THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR

Karl Rove doesn't want you to know about it. It isn't another Bushie's "faith-based gluing together of church and state," even though in a backassed way, the Bushie's abusive and repugnant social agenda is responsible for it.

It is based on real human feelings for sisters in need. There won't be anyone coming around asking for money or sending you a heart-rending plea for $50 or more.

It all started when the self-described, Christian-Bush administration denied the $34 million that was the United State's contribution to the United Nations Population Fund a family planning group.

Many of us read about it and were angry, but two women did something about it. Mega-kudos to Jane Roberts and Lois Abraham who independently had an idea. "How about 34 million people sending JUST ONE DOLLAR to make up for the Bushie's Scrooge-like assault on poor women?" http://www.unfpa.org/support/34million.htm

The response started slowly and it appears that a landslide of good-will-to-women is beginning as Americans started to send in a dollar or more. GenderGappers' dollars are in the mail. We urge you all to spread the word to your friends and family.

"From the moment Bush was sworn into office, his administration sacrificed international family planning to the farthest tip of the right wing of his party. First came the global gag rule, refusing funds to any group that would tell a woman where she could get an abortion, even in countries where abortion was legal. Next came the withholding of money to UNFPA on the blatantly false grounds that the organization helped the Chinese government push coercive abortions. Despite all the hoo-ha about liberating Afghan women, the White House has never acknowledged that women's freedom includes the freedom to decide when and how to have children. The women in the poorest parts of the world were held hostage to domestic politics. Did the administration think we'd never notice? Never care?" http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/356/oped/Friendly_dollars+.shtml

We also salute three other resolute women who stood up and defied the custom "that anything goes as long as I get rich." despite the certainty of reprisals. TIME Magazine was so impressed with them that it made them their Persons of the Year.

Coleen Rowley, Cynthia Cooper and Sherron Watkins were chosen by the magazine's "for believing really believing that the truth is one thing that must not be moved off the books, and for stepping in to make sure that it wasn't.''

FBI agent, Rowley, 48, wrote a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller in May criticizing the agency for ignoring evidence before Sept. 11, 2001, that hinted of an attack.

Cooper, 38, a WorldCom internal auditor, alerted the company's board in June to $3.8 billion in accounting irregularities. A month later, the telecommunications giant declared the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Watkins, 43, sent memos in August 2001 warning Enron chairman Kenneth Lay that improper accounting could cause the company to collapse. The company later filed for bankruptcy, and Watkins resigned as a vice president last month.

The TIME cover story compares these women with the 9/11 firefighters and called them "heroes chosen by circumstance." What a pleasure it is to see women featured for their accomplishments. No bathing suits, no seductive poses and no bull$hit.

In the first instance, the almighty power of one dollar from millions of women goes to help disadvantaged women. In the second, three women bravely face up to the overwhelming power of multimillion-dollar corporate or institutional monoliths.

twanda@twanda.org

2002-054

Copyright 2002 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@twanda.org.