Thankful for Diversity

by Gregg Chadwick

Hope that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We touched base with many of you during the past week and got a good dose of holiday cheer. 

When asked what I am thankful for - I of course start with family and friends but just as importantly I am thankful for the wonderful diversity found in my home state of California and across the US.

Childhood memories are entwined in our holiday traditions. Often, I think of my Dad's parents and the time we took a road trip deep into the South during the Civil Rights era. At a road stop somewhere along I95, in Georgia I think, my Grandma Chadwick saw me staring at a crude racist, epithet scrawled on a sign. She put her arm around me and said to me "Don't mind about those words. Those words aren't true. God loves everyone one of us - equally."

It was one of the first and one of the best lessons about civil rights and equality that I have ever learned. 

Watch The Snowy Day

1. The holiday season often brings a sense of nostalgia. For me the Caldecott Medal winning book by Ezra Jack Keats, "The Snowy Day", seems to illustrate my childhood visits to my Grandma Chadwick’s house. My Aunt Margaret and her daughter Barbara called her Nana. Reading Keats, "The Snowy Day", at my Nana's house in Montclair, New Jersey felt like a walk through that multicultural neighborhood on a wintry day. Ezra Jack Keats passed away in 1983, but his art continues to speak to us today. The most recent offering is the Amazon released animated production inspired by Ezra Jack Keats' book. In this wonderfully illuminated world, the young Peter ventures to his Nana's house to help her deliver presents and Mac and Cheese for the extended family's Christmas Eve dinner. Adventures beckon. Plans are sidetracked. Tears are shed. But in the end, as in all good holiday stories, joy prevails. "The Snowy Day" is a new animated holiday classic. A must watch production. Link here: http://amzn.to/2gkYKYc

For more on Keats and his work please visit the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation online at http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/

Post Election Thoughts from the Keats Foundation:

"It’s more important than ever to keep on doing what we do.

• Creating, and promoting, diverse children’s books.

• Teaching the value of the many cultures and differences in our country and world.

• Instilling a love of reading and a desire to learn in our children.

• Raising our boys to respect girls and one another.

• Raising our girls to believe in themselves and what they can achieve.

• Supporting programs that encourage writers and illustrators, teachers and librarians, to give children the tools and opportunity to find their own voices.

We are nurturing each new generation to contribute to a more literate, inclusive and just society. That is what makes America great."

Stand Up for Others

2. I was heartened to hear of the proud Texan holding a sign up in support of the Islamic Community in Irving Texas. It made me thankful for my brother Kent and sister in law Cathy who last year created a similar love action in Bremerton, Washington. Full article at: http://www.seattleglobalist.com/2015/10/14/hate-groups-anti-islam-protests-washington-mosques-redmond-bremerton/42558

Below is Justin Normand’s Facebook Post About His Action

I'M THE TEXAN WHO HELD THE "YOU BELONG" SIGN IN FRONT OF THE MOSQUE IN IRVING

I have had the most extraordinary weekend.

Like most everyone I know, I have been in a malaise and at a loss since Election Day. What to do? With myself? With my time? To make things better, or even just to slog through?

I manage a sign shop, and so I had had the urge for a week or so to do this. Friday, I had a couple of spare hours in the afternoon, so I did.

I made a sign, and I drove to the nearest mosque and stood out on the public sidewalk to share the peace with my neighbors. My marginalized, fearful, decent, targeted, Muslim neighbors.

Someone took a picture and posted it, and as of today it’s been viewed millions of times, and shared across various platforms many hundreds of thousands of times.

This is extraordinary and humbling; mainly because what I did isn’t (or shouldn’t be) all that extraordinary.

For me, this wasn’t about expressing agreement; I remain Presbyterian, not Muslim.

It wasn’t about demonstrating my outrage to right-wing drivers driving down Esters Road in front of the mosque. I can never, and will never, change any of the haters. It’s not about them. Not this time, and not here.

