BettyJean Downing
I just heard about and participated in a wonderful event to bring awareness to domestic violence called RISING started by Eve Ensler- “The Vagina Monologues.” She asked me to spread the word around and I did. Here is my open letter to her asking that she join me and other groups in uniting women. let’s see if there is any reply. As my readers know I have had no luck with most women’s groups who prefer to remain independent and raise money and continue to do what they are doing which in no way has to date changed much of anything. We still make less money- we still have less rights and well we are still being murdered at the rate of 4 a day and now we are losing our children in court. I recently had my life threatened and the courts saw fit to knock it down to harassment. 33% 1 in 3 women in this country are beaten or raped every day! We have no equal rights in the Constitution, we get paid less to do the same jobs and yet women have allowed themselves to move to the right and to the left as ordered by the menfolk politically ! Go figure! Let’s see if Eve Ensler decides that saving a life might be worth giving up politics and coming to the center to do it! Remember Ladies and gentlemen If enough of us come to the center the majority can rule!
I absolutely spread the word far and wide and made sure all my contacts did the same. I am writing to share how shocked I was that in all my years advocating for women and working in the filed fighting violence against women – that this is the first time I have heard about ONE BILLION RISING! What a fantastic idea- thank you and please help me and other groups understand how to help make sure every woman and girl is aware of it in time to participate in ONE BILLION RISING 2014.
I am concerned that all women’s groups are not united and therefore our rally cries are not loud enough and powerful enough to shake the foundations of power against us. What can we do to enlist other women’s groups to engage in each other’s causes, to encourage all women to participate in every movement out there that empowers women? What can we do together to show the powers that be we really are a power to be reckoned with? As a whole, women do not present a united front; instead we are the women against violence, mothers against drunks, LGBT, Pro Life, Pro Choice, Anti War etc. etc. When will we just be the majority that we are? When will we again present ourselves as the WOMEN of America
You are absolutely right 33% of us will be beaten or raped, 4 a day in this country are murdered at the hands of a loved one who had beaten them before and was released to kill. About 50 % of us are adamantly against the other 50% politically, which mockingly keeps us politically weakened and unable to hold positions of power at home, on the job or in politics. An even larger percent ( I estimate upwards of 85%) of us is powerless financially because we are not united enough to grab and hold the power to self govern.
We stand at the point of sink or swim, we rally for particular issues and it’s like missing the forest for the trees. We are woman- we are the majority. The violence stops when we have our rights and full power. We won’t have that till we stop fighting amongst ourselves over the issues that were manufactured to keep us divided and fighting amongst ourselves. That old “a house divided against itself cannot stand” is true. Let history teach us and others that united we can overcome. We women are equal and can stand ready to lead and rule our own lives. Let’s demand respect, full equality, an end to violence can only come when we are united as the majority, powerful and voting as one block demanding full rights to self govern. Let the issues remain issues to be dealt with when we are in the position to govern but lets first get in the position to self govern.
Women’s History Month begins on Friday, March 1, 2013 (in 8 days) and ends on Sunday, March 31, 2013.
Let’s demand a slot every day in honor of women’s history!
BettyJean
Thank you for joining ONE BILLION RISING, V-Day’s most ambitious campaign yet. When we started V-Day 14 years ago, we had the outrageous idea that we could end violence against women. Since then, hundreds of thousands of V-Day activists in audiences and on stages in over 140 countries have come together to demand an end to violence against women and girls. The funds we’ve raised together have kept organizations’ doors open, and the issue front and center in local media. But still today, the United Nations states that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime that’s more than one billion women and girls alive today. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, showing them exactly what one billion looks like. ONE BILLION RISING is a promise that on February 14th, 2013, we will ensure that millions of women and men rise up around the world to say, “ENOUGH. The violence ends NOW.” BettyJean, there is so much more to come. But for right now, you can help us launch ONE BILLION RISING with a few simple actions:
Share ONE BILLION RISING with your networks
Sign up for our text message updates in the US by texting BILLION to 50555
Follow V-Day on Facebook and TwitterONE BILLION RISING will make the earth move by uniting us through dance across every country.
BettyJean, I look forward to dancing, striking and rising to end violence against women and girls together with you.
In solidarity,
Eve Ensler
TheRealWarAgainstWomen 