What’s So Funny About Peace, Love & Understanding Feminism?

Toni Buckley-Dockter – Founder; Publisher; Editor-in-Chief; Distribution Manager; Intrepid Reporter; IT Guy; Coffee Girl

email: fwepub@aol.com

MOTTO: When telling the truth is a revolutionary act. 

All editorial    All social commentary    All for the common good

Issue Number 27  –  February 2020

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      If only all women knew the power of the collective female spirit…what a political force it can be…what a catalyst for change it can be. Instead too many women accept the status quo of their lower position on the patriarchal totem pole of life. Too many prefer not to make noise about this injustice.

Likewise, too many men feel entitled to be the authoritative power and to occupy the top spot of the hierarchy. And they really don’t want women making noise about it.

Feminism is about self-determination. It’s about a women having the right–and equal opportunities–to become herself. That’s a good thing.

But for a large portion of America, feminism is a pejorative. It’s hard to wrap my head around this notion. But that’s reality.

Anytime the Secretary of State lashes out at a female reporter for doing her job and people just laugh, that’s a bad day for society.

Anytime five women from one City Hall department simultaneously lose their jobs on the same day, that’s a bad day for society.

Anytime people endorse media messages that bash women, that’s a bad day for society.

And when you hammer on women, you also hammer on children–as women provide the bigger share of childcare. When you stomp on women’s dignity, children–as well as family/significant others–will be affected. How can this possibly make a better existence for anyone on the planet? The misery index is not female exclusive. There’s a trickle down effect.

I’ve written about these issues on this blog site. No need to re-hash, except to say hash-tag Speak Up!

I pondered what else I could do to help clean up this mess. My big idea: Start a Movement. I’ve named it Ladies of America Voices for Altruism–or LAVA for short.

I envision a group of women meeting for conversation. Snacks and beverages, of course. There would be no set agenda. Women can introduce any topic (personal or global) and get feedback or a whole bunch of ears that will listen. Women supporting women–a powerful combination. So much wisdom in a woman’s essence. It can change the world. Like a lava flow changes the landscape. Instantly and fiercely.

LAVA is in the planning stages. To date I have purchased the domain name. I chose the Movement’s official color: fuchsia. I bought a pair shoes to wear to get-togethers. Or when thinking about women’s issues. Or when I feel like I need a spring in my step. (Y’all know the therapeutic effects of cool shoes, don’t you? It’s a contact high.)

Pink suede Fluevogs with a metal plate of a winged-woman attached to the heel.

 

Logo design–two rough drafts so far:

 

Mission Statement:

Women supporting women to better our lives and the world.

 

Motto:

From childhood to elderhood may we be guided by Sisterhood.

Sisterhood: A soothing tonic that all women need doses of throughout their lives.

 

Theme Song: “Brave” by Sara Barellies:

“…I wonder what would happen if you

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly, I wanna see you be brave…”

 

Favorite Holiday to Celebrate: Galentine’s Day – February 13th

 

Free Merchandise:

Necklaces and brooches (by Betsey Johnson)–a pendant of a winged woman holding a star. A winged-woman is a great metaphor–inspiring women to soar.

 

Meeting place:

My house–as soon as I get furniture. Nice view but no place to sit. Good luck matching that shade of green! [For interior design enthusiasts the color is called Lily Pad–which is the same color of the walls in the “New Room” at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home–which I was trying to duplicate.]

 

Sign on the front door to the house with no furniture:

 

The guest bathroom in the house with no furniture has a Female Empowerment Wall–to be decorated with coloring book pages like these:

 

The side yard of the house with no furniture has plenty of land to expand the LAVA meeting space.

 

As soon as Powerball is won, this space will be the new location of WAVE: Women & Artists Vital Establishment.

[Note: If you’re going to dream, may as well dream BIG.]

 

 

WAVE will be a free gathering place for all. Proposed configuration: A conversation salon in the middle with comfy couches and surrounding space for musical performances and recording; writing; painting; digital arts; creating.

LAVA and WAVE provide a way to:

Wave good-bye to the Internet.

Wave hello to real people.

Wave good-bye to problems.

Wave hello to solutions.

Wave good-bye to anger.

Wave hello to fulfillment.

Wave good-bye to feeling unconnected; unseen; unheard; unsocial.

Wave hello to a sense of community.

Wave good-bye to an old way of thinking about women.

Wave hello to equality.

Wave good-bye to nothing to do and nowhere to go.

Wave hello to a nurturing, peaceful, and empowering place to hang out anytime.

 

Currently LAVA exists in theory–a virtual idea. But if you look around you will find examples in the real world: Women who support other women. Women who care. Women who are altruistic. Women who proclaim #TimesUp on being second class citizens or for selfish interests to trump those for the greater good.

If you’d like to start incorporating the feminist spirit of LAVAhood on your own and would like a free necklace or brooch for inspiration, send me an email and I will mail you one.

In the meantime, what’s so funny about peace, love and understanding feminism? Nothing particularly funny. But definitely FUN!

 

P.S. Don’t forget to celebrate Galentine’s Day on February 13th and spread the Sisterhood.

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P.P.S. Anyone want to color this page? Let me know and I’ll hook you up with a set of colored pencils.