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WEST PINELLAS NOW NOVEMBER CHAPTER MEETING

Date & TIME: Tuesday March 20 at 6:30 PM 

Location: Jason's Deli - 25801 US Hwy 19 N., Clearwater, FL (in the Cypress Point shopping center; just south of the Westfield Mall)


Guest Speaker: Chris Hunter

District 12 US Congressional Candidate 

Chris Hunter joined the FBI following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11. Most recently, he served as a federal prosecutor with the United States Department of Justice on the health care fraud strike force.He is currently a teacher at Stetson University College of Law and at the University of Tampa. 

After watching President Trump fire former FBI Director James Comey, belittle Attorney Jeff Sessions and pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio, among other things, Chris decided to leave his job as a prosecutor in Tampa in December and run for Congress.  If nominated, he will be running for the seat currently held by Republican Congressman Gus Bilirakis.

Chris has taken a pledge not to accept NRA money, has applauded the new Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune statue replacing a Confederate general with the first African American woman in the US Capitol's Statuary Hall, and has called for Devin Nunes to be removed from the House Intelligence Committee. He is known to be a dynamic speaker. 

www.chrishunterforcongress.com

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March is Women's History Month. This year's theme is:

 

 NEVERTHELESS SHE PERSISTED:
Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

The 2018 National Women's History theme presents the opportunity to honor women who have shaped America's history and its future through their tireless commitment to ending discrimination against women and girls. The theme embodies women working together with strength, tenacity and courage to overcome obstacles and achieve joyful accomplishments. 

Through this theme we celebrate women fighting not only against sexism, but also against the many intersecting forms of discrimination faced by American women including discrimination based on race and ethnicity, class, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, and many other categories. From spearheading legislation against segregation to leading the reproductive justice movement, women are dismantling the structural, cultural, and legal forms of discrimination that for too long have plagued American women. 

Nevertheless She Persisted: 

This phrase was born in February 2017 when Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, was silenced during Jeff Sessions' confirmation hearing for Attorney General. At the time, Warren was reading an opposition letter penned by Coretta Scott King in 1986.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, later said "Senator Warren was giving a lengthy speech. She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless she persisted."

Feminists immediately adopted the phrase in hashtags and memes to refer to any strong women who refuse to be silenced.


Who is Marjory Stoneman Douglas?

by Erika Levy
March 1, 2018

For many, the name "Marjory Stoneman Douglas" only recently became part of the public consciousness due to the violent and tragic events that occurred in Parkland, Florida on February 14, 2018. For the past two weeks, our collective attention has (rightfully) been focused on the outpouring of support for students and their families.

Despite the emotional turmoil this event has caused, the teenage survivors of the school shooting in Parkland are undeniably emerging as the next leaders in the gun control debate by creating a moment of youth activism not seen in decades. Where do these young people get their resolve? Certainly from their parents . . . and teachers . . . and friends . . . but maybe, just maybe, the ideals of courage, sincerity, and activism are part of the grit of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School its self. After all, would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?

(Note: The following information has been aggragated from Douglas's Wikipedia page, obituary, and other sources.)

Marjory Stoneman Douglas was an American journalist, author, women's suffrage advocate, and conservationist known for her staunch defense of the Florida Everglades against efforts to drain it and reclaim land for development.

Moving to Miami as a young woman to work for The Miami Herald, she became a freelance writer, producing over a hundred short stories that were published in popular magazines. Her most influential work was the book The Everglades: River of Grass (1947), which redefined the popular conception of the Everglades as a treasured river instead of a worthless swamp. Its impact has been compared to that of Rachel Carson's influential book Silent Spring (1962). Her books, stories, and journalism career brought her influence in Miami, enabling her to advance her causes.

After taking a degree in English at Wellesley College, that career began in 1914 when her father set up the Herald. Marjory worked as a reporter and then society editor on the paper, and then served in Europe in the American Red Cross in the later stages of the First World War. At this time she contracted a brief, unhappy marriage that ended in 1917.

For more information please see: http://patplant.blogspot.com/


JOIN US FOR AN INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE EVENING!



West Pinellas National Organization for Women

          P.O. Box 336, Ozona, FL 34660

          (727) 738-0007    wpinellasnow@att.net        

Join NOW

And Together We Can Make Equality a Reality


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HOW DO I JOIN NOW? IT'S EASY .... 

Just go online to www.FLNOW.ORG and on the page it opens to, click on JOIN NOW .... it's that simple .... 

Please affiliate with our chapter, West Pinellas NOW.  Our code is FL 0640


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Connecting the Dots . . .

NOW is one of the few multi-issue progressive organizations in the United States. NOW stands against all oppression, recognizing that racism, sexism and homophobia are interrelated, that other forms of oppression such as classism and ableism work together with these three to keep power and privilege concentrated in the hands of a few.

Government, our judicial system, big business, mainstream media and other institutions treat many groups in our society like second-class citizens. Pitting us against each other is an essential mechanism for maintaining the status quo. Together, we can create the change we've been dreaming of—our unity is our strength.

NOW's Top Six Priority Issues

How Does NOW Take Action?

