What are we thinking

I am a die-hard feminist. I have been ever since I can remember. Feminism means you believe everyone should be treated equally – everyone, in every situation, which I fully embrace.

In a nutshell, in this context, a woman should be allowed to wear whatever she wants and not be assaulted or be called a whore if it happens.

However, in this society, and maybe because I am 50ish, I think young women have been sucked in the media vortex that says sexy is strong, sex is wonderful, and you’re the boss.

As a result, I see young women dressing like they are ready for sex, which I believe men totally believe.

Now, feminist (!) Chrissie Hynde, singer from the Pretenders, is in trouble for articulating in a rock and roll way, what I have been thinking.

“If you don’t want to entice a rapist, don’t wear high heels so you can’t run from him,” Hynde said in an interview reportedly with the U.K.’s subscription-only Sunday Times Magazine. “If you’re wearing something that says ‘Come and fuck me,’ you’d better be good on your feet…”

And in other news, GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump has given little details on how his proposed massive deportation would be done, but reportedly the conservative-leaning American Action Forum said it would cost between $400 billion to $600 billion and take 20 years to remove an estimated 11.2 million immigrants living in the country illegally.

Well, it is not an original idea. Did you know the government did about the same thing in the 1930s? I didn’t.

According to the Associated Press, a half-million to 1 million Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans were pushed out of the country during the 1930s repatriation, as the removal is sometimes called.

During that time, immigrants were rounded up and sent to Mexico, sometimes in public places and often without formal proceedings. Others, scared under the threat of violence, left voluntarily.

About 60 percent of those who left were American citizens, according to various studies on the 1930s repatriation. Later testimonies show families lost most of their possessions and some family members died trying to return. Neighborhoods in cities such as Houston, San Antonio and Los Angeles became empty.”

Not only does Trump scare me – he also pisses me off!  Our country is based on the quote: “Give me your tired, poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free …” by Emma Lazarus on the Statue of Liberty. Enough said!

Lovin' small-town welcome

Things have been popping since July 23, my last entry date. In a nutshell, despite my back injuries, I moved 2023 miles from Boston to Southeast Colorado.  It was the most difficult move I’ve had; but I am back to my hometown, where I spent most of my life ‘escaping from.’

I am loving the wide, open spaces, the big sky, the mountains to my West, and the welcome from friends, family and strangers. I attended the Colorado State Fair this morning! I’ve always loved parades, and this one, I embraced!

Needless to say, it has taken this long for me to get my computer set up! Not in the big city anymore! lol And it will take me awhile to get into my own apartment again. I just wanted to reload, and start writing again, for my sake.

There are a lot of big things happening in the World, and a lot of stories to tell! Stay tuned! Thanks for checking back in! BTW, the new photo at right was taken in Ferguson, Mo. at a wonderful restaurant J & C’s BBQ & Blues! Great food!

Help raise minimum wage

There is an unprecedented opportunity for Americans to stand together to increase the minimum wage efforts and let all Congressmen know it is the right thing to do – economically and morally. 

Use this to call U.S. Congressmen/women offices directly by this link: http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/

Research shows raising the minimum wage will force an above-average job growth with little to no impact on states and three Democratic Congressmen introduced a bill to raise it Wednesday.

The last minimum wage increase was in 2007, when Congress raised the rate in steps from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour in July 2009, according to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), instituted in 1938.

In the past year, minimum wage workers have protested all over the country, starting with a supermarket walk out in Boston in 2012, and McDonald’s employees demanding a $15 an hour increase for the past six months. It seems some members of Congress may be listening.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Reps. Keith Ellison (MN), Raúl Grijalva (AZ), introduced the bill that will be phased in by 2020, and wouldn’t be law across the land, with states having an option setting their own wage increases.

In 2013, President Barrack Obama requested an increase to $9 an hour. A month later lawmakers introduced a bill to raise it to $10.20, and bill earlier this year a bill was introduced with a $12 rate by 2020.

Of course, led by Republican leadership, who vowed to stop any Democratic bills, they have stalled every effort for an increase since President George W. Bush was in office.

The cities of San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles passed increases to $15 an hour, and Emeryville, Calif. passed a $16 wage. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) recommended a $15 minimum wage for fast food workers Wednesday.

All I can say is IT’S ABOUT TIME for our Congress to pass a bill that people are literally crying out for which would raise their annual salaries to about $30,000 a year – finally above the poverty level!