This was about binding up the wounded. About showing compassion and empathy for the hurting and fearful among us. Or, in some Christian traditions, this was about washing my brother’s feet.

This was about my religion, not theirs.

And, it was about what I think I must do as an American when our way of life is threatened. Targeting people for their religion not only threatens our way of life, it is the polar opposite of our way of life.

Find a group marginalized by the haters in this current era we find ourselves in. Then, find a way to express your acceptance to that group in a physically present way, as opposed to a digital one.

I can assure you, from their outpouring of smiles, hugs, tears, hospitality, messages extending God’s love, and a bouquet of flowers, it will mean a lot.

My own religious tradition ascribes these words to my deity:

I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.

It is also in this vein that the words on the Statue of Liberty embrace, with eagerness and mercy, all who come to join us:

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

These words bespeak the America we all remember, know, love, and are still called upon to be. Especially now.

Lastly, it worked. I felt better for the impact it had on my neighbors. They genuinely needed this encouragement. They need us.

They need all of us. They need you.

We ARE one America.

Full Post at https://www.facebook.com/justin.normand/posts/10210838384291189?pnref=story

Stop the Harassment

3. Cassiel and I had a recent conversation on how to safely intervene in an episode of targeted harassment. 

The illustrated graphic by the artist Maeril is quite good. This is what she recommends:

Graphic by @itsmaeril

Hi everyone! 
This is an illustrated guide I made as part of my co-admining work at The Middle Eastern Feminist on Facebook! It will be published there shortly. The technique that is displayed here is a genuine one used in psychology - I forgot the name and couldn’t find it again so if you know about it, feel free to tell me!Some could say: “Yes but you can use that technique for instances of harassment other than Islamophobic attacks!”, and my reply is: Sure! Please do so, it also works for other “types” of harassment of a lone person in a public space!! However I’m focusing on protecting Muslims here, as they have been very specific targets lately, and as a French Middle Eastern woman, I wanted to try and do something to raise awareness on how to help when such things happen before our eyes - that way one cannot say they “didn’t know what to do”! I’d like to insist on two things: 1) Do not, in any way, interact with the attacker. You must absolutely ignore them and focus entirely on the person being attacked! 2) Please make sure to always respect the wishes of the person you’re helping: whether they want you to leave quickly afterwards, or not! If you’re in a hurry escort them to a place where someone else can take over - call one of their friends, or one of yours, of if they want to, the police. It all depends on how they feel! 
For my fellow French-speakers: I will translate it in French and post it on my page as soon as I can :)
Please don’t hesitate to share this guide as it could push a lot of people to overcome bystander syndrome!!
Lots of love and stay safe!
PS: I you repost this cartoon of mine on twitter or instagram, please add me in the post so I can see it, with @itsmaeril :)

We remain hopeful in this dark moment and send healing thoughts your way.

Thank you for your love and support!

Gregg

DYK that Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day–published in 1962–was the first full-color picture book to feature a Black child as its protagonist?

Written & illustrated by Keats, the son of Jewish-Polish immigrants, the book won the 1963 Caldecott Medal & is still a best-seller. pic.twitter.com/8teQqUtW5j

— Nat'l Endow f/t Arts (@NEAarts) December 3, 2021

Showing our support & solidarity for the brave #LGBT community in Russia.

NOH8Campaign NOH8 Campaign

Showing our support & solidarity for the brave #LGBT community in Russia. #NOH8WorldWide! pic.twitter.com/hyT2FkUsGD

Details

A Toast to Hannah

Communicating the loss of a loved one is never easy. It is best done in person but words alone can also provide light in a difficult time. With deep sadness I have to send on news about the death of our beloved family member Hannah Johnson. Hannah passed away Sunday night in a traffic accident, and her husband Matt is fighting for his life in a hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. (Update on Hannah's Husband Matt: Matt is coherent, awake, conversant and stood up today!!)

Hannah believed deeply that all are created equal and that we all deserve an equal share of human rights. Hannah worked tirelessly for marriage equality in California and New Jersey. 

