HALF THE CONGRESS…should be women

I realize I’m an optimist and subject to idealistic visions of social transformation. But I also realize that my meager attempts at helping create that shift are exactly that, meager.

Still, I am compelled to continue trying!

Last week I actually wrote to every single Democrat in Congress, 214 on the House side and 45 in the Senate, with one to Bernie bringing my total of letters to 260. It was a huge undertaking!

Below are the letters I sent, not including the individual notes I included on almost every one.

Chuck Schumer has proven Bernie right. We really can’t count on the feckless and ineffectual Senate. Sad.

As Keb says, “It’s about time, y’all.”

I am so ready!!!!!!! We are making history.

Do you love Keb Mo’s “Put A Woman In Charge!”         

Join a group of fellow fans as we sing, dance, twirl and strum ukuleles in a flash mob on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 2:30 pm on the Pearl St. Mall in Boulder, CO. Minimal choreography, maximum fun! Must know the lyrics, they’re easy. Lyrics are below! Watch the YouTube video with Rosanne Cash to get a feel for our inspiration. Be sure to let me know if you think you can do it! Rehearsal on Friday, Nov. 1 at Columbine Park on Glenwood Dr. (not required, but will make Saturday much better), 3-5 pm. Uke players needed!! Ask your friends!!!

Text me, Kate Paradis, at (303) 638-6414 or email kate@halfthecongress.org

PUT A WOMAN IN CHARGE (written by Keb Mo and Beth Neilson Chapman)

Way back when, in the beginning of time

Man made the fire, then the wheel

Went from a horse to an automobile

He said the world is mine, he took the oceans and the sky

He set the borders, built the walls; he won’t stop ‘til he owns it all.

And here we are, standing on the brink of disaster

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH         (pause)          I know the answer.

Put a woman in charge (3x), put the women in charge (3x), put a woman in charge (3x), put the women in charge (3x)

The time has come, we’ve got to turn this world around (2x)

Call the mothers, call the daughters, we need the sisters of mercy now

She’ll be a hero, not a fool; she’s got the power to change the rules

She’s got something that men don’t have; she is kind and she understands

So let the ladies do what they were born to do

RAISE THE VIBRATION! And make a better place for me and you

Put a woman in charge (3x), put the women in charge (3x), put a woman in charge (3x), put the women in charge (3x)

HALLELUJAH! (3x)      We’re gonna feel the magic.     When the girls take over

IT’S GONNA BE FANTASTIC!!!!!       Put a woman in charge (12x) as above

Kamala’s candidacy is adding so much enthusiasm to this election, so perhaps it is not too much to hope that we can ride a pink wave into November and beyond!

When abortion is on the ballot it wins, so I want to focus on the states that have ballot initiatives and/or Constitutional amendments enshrining abortion on their ballots.

Florida activists met the signature threshold and voters will decide whether or not to enshrine the right to an abortion up until viability into the state Constitution. That should help get out the vote.

Please support the courageous Democratic challengers in Florida!

Ignore the list with dead links, and sorry about that.

For Senate (vs Rick Scott) Debbie Mucarsel-Powell http://debbieforflorida.com

FL-01 Pensacola area Gay Valimont (vs Matt Gaetz) http://gayforcongress.com

FL-02 Panama City/Panhandle Yen Bailey (vs Neal Dunn) http://yenbaileyforcongress.com

FL-04 west of Jacksonville LaShonda “LJ” Holloway (vs Aaron Bean) http://hollowayforcongress.com

FL-07 NE of Orlando Jennifer Adams (vs Cory Mills) http://jenniferadamsforcongress.com

FL-08 SE of Orlando Sandy Kennedy (vs Mike Haridopolis, open seat) http://sandykennedyforcongress.com

FL-11 west of Orlando Barbie Harden Hall (vs Daniel Webster) http://barbieforcongress.com

FL-13 Pinellas County Whitney Fox (vs Anna Paulina Luna) http://whitneyfoxforcongress.com

FL-15 NE Tampa Pat Kemp (vs Laurel Lee) http://votepatkempforcongress.com

FL-16 SE of Tampa, north Sarasota Jan Schneider (vs Vern Buchanan) http://votejan.com

FL-18 central Florida Andrea Doria Kale (vs Scott Franklin) http://andreadoriakale.com

FL-19 SW coast Kari Lerner (vs Byron Donalds) http://karilernerforflorida.com

FL-27 Miami Lucia Baez-Geller (vs Maria Salazar) http://luciabaezgeller.com

Wow. Hard to believe that today marks just 4 weeks since the nightmare-inducing debate between two old white men clinging to patriarchy, both convinced that they alone could save our nation.

Last night President Biden eloquently and humbly reminded us that no one person can save us; we have to do that as a team, together.

As you can probably guess, I am all in for Kamala!!!

Her candidacy is going to be a major boost for the many unsung Democratic women running for Congress all over the country!

In Texas there are eleven, ten of whom are challengers. In any other year I would not have much hope for any of them, but this year is proving to be a whole ‘nother thing.

It somehow doesn’t seem overly optimistic to think that we will flip some (many?) of these seats. So without further ado, here they are.

Please click on any and all links to donate. If you happen to live in one of these districts, please volunteer!!

