I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar!

The events in Washington D.C. during the past week have dredged up memories of a favorite song, written and recorded in 1972 by Australian singer, Helen Reddy.  I was in college and this feminist song spoke to my young heart.  I played the record and sang along, sometimes loudly.  On my own for the first time, I was just beginning to understand my potential.  The world was full of possibilities.  As a child of the 50s and 60s, I had seen and experienced plenty of sexism.  I believed the world was changing.  Here are the lyrics to the first part of the song.  (After this it starts repeating the chorus.)

I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again

Oh yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong
(Strong)
I am invincible
(Invincible)
I am woman

You can bend but never break me
'Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'Cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

And now, 46 years later, I find myself thinking about this song.  The sad thing is that we need this anthem more than ever.  Yes, we women have made great strides but we have such a long way to still go.  I truly thought things would be better than this after all these years.  And I never thought that we would go backwards.  It breaks my heart. . . and it makes me angry.

Early Thursday morning, my husband and I sat down in front of our TV to watch the hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  I saw a totally terrified Dr. Christine Blasey Ford waiting for the proceedings to begin.  Although clearly uncomfortable, Dr. Ford proved to be a totally credible witness.  In fact, Republicans have found it problematic to question her credibility so they have developed a new tactic.  After attempting to discredit her before the hearing, calling her a liar and more, they now say they believe her BUT they don’t think Judge Kavanaugh was her attacker.  It was someone else.  How convenient.

When Judge Kavanaugh arrived to testify, he came out swinging; he was angry, at times in tears, belligerent, rude, and extremely partisan.  Even if the sexual assault accusation isn’t accurate, he displayed behavior totally unsuitable for a Supreme Court Justice.  So how did the committee react?  They voted to send his nomination to the full Senate.  Of course now, thanks to Senator Flake, there is a week delay while the FBI investigates. Republican leaders are still planning to hold a vote to confirm him, as soon as possible.  It is of utmost importance for them to seat this ultra conservative partisan hack so they can make the changes they want.  Most important?  Overturning Roe vs. Wade.

What does this say to women?  The senators’ flippant attitude about Kavanaugh’s behavior is a slap in the face to all girls and women.  It indicates that they simply don’t give a damn.  And what about the one in three women who have experienced sexual assault?  It is like rubbing salt in a wound.  Women are reliving these traumatic experiences.  And they have no doubt that a woman will remember the details of a sexual assault, including the face of her attacker.  It is seared into her brain.  In the past couple of weeks I have seen friends share a bit about their experiences online.  Last weekend, during a late night discussion at a women’s retreat, a young woman shared her story about being raped for years by her stepfather and having to face him and his family in a courtroom.  She was brave but felt so alone.  Critics mock women for taking so long to come forward yet it is people like these who are the cause of women’s reluctance.  Why would a woman want to put herself through a second trauma?

I believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.  What she says rings true for me and many other women.  We have seen this aggressive, entitled male behavior before—many times in fact.  For years.  We have seen groups of old white males in leadership positions ignore it or attack the women.  I for one am tired of it.  Enough is enough.

Women of America, it is time to stand up to these old white men.  It is time for them to step aside and let women take charge.  We are angry and we need to let them know it.  I am woman, hear me roar!

I want to hold onto my anger right now—but I don’t want it to consume me.  I want to use my anger to make things happen.  Arguing does no good.  Do something.  VOTE!  Get active in politics—local, state, national.  Let’s make change happen!  We need another women’s march—NOW!  They thought there were a lot of us marching before.  They ain’t seen nothing yet!  Let them hear us roar.  We will shake the halls of Congress!  We are strong together!