Who’s your “SHERO”? Honoring and Respecting the Rights of Women

UkeFoote

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Last weekend, millions of women took to the streets, marching to ask for the respect and rights they deserve. It was an amazing show of strength in the face of the adversity of history. My wife and daughter marched; I did not only because of a health issue.

Though the politics behind the march are complicated, the idea of this thread is simple: post an ukulele performance that honors women in some way. The video can be new or old. Along with the video, please write a short description of a “Shero” in your life; a woman who been an important figure in your life (Watching the DC march on the phone I caught an image of a tough looking african american women wearing a black beanie with “SHERO” embroidered in white). The figure can be someone you know, an historical figure, or simply someone who has impressed and influenced you.

The thread will be open through March 8, International Women’s Day.

Please lets try to keep politics and personal beliefs out of the thread: this is meant to be a positive affirmation of the beauty and strength of women.
 
My mother, Ruth Fergus, is one of the many SHEROs in my life. She grew up in rural Kansas in the ‘20s and ‘30s. “Smart as a whip,” mom was one of the few women in her time to complete her Bachelor’s (hmmm) and Master’s degrees at Kansas University (English). She married my dad on Oct. 31, 1942 (not for any ironic reason, it was simply the time my dad had leave from his Ensign position in the USNavy). During the war, my mom worked for a newspaper published by an airplane manufacturer (I believe it was McDonnell Douglas) for the ten thousand workers at their facility in Los Angeles. This is a time I know little about in her life; I wish I could have asked her more about it. She was the chief editor for the weekly newspaper; she lived alone in LA. After the war, though she had the skills that, had she been a man, would have translated into a successful career in publishing, she became a full time mother for the three sons that came along (I was the last, in 1961).

She continued to work as a freelance editor for small projects, but more important in her life was the enormous amount of charity work she did. I can’t even list the many causes she poured herself into; nor can I imagine how many lives her work touched. She gave of herself so joyously and effortlessly: both to her family, to whom she remains a somewhat legendary figure, and to her community (when she died, the small town I grew up in flew their flags at half mast, an unprecendented gesture for a common citizen).

I could go on and on, but I really need only say that I am so grateful to have such a smart, strong, reasonable, loving, and humble lady for my mum. I can only hope I can be a tenth as good a person as my SHERO.

Here's my video: "Julia" by the Beatles:
 
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You have reason to be proud, Brian!
 
The women in my family were and are all proud, self reliant and capable. My daughter marched in the snow up near Lake Tahoe last weekend to join her sisters in solidarity. From Truckee to Kings Beach about five to eight miles, with what I heard was about 40-60" of snow on the ground this year! There were hundreds in that group.

One would be very silly to try to treat any of them with disrespect, they all have a matching set of cutlery!
 
Not into Heros or Sheros but i am glad that we have people of both genders pushing limits and boundaries!


I have 6 grandchildren and I love them all so much.
The thought of them having to deal with this sometimes crappy world just gets me down at times.
So much pressure from all sorts of influences. The thought of the girls having to deal with extra pressure that those who don't respect them bring to bear is just wrong.
Every now and then I think we are finally past it and then we get those in power just treating females as someone to kiss and grab whenever the urge takes them. Sheesh.


I just want all my grandkids and all children generally to have the same opportunities. Please.....

This one I more or less wrote for my oldest grandchild - Charlotte.

Do want you want and be yourself Charlie -

 
This is more or less a love song for ALL my grandkids -



Hopefully they'll be no need for threads like this sometime in the future.
 
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Susan is one of my Sheroes. She provides me reason to go on when times get really tough, no lie! At her best she is just like this song says, absolutely wonderful. At her worst, well she does my laundry! Yes I know this sounds exploitive of me but once upon a time I added too much soap or didn't sort the colors or something and she has insisted on doing all the laundry ever since.

Susan would have joined one of the marches but she has been having some balance issues of late. Instead she spent the month of January knitting pink pussy hats for all and sundry.


 
Growing up a teenage girl these days is virtual minefield. Navigating the peer pressure, desire to fit in and fighting negative self images derived from unrealistic media portrayals of the feminine can be a brutal cocktail for impressionable young women. My mom has always been a brave, independent and strong woman with a unshakable sense of what she believes and did her level best to instill those same values in her daughters and in her sons. This song is dedicated to my nieces who are in various stages of junior and high school and are growing into fierce women!

This song "Try" by Colbie Caillat sends some important messages about self worth and the "image" of self worth.

 
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I've fallen in love with Claire Boucher, the driving creative force behind Grimes. Is she my shero? I don't know, but her song "Oblivion" hits pretty close to home.
 
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