Daughter of No Comment -- March 1996

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Elementary school tech-ed teacher Stephen Knoblack says he has noticed more successful projects when girls are paired together. In boy-girl pairings, boys take the lead. "Typically in raising boys we reward their gross motor skills and athleticism. In girls we reward their nurturing and caring. The thing is -- if you give girls the opportunity to do technical things, they can do just as well as boys! Daughter says challenge your daughters so they learn to excel. Cindy Cox, market researcher, says, "Better educated women today develop social networks independent of spouses and family. In previous generations their needs had to be the same as the family's." Bruce Ryan, multimedia analyst says the track record for companies that have tried computer products for girls hasn't been that great. Computers are a one-to-one experience and 10-15 year olds want to be in social environments. American Laser Games is putting out a game featuring high school girls trying on make-up, dating, going to parties, and shopping. Daughter is underwhelmed. Bette Midler on how nice actors can act vengeful on screen: "Easy", she says. "I'll think of how guys get 20 million a picture and we get to sit on our tochis." 20 years after leaving NOW, married, with 3 sons in a nice suburban home, Lorin Decker-Buck has discovered she needs the women's movement now more than before. Indeed, she says, she's needed it all along. Daughter hopes she stays awake long enough to realize constant attention to our fight for equality is the price for not sliding backwards. The largest corporation named for an owner's daughter: Mercedes- Benz. The second largest? -- Sara Lee. HIV-infected pro boxer Tommy Morrison says he had a careful eye. Says he could tell a "classy chick from a trashy chick." First time daughter has heard of a fowl HIV source. Virginia coal miner Cosby Ann Totten, 54, laid off because like many women miners she lacks seniority, says "Mining sort of gets in your blood. The only way they can get out is to fire you, lay you off or kill you." Daughter hopes she's on our side. Florida Circuit Court Judge Joseph Tarbuck ordered an 11 year old girl to move in with her father who had spent 9 years in prison for killing his first wife. Judicial logic was "This child should be given the opportunity and the option to live in a non- lesbian world." Now his 25 year old daughter by his first marriage said she will testify he molested her 11 years ago. -- Judicial homophobia is very ugly. 50% of CEOs surveyed said advancement opportunities for women to senior leadership had greatly improved. Only 23% of women executives thought so. GOP pollster Bill McInturff says, "The party is anti-abortion and pro-gun. We need to nominate a candidate who reflects that fact, but do it in away that doesn't make other folks totally crazy." About 15% of conservative voters are single issue on the abortion issue, whereas only about 3% of pro-choice voters make that a litmus test. Daughter thinks women voters can make a difference if they stick to their priorities and put themselves #1. Look for Alice Hamilton whose field was industrial medicine, on the 55 cent (2 oz.) stamp, and Alice Paul on the 78 cent (3 oz.) stamp. They join Bessie Coleman who is featured in the Black Heritage series @ 32 cents. Retired Harvard University sociology professor David Riesman in his VMI testimony said men still divide women into the "good girls and the bad girls, and you know which kind would want to attend a single sex school." He also said even "Macho" women cry. Daughter would add sociology to the list of dismal sciences. Limiting women, narrowing their options is alive and thriving through the guise of biological determinism. To observe this listen to the "family values" folks, read (but don't buy) "Men Are from Mars" by John Gray, a NY Times best seller for over 140 weeks. This primer is for women who are into being doormats or who never knew or can't remember what our choices were in the 1950's. Daughter's mantra is she will never go back. For you history buffs -- "Abducting young women is not, indeed, a lawful act, but it is stupid to make a fuss about it. The only sensible thing is to take no notice, for it is obvious that no young woman allows herself to be abducted if she does not wish to be." -- Herodotus, 500 BC. Present day Cornell student wits have a "Top 75 Reasons Why Women Should Not Have Freedom of Speech." This has been flying around the Net and contains items like: "Because that stupid look on her face should not be accompanied by an equally stupid statement." "There are no speaking parts in pornos." and last, but not least: "Whores get payed (sic) by the hour, not by the word." Why does daughter feel that 2500 years have seen far too little progress? In the 25 to 44 year old group, AIDS causes 1 in 3 deaths of black men, 1 in 5 deaths among black women, and 1 in 20 deaths in white women. This is a large percentage of the 45,000 AIDS deaths annually. Since sexually transmitted disease can be a death sentence, women always need to demand barrier protection or just say NO! Mary Harker, a Dallas real estate agent says her clients face mortgage application run arounds so she "always tries to steer her single women buyers to young loan officers who have a bit more sensitivity. The over 50 year olds still can be quite misogynistic." Single women own 13.8 million homes,so why are lenders cutting off their noses to spite their faces? Clearly women's money doesn't talk as loudly as men's still does. In Texas, the Austin American Statesman uncovered 17 pregnancies in 1 year at state institutions for the retarded. Aides, volunteers, family members, and disabled peers are all responsible for these rapes and since the victims can't give credible testimony, it is very difficult to get convictions. A NY woman patient died of AIDS and others are pregnant. This national problem is not on anyone's "front burner," but is a measure of the predator nature of our society. An accountant whose husband told her "he would only screw it up" when she criticized his not doing any house work, told him she wasn't touching anything for the next 5 years and she would put 100% into hear career. She told him he'd have to make a mess until he learned to do things right. He turned out to be a quick learner and became much more responsible. Many marriages are in transition and Daughter would like to be a fly on the wall. Start by teaching your sons to cook -- a life skill forever and it attracts girls! Alexandria has 3 more elections this year so at least vote and try out the new system so you'll know how it works next Nov. Next election is 9 Apr. to replace Kerry Donnely who became the mayor. Daughter comes from Chicago and says vote early and often.