TX-05 Dallas metro Ruth Torres http://truthincongress.com

TX-08 north of Houston Laura Jones http://laura4tx.com

TX-10 College Station Theresa Boisseau http://theresa4texas.com

TX-14 Galveston Rhonda Hart http://hart4congress.com

TX-15 south Texas Michelle Vallejo http://michellefortx15.com

TX-21 west of Austin Kristin Hook http://drkristinhook.org

TX-22 Houston metro Marquette Greene-Scott http://marquettegreenescott.com

TX-27 Corpus Christi Tanya Lloyd http://tanyafortx27.com

TX-32 Dallas metro (open seat) Julie Johnson http://juliejohnson.com

TX-36 Beaumont Dayna Steele http://daynasteele.com

TX-38 Houston metro Melissa McDonough http://melissaforcongress.com

It might look like my work at Half the Congress Should Be Women is strictly cyclical, according to electoral politics. It’s true that I cannot support non-incumbent women running for Congress very effectively until I know who’s running! Between elections I have taken up writing letters on my fun and fancy stationery to various and sundry folks, mostly politicians, mostly Joe Biden.

As I continue to fume over Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza, currently escalating far beyond, I have decided to share a letter I wrote to the president on September 19, 2023, about two and a half weeks before Hamas’ invasion of Israel sparked the genocide of Palestinians and the utter destruction of their land and infrastructure.

For the first time I included a book with my letter, Chris Hedges’ latest book, The Greatest Evil is War. It is a disturbing book, and yet I recommend it. War is nothing if not disturbing.

Click on the handwritten letter to read the full transcript.

Off to Washington for Visibility Visits!

Women are rising like never before, with a renewed sense of “wokeness” to the dangers of patriarchy. On this Earth Day, when we honor our mother Earth, the source of all life and the treasures she provides us, let us acknowledge that the masculine energies around competition have brought us to this place of violence and scarcity. Capitalism allows the greedy to pillage our planet and wreak havoc on innocent communities.

Elon Musk’s recent space blast debacle epitomizes that dangerous masculine intrusion into our day-to-day lives. Imagine a feminine approach! We could be creating beautiful parks, gardens, and schools for our communities, providing healthcare for all: everybody in, nobody out.

To honor some of the many women in Congress who share my vision, I have purchased 50 mugs with the Half the Congress Should Be Women logo on both sides, and plan to distribute them to their offices on Capitol Hill on May 1 and 2. Please contact me if you are interested in helping me!!

Here is the schedule of offices I will be presenting with mugs:

Monday, May 1

Longworth House Office Building (25)

1^st floor: Terri Sewell AL-07 1133

                 Kim Schrier WA-08 1110

2^nd floor: Nancy Pelosi CA-11 1236

                 Katie Porter CA-47 1233

                 Brittany Petterson CO-07 1230

                 Deborah Ross NC-02 1221

                 Mary Gay Scanlon PA-05 1227

3^rd floor: Sara Jacobs CA-51 1314

4^th floor:  Zoe Lofgren CA-18 1401

                 Nikema Williamas GA-05 1406

                 Lauren Underwood IL-14 1410

                 Becca Balint VT-AL 1408

                 Marie Perez WA-03 1431

5^th floor: Delia Ramirez IL-03 1523

                 Teresa Leger-Fernandez NM-03 1510

6^th floor: Val Hoyle OR-04 1620

                 Jasmine Crockett TX-30 1616

7^th floor: Ilhan Omar MN-05 1730

                 Valerie Foushee NC-04 1716

                 Chrissy Houlahan PA-06 1727

                 Marilyn Strickland WA-10 1708

Basement: Yadira Caraveo CO-08 1024

                     Jill Tokuda HI-02 1005

                     Nikki Budzinski IL-13 1009

                     Susan Wild PA-07 1027

Tuesday, May 2

Rayburn House Office Building (16)

1^st floor: Diana DeGette CO-01 2111

2^nd floor: Maxine Waters CA-43 2221

                 Lucy McBath GA-07 2246

3^rd floor: Chellie Pingree ME-01 2354

                 Suzan DelBene WA-01 2330

                 Pramila Jayapal WA-07 2346

4^th floor: Rosa DeLauro CT-03 2413

                 Jahana Hayes CT-05 2458

                 Jan Schakowsky IL-09 2408

                 Sharice Davids KS-03 2435

                 Rashida Tlaib MI-12 2438

                 Angie Craig MN-02 2442

                 Cori Bush MO-01 2463

                 Dina Titus NV-01 2464

                 Veronica Escobar TX-16 2448

                 Barbara Lee CA-12 2470

Cannon House Office Building (8)

1^st floor: Debbie Dingell MI-06 102

                Bonnie Watson-Coleman NJ-12 168

                Andrea Salinas OR-06 109

                Madeleine Dean PA-04 150

                Mary Peltola AK-AL 153

2^nd floor: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez NY-14 250

                 Summer Lee PA-12 243

4^th floor: Ayanna Pressley MA-07 402

That adds up to 49 mugs, and the 50^th mug will go to Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon for his unwavering support of women in politics. We need more members like him.

But most of all we need more women in Congress!! The inequality in that body is the status quo of patriarchy. Inertia. Cynicism. Go along to get along. A new era is dawning, and steadily we are making progress. Nothing happens overnight in the political world, so practicing patience helps a LOT!!