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<\/a>On August 25, 2017, Three State Strategy Equal Rights Amendment advocates gathered at the Kennedy Caucus Room Photo Credit: Kylie Khan<\/p><\/div>\n
This year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 3rd Annual 2017 DC Women’s Equality Day Advocacy Action and Celebration<\/a> was a huge success!\u00c2\u00a0 While the group that attended the Advocacy Action was small, it gave a powerful voice to the reinvigorated efforts to pass the Equal Rights Amendment.<\/p>\n To watch local news coverage of the Advocacy Action Click Here<\/a>.<\/p>\n To see the YouTube video of the band of advocates laying out the day\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s strategy at the Kennedy Caucus Room at the U.S. Senate Click Here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meeting at Senator Chuck Grassley\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s office with Aaron Cummings urging for hearing on S.J. Res. 5.\u00c2\u00a0 Photo Credit: Portia Boulger<\/p><\/div>\n The emboldened band of advocates met up at the Kennedy Caucus Room where we were inspired by Nevada State Senator Patricia Spearman, [the legislator] who charged ahead in moving the Nevada Legislature to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment this past on March 22, 2017. Nevada is the 36th state (of the required 38) to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the first since the extended deadline of 1979 passed.<\/p>\n We were warmly received by Aaron Cummings, Chief Constitution Counsel and staffer Evelyn Fortier at the office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA ), who is the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.\u00c2\u00a0 We made to request the following two asks:<\/p>\n Then the group met with Callam Bruzzone and Jennifer Piatt, two Judiciary Committee staffers who are with Senator Dianne Feinstein\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s (D-CA) office to request [that]:<\/p>\n Following lunch in the cafeteria the group met with Representative Steve King\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s (R-IA-4) staffer Suanne Edmiston who was sympathetic to our cause but said she could not speak for the Representative on how he would weigh in on the matter. So just as we had requested of Senator Grassley, we asked the same of King and that is:<\/p>\n We then proceeded to the office of Representative Steve Cohen(D-TN-9), the Ranking Member of the sub-committee, where he came out briefly to speak to our group saying he would not push for hearings at this time because he doubted the Republicans would be receptive. This was a disappointment for when one delays action when one is in a position to at least ask on our behalf for nearly three women are killed every day<\/a> are victims of domestic violence here in the U.S.A.<\/p>\n I found this to be polarizing the issue that is non-partisan and could not fathom his logic for delaying. Parties come into power and parties lose their power.\u00c2\u00a0 Economies go down, economies go up.\u00c2\u00a0 The way of the world is circular, but a life stolen whether it be through violence or economic hardship reinforced by the Racial Gender Pay Gap is a shame and a sham. And piecemeal legislation to empower women \u00e2\u20ac\u02dchas no teeth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 without the Equal Rights Amendment<\/p>\n So our next step on the Advocacy Action launch of 2017 federal legislation Washington DC is the Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pass the Equal Rights Amendment program.\u00c2\u00a0 We are urging everyone to continue petitioning their U.S. Congressional representatives to co-sponsor S.J. Res. 5 and H.J. Res 53.\u00c2\u00a0 To see if your elected official has co-sponsored S.J. Res 5, Click Here.<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0 For H.J. Res 53, Click Here<\/a><\/p>\n If they have – AWESOME!\u00c2\u00a0 Thank them and then ask them to put it on their website that they have and speak to their colleagues about also coming on board as co-sponsors and holding hearings.<\/p>\n Having reported the above, I also ask that you take a moment to reflect on your personal relationship with God.\u00c2\u00a0 If you are a non-believer reflect on what kind of country do you want to live in? Do you want to be inclusive? Do you want to be diverse? Do you want to end racism and sexism? How do you set your moral compass? Where do you find your inspiration?<\/p>\n I myself am inspired by the great spiritual leaders both past and present, from Abraham whose sons Isaac and Ishmael who gave rise to two great nations, to Moses who lead the Israelites out of Egypt, to Queen Esther to begged to save the lives of the Jewish people, to Jesus who gave his life for all people, to Buddha who gave up the life of an Indian Royal to walk amongst the outcast and downtrodden, to Sojourner Truth who valiantly championed the abolition of slavery movement, to Ghandi who fought for Independence, to Martin Luther King, Jr., whose life was taken as he strove to make all equal here in the U.S.A., to my mother-in-law, the Rev. Katrina Martha Van Alsytne Welles Swanson, who along with 10 other brave women, known as the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Philadelphia Eleven,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d were the first women priests \u00e2\u20ac\u0153irregularly\u00e2\u20ac\u009d ordained in the Episcopal Church.<\/p>\n I for one do not want to wait one more day for woman to be equal under the law of this land.\u00c2\u00a0 So in signing off I leave you with the following:<\/p>\n United we stand, divided we fall<\/em><\/p>\n All for one, and one for all<\/em><\/p>\n Today, not tomorrow, it is all for all<\/em><\/p>\n In a couple of days, I shall give my report on the Celebration of Women\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Equality Day and the amazing performance of 24Words, the Equal Rights Amendment Musical.<\/a><\/p>\n Thank you for taking the time to read this blog posting.<\/p>\n Shalom,<\/p>\n Helene de Boissiere \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Swanson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Good Day! This year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 3rd Annual 2017 DC Women’s Equality Day Advocacy Action and Celebration was a huge success!\u00c2\u00a0 While the group that attended the Advocacy Action was small, it gave a powerful voice to the reinvigorated efforts to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. To watch local news coverage of the Advocacy Action Click Here….<\/a>\n
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<\/a>I ask that you forward this to your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and network.\u00c2\u00a0 It is time that we demand that our elected officials do the work they voted in office to do and that is to serve the people of the United States of America.<\/p>\n
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