we have to fight again." ~ Molly Ivins

We've begun to raise daughters more like sons... but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.

Any woman who chooses to behave like a full human being should be warned that the armies of the status quo will treat her as something of a dirty joke. That's their natural and first weapon. She will need her sisterhood.

I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career.

It's an incredible con job when you think about it, to believe something now in exchange for something after death. Even corporations with their reward systems don't try to make it posthumous.

The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off.

There are really not many jobs that actually require a penis or a vagina, and all other occupations should be open to everyone.

~Gloria Steinem