Pictured in this New York Times photo from 2009 is my courageous family member Hannah Johnson tearing up as she applauds a New Jersey Senate committee vote on a bill to legalize gay marriage. The struggle continues in New Jersey and in California

photo by Richard Perry / New York Times

Troy Stevenson, the director of Garden State Equality, wrote about Hannah's passing:

"This is a horrible loss for our organization, our movement, and many of us personally. The last time I spoke to Hannah was just over a year ago, on the day we passed marriage equality. She was my first call. I thanked her for all the work she and her team put in and we cried together about finally getting the votes we had fought so hard for. She told me then how much all of you meant to her, and how the work she did in New Jersey was the most important work she had ever done... That is the effect you had on her, she wanted nothing more than to bring equality to each of you, and to all of New Jersey. In the coming days, we will organize a memorial to celebrate Hannah’s life, and we will share those details when we have them. For now, I think it is important that we lean on each other for support. Some of you may not have known Hannah, but your fellow Garden State Equality members did, and trust me, she was one of the most amazing souls I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Those who didn’t know her would have loved her if you had, and those that did will love her forever...

As for me, I will never forget her; I will fight even harder in her memory, and I know that each of you will do the same. So, remember, when we win the freedom to marry, and we will win very soon, the first toast goes to Hannah."

For me, I am reminded by Hannah's passing to remember that we are called to take care of each other. Life is precious. Enjoy every second. 

And I know, with Hannah in mind, that I will fight for LGBTQ equality and human rights for all until the end of my days.

As an enlightened sage recently said to me, " Don't waste a single fucking moment of your life."

Love,
Gregg 

A celebration of Hannah's life will be held Saturday, May 25, 2013 at the First Unitarian Society of Madison, 900 University Bay Drive, Madison, WI, 53705. 

Hannah's family will be there at 4:00 to welcome friends and family. The service will begin at 5:00. Fellowship and light refreshments will follow the service.

The family is asking that in lieu of flowers, memorials be directed to "Hannah's Fund for Matt" 

at Greenwood's State Bank, 117 No. Main St, Lake Mills, WI, 53551.

PS  Hannah was about to embark on a new journey as a teacher at an amazing school in Baltimore, Maryland.

Please watch the videos below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gGY-rwPefk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQgWNSBKq8k

More at:

http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/schools/annapolis-high-student-teacher-dies-in-wreck-in-boston/article_4d4cf885-914a-50bb-8a98-91a1f1402f8a.html

Hannah Marie Sinsky Johnson LeBlanc, June 28, 1983 - May 20, 2013

Marriage for All Families: Stories From The Four 2012

Marriage Equality is on the ballot in four states this November: Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. The Four 2012 has created an active, evolving campaign that brings the issues around Marriage Equality to light. Each day a new video or graphic will be posted and supporters of Marriage Equality are encouraged to repost the content via Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, blogs and emails.  Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga are featured in supportive ads on The Four 2012 website.

The Springsteen graphic created for the campaign reads: 

Listen to The Boss

 "The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly is - a civil rights issue that must be approved to assure that every citizen is treated equally under the law."

I couldn't agree more with that statement and urge those who support equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now.

-Bruce Springsteen

 The Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, Cory Booker, retweeted the Springsteen image yesterday and added:

@CoryBooker 
Cory Booker

Yes, Bruce truly Rocks! RT @RyanNewYork: Have you seen what The Boss says about marriage equality?http://t.co/8YAWKOxi CC: @TheFour2012

October 1, 2012 8:09 pm via UberSocial for BlackBerry Reply Retweet Favorite

The Lady Gaga graphic reads: 

This November Vote for marriage equality.

 I think that gay marriage is going to happen. It must.

We are not actually equal - humanity - if we are not allowed to freely love one another.

-Lady Gaga

On The Four 2012 today is the first in a deeply moving four part video series that brings together the stories of those most affected by the struggle for Marriage Equality. I encourage you to watch and listen.

