Oranges and Women

In oranges and women, courage is often mistaken for insanity.

This quote comes from the movie Iron Jawed Angels which we watched in my Social Justice class last week. If you haven't seen it, it is a fantastic flick. The story is about Alice Paul and other suffragists in the early 20th century who finally won the vote for women in the USA. Hilary Swank stars, and while I'm not usually a fan, she was great in this role. The entire cast was excellent and really made the story come alive. If you're a Patrick Dempsey fan, he was in there, too.

These women went to extreme measures to gain their/our full franchise as citizens, including a hunger strike - which is where the insanity part comes in. I was moved by their story, by the sacrifices they made to give their children and friends a voice in the government they live under. I was also reminded of how much I take for granted less than a century later. In our society, we think that if we remember to show up at the polls, we've done our reasonable duty as citizens. It isn't a duty, it is a privilege that countless human beings have suffered and died to give us. Voting is also not enough. We elect representatives, but we don't communicate with them about our wishes. We don't really participate in our own government.

I was also left wondering if I possess the same courage that those women exhibited. I confess that I am a bit like the cowardly lion - I roar a lot, but I often fail to follow through. I'm afraid that I will look insane - that no one will understand, much less join me in the fight.

So I'm asking my sisters to join me - let's look a little crazy for the sake of bringing justice to our world and giving a voice to the disenfranchised. Hold me accountable - ask me what I've done lately and give me a swift kick in the pants if I don't have an answer! Alone I will continue to fall short of the woman God created me to be - please help!