Dreams of a Mother

One of our fabulous MOMocrat sisters pointed us to a wonderful site this week. On it was the Mother's Day Proclamation by Julia Ward Howe. Julia was the founder of Mother's Day and the writer of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, but she was so much more. She was a mother, an early feminist, abolitionist, poet, and writer.

After the Civil War, Julia had a dream, a dream of peace. She believed that peace was the most important social cause of her time and she wrote about it tirelessly:

Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:

We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.

First Stanza of The Mother's Day Proclamation by Julia Ward Howe.

Julia's proclamation stands as a reminder to all of us that this Sunday is not about flowers, candy, and brunch. It's about fighting for your beliefs, whatever they may be. It's about political activism. It's about standing up for justice.

The MOMocrats will each be writing about our own dreams as mothers and we encourage all of you to join us over the next week. In true MOMocrats style, each MOMocrat will be sharing a political or social issue close to her heart. We'd love it if you did too, but your own special non-political dreams are important as well. We want the world to hear them.

Take the button above, write about your own Dream of a Mother and link back to MOMocrats. Come back and comment and give us your link so we can read about your special dream.

Here's the code for your site:

<center><a href="http://momocrats.typepad.com"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/steph-trey/DreamsofaMotherButtoncopy.jpg" alt="MOMocrats: Dreams of a Mother" /></a></center>

Don't forget to link back to http://momocrats.typepad.com. We want to hear your dream.


After the Wish by Lawyer Mama
*********************

Speaking of social justice, the Just Post Roundtable links are up over at Jen's place, Mad's place, and Su's place. These women work every month to bring us some of the best of the blogosphere. I love reading the Just Posts because it reminds me that, no matter how small I feel at times, speaking out will change the world.

MOMocrats Nabs Obama Exclusive

Our press release:

Headline: MOMocrats EXCLUSIVE with Barack Obama

MOMocrats step up where mainstream media and traditional debates let the American public down, "Things we wish they'd asked in the debates..."

Recently, MOMocrats asked the Democratic Presidential candidates the questions we all wish reporters or moderators had asked in any interview or debate. Today, Senator Barack Obama sent back his answers to the MOMocrats questions. This is the latest example of the influence political blogging groups are showing in the presidential campaign

The most recent debate between the Democratic candidates was disappointing to most citizens. We felt that the questions were directed more towards mud slinging between the candidates than substantive questions about domestic and foreign policy. So the MOMocrats and their readers came up with a list of "Questions We Wish ABC Had Asked." Then we submitted them to the candidates.

In a MOMocrats exclusive, Barack Obama answers the questions that should have been asked during the last debate. Click here to read our interview, in which he finally gets to discuss the issues, not his apparel or acquaintances.

We haven't heard from the Clinton campaign yet, but the MOMocrats' invitation for her to weigh in remains open.

The MOMocrats are politically savvy and active pundit moms dedicated to putting a Democrat in the White House. You can read more about them at MOMocrats.


Obama selected 5 of our questions and responded, covering everything from human rights and poverty to the mortgage crisis and family friendly policies. I know you want to go read our scoop!

Get your butt over to MOMocrats, pronto!

Three for the Price of One

New post up on Lawyer Mama Dabbles. It's all about where I live, in case Jenny wants to stalk me.

New post up on DC Metro Moms. The sexist commercials just finally went too far!

New post up on MOMocrats. Want to read about the Evolution of a MOMocrat?

Iraq: Five Years Later

I'm over at MOMocrats today spouting off about the Iraq war today. Actually, all of the MOMocrats are. Check it out.

I was also spouting off about Mommy guilt yesterday at D.C. Metro Moms Blog. Something I know nothing about. {/sarcasm} Actually, all of the D.C. Metro Moms were. Check it out.

I'm also spouting off at Lawyer Mama Dabbles about my discovery and love of color and such. Check it out. I like that photo essay so much, I may post it over here.

And you thought I'd just been slacking lately!

Yes, my readers, comments, and Technorati rating are starting to approach zero, but that's just because I don't have time to comment on all of your lovely blogs. I've been doing the "drive by" a lot lately and I apologize. I'm not doing a very good job of holding up my end of the conversation. But I'm trying.

