Get the Led Out for Ledbetter

Remember this post (another thriller where I whine about not having enough time to right all the wrongs of the world)? Well, the National Partnership for Women and Families (another fine organization I forgot to mention in my last post) informed me today via email that the Senate is set to vote on the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act this week.

An excerpt from the email:

Your voice is needed — today! The Senate is scheduled to vote this Wednesday on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

E-mail your Senators now and urge them to vote “YES” for fair pay for working women. Then forward this e-mail to your friends, family, and co-workers.

Why is this important to you? Women in the United States are still paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to their white male counterparts — more than four decades after Congress outlawed wage discrimination based on gender. For women of color, the numbers are even starker — African-American women earn 63 cents and Latinas earn 53 cents for every dollar paid to white men.

Outraged? Tell your Senators to support the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

What are you waiting for...click here and email your Senators before Wednesday!

Get the Led Out for Ledbetter

Experience is Overrated

One of the most surprising things about having cancer is that you often have to choose your course of treatment. Of course, like any other medical issue, you expect that once you're diagnosed, your doctor will sit you down, tell you exactly how to deal with the problem, scribble a prescription and send you on your way. But treating cancer is alot more like plotting military strategy. Depending on the nature of the enemy, the terrain and weather conditions, there are several battle plans that offer promise in overtaking the enemy.

I was faced with planning my own offensive at the very beginning of my adult life. I had just graduated college and was in the midst of searching for my very first "real" job. Once I was diagnosed with stage IV Hodgkins disease, though, it became clear that starting my life would hinge on saving it first.

Because the disease had spread to several body parts, we had to take a carpet bomb approach and I had to choose between three different chemo cocktails. One cocktail had been the proven treatment of choice for decades. It gave me the greatest guarantee of a cure, but it was also the most toxic and I would face almost certain fertility problems later on. The second cocktail had only been around for a decade or so, but it had shown some very real promise in offering a cure with few serious side-effects. The third option was a combination of the two. Bottom line, I had to choose between a guaranteed cure or a likely cure with the probability of being able to bear children.

It was an excruciating choice. Having a family was still years away for me, but I'd always envisioned being a mother, raising my own biological children. But having children wouldn't even be an option if I wasn't alive in the first place. My family and I ultimately put the decision in the hands of someone infinitely more qualified. Thankfully, my doctor was not only a brilliant physician, but a warm and wonderful human being. My parents asked, "If she was your daughter, what would you do?" He didn't hesitate, "If she was my daughter, I would want her to have the best chance for a full and normal life. If you want to have children, I'd choose [the newer, less toxic combination]."

As I look into my daughters' faces, I often think of this fateful decision. Had I not taken a chance on the newer, less-proven option, I may have found other ways to become a mother, but I would have never known these two beautiful girls that my husband and I created. My life is everything I imagined it to be and more.

I'm also reminded of this decision as we Democrats try to choose between two highly qualified candidates to heal our country. Once again, I'm taking a chance on a newer, less proven choice. But I know that it's one that will not only get the job done, but will offer the best chance for the positive and hopeful future that we all envision for our country.

Experience is Overrated

Undecideds: Go With Your Gut

Since John Edwards stepped out of the ring last week, millions of his supporters have been searching their souls to determine how to re-cast their vote. I'm sure many of them have been listening carefully to the Democratic debates and doing their due diligence on the issues.

Truth be told, until now, I've done very little research and paid very little attention to the Democratic candidates plans. Really, there was no need. I've known I would vote for Barack Obama the minute I saw him speak at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. I remember so clearly being agape at his eloquence and his inspirational reminder about what was good about America. As shivers ran down my spine, I thought, "This is the guy. He's it. He's what we've been waiting for."

The decision was confirmed when I saw the Obamas on Oprah, months before he announced his candidacy. They talked about how Barack insisted on helping plan their daughter's birthday party. Michelle wisely assigned him the simple task of ordering the pizza because she knew he could handle it. When he insisted on doing the goody bags too, she refused saying that his "head would explode" with all the options he would have to choose from at the party store. I loved that as a young, well-educated, dual-career family, I could see our family in theirs. But I also knew that because of their heritage, they understood a harsh reality that I would never know, but would be invaluable in leading our country.

Having already cast my vote, I was curious to see just how far apart Hillary and Barack really were on the issues. I realized that by casting my vote for Barack, I was relying on intuition and trading inspiration for considerable experience in Hillary Clinton. So I figured I'd go see what I'd sacrificed. After studying both their campaign Web sites, I was surprised to learn that aside from some subtle nuances, their plans were practically identical on most of the issues. Hillary's site laid out proposals in greater depth and detail on some issues, but Barack's did the same on others. I was surprised to learn that Hillary dedicated much of her career to non-profit work and spent many years as an advocate for mothers and children.

