Blog:  Wow! Haven’t had a chance to stop and type a blog until this morning…they are keeping us soo busy!  Lilly Ledbetter was outstanding yesterday.  Many of us said she brought tears to our eyes for the incredible sacrifice to her life that she has taken.  One comment last night about open membership came from a Michigan delegate…she said ” Lilly Ledbetter has done more for pay equity for women in the last 18 months than many in this room have ever done and we would deny her membership in our organization?”  I can’t fight with that logic.  The open forum last night on bylaws was civil and thoughtful.  The Bylaws Committee has done an extraordinary job of informing the members of the strategic plan moving the organization forward from the 2007 convention through the formation of the proposed bylaws.  All those who had comments were given the time to make their arguments.  It’s been VERY interesting.  The first business sessions are today. 
The workshops yesterday were also VERY good.  Our own Janet Watkins took part in the Website Tools workshop…I do have a photo but not the time to download it this morning…maybe later today.  She did a great job and I’ve learned even more ways to make the website and internet work for us…stay tuned.
My roommates, Jan Emery and Deb Ensign, kept me up laughing till very late last night…we open our room to Michigan delegates…and more we’ve had delegates from Iowa and California as well to discuss the ongoing convention…it’s fun and we’ve all had a chance to bond.  But we’re all a little droopy-eyed this morning.  Jan and Deb are downing coffee as I write this and we’re off to another day at the convention…I’m VERY proud of our almost 50-member delegation from the great state of Michigan…we can be seen all over the convention!

Kathy Shaw

Posted under AAUW of Michigan

 Hello All,

Posted under AAUW of Michigan

I just received my June 15, 2009 issue of The Nation (www.thenation.com), and was very interested in the article by Katha Pollitt entitled “Amber Waves of Blame.”  I think it says a lot about some of the disconnects we are experiencing in AAUW as we approach the changes in structure and direction that are inevitable if the orgnaization is to survive. 

I especially love the quote in the article from Robin Morgan who was criticized by young feminists as representing an older generation that had kept a lock on “organizational feminism.”  When the accusation was made that her generation wasn’t passing the torch she told them to “get your own damn torch.  I’m still using mine.”

In AAUW we say we want new, young members, but we continue to do the same things in the same ways and wonder why young women are not joining our branches.  At the same time, those of us who were young during the feminist movement of the 1960s and early ’70s know that the battles for equal rights, reproductive rights, etc. have to be fought over, and over and over.  For example, the murder of Dr. George Tiller, a women’s health care provider, and the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor seem to be disparate subjects, but are both raising all kinds of issues that we would like to think had been settled years ago.  Young women do not understand how quickly the advances they take for granted can be removed. 

It stands to reason, therefore, that in order to continue to work for the issues of importance to AAUW we need each other.   There can be no substitute for the energy and enthusiasm of youth, combined with the experience of maturity, in order to make an ideal partnership, when there are common goals in sight. 

The conclusion of the Katha Pollitt article spells out many of the issues still to be conquered, including … “childcare, equal pay, retirement security, universal access to birth control and abortion, healthcare for all and men who do their share at home, after we achieve equal representation in government, are safe from sexual violence and raise a generation of girls who don’t hate their bodies.”  The list is long and the obstacles to success are pervasive.  There will never be a better time to accept the challenge to bring about the change we want to see occur in our lifetime.

Barbara Bonsignore

Posted under The AAUW Community