Educating the public and media about the status of and threats to women's rights

Organizing rallies, protests, demonstrations and marches of all sizes

Protesting businesses that mistreat women and people of color

Lobbying for and writing laws that promote full equality for women

Registering new voters and inspiring them to get to the polls

Recruiting and electing feminist candidates at all levels of government

Initiating and supporting lawsuits against violators of women's rights

Demanding fair and unbiased courts and judicial nominees

Working in coalition with progressive allies

Get Active in a NOW Campaign and Help Change the World!

 

Educating the public and media about the status of and threats to women's rights

Organizing rallies, protests, demonstrations and marches of all sizes

Protesting businesses that mistreat women and people of color

Lobbying for and writing laws that promote full equality for women

Registering new voters and inspiring them to get to the polls

Recruiting and electing feminist candidates at all levels of government

Initiating and supporting lawsuits against violators of women's rights

Demanding fair and unbiased courts and judicial nominees

Working in coalition with progressive allies

Get Active in a NOW Campaign and Help Change the World!

Save the Supreme Court
Protect the court from a right-wing takeover
by anti-woman, anti-civil rights judges

Women-Friendly Workplace Campaign
Demand discrimination-free workplaces
Protest "Merchants of Shame" like Wal-Mart

Campus Action Network/High School Clubs
Increase young feminist activism

Equal Marriage Rights NOW
Win full marriage rights for same-sex couples

Social Security Protection
Advocate for real improvements that help women

Love Your Body - NOW Foundation
Challenge dangerous beauty standards
Promote positive body images

NOW's Grassroots Power

Founded in 1966 by a small but determined group of women's rights advocates, NOW has more than 500,000 contributing members and hundreds of chapters across the U.S. NOW members are the heart, soul and muscle behind the group. They elect leaders, set policy and determine our agenda. NOW's vast and diverse membership gives us clout in the government, media and the public eye. By speaking out and taking action, NOW activists make change happen at the local, state and national leve. Because we don't rely on foundation or corporate dollars, NOW's work for equality and justice is made possible by membershup dues, individual donations and volunteer hours.

NOW Member Benefits

Each NOW member can get involved at your own speed. Once you join, you'll start receiving our National NOW Times newspaper, a great place to start if you simply want in-depth analysis on feminist issues. If that gets you fired up, you can sign-up for email alerts and take action right on our web site. Get even more involved by joining your local chapter at no extra cost. Then, you might want to attend a National Conference and help shape policy. It's up to you...but whatever you do, you'll be making a difference.

Join NOW


Women's Rights Activists GET RESULTS . . .

Women win the right to vote in 1920.

The birth control pill is approved in 1960.

The Equal Pay Act is passed in 1963.

The Civil Rights Act passes in 1964, outlawing sex discrimination in employment.

In 1967 NOW leads a successful fight to extend Affirmative Action in federal contracts to women.

In 1972 Shirley Chisholm, first African-American woman to run for president, is endorsed by NOW.

Women win Title IX in 1972, prohibiting sex discrimination in education and school athletics.

In 1973 Roe v. Wade establishes a woman's legal right to abortion.

In 1978 feminists win a ban on employment discrimination against pregnant women.

Sexual harassment is ruled an illegal form of job discrimination in 1986.

NOW wins money damages and jury trials for sex discrimination in Civil Rights Act of 1991.

Family and Medical Leave passes in 1993.

The Violence Against Women Act is signed in 1994 and mass action by NOW ensures funding.

NOW organizes to bring 1.15 million marchers to DC in 2004 for women's health, reproductive rights.

Public support for same-sex marriage has grown due to education and activism by groups like NOW.

. . . But The Struggle Is NOT OVER YET.

Women are paid only three-quarters of men's pay, while women of color make even less.

Racism, sexism and homophobia are rampant, limiting the potential of more than half the country.

A woman has never been President of the U.S., nor been nominated by a major party.

Women make up less than one-fifth of the members of Congress and state governors.

Women hold the top positions at less than three percent of the Fortune 500 companies.

Women are vastly under-represented in science and technology professions, the military, judicial
seats and many prestigious fields.

Increased restrictions on reproductive rights leave women and girls with less control over their bodies, health and well-being.

Women and girls are more than 85 percent of all U.S. rape and domestic violence victims.

Congress and most states do not grant equal marriage rights to lesbian and gay couples.

More than 90 percent of those struggling with eating disorders are women or girls; women are 85 percent of cosmetic surgery patients.

Poor women, women of color and women with disabilities experience a disproportionate amount of discrimination, violence, interference in their private lives, and other barriers to equality.

Women's equality still is not guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution — but we don't intend to quit!

 
To join West Pinellas NOW, please telephone  (727)-738-0007  or  E-mail: bjstar@att.net 
 
 
Please join our Discussion at: http://groups.google.com/group/westpinellasnow
 
 
 

 

 

Remember, Silence is the Greatest Act of Sedition.

 

GET INVOLVED, STAY INFORMED, BE ACTIVE !

 

 
 

  http://www.wpinellasnow.org

 

http://sites.google.com/site/wpinellasnow/

 

 

 

 

 

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