I was almost starting to like Hillary when I finally ran into exactly what has turned me off to her as a potential President. There it was, right on her site: blogHillary. In today's post, her chief strategist, Mark Penn, takes aim at Barack Obama, laying out all of the "facts" that journalists have uncovered lately about the Senator and his "claims" on his so-called record. Reading this treatise, designed to "help" me learn more about Senator Obama with this "new information," my stomach started to churn.

Just to check myself up, I flipped back to the Obama site to see what dirt they were dishing on Hillary. Of course, I couldn't find a thing. All I found were page upon page detailing the Senator's positions on the issues, his activities on the campaign trail and his latest list of endorsements. I did land on this page, which asks me for feedback on his policy ideas and to share mine as well. Whether he actually uses my ideas or not, it sure is nice to be asked.

I don't know about you, but I can't take four more, eight more, or any more years of negative, divisive politics as usual. Penn's "new information," factual or not, is irrelevant in my eyes. I'm glad I went with my gut -- I'll take integrity over experience any day. I hope Edwards supporters nationwide heard Maria Shriver's endorsement speech for Obama. Here's the best part:

"This is a moment. It's a moment to have a conversation with yourself. Not with anyone else. Have a conversation with your own heart and ask yourself, 'What kind of America do I believe in? Do I believe in an America that's about unity, that's about coming together, that's about seeing beyond the labels that divide us?' And if that's the kind of America I want, I think it'll be very clear to you what you should do on Tuesday."

Undecideds: Go With Your Gut

Go Read This

Here's a lesson in balance (or laziness). Rather than expend my own energy and brain cells (of which I have none left to spare) by enthralling you with my own musings, I'm going to direct you to this fabulous post by one of my favorite bloggers. So glad she's back from the playa. I was getting tired of looking at the palm trees on her blog, wishing I was on my own playa.

In her latest post, Mom-101 confirms what us Dems have known all along. Despite all their rhetoric about family values, Republicans are not so much about valuing families.

Read her post, then while you're at it, go to this site and download a free voter guide. It'll give you a great list of questions to ask yourself about the family-friendliness of the candidates you're considering. It's time we elect someone who will do right by those of us trying to earn a living, raise a family and maintain our sanity all at the same time. Our kids may be almost grown by the time we get another shot.

Go Read This

Up With Moms

Well, folks, here it is -- ANOTHER blog written by yet ANOTHER mom. The one millionth and first.

Based on my very unscientific research, there seem to be two kinds of mommy blogs in the blogosphere. The vast majority are those that chronicle the highs and lows of mommyhood. These mommy musings connect with the very core of our being, illuminating the craziness common to all of our lives. The political mommy blogs are a small but growing minority that are gently encouraging moms to embrace the political process to make important changes that could vastly improve our lives. These moms have realized that if we marshall our voices, moms can be one of the most powerful forces in this country.

So what kind of mommy blog will this be? Actually, a hybird -- a hybrid with a focus. Through this blog I hope to share some thoughts and observations that will inspire you to not only better balance your life, but to help bring a better balance to our society.

Let's face it -- being a mom in today's world is crazy making. We're all just one science project away from completely losing it. Part of it is the nature of the job. Just keeping up with our children's ever-changing physical, emotional, social and intellectual needs is a huge deal. But then pile on the pressure we feel to be the perfect mother, wife, friend, neighbor and/or professional, and we've set ourselves up to fall short of our own expectations. We all pretend we've got it under control and yet, secretly we're all overwhelmed, exhausted and (often, though not always) miserable.

But it's not all our fault. Despite the fact that my generation of women were told that we could "have it all," corporate America never got the memo. Most companies do not take the needs of our nation's moms -- flexible work schedules, affordable childcare, paid maternity leave -- into account (see Elizabeth Vargas' fabulous 20/20 report on work and motherhood by clicking here). And this isn't just a mommy issue. Our husbands are rewarded financially and emotionally by spending more time at work than with their families. If they had more flexibility and less pressure to work, maybe they would be more amenable and available to help us out at home. Corporate culture is just not family friendly and this, folks, has got to change.

The great news is that it can all change, but -- here's the kicker -- it will only get better if we do something about it. The everyday stuff is pretty easy to change. All it takes to make our lives a little more manageable is caring for ourselves almost as much as we care about our families and thinking through some of our day-to-day, minute-by-minute choices. Changing our society will be a bit more complicated. It'll take getting involved and speaking up. It will mean taking a stand. Fortunately, the stars are aligning and I believe momentum toward that change has already begun. All we'll have to do is jump on the bandwagon. But if we sit on the sidelines, the world will continue to kick our collective butts.

In the spirit of balance, I'll only be posting weekly or bi-weekly at most. Looking forward to "chatting" with you again soon.

Up With Moms