Marriage for All Families: Stories From Maine

Published on Oct 2, 2012 by NewLeftMedia

The first of a four-part series made in each of the states that have marriage equality votes this November, this short shares the experiences of same-sex couples who want to get married in Maine.

They have the same challenges, responsibilities, and aspirations as any other couple--but they are strangers in the eyes of the law. That's why marriage equality is so important: it aligns personality reality with legal reality, as a simple matter of fairness.

The series is produced in association with The Four, a social media campaign to support marriage equality in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington State. Learn more and get involved at http://TheFour.com.

Film produced by Chase Whiteside and Erick Stoll.
Music by Timmy's Work.

THANKS:
Ralph Baldwin, Jonathan Lee, Ian Grady, Marc DiCenzo, Steven Gustavo Emmons, Ryan Davis, Richard Socarides, Brian Ellner, and Jett House.

Mitt Romney vs. a young David Bowie?

by Gregg Chadwick




Must watch video from 1964 of a young David Bowie standing up for the rights of all. The recent news stories about Mitt Romney's extreme bullying and cruelty during his high school years comes to mind.:

"A high school classmate of presidential candidate Mitt Romney told ABC News today that he considers a particular prank the two pulled at Michigan’s Cranbrook School to be “assault and battery” and that he witnessed Romney hold the scissors to cut the hair of a student who was being physically pinned to the ground by several others.
'It’s a haunting memory.  I think it was for everybody that spoke up about it …  because when you see somebody who is simply different taken down that way and is terrified and you see that look in their eye you never forget it.  And that was what we all walked away with,' said Phillip Maxwell, who is now an attorney and still considers Romney an old friend."

Romney's actions show an almost pathological lack of empathy. We need empathy not cruelty in our President! We need a POTUS who accepts all persons equally!



Hat tip to Eric Kleefeld!

More at:
Once a Bully, Always a Bully

Los Angeles Mayor Issues Statement in Favor of Gay Marriage

MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA ISSUES STATEMENT ON CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT’S PROP. 8 RULING

LOS ANGELES – Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa issued the following statement today on the California Supreme Court’s decision to allow the sponsors of Proposition 8 to defend the ballot initiative in federal court:

"Today's California Supreme Court ruling is the latest step in guaranteeing that all gay and lesbian Americans have the fundamental right to marry the person they love.  The Court's ruling that proponents of Proposition 8 may defend the initiative before the 9th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals gives the federal court the opportunity to right this injustice.
I am confident that the 9th Circuit Court will affirm marriage equality and right the damage Prop. 8 has done to our fellow Californians and their families.  I look forward to the day when all Americans enjoy the freedom to marry."

More at:
Villaraigosa on Prop 8 Ruling

Tom Morello's New Song "Union Town" Roars in Solidarity With Workers Across the Globe

"Performing in Madison, Wisconsin and seeing 100,000 people in the streets demanding justice inspired me to record an album of union fighting songs. I've been a proud union man for 22 years and my mom was a union public high school teacher, so for me this fight is very personal. Unions are a crucial counterweight to the raw corporate greed that torpedoed our economy, threatens our environment and wants to strip away decades of social progress. From Cairo to Madison, workers are pushing back and tyrants are falling. Here's a soundtrack for our fight."
-Tom Morello


The full length UNION TOWN EP will be released digitally
May 17th with all proceeds going towards pro-union struggles.

On February 21st of this year, Tom Morello performed at the Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin in protest to an anti-union bill put forward by Governor Scott Walker. Morello explains in his editorial about the experience, “Frostbite and Freedom: Tom Morello on the Battle of Madison,” at RollingStone.com:

For days I had been following the exciting events in Cairo and across the Middle East. But when I turned on the television and saw 100,000 people marching through the streets of MADISON, WISCONSIN to protest an anti-union bill put forward by some schmuck named Governor Walker it caught my attention. I turned to my wife and said, "Honey, our boys are gonna grow up to be union men." She sighed and replied, "The Nightwatchman is needed. You should go."