Most Interesting....

My most interesting photos on Flickr. As determined by Flickr's mysterious calculations.



I have new California photos up on Lawyer Mama Dabbles.

Check over at MOMocrats for the latest on the election.

I swear I'll be back with an actual, real post tomorrow!

Just Call Me Stephanie "the Stripper" Hussein

***Update*** Go check out all the links of the people playing "Just Call Me Hussein, The Meme." There are two cool buttons to choose from as well. You know you want one!

Have y'all heard about the latest Republican smear / xenophobic/ racist tactic?

Pundits such as Bill Cunningham and Ann Coulter have begun referring to Barack Obama as B. Hussein Obama or Barack Hussein Obama. Their purpose? To play on xenophobic fears about Muslims and terrorism. Personally, I think Obama should be proud of his name and his cultural background. So, the MOMocrats have decided to embrace this wholeheartedly and we'd like you to join us!

"Just Call Me Hussein Day was started by MOMocrats in response to fools like Bill Cunningham who is obviously still seven years old..."


**************
My name seems pretty innocuous, right? I can't say that anyone really made fun of my name when I was growing up. The worst fear I had was that someone would realize Fanny was a nickname for Stephanie and start calling me that. My dad and my grandmother occasionally call me Stephie, but only they can get away with that. I'll rip the head off of anyone else who tries it. Just call me Steph, please.

The problem is, it's sort of hard to take anyone named Stephanie seriously in a professional context. I have this theory that if you'd like your daughter to grow up to be a Dallas Cowboy's cheerleader or a stripper, give her a name that ends in Y, IE, or the Eeee sound. Try it out: Stephanie, Tiffany, Bambi, Debbie, Candie, Cindy, Mimi, etc.... They all work nicely, don't they?

So I can sympathize with the latest attempts to smear Barack Obama by making fun of his middle name, Hussein. But folks, this one is going to back fire. If Obama is anything like most Americans, he's damn proud of his name and his cultural heritage, no matter how much others may poke fun at him for it.

I may not have chosen Stephanie as my name, but it wasn't mine to choose. It was my parents. They choose it out of love and wonder at the new little girl they'd brought into the world. So, stripper name and all, Steph is who I am and who I'll always be.

In solidarity with Barack Obama, just call me Stephanie Hussein for today.

Ann Coulter can kiss my ass.

**********
Want to join the fun? Here's what you do:

Everyone should title their post with their name (or blog name) and Hussein. Then share a childhood story about your name...I'm sure most of us have one. Or, if you don't, be creative. Make fun of your name.

So for example: Title: Just Call Me Stephanie Hussein (Your Last Name) or Lawyer Hussein Mama

Include the following text at the top of your post: "Just Call Me Hussein Day was started by the MOMocrats in response to fools like Bill Cunningham who is obviously still seven years old..."

Please link to MOMocrats at http://MOMocrats.typepad.com.

Include instructions for Just Call Me Hussein Day at the bottom of your post if you'd like to pass it on. Share the love!

Please join the MOMocrats in blogging "Just Call Me Hussein" Day by sharing your story.

Is Health Care a Right or a Privilege?

The health care system in our country is broken. I don't think anyone can dispute that. If you don't think there's a problem, just go read Kyla's eloquent post about her family's struggle to keep health insurance. I dare you.

There are 46 million uninsured people in the United States, the richest country on earth, including almost 9 million children. Often, those who are uninsured must choose between financial ruin or getting the health care they and their children need. That's unconscionable. How do we fix it?

I don't pretend to be an expert here. There are arguments for and against everything and studies supporting and opposing everything. I'm trying to look at the health care issue with common sense. The obvious answer to me, and many Democrats, is universal health care. We need some system, or combination of systems that will permit those who are uninsured to get the coverage they need.

There are plenty of nay sayers and we'll be hearing from lots of them during the upcoming election. There are those who insist they will never vote for a President who advocates universal health coverage. Let's look at their basic arguments:

If you want to read the rest of my rant, you're going to have to head over to MOMocrats!

