2024 The Year That “I” MATTER

So, the Mid-Term elections have come and gone. If there was something to learn from them, was that nothing should be taken for granted and that nothing good lasts for long. I say this with much concern, yet with eagerness to fight the good fight, if this makes any sense to you. My biggest concern is that women’s issues don’t seem to “matter” to others, as it does to myself and my contemporaries. But as I told my mother after these past elections, “Mami, no podemos dejar a la mujer ser silenciada, por eso todas temenos que votar, para ganar!”

There is a television program that I simply and personally detest. Based on a novel by Margaret Atwood. By now, I am sure you know of which I am writing about. I so dislike it, that I cannot find myself to even mention the shows name. Many this past Halloween I saw on social media, dressed in the costumes shown in this series and I just had to look away, delete the post and simply say to myself “, eventually you’ll realize this is not the type of world depicted in this series you’d want to find yourselves living in”, but hey to each his own, “para los gustos se hicieron los colores!”. This series depicts a totalitarian society, ruled by a fundamentalist regime which treats women as properties of the state. And because of a poorly run, poorly designed regime they plummet into a negative birth rate. So, women then are forced into a type of servitude, at the whim of these so-called male leaders, who are the cause in the first place of such a downfall.

So, using this TV series as an example of my concern going forward when it comes to women’s rights in this country should tell you, “Hey, Ana is not only concerned, but she is also pissed”. But what is Ana so upset about, how can she make you take notice? Let me tell you …….

Shall we begin with my hit parade:

1. Violence against women – “according to a United Nations report stated that one in every three women, approximately 736 million worldwide, have endured physical and psychological violence” (weforum.org). Femicide is real. Femicide is a disease that needs to be addressed. Acts of violence against women has grown and will continue until someone places a stop to it. My suggestion , stop placing so much emphasis on minutia that us taxpayers will eventually have to pay for and get to doing your jobs in protecting the women of this country.

2. The overturning of abortion rights – my issue with this was and still is that “a woman’s right to choose”has been altered and this my friend is a direct assault on women’s rights whether for or against. You simply withdrew our right to choose period. Alito wrote, “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the peoples elected representatives” (seen on azmirror.com). And now look at what some states did right after this happened, coming up with and altering health rights as well. Finding us women pushing back in these past midterms and letting ourselves be heard.

3. Equal pay is still being pushed aside – my concern here also is that despite women being a huge contributor to our economy, our salaries representative in higher paying fields and roles have not budged or risen at all. The onslaught of a pandemic drew us further back. Some ven having to lose their coveted jobs and once again being left out in the cold with out daycare etc. so many other factors that affected us directly and indirectly.

There are many other areas that affected women in yesteryears that continue to affect us today, but I still have HOPE that we shall overcome the madness caused by those who feel they know what is best. These individuals trying to use religious and political formulas as one to alter women’s lives in this state , in this country is just outright crazy. I am sure that some reading this right now would love to question me or perhaps toss me to the side and avoid me like the plague. It’s your prerogative to live under a rock. Afterall I will not be paying the rent on your rock ….lol.

My concern here is that those who run for office forget that women have the right to vote (which who knows that too will be challenged) and so much more. So why don’t you consider or respect her opinion? Why don’t you think that our voices, choices and lives matter? That our health matters to ourselves and to our families? That our contribution in our homes matter? That us being a part of a prosperous and growing society matter? Don’t say things like all we do is make a fuss about everything and complain. Well guess what, we don’t, because you’re the ones complaining and making a fuss about us. Therefore, you make the decisions that you make without consulting the ones being affected by your unwise decision making. In the end …pissing us off!

Women in this state especially, need to take a stand and work hard to stop those they elected, in stopping them from making laws that will not only affect those currently, but a new generation of women who will be affected by such laws down the road.

Someone very dear and close to me, found herself in her thirties pregnant. Excited to finally be a mom. But into her 14th week an emergency found her at the ER. She was informed by her doctor that her bleeding and severe cramps, was that she was experiencing an “ectopic pregnancy”. Her doctor explained to her and her spouse what happens in these cases. As a good Catholic they prayed, but at this time in their lives they knew they needed an opportunity to try again and that they knew God would guide and forgive them. It was either both the mother and the fetus die, or one remained to come back and try again in becoming a parent. They were blessed to come back two years later to give birth to a very healthy, happy baby. Choices like these have been going on for decades. But there are those who don’t even wish for you to have that choice at all. They’d rather have you go to jail and the doctor that just saved your life.

In today’s society, especially in this century, there should not be laws that prohibit a child who has been impregnated by a family member, neighbor or predator and forced to carry a child. Its women in their thirties and they know the fear, the pain and anxiety a pregnancy plus a childbirth can bring. Imagine a little girl whose body is just starting to change, and she is still questioning why it is happening to her. This myth that some people use abortion as birth control is just crazy. I’ve heard this before and it’s a fallacy. This should not be a talking point for no politician. That’s an outright insult.

But if we are to do things better, we need to address first and foremost the importance of open dialogue with those who want our vote. We simply can’t just vote for them because they’re of your party. This is about people vs party. About a country vs party.We must address the issues that we have fought for and those they wish to irradicate. Women have fought for the right to vote and won. Will this right be taken away? Women fought for equal rights and won. Will this right be taken away also?

So I ask you to, ask yourselves today, tomorrow ….. is 2024 the year that I, MATTER?!

I matter. How about you?