Friday, October 24, 2014

THE POLITICS OF SEX: WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE OR VOTE IN MONTANA CELEBRATES 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, SIX YEARS BEFORE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, 1920, 19TH AMENDMENT . . . MONTANA HAD THE FIRST FEMALE GOVERNOR, THE FIRST SHERIFF, TOOK HER HUSBAND'S PLACE AFTER HE DIED, WE HAVE FEMALE MONTANA BAR ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, AND FEMALE DEAN OF THE U OF M, LAW SCHOOL . . . DON'T YOU THINK THAT IT IS TIME FOR A FEMALE MEMBER OF CONGRESS? I DO, CONGRESSMAN STEVE DAINES, HAS FOR ALL HIS INTENTS AND PURPOSES, SERVED VALIANTLY, BUT FOR THE AVERAGE JO OR JOANN, HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER, AMANDA CURTIS RELATES BETTER. I WOULD NOT ASK YOU TO VOTE FOR AMANDA, JUST BECAUSE SHE IS A WOMAN, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, LIKE SARAH PALIN & MICHELLE BACHMAN, SO I WILL USE ARGUMENT FROM THE ISSUES, TO MAKE MY PITCH FOR NOT ONLY SOMEONE WHO WILL REPRESENT, OVER 50% OF THE MONTANA POPULATION, BUT SOMEONE WHO IS CLOSER TO MY STYLE AND BELIEFS! BY FAR . . .

19th Amendment, Woman Suffrage

The Nineteenth Amendment was proposed on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

United States Constitution, Article IV, Section 4

The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican form of Government, and shall protect each of them against invasion, and on Application of the Legislature, or the Executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.

Republican or Representative Form of Government--An Indirect Democracy

A republican form of government, is not referring to the Republican Party, although, they would like you to think of them as being the sole proprietors of the U.S. Constitution, but that is untrue, both parties lay claim, but from a little different slant, or side of the center, either to the right or to the left, but believing on the same set of rules of engagement, outlined in the articles and amendments to the U.S. Constitution.  We have what is called a representative government, also known as an indirect democracy . . . that is when the people elect representatives to make laws for WE THE PEOPLE.  

The legislative branch is the Congress of the United States, or the local, county and state, legislative bodies, referred to in state constitutions, that is assigned the task of making the laws, for the executive, president, governors, mayors, and their law enforcement agencies, used to enforce the laws that the lawmakers, pass . . . with the courts, or the judiciary, given the responsibility for settle disputes, controversies, or questions of law, dealing mainly at a federal level, about the constitutionality of a particular law, statutes, amendment, executive order or action, interpreting what the foundational and contextual groundwork, laid by the founding fathers, their plain language, intent and taken in the context and history of the day, adding insight, understanding, and statutory interpretation.

Men Are From Mars, Women From Venus--Together They Make Up the Whole

Similar to my question a few blogs ago, what constitutes a jury of your peers, what constitutes a representative form of government, or who is going to make my voice be heard, in the halls of Congress, as a woman, a mother, a grandmother, a citizen, a Montana, concerned about the issues and problems that I may deal with.  By way of example, Janet Yellen, was just appointed by President Obama, to be the first female director of the Federal Reserve.  Just last week there was an article, about Yellen's focus, with on, being that of income inequality, like minimum wage, or the discrepancy between male and female pay for the same work.  The comment was made that former males who headed up the Fed, Greenspan and Bernakie, were more concerned with the level of interest rates, the economy, the stock market, and never addressed these other issues, as having anything to do with, issues that are very much at the very heart of the economy, economic recovery, fairness, equality, and the age war, with minimum wage, being a hot topic issue right now, as is the passage of a jobs bill . . . women think differently than men, they focus on different issues, they look at war, the economy, education, jobs, more through a relationship to all the players, than their male counterparts.

Fifty/Fifty Representation, Would Look a Whole Lot Better

It takes two to tango, two to create, two to relate, to both the male and female perspective, no matter how progressive, understanding, insightful, and forward looking, and there are many, many great men, who have championed female causes, but men, generally, will never know what it is like to be a woman, to be raped, sexually assaulted, have someone physically stronger in a home, who can do a ton of damage to you, with 58,000 women, the same number as casualties in the Vietnam War, who were killed by husbands, boyfriends, or an acquantance . . . men will never be pregnant, never feel the fear of being hurt in their careers, simply by having a baby, will never need or want an abortion, a right to be ruler of your own reproductive processes, knowing what is best for you, your family, your career, not a decision to be made in the sacrosanct and male dominated Congress, no more legitimate rapes, vaginal probes, denying access to decisions, only the woman, to me, herself, not the doctor's call, but the threat of taking away access to reproductive education and access to health care . . . let's call it health insurance!