House Sitting for Pundit Mom

I'm over house sitting at Pundit Mom's place today and talking about what a cheap date I am for Virginia's presidential primary. Here's a sneak peek:

In Virginia and Maryland, today is election day. We head off to the polls to vote in the presidential primary and obediently paste on our little "I Voted" stickers. But man, it feels like I've been on some wort of whirlwind romance.

Up until last Wednesday, the day after Super Tuesday, our little section of the Mid-Atlantic was pretty much ignored. I'm used to being ignored during Presidential elections. During my voting years, I've lived in Nebraska and Virginia. Nebraska isn't exactly high on the electoral vote count and its citizens usually vote for Republican presidents. (One of the many reasons why I no longer live there.)

Read More....

****************
I have a request for all of you readers who also pop over to MOMocrats from time to time. How about a little button linky love in your sidebar?

MOMocrats was originally founded with the goal of helping a Democrat take the White House. Yes, John Edwards was our candidate of choice, but we were prepared for the possibility that he might not be the Democratic nominee. The MOMocrats still alive and kicking and talking about the Democratic primary and the presidential election. We want the politicians to earn our votes and we hope we'll help keep everyone honest!



The code to post the button is:

{a href="http://momocrats.typepad.com"}{img src="http://momocrats.typepad.com/momocrats-square-button.gif" /}{/a}

Only replace all the { and } with <>. If you can't figure it out, email me and I'll send you the code. (My email is in my profile.)

Thanks!

Iowa, Oh How You Disappoint Me

Well, it looks like Barak Obama has won the Democratic primary in Iowa. It isn't all bad news for Edwards though. He beat HRC. Considering the amount of money she's spent in Iowa, that should really shake things up in her campaign.

If you'd like to check out an insider's view of the Iowa caucuses, Leah Klevar, one of the newest MOMocrats for John Edwards has a great post up live blogging the caucuses. Please ignore the post right below hers where I go on and on about how Edwards is going to win the Iowa primary....

Damn. it.

**********

I also have a new post up on Lawyer Mama Dabbles. If you ever wanted to see the inner workings of my freakishly analytical mind, this is your chance. I even show you the chart I made while choosing my new digital SLR camera. And there might be something in there about how size really does matter....

It's About the Ladder

We interrupt Lawyer Mama's fluff and drama for a political post. You've been warned!

Last month, several of the MOMocrats had the opportunity to meet with Elizabeth Edwards and to participate via conference call in a discussion regarding many important issues facing this nation. We discussed health care, education, Iraq, and many other issues. But one comment Ms. Edwards made in particular has stuck with me. She said:

John talks often about his biography. About how it is that he came from nothing. John's policies are about the ladder that people used to climb up to the American dream. A lot of those rungs are broken.

Education was a part of it. Making certain we were healthy and hearty. Making sure we got a good wage. All those things were a part of what made it possible to step from economically disadvantaged to middle class, from middle class to upper middle class. And the rungs
are all broken now. There is not as much mobility between the various parts of our society as their used to be. Disparities are becoming wider and more entrenched. The top 300,000 wage earners in this country earn as much as the bottom 150 million and the people in that
150 million feel less and less like they have a pathway to the top.

One of the things we are going to do is re-instill this idea that we can move, by our own efforts, move. The government can't make you climb the ladder, you have to climb it, but the government is responsible for making sure the ladder is there.

I'll admit it. Before becoming a parent, I didn't feel much responsibility for the world. I wasn't as concerned with ensuring that all children in this country have opportunities. But since I've become a mother, I see our world in an entirely different way. In every child, I see my own. In every parent, I see myself. And the thought of a child growing up without the opportunities that I had and my children will have makes me incredibly sad. Read More....

Illness and Exhaustion

Sorry for my slacking in the posting department over the last week. We're all recovering from illness and I'm recovering from exhaustion. In the meantime, I have a post up over on MOMocrats if you're desperate to read something new from Lawyer Mama.

We also have a mention in the NY Times Caucus column today. Glennia, our astute managing editor and blogger extraordinaire, was interviewed for the piece!

I'm Such A GEEK!

I'm practically running around the house doing cartwheels because our meeting/conference call with Elizabeth Edwards has a write up by Tracy Joan on the Daily Kos website. She mentions the new MOMocrats site too. (Have you checked it out yet? Why the hell not?)