And so The Nightwatchman went.

A nice lady at the airport looked at my guitar and politely asked, "Why are you going to Madison, young man?" I replied, "Because they're making history in Madison, ma'am. And I don't want to miss it."

The title track from the Union Town EP (full track listing below) is available now at SaveWorkers.org. On the heels of Union Town, Tom Morello, as The Nightwatchman, will release his third full length solo album, World Wide Rebel Songs, late Summer via New West Records.


Gregg Chadwick
Engine Company
48" x 36" oil on canvas 2011

The America Votes Labor Unity Fund supports the unified efforts of a broad coalition of national labor organizations to defend workers and their unions against state legislation, ballot measures and executive orders that will undermine or destroy their rights. The America Votes Labor Unity Fund accepts donations from labor organizations and individuals who donate on their own behalf. Please visit www.saveworkers.org for more details and to make a donation.

Tom is set to release Union Town via New West Records digitally on May 17th with a physical CD and Vinyl release to follow on July 19th. All profits from Union Town will benefit The America Votes Labor Unity Fund via SaveWorkers.org.

The studio recording consists of 8 pro-union songs featuring three Tom Morello originals, as well as the Woody Guthrie classic “This Land Is Your Land” (including the more radical, often censored verses).




Tom Morello : The Nightwatchman Union Town Track Listing:
1. Union Town
2. Solidarity Forever
3. Which Side Are You On?
4. A Wall Against The Wind
5. 16 Tons
6. This Land Is Your Land
7. I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night
8. Union Song (Live - Capitol Square, Madison, Wisconsin Feb. 21st, 2011)

Hospitals May No Longer Deny Gay Partner Visitation Rights

photo by Gregg Chadwick

"There are few moments in our lives that call for greater compassion and companionship than when a loved one is admitted to the hospital. In these hours of need and moments of pain and anxiety, all of us would hope to have a hand to hold, a shoulder on which to lean – a loved one to be there for us, as we would be there for them."
- President Barack Obama, April 15, 2010

President Obama issued a directive to the Department of Health and Human Services to work to prohibit discrimination in hospital visitation. On April 15, 2010 President Obama directed Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius to "initiate rulemaking to ensure that hospitals that participate in Medicare and Medicaid respect the rights of patients to designate visitors. The President further advised that the rule should ensure that participating hospitals may not deny visitation privileges based on factors including sexual orientation or gender identity."

Today, January 19, 2011, the new Hospital Visitation Regulations go into effect.

From the White House:

hospitals may not deny visitation privileges based on factors including sexual orientation or gender identity
Respecting the Rights of Hospital Patients to Receive Visitors and to Designate Surrogate Decision Makers for Medical Emergencies

Statement from NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell on Today’s Ninth Circuit Ruling in Prop 8 Case

photo by Richard Perry / New York Times
Pictured in this New York Times photo from 2009 is my courageous family member Hannah Johnson tearing up as she applauds a New Jersey Senate committee vote on a bill to legalize gay marriage. The bill passed a committee vote but stalled in the Senate. The struggle continues in New Jersey and in California.

(San Francisco, CA, August 16, 2010) — Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the Proposition 8 proponents’ motion to stay U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker’s decision, which means that same-sex couples in California will not be able to marry while the case is on appeal. However, the Ninth Circuit put the appeal on a fast track and specifically directed that the Prop 8 proponents address "why the appeal should not be dismissed for lack of Article III standing” in their opening brief.

________________________________________

Statement on the from NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell

”Every additional day that couples must wait to marry again in California is painful, but despite the terrible disappointment for the many couples whose right to marry has been delayed yet again, today’s ruling includes another significant victory for our side. The court did the right thing by putting the case on a fast track and specifically ordering that Prop 8 proponents show why they have a legal right to appeal. This ruling brings us one step closer to ending the nightmare of Prop 8, and restoring full equality for all Californians.”