Feminizing the Laws, No Taxation Without Representation!

Like I said, I have a love affair, going with the state of Montana, and it just keeps, giving and giving, reward after reward.  I was, almost shocked, to attend several general sessions of the House of Representatives, in the 2013 session, to find, an almost, minus, one or two, 50/50 split or representation, in the numbers and ranks of representatives, with many bright and articulate, female attorneys, girls after my own heart, in a very high proportion, making up the female side of the equation.  There didn't seem to be any bias by the Speaker of the House, and the debates, were a great give and take, sharing and respect, one sex for the other, I can't say the same for the two parties!  I didn't see, what almost became fist-a-cuffs, between members of the opposing political parties, as dates, times, and bills, came to the do or die point, that they do, either passing or being held until the next year.  LOL!  Sometimes, timing is everything.

I am sure, as the early, female suffragists, like Susan B. Anthony, and the crew, must have used the same arguments, the founding fathers, used against the Brits, no representation, no taxes, or at least I would have, as I crossed the nation, making an impact in Montana, who took the bull by the horns, and passed their voting rights act, six years before their national counterparts, with Flathead county voting 1,830 for woman suffrage, and 1, 146 against.  The local newspaper, The Daily Inter Lake, provided those statistics, Wednesday, October 22, 2014, with an informative and fun special section, also advertising, National Business Women's Week, October 20-24, 2014 . . . commemorating the 100th year anniversary of the vote!  I was impressed to see the old historic pictures of the Montana female suffragists, but also, a new focus on current female business owners, and professionals in the county, who are working now, great!

Put Amanda Curtis in Congress, In Commemoration of the 1814-1914 Celebration of Women's Suffrage!

Sometimes just making a statement, following our early, founding mothers, will set the tone and the mood, to reflect a more balanced, proactive, and balanced Congress, regardless of party . . . just the differences between men and women, is enough to create, controversy, as seen in the attempt of a female member of, I believe the Senate, whom I believe, if I am not mistaken, was a Republican, fully aware of the sexual assaults, rapes, and threats to females in the military, worried that leaving investigations and prosecutions, in the male bastion of the military, men, would continue to get away with, as they did last year, 26,000 sexual assaults!  The men will give lip service, and agree to disagree, but will vote, reflecting the typical male response to such acts, well, not relating to the victim at all, that he is a good soldier, with a good record; therefore, his actions are just swept under the carpet!

While women are making great strides, becoming CEO, CIA, part of corporate America, which by the way, needs to be feminized a bit, calling it, living life with a conscience, but I know from personal experience, that if you are an aggressive woman, and the male statewide battering system, thinks you are pushing those predominantly male, safe havens of professions of cops, prosecutors, and judges, and behave differently than the societal norms, regardless of trumping the men in experience, education, opportunities, advancements, they will all gang together, as men, and take out a woman . . . and that is first hand experience.  I was as far as I could tell, the only female, trial attorney, in the southern part of the Utah, with 51% of the law schools, being female!  How did that happen, women, were discriminated against, mine was extreme prejudice, because, prior to trial work, I had trained many of the cops, prosecutors and, now judges, and switching sides, was vitriol retribution, pay back for legislation that I killed, 17 years earlier, when they didn't dare touch me, sexual assault by a system, up to and including, sanctioned attempts on my life!

No big deal, and nobody would do a damned thing!  I would put my resume, my record, the level of my work, my experience, my background, up against any man in the state!

You Fight Like A Girl!  Fuck Yeah!

I woke up at about 2:30 a.m., last night, and got in a movie marathon, watching true crime stories, for their information, history, and understanding the mental, mindset, of not only women, girls, who dared challenge the laws of the days, but pushed to the point, of fighting back, with all they had, risking, safety, sanity, body and limb, to get justice, and we, the female sex, are grateful for their efforts, as I hope, future attorneys, will be appreciative of the fight, the risks that I have endured, the in your face posture, that women, who got anywhere had to do, in their homes, their communities, in the courts, schools, universities, businesses, and in politics . . . there is not good ole' boy network to coddle you, mentor you, pat you on the ass, in an encouraging way, rather than a sexual way.  You have come a long way baby, but NOT far enough!