My completely embarrassing story about my kids screaming in the background while I was on the phone with Elizabeth Edwards has been quoted for all the world to see. I'm tickled pink.

I'm such a geek!

****************

On a more serious note, a fellow blogger needs our help. The lovely Jenn from Serving the Queens recently lost a family member in Iraq, Sgt. Matthew Blaskowski.

Jenn has put up a card of sorts, online for Matt's parents, Terry and Cheryl Blaskowski and they'd like to get as many "signatures" as possible before the funeral on Thursday. Please go over and send them your good thoughts. (No anti-war messages will be posted. They don't need that right now.)

Thanks for your help, my bloggy friends.

Hope: A Conversation With Elizabeth Edwards

I don't regularly discuss politics here on my personal blog. I'm not sure I can accurately articulate why that is. I guess Lawyer Mama has always been an outlet for what is going on inside of my head. My thoughts on politics and social policy usually aren't limited to the four squishy corners of my brain. I talk about them often, with friends, family and co-workers. But lately? My thoughts about the upcoming election and the direction of this country have been racing. So bear with me. I'm going to get all political on you, my dear readers, and it's going to probably happen pretty often until November 2008.

This weekend, the Silicon Valley, Chicago, and D.C. Metro Moms bloggers had an opportunity to speak with Elizabeth Edwards. The Silicon Valley moms met with her in person and some of the Chicago and D.C. Metro Moms bloggers participated by conference call, including yours truly. Joanne was the spokesperson for the D.C. Metro Moms on the call and she did a fabulous job. You all know what a big Elizabeth Edwards fan I am, so I was thrilled to have the chance to ask Ms. Edwards substantive policy questions. (If you'd like to see live blogging of the whole shebang, go here and here.)

I did, however, have a moment of sheer mortification. I was on the conference call on my cell phone parked at my laptop in the dining room. My husband has been transferring the contents of said laptop to an external hard drive for the last 3 days, so I was grounded, so to speak. I couldn't lock myself in the bedroom away from the chaos created by two small boys.

During the introductions, I accidentally un-muted my cell phone. Of course, H&H began screaming and running around on cue. I didn't realize that anyone could hear them until Elizabeth said "Whoever has the kids in the background, don't shut them up! I might have to bring my own in here too." Everyone laughed while I was staring at my cell phone in horror and frantically pushing the mute button! Of course, I got over my embarrassment immediately. This was a conference call with mothers. Elizabeth is a mother too. She and my fellow mom bloggers certainly weren't going to judge me for showing a bit of humanity.

Elizabeth (she asked us to call her that!) was, as always, articulate, funny, and a font of information. She answered our questions about health care, her role as first lady, and, most impressively, how John Edwards will make our world better and safer for our children. This was Amie's question and, man, it was a good one.

Elizabeth went on to talk about universal health care, college for everyone, and reestablishing our moral authority in the world. She was up front about change being a slow and difficult process. But she also told us that we need to be engaged to make it happen. "We don't get the change we want unless we're willing to work for it."

Elizabeth talked about not just making this a better America, but about creating a better world.

Creating a better world.

What I like most about Elizabeth and John Edwards is that they both have a touch of idealism in them. They don't talk like politicians. They haven't given up on making positive changes. In fact, they've both dedicated their lives to trying to make that happen and they have concrete plans to do it.

I voted for John Edwards in the last presidential primary. I'll be doing so again in early 2008 and, hopefully, in November 2008. I hope that when my children are older I'll be able to tell them about a phone call I had with our future First Lady and about how she gave me hope. Hope that this world and our United States can be better.

Of course, I'll have to tell Hollis and Holden about how our future First Lady commented on their hooligan noise and roughhousing. But I'm quite certain she did it with a smile.
Cross posted at D.C. Metro Moms Blog and MOMocrats.

***************
I'm also excited to tell you all that I've joined another blog, this one with a solely political purpose. It's called MOMocrats and it's a group of moms who are supporting John Edwards for president. You can read all about our bloggers here. I'm thrilled to have this opportunity and I hope you'll stop by often to hear what we have to say.