More at:
The National Center for Lesbian Rights

Let the Wedding Bells Ring: Same Sex Marriage Stay Denied. Gay Marriages To Resume in California on Wed., August 18, 2010

The evidence presented at trial and the position of the representatives of the State of California show that an injunction against enforcement of Proposition 8 is in the public’s interest. Accordingly, the court concludes that the public interest counsels against entry of the stay proponents seek.

None of the factors the court weighs in considering a motion to stay favors granting a stay.

Accordingly, proponents’ motion for a stay is DENIED. Doc #705.
The clerk is DIRECTED to enter judgment forthwith.

That judgment shall be STAYED until August 18, 2010 at 5PMPDT at which time defendants and all persons under their control or supervision shall cease to apply or enforce Proposition 8.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

VAUGHN R WALKER United States District Chief Judge

Full Decision at:
Same Sex Marriage Stay Denied

Joe Greene and the Heavy Steppers "William Wallace"

Went to a small club last night with a quartet of friends and found a musical epiphany - Joe Greene and the Heavy Steppers.
Much more to come next week ...

Joe Greene and the Heavy Steppers on iTunes

Jimmy Carter Stands Up for Women's Rights

Losing my religion for equality
Jimmy Carter
July 15, 2009
from The Age


Women and girls have been discriminated against for too long in a twisted interpretation of the word of God.


I HAVE been a practising Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world. So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service.

This view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief. Women are prevented from playing a full and equal role in many faiths. Nor, tragically, does its influence stop at the walls of the church, mosque, synagogue or temple. This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women's equal rights across the world for centuries.

At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.

The impact of these religious beliefs touches every aspect of our lives. They help explain why in many countries boys are educated before girls; why girls are told when and whom they must marry; and why many face enormous and unacceptable risks in pregnancy and childbirth because their basic health needs are not met.

In some Islamic nations, women are restricted in their movements, punished for permitting the exposure of an arm or ankle, deprived of education, prohibited from driving a car or competing with men for a job. If a woman is raped, she is often most severely punished as the guilty party in the crime.

The same discriminatory thinking lies behind the continuing gender gap in pay and why there are still so few women in office in the West. The root of this prejudice lies deep in our histories, but its impact is felt every day. It is not women and girls alone who suffer. It damages all of us. The evidence shows that investing in women and girls delivers major benefits for society. An educated woman has healthier children. She is more likely to send them to school. She earns more and invests what she earns in her family.




It is simply self-defeating for any community to discriminate against half its population. We need to challenge these self-serving and outdated attitudes and practices - as we are seeing in Iran where women are at the forefront of the battle for democracy and freedom.

I understand, however, why many political leaders can be reluctant about stepping into this minefield. Religion, and tradition, are powerful and sensitive areas to challenge. But my fellow Elders and I, who come from many faiths and backgrounds, no longer need to worry about winning votes or avoiding controversy - and we are deeply committed to challenging injustice wherever we see it.

The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by former South African president Nelson Mandela, who offer their influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity. We have decided to draw particular attention to the responsibility of religious and traditional leaders in ensuring equality and human rights and have recently published a statement that declares: "The justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable."



We are calling on all leaders to challenge and change the harmful teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify discrimination against women. We ask, in particular, that leaders of all religions have the courage to acknowledge and emphasise the positive messages of dignity and equality that all the world's major faiths share.

The carefully selected verses found in the Holy Scriptures to justify the superiority of men owe more to time and place - and the determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence - than eternal truths. Similar biblical excerpts could be found to support the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.

I am also familiar with vivid descriptions in the same Scriptures in which women are revered as pre-eminent leaders. During the years of the early Christian church women served as deacons, priests, bishops, apostles, teachers and prophets. It wasn't until the fourth century that dominant Christian leaders, all men, twisted and distorted Holy Scriptures to perpetuate their ascendant positions within the religious hierarchy.

The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions - all of whom have called for proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time we had the courage to challenge these views.

Jimmy Carter was president of the United States from 1977 to 1981.