About a month ago, there was this great article, in who knows what newspaper, I was reading, but an attorney and a judge, were going head to head, on some issue in court.  The judge finally called a recess, and they, the judge and attorney, went out behind the court, on an even playing field, and got in a physical fight!  I loved it, and there are plenty of judges, whom I have seen, totally trash the legislature's laws, say the laws are in their heads, ignore the rules of evidence, or procedure, on totally throw the Constitution out of their courtroom, argue for the other side, when they thought that I was bullying the other side, not their call, or duty to come up with the other side's arguments and then close the case, when I beat the hell out of the judges, bull shit attempt to protect the government, their litigation without outside counsel, and their connected clients!

I don't get a gun permit, because I know I have a temper, that at times, if I had a gun, for love of the law, and as Justice Sonja Sotomayor, coined, with fidelity to the law, would love to take the fucking judge out, either by shooting him/her, or at least, doing what that frustrated attorney did, short of filing an appeal against a judge, and just duke it out!  But, due to the natural difference in size, stature and the fact that they are male, would not be a fair fight, and they just took my tools to beat the hell out of them in the alleged, halls of justice, my only recourse, for my clients, promoting, fucking, ALWAYS, THE RULE OF LAW!  I can't say the same, for the pathetic state of our judiciary!  That is the reason for this blog, I can vent, get a shot or two in, and throw a few punches, in a fair fight!

All I Have To Do, Is Show Up, And Say, Hi, I Am Steve Daines

There was a great article in last Wednesday's, edition of the Shelby Promoter, with a wonderful write up on the candidates for national office, and I remember, just being pissed as hell, that at the time, Congressman, Steve Daines, Republican, now running for the U.S. Senate, refused to debate challenger, of 80 days, Amanda Curtis, a Democrat, but that is beside the point in this argument, he didn't think it was worth his time, to debate her, and the both the Great Falls Tribune & the Promoter, reported that Daines would not debate Curtis; therefore, the debate for the highest office, representing the state, one candidate, refused to debate the other . . . now, that was not the case, when appointed, U.S. Senator, John Welch, was the contender against Daines, because he was a male?

At one point, it was speculated, that there were going to be two races, with Montana, being one of them, that would determine the control of the Senate, and the Daines vs. Welch, was one of the races, that national news pundits, were watching, that is until Welch was caught plagiarizing his master's thesis, and was forced out of the race.  High school teacher, in math, Amanda Curtis, stepped up to answer her parties call, making sure there was at least a fight, or a showing, but everyone, just assumes that the race is toast, and Daines is the next, U.S. Senator, and he was acting like that . . . until recently, and I noticed that, the debate in Great Falls, took place!  Curtis is still, 16 points behind, but she had, as an unknown, other than one term in the state legislature, been an unknown, with little name recognition, but things are changing, because, what used to be a 36 point spread, is now narrowed, to a possible upset!  I am an optimist to the nth degree!

Curtis is Showing Up For the Fight, In a Big Way, Making Daines Look Like the Extremist He Is!

For a side by side, comparison, check out, Who's the Extremist . . . see, Daily Inter Lake, OPINION, A4, Thurday, October 23, 2014, for a great condensed view, of a look at key positions, issues, and with Daines being the most conservative voter in Congress, a Republican, and Curtis, being more of a centrist, crossing over on many key issues that are near and dear to Montanan's hearts, beliefs, and in their comfort zone.  Elected officials, represent, their constituents, not their party . . . or that is the way it is suppose to be!  I know in law school, those students with math and accounting backgrounds, seemed to fair better than the usual student, given the fact that they are very systematic, logical, and straight forward thinkers, looking at the facts at hand, and then analytically applying the law, to the set of laws, rules, elements in the law, or the black letter law, that makes up so much of the law school learning experience, with the legislatures, and the courts, fleshing in the details, of remnants of British common law, or common sense!

In fact, many of the articles, written about Curtis, make exactly that statement about her, that she is a common sense, down to business, woman, looking right at the issue at hand, and presenting in a clear and thoughtful argument her position.  We have a millionaire, with a millionaires, lifestyle, what percentage of the people, does Daines, truly represent?  From my observation, of the make up of Montanans, someone teaching high school, educated, but not at the top of the income food chain, is much closer to the troops, with boots on the ground, so to say, and can relate, much better to common sense solutions, than, say a millionaire business man, who worked out of state for a great part of his career . . . nothing wrong, but?

All Things Considered . . . Women?

This is one area, that party may not be as divisive, as it might seem, looking down and dirty at the issues, true to nature, form, and ideas, where do you really stand?  Women's reproductive rights, is a huge area of concern for women, regardless of whether you believe in abortion, birth control, or sex education, the best way to fight abortion, is through education, and contraception . . . how much luck have we had, ideally, speaking, keeping the sexes, who are wired, from God, for sex, whether that is want of a baby, sex in exchange for love, or the biological clock ticking, for a professional, and the drive for sex by men, who are willing to take on a family, when the time is right, and that is to be decided by the woman, maybe her partner, in or out of marriage . . . this is a country, based on freedom, liberty, choice, and consequences . . . we are big girls, aren't we?  Let us decide for ourselves . . . we need health insurance, Curtis will be better at seeing that option is left open!

Most men don't understand their own wives, let alone the female experience, nor visa versa, so, with a representative form of government, we already have Senator Tester, and whomever the new Congressman will be, with 2/3rd, of our Congressional delegation, being male, we don't need the whole thing, our whole state, including a 50 percent of the population without a true voice, a voice, not only for you, but for your daughters!  I watched three movies, last night, and one was called The Assault, a cheerleader, broke up with her football player boyfriend, got drunk to escape the pain, and she started to hang with some good guy friends, on the football team, one thing led to another, she passed out, one guy woke her up, kind of, took off her shirt, then threw her over his shoulder, guys filming this out of it, cheerleader, and all took her in the bedroom, gang rapped her, dropped her off on her front lawn, posted it all on the web, until they realized people were not digging it . . . eventually, her mother files, a Title IX, for discrimination, against the school, for caring more about football players, than the girl, who was gang raped . . . a female friend, a female cop, and also a male, attorney from the Department of Justice, go after the guys, with others, having the boys will be boys mentality . . . The University of Montana, understands this scenario, to some extent, even though the quarterback was acquitted, it has been a legal, financial, and media pain in the ass for the state!

NO MORE, Pressure From On High, But They Don't Vote in Congress or Make the Laws!  They Are Executive Branch, Not Legislative!

Attitudes need to change, and it seems, that females, have to raise awareness first, then good men, get on the bandwagon, and start, as have President Obama and V.P. Biden, movie stars, and others, recently, trying to start a NO MORE, campaign against domestic violence, sexual assaults, rape, and sexual harassment, that, after 20 years, hasn't moved, hardly and inch!  Sad to say . . . women in our decision making bodies help!  Two more movies, all 1990s, when awareness was just rising, that you can watch free on YouTube, False Witness, a male cop and a manager, going head to head, against two female attorneys, on a rape and knife, slashing of a popular, beautiful, TV talk show host, who was known for her liberal attitudes toward female sexuality . . . that is just a male prerogative!  The two females, were the comfort, the fighters, and dared, stand up to the media, bosses, one appearing to be the next Congressman . . . and they WON!  Got the plastic surgeon, who was going to show her, slash her face, then restore it!  Too bad he fucked up the beautiful woman so much, she freaked out in court, just seeing a guy like her assailant, shot the cop and the guy the cop, simplistically thought was the perp, had a record, never suspected the right guy, in spite of all the evidence!

The other movie, was She Fought All of Them, another gang mentality, jealous boy rape, then get the boys and girl's club to trash the victim!  She has to stand up to her mother, doctors, who can't prove it was a rape, then her friends, boys and girls, and she has the guts, to call a rapist a rapist, regardless of peer pressure, principles, teachers, school administrators . . . actually, I think this was the one, with the Title IX, but worth watching, in both movies, the males who loved the young girls, eventually did the right thing, and ratted out their male buddies, to the point of almost death . . . so the men pay for this insanity too!  The really great things about, a lot of these old movies, is it will show you that, it took brave women, who pushed state and national legislatures, to pass laws, that help protect women, from stalking, and other threats to their safety.

VOTE